Zahidi Dates 2025: Semi-Dry Uses, Storage & Buyer Pricing

Updated: 22 Sep 2025 • Expert Variety Guide

Zahidi Dates 2025: Nutrition, Uses, Prices & Buyer Guide

This guide focuses on Zahidi (Zahedi) dates to avoid overlap with our Medjool/Ajwa content and help you rank for distinct, long-tail buyer intent.

Zahidi dates: semi-dry, mild sweetness, excellent shelf-life.

At a glance: Zahidi (Zahedi) dates are a semi-dry variety prized for golden-amber color, nutty sweetness, tidy dice/paste performance, and long shelf-life. Ideal for retail value packs, bakery, granola & bars, and industrial ingredients. Keep sealed at 15–20 °C or refrigerate for extended freshness.

Contents

1. What Is Zahidi (Zahedi) Dates?
2. Flavor, Texture & Best Uses
3. Nutrition Overview & Sensible Use
4. Storage, Shelf-Life & Handling
5. Wholesale Prices & Grades (2025)
6. Buyer Specs & Defect Tolerances
7. Copy-Paste RFQ Template
8. HS Codes, Packs, Logistics
9. Zahidi vs Fard vs Deglet Noor
10. Quick Recipes & Snack Ideas
11. FAQs

What Is Zahidi (Zahedi) Dates?

Zahidi (also spelled Zahedi) is a semi-dry date variety traditionally cultivated across parts of the Middle East. It’s known for a golden-amber skin, firm bite and balanced sweetness. Zahidi stands apart from soft, high-moisture dates (like Medjool or Kimia) because it handles ambient storage better and works beautifully as chopped/diced inclusions in bakery, cereal, bars and confectionery.

Key Characteristics

• Type: Semi-dry (low to moderate moisture)
• Profile: Mild sweetness, nutty, gentle caramel
• Look: Golden-amber, elongated oval
• Use cases: Retail value packs, ingredients (dice/paste), syrup/sugar

Why It’s Popular

• Excellent price-to-value vs premium soft dates
• Ambient friendly for shops/kitchens
• Performs well in industrial processing
• Distinct topic that avoids keyword overlap with Medjool/Ajwa

Flavor, Texture & Best Uses

Zahidi tastes mildly sweet with a nutty finish. The semi-dry texture gives a pleasant chew that holds shape when chopped, baked, or mixed into granola and bars. It’s ideal if you want sweetness + structure without the stickiness of extra-soft dates.

Retail
1 kg/500 g value packs; pantry snacking; budget-friendly gifting.

Bakery
Breads, cookies, muffins; chopped/diced inclusions.

Industrial
Date paste, dice, syrup/sugar for bars & cereals.

Tip: for butter-stuffed date trends, use larger soft varieties; for bars & granola, Zahidi dice keeps structure.

Nutrition Overview & Sensible Use

Like other dates, Zahidi provides carbohydrate energy, some dietary fibre, and minerals such as potassium and magnesium. It can be a tasty natural sweetening option in recipes. Nutrition needs vary by person; those with specific conditions (e.g., blood sugar management) should consult a qualified professional about appropriate portions.

Per 100 g (approx.)	What it means
Energy (kcal): moderate–high (as with dried fruits)	Useful in snacks or active lifestyles; mindful portions help balance intake.
Carbs & sugars: natural fruit sugars	Swap into recipes to reduce refined sugar use where suitable.
Fibre: present	Supports recipe texture; contributes to overall daily fibre goals.
Minerals: potassium, magnesium	Common to dates; exact values vary by crop & processing.

Labeling best practice: Use lab-tested nutrition panels for retail compliance in the USA, Canada, UK and Australia.

Storage, Shelf-Life & Handling

• Ambient: 15–20 °C, low humidity, away from light; keep airtight.
• Refrigeration: Extends freshness for months; equilibrate packs before opening to avoid condensation.
• Transport: For warm routes, use insulated shipping; semi-dry Zahidi tolerates transit better than soft dates.

Wholesale Prices & Grades (2025)

Pricing depends on crop year, origin, grade, size, defect levels and packaging. Semi-dry Zahidi typically prices below premium soft varieties, making it attractive for value retail and B2B ingredients.

Grade	Typical Use	Notes affecting price
Premium / Choice	Retail packs, gifting	Uniform size/color; low defects; tight skins; newer crop year.
Commercial	Retail value packs, foodservice	Accepts minor scarring/color variance; good moisture balance.
Industrial / Process	Dice, paste, syrup	Larger defect tolerance; priced keenly for volume contracts.

Always compare landed cost per kg by grade, pack, and incoterm. Request batch/lot and BBE on quotes.

Buyer Specs & Defect Tolerances

Spec checklist

• Variety & origin (e.g., Zahidi — Iran/Iraq/Egypt)
• Grade & size (or count)
• Crop year
• Pack (10 kg / 5 kg; retail masters)
• Permissible defects (%), pits/pitted
• Labeling & language requirements

Quality cues

• Even golden-amber color; minimal cracking
• Firm semi-dry bite; not leathery
• Low stem caps & loose skins
• Clean aroma; intact seals

Copy-Paste RFQ Template (Global)

Subject: RFQ — Zahidi (Zahedi) Dates, Grade & Pack —  — 

Specs:
• Variety & Origin: Zahidi (Zahedi) — 
• Grade & Size: 
• Crop Year: 
• Pack: <10 kg / 5 kg / retail masters> ; pitted or with pits
• Quantity: 
• Delivery:  ; Incoterm 
• Compliance: Labels (EN/FR/ES/AR, etc.), batch/lot, BBE; any lab tests if required

Please quote landed price per kg by grade and share 1–2 kg samples with COA/batch details.

HS Codes, Packs, Logistics

Trade & packs

• HS: 0804.10 (dates; confirm specific subheadings per market)
• Bulk: 10 kg cartons (liner bags), 5 kg
• Retail: 250 g–1 kg; stand-up pouches or rigid boxes
• Private label: share dielines; require barcodes & nutrition panels per country

Logistics

• Ambient containers for temperate routes; insulated for hot lanes
• Reefer advisable for mixed loads with soft dates
• Palletization: optimize for retailer requirements (USA/Canada/UK/AU)
• Observe allergen and labeling rules (e.g., “may contain nuts” if packed near nuts)

Zahidi vs Fard vs Deglet Noor

Variety	Texture	Flavor notes	Best for
Zahidi	Semi-dry, firm	Mild sweet, nutty	Value packs, dice, paste, ambient retail
Fard	Semi-soft to soft	Richer caramel	Snack boxes, mixed assortments
Deglet Noor	Semi-dry, translucent	Honey-nut, light	Bakery, branch, pitted retail

Choose Zahidi when cost, structure and ambient stability matter most.

Quick Recipes & Snack Ideas (Zahidi-Friendly)

No-Bake Zahidi Granola Bars

1. Pulse pitted Zahidi with oats and a nut/seed mix.
2. Warm a little nut butter; fold into mixture.
3. Press in a lined tray; chill; slice into bars.

Zahidi’s firmer bite helps bars hold shape.

Chopped Zahidi Cookie Boost

Fold small Zahidi dice into cookie dough for pops of sweetness and chew without excess stickiness.

Breakfast Sprinkle

Add fine Zahidi dice to granola, yogurt bowls, porridge for natural sweetness and texture.

Simple Savory Toss

Toss chopped Zahidi with olive oil, lemon, herbs and toasted nuts; finish salads or grain bowls.

Looking for soft, stuffed “viral” bites? Try our recipe hub and use Medjool for butter-stuffed formats; keep Zahidi for chopped/diced brilliance.

FAQs

Is Zahidi good for meal prep?
Yes—semi-dry texture and ambient stability make it pantry-friendly.

Can I substitute Zahidi for Medjool in recipes?
Often yes, but you may need a bit of moisture (e.g., warm water soak) for paste recipes.

What pack sizes work best?
Retail: 500 g–1 kg; B2B: 5–10 kg lined cartons; industrial: bulk sacks.

Any allergen notes?
Dates themselves are not common allergens, but cross-contact can occur in facilities handling nuts; label accordingly.

Need Zahidi samples or private-label quotes?

Share your grade, pack, and destination. We’ll shortlist lots and quote landed prices per kg.

💬 +91 88796 66906 (WhatsApp) • 📧 hurzuk.abid@gmail.com • 🌐 dates.business

Related reads: Zahidi 10 kg Bulk • APMC Market Context • How to Start a Dates Business

Dates.Business Editorial

Reviewed for policy-compliant claims and unique keyword focus (Zahidi). Last reviewed: 22 Sep 2025.