Date shake facts for kids
| Course | Beverage |
|---|---|
| Place of origin | United States |
| Region or state | Coachella Valley |
| Created by | Russ Nicholl |
| Serving temperature | Cold |
| Main ingredients | Dates, ice cream |
| Variations | Fresh, sugar crystal |
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A date shake is a delicious milkshake made with sweet dates. This special drink first came from the Coachella Valley in California. It's a popular treat that many people enjoy, especially in that area.
Contents
Making a Date Shake
A date shake is usually made by blending milk or ice cream with about half a cup of dates. This creates a thick, sweet, and creamy drink.
Different Ways to Prepare
- One way to make a date shake uses date crystals. These are dried pieces of dates, sweetened with date sugar. They are mixed with water to make a paste, then blended with other ingredients. This method was first used in 1936 by Shields Date Garden.
- Another way is to bake the dates first. After baking, they are blended until they become a smooth paste.
Healthy Benefits
Date shakes are not just tasty; they also have good things for your body! They are rich in:
- Fiber
- Iron
- Potassium
- Niacin
However, they also have a lot of sugar and calories, so they are best enjoyed as a special treat!
History of the Date Shake
The date shake became popular in the Coachella Valley because many dates are grown there.
Early Beginnings
In 1928, a man named Russ Nicholl and his family built a small shop near Thermal, California. A few years later, this shop grew into a bigger place called Valerie Jean Dates, named after Nicholl's daughter. With new electricity and refrigerators, the Nicholls could mix different ingredients with their dates. Russ Nicholl was inspired by stories of people in the Middle East who lived on dates and goat's milk.
Growing Popularity
In 1924, Floyd and Bess Shields opened Shields Date Garden in Indio. They wanted to join the growing date business in the Coachella Valley.
Today, you can find many date shake shops in the Coachella Valley, especially along Highway 111. Towns like Westmoreland, known for its medjool dates, and Indio, where Shields Date Garden is, are famous for their date shakes. Many people call the date shake the "unofficial drink" of the Coachella Valley or Palm Springs.
You can often find date shakes at big events like the Riverside County Fair and National Date Festival and the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival.
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