Diana Jarrar grew up in Syria where dates with their chewy texture and candy-like sweetness were simply a fact of everyday life. And had been just about forever. Dates had been cultivated in the Middle East and Northern Africa for 6,000 years and had grown wild for 50 million years. Dates, “the bread of the desert,” were a crucial source of energy for the nomadic tribes who wandered the Arabian deserts. For kings, they were a delightful treat.
For Diana, dates, with walnuts replacing the pits, were her favorite childhood snack, and years later, they inspired her to create Magic Dates.
Diana and her family moved to Toronto when she was a preteen. Later, she moved to Los Angeles by herself to earn a Bachelor of Science degree in marketing from California State University. She knew no one, and it was there that she became interested in cooking as a way to meet people and make friends. Her guests enjoyed Diana’s Modern Mediterranean cuisine, the festive atmosphere and stimulating conversation, and friendships flourished. She branched out into catering private parties and began studying Middle Eastern food to keep her menus fresh and innovative. That’s when she began to truly appreciate the “ordinary” date as an extraordinarily healthful yet sweet treat, and Magic Dates was established.
Magic Dates Snack Bites
Dates are rich in carbohydrates, dietary fibers, proteins, minerals and vitamin B complex. They are made up of about 70% carbohydrates (equal ratios of glucose and fructose) and contain calcium, iron, magnesium, and potassium. Magic Dates help keep the energy level up throughout the day, and you can forget that they are, indeed, good for you. Also, amazingly, they contain only around 66 calories.
Diana’s Magic Dates Snack Bites are plant-based, gluten- and dairy-free, paleo-friendly, and non-GMO. The sugar listed in the ingredients is naturally occurring in the dates that are grown in Coachella Valley, California. The dates grown there include unique varieties selected for their distinctive moistness and flavor. Almost all of the ingredients in the Snack Bites are sourced from California farms. For the chocolate-covered varieties, the cacao nibs and powder are the purest form of cacao available, free of dairy or sugar.
Magic Dates come in a resealable package and have a shelf life of 12 months, but there is no way the bites will be around that long!
Original Uncoated Flavors
Coconut Cream Cake, Salted Walnut Brownie, and Lush Lemon Bar.
Dark Chocolate Covered Flavors
Choco Coconut Cookie, Triple Choco Crunch, Choco Hazelnut Truffle.
Diana’s Magic Bites Journey
- Diana first took her Magic Dates to a local farmers market. She was surprised and very pleased with the positive feedback from her customers.
- Not long after, her Magic Dates were being sold in 30 stores around Los Angeles, including Erewhon, an organic market that prioritizes natural foods with ingredients sourced from California farms.
- Next, the Magic Dates were sold in other states through the grocery chain, Earthfare, an organic food company that advertises having the highest product standards in the US.
- Cost Plus World Market, a world-class destination for gourmet food, got on board.
- Magic Dates join all Whole Foods stores across Southern California.
- Diana and her Magic Dates appeared on QVC as part of their “Gourmet Holiday” series.
Magic Dates Helps Communities—Far and Near
Diana has partnered with the Karam Foundation that is based in Chicago, but works directly with Syrian refugees around the US, in Jordan, and in Turkey where the largest refugee camps are. Karam (“generosity” in Arabic) supports all people affected by the Syrian Civil War with an emphasis on the youth. It creates safe spaces called Karam Houses and provides support and education, so that the youth of today will build a better future for their communities wherever they go.
Closer to home, Diana donates Magic Dates to the ICU teams at local hospitals, distributes emergency kits to the homeless around Los Angeles, and delivers groceries to the elderly who are housebound.
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