From North Africa to Baja: Dates
From C. M. Mayo (madammayo@blogspot.com)
It has always stayed with me how extraordinary it is (and yet how commonsensical) that the dates groves that flourish in Mexico’s Baja California oases were first planted by the Jesuit missionaries with seeds from North Africa.
This I didn’t know. Thanks so much. And yes, very much part of this transfer of plants and techniques from the Islamic world to Mexico. And don’t get me started on the role of the Jesuits in all this . . .
Thank you for this nugget. I am interested in Mulegé. Do you recall which of her posts contains this quote?
No Naomi, I don’t. But it’s all turning out to be more complicated. May be I will post first or may be it will be Jeremy Cherfas at Agrobiodiversity. Watch for something as we pursue this.
Maybe not the Jesuits.
http://www.jstor.org/stable/4287930
in california the first dates were an algerian cultivar.
another link. in california it was bernard g. johnson and he went to algeria for deglet noor dates.
http://books.google.com/books?id=naQUAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA66&lpg=PA66&dq=Bernard+G.+Johnson+deglet+noor&source=bl&ots=f08md2Ycvj&sig=7u4xQ_309KGM8Bn979nunEP9cWA&hl=en&ei=eUm4TaqsMrHOiALCyYQV&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=3&ved=0CB4Q6AEwAg#v=onepage&q=Bernard%20G.%20Johnson%20deglet%20noor&f=false
It was Father Ugarte, SJ who brought the dates to Baja California– you can still see the date groves in Mulege and San Ignacio. They were left to grow wild in the 9th century. There’s a bit more about the dates in my book, Miraculous Air. I understand there is some more production going on now.
Thanks Catherine. I know you know your Baja history. Need to get back to this date story.
Whoops I meant to write the 19th century.
In the 9th century, well, no dates yet.