A shop that sells dates, figs, and olives in the medina, or old city, of Rabat, the capital of Morocco. You can see that in the big city, prices are marked for items such as dates, arrayed here by quality and variety, and that little or no bargaining will take place over most simple purchases.

Ounce for ounce, the date is the most energy-rich food source in the world! Morocco's southern oases are big producers of dates but Moroccan production is dwarfed by that of Algeria next door. Given the importance place that dates occupy in the Moroccan diet, Morocco must occasionally import dates.

Look up this food fact: what country is the world's number-one producer of dates?

Ideas for further study: how do Moroccans use dates in their cooking?