Dates are a famous produce of Dera Ismail Khan. Dhaki, a small village in this northwestern Pakistani region, is known for its chuara -- dry palm dates with hardened skin. These dates are distinguished by their distinct flavor and are considered a concentrated source of nutrients. Photographer Sa'adia Khan recently traveled to Dhaki to document how the dates there are grown and processed.
The Dried Dates Of Dhaki
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Once the date branches have been removed from the tree, they are transported to the area where they will be removed from the branch. This is done by shaking the branch vigorously.
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Ijaz-Ullah, a resident of neihboring Mianwali dictrict, scoops the ripened dates into a basket, ready to be cooked.
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Baskets full of dates to be cooked in a giant wok, fueled by firewood to an optimum temperature for the process.
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Dates are cooked in a giant wok, which is embedded in a makeshift furnace. The cook, Mohammad Nazir, has traveled from Kashmore, a town in Pakistan's southern Sindh Province. He is a specialist date cook and is paid $20 per day. A measured amount of sodium bicarbonate is added to the wok.