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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Dates are cooked at an optimum temperature for 15 minutes. Mohammed Nazir maintains the temperature by adding firewood to the furnace frequently.
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Workers carry the cooked dates to the next stage of the production process. The cooked dates are laid to dry and occasional turned to allow all sides of the fruit to catch the scorching sun.
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Dates that have been cooked and are ready to be dried in the sun. This process can take up to a week. If it rains, the produce is gathered and taken into storage to be re-laid once the rain has stopped and the ground is dry again.
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Dates are carried in baskets to be laid in the sun once they have been cooked. This process takes place in the warmest month of the summer, when it is least likely to rain.