November 4, 2026 · Guides
Mazafati and Rabbi: which market wants which grade
Both dates are dark. That is where the similarity ends. Moisture, shape and the buyer’s shelf decide the grade.
Mazafati and Rabbi are the pair most often confused, because both can look almost black in a bad photograph. On the table they are easy to separate.
What the fruit does
Mazafati is soft. Press it and the flesh gives. Rabbi resists. Mazafati is rounder and shorter. Rabbi is elongated, and the skin wrinkles as it dries. Mazafati shines. Rabbi does not.
Where each one sells
Soft-fruit programs, gift boxes and buyers who already retail Bam dates ask for Mazafati. Buyers who ship long distances, or who sell a firmer date beside nuts and dried fruit, usually ask for Rabbi. Turkey and Iraq take both, often in different packs. China tends to specify the grade on the first order rather than accept a mixed description.
How to order
Write the grade, the moisture range you can accept, and the pack. “Dark dates” is not a specification. Sevin Nakhl confirms the grade before packing, and will not substitute one for the other to fill a container.