Date syrup: a love letter

I'm not sure if you all are aware of the utter deliciousness of date syrup. I was first introduced to this wondrous substance when staying at a friend's house in France. Her father, an Iraqi Jew living in the South of France at the time (he now lives in Chiang Mai) is an amazing, if improvisational, cook. After dinner every night, he would lay out a casual spread of pain complet (freshly-baked whole wheat bread), nuts, dried fruit, tahini and date syrup, which was available at a chain of French health food stores. We would sit on their rooftop, dip the bread in tahini and date syrup and nibble on nuts as the sun set over the Mediterranean. It's not quite the same on my smoggy patio, but fortunately date syrup is widely available at Super King, Jon's Market or any other Middle Eastern market. My favorite use is drizzled on Greek yogurt with a sprinkling of walnuts, but its sweet, slightly fruity tang works on ice cream, toast and pretty much anyplace else you would use maple syrup, molasses or jam. Also, on Epicurious, there's a wonderful-sounding recipe for Olive oil couscous cake with creme fraiche and date syrup, and searching in French, I found a tip that a spoonful is good for coughs. So, if you've never had date syrup, perhaps now is the time for a trip to Super King.