Khorma (خرما) in Los Angeles — Fresh Persian-Style Dates, Farm-Direct

Los Angeles holds the largest Iranian community outside Iran — Westwood’s Persian Square, the Valley, Beverly Hills — and khorma is not a snack food there; it’s the bowl that’s always on the table. With tea, at iftar, on the sofreh, after dinner when guests stay late. If you grew up on good khorma, here’s an honest account of what our California family farm grows, and what we don’t.

What we grow that a Persian table knows

Zahedi (زاهدی) — the golden, semi-dry date Iranians know by name — is one of two varieties on our farm in the Coachella Valley, two hours east of LA. Firm, nutty, lightly sweet, the classic khoshk-style date for tea. We sell it farm-direct: 1 to 12 lb boxes, $15 to $88, shipping included.

We grow these. Golden Zahidi Dates — Nutty, Less Sweet, Never Sticky | California Farm-Direct from our family farm in Sky Valley, California — from $15/lb, shipping included. See them →

Our other variety is jumbo Medjool — big, soft and caramel-rich. Straight from our cold room it’s the closest thing we grow to rotab softness, and it’s the date most of our Iranian-American customers put out for guests. From $19, shipping included.

The honest part: we don’t grow Mazafati. Nobody in California does it the way Bam does, and we won’t pretend otherwise. What we offer instead is fruit picked on our own palms, never fumigated, never sitting months in an importer’s warehouse — this season’s harvest, shipped within days of your order.

One to two days to Los Angeles

Orders pack fresh and ship within 3 business days from Sky Valley, arriving across LA — Westwood, the Valley, the Westside — typically in 1 to 2 days, shipping already in the posted price. One harvest a year, every September. When the cold room empties, khorma season at our farm is over until next fall.

For markets, caterers and gatherings

Persian markets and caterers can buy by the case: 24 to 100 lb from $8.75/lb, freight included, packed in sealed 1 lb and 2 lb containers that go straight onto a shelf or a sofreh. See the bulk & wholesale program — and for Ramadan quantities, reserve ahead; holiday fruit is spoken for early.

Common questions

Is this khorma or khoshk?
Both, by texture: Medjool eats soft and rich; Zahedi is the drier, firmer style. Here’s the khalal–rutab–tamr ripeness guide from our own harvest.

Anything added?
Nothing — one ingredient, whole with the pit, grown without sprays, never coated or syruped.

Do you ship outside LA?
All 50 states; the lower 48 ship with the price as posted.

Read more: the full Zahedi/Zahidi guide · bulk Medjool in Los Angeles · dark dates, explained