A lot of dates sold online as "Ajwa" aren't. Because the name carries weight, sellers sometimes relabel Safawi or a generic black date as Ajwa, banking on buyers not knowing the difference. Real Ajwa is small — noticeably smaller than Medjool — with a matte, slightly wrinkled skin and a dry, almost powdery finish rather than the glossy stickiness of Medjool or Mabroom. If what you're holding is large, shiny and very moist, it isn't Ajwa.
Composition, plainly
Per 100g, Ajwa runs close to other dried dates nutritionally: mostly sugar, a modest amount of fibre, potassium, magnesium and small amounts of iron and calcium. There's nothing in the lab analysis that separates it sharply from Safawi, Sukkari or Anbara — the differences between varieties are mainly in taste and moisture, not in a special compound unique to Ajwa.
On the claims you'll see attached to it
Online listings for Ajwa often attach claims about cholesterol, fertility, or protection from black magic. These come from its historical religious association, not from clinical evidence — the rat studies and small trials people cite don't translate to "eat a few dates and treat a disease." If a page selling dates is also promising a cure, that's marketing, not medicine. Talk to an actual doctor about actual conditions.
Keeping it fresh
Ajwa dries out faster than moister varieties once opened. Sealed in an airtight container at room temperature it's fine for a couple of weeks; refrigerated (3-8°C) it holds texture for several months. For anything longer, freeze it — properly sealed, frozen Ajwa keeps well past a year without the surface sugar crystallising the way it does at room temperature.
Where to buy graded stock
Supplier Kurma Green diamond stocks Ajwa alongside other Madinah varieties with grading disclosed up front, which is the easiest way to avoid the mislabeling problem above. Their main site, Kurma Madinah Green diamond, and their dedicated supplier listing, Supplier Kurma Green diamond, both show current batches and origin.