I wasn’t raised knowing about the 7 species of Israel or their significance. The first time I heard about them was when I was an adult reclaiming my Jewish heritage and traditions. Specifically, it was the first time I decided to follow the Jewish calendar and observe all the celebrations, festivals, and days of mourning each month that I celebrated my first Tubishevat, the birthday of the trees. This is when I learned about the 7 species as they are traditionally served on this day. They are wheat, barley, grape, fig, pomegranate, olives, and dates. 

Deuteronomy 8:8 describes Israel as “A land of wheat, and barley, and vines, and fig trees and pomegranates; a land of olive oil and (date) honey.”