This recipe pamphlet is unusual because, unlike many other product-specific recipe pamphlets, there is little focus on the brand. This seems to indicate that there were few or no competing brands.  Andrew Weir Shipping and Trading Company Limited had a monopoly on Iraq date exports from 1939 to 1949 (Sassoon, 1987, p. 153; Silverfarb & Khadduri, 2014, p. 119); it would make sense for there to be little competition for dates if it was created during those years. World War II took place over the first six years of their monopoly and had a notable impact on the agricultural industry (“Exports and Imports,” n.d.), as America began to increase its participation in international trade. The increase in exports supported allied troops, and the increase in imports provided citizens of the United Staes of America and Canada with commodities that were previously unavailable, including dates.

Another notable historical influence on Iraq date exports was the relationship between Iraq and Britain (Sassoon, 1987,; Silverfarb & Khadduri, 2014). Although Iraq became an independent state in 1932 (“Iraq History Timeline”), it was still largely under Britain’s influence. Tensions grew between the two countries, and British leaders considered applying economic pressure to Iraq in order to control them (Silverfarb & Khadduri, 2014). However, they chose not to decrease Iraq's date exports because they benefitted the British economy. Andrew Weir Shipping and Trading Company Limited was a British company, and their monopoly allowed them to buy the dates and sell them to North Americans for a profit. Therefore, British leaders felt the export of Iraq dates was ideal, and they had the motivation to encourage and continue date sales.

Since this recipe pamphlet was likely published and distributed around the Second World War, the information it provides about the cultural values and socioeconomic environment of the time it was produced is relevant to studies of America during the Second World War. For example, the romanticization of the Middle East and evidence of imports from Iraq indicates that most Americans did not perceive Middle Eastern countries negatively during the 1940s. This can be contrasted to the rampant Islamophobia present in America today and lead to investigations into what may have changed peoples' views. Due to its historical context, this recipe pamphlet could be categorized with other culinary recipe pamphlets from the Second World War that are telling of North America's industrial, agricultural, or economic standing. It could also be categorized with other culinary recipe pamphlets that advertise new products, as dates were new to America when the recipe pamphlet was distributed.