RED SILK COTTON TREE - HEALTH BENEFITS AND USES

RED SILK COTTON TREE, BOMBAX CEIBA/ BOMBAX MALABARICA

This is a truly spectacular tree seen in spring when the branches are bare of leaves but full of waxy red flowers, the young buds of which, like those of the kachnar tree are edible. There is a tree near our house which has an eagle’s nest perched safely in a fork of the tree and it can be clearly seen as there are, as yet no leaves. It is one of the tallest trees on the Indian subcontinent and is used in traditional medicine for a plethora of purposes, including as an aphrodisiac.

  It is also known as the Indian Kapok tree as it has fine silky kapok like fibres growing around its seeds. These are said to be inferior to kapok, which comes from Ceiba pentandra but nonetheless are used for stuffing and to put on burns to prevent blistering and help prevent scarring. The name Bombax means silk worm and malabarica = from Malabar. The tree is a member of the Bombacaceae family of plants, so is related to the durian and the baobab tree..

  The tree also yields a gum which is sometimes used as a substitute for gum tragacanth and which is used in bookbinding, cosmetics and to thicken ice cream and medicine. It is said to be an aphrodisiac when taken with gur and cow’s milk. The gum is known as Mochras in India. It is said to have astringent properties and be good for diarrhea and dysentery, for female problems including irregular periods, to ease the pain of piles and to purify the blood among other remedies.

  The young one or two year old roots are thought to be useful as a sex tonic and aphrodisiac. They are called Semul (the local name of the tree) Musli and like other Muslis such as Safed Musli, they are used to stimulate the male libido. In some area the local healers or hakims prefer to gather the roots on Mondays, but why this should be so is not apparent. In traditional medicine in Myanmar the roots are given to cure impotency and to increase the sperm count. The bark of the tree is thought (in Myanmar) to help in cases of heart disease and spermatorrhoea. In India the bark is given with gur and milk for the same purposes.

  The flowers are given with honey to stop internal bleeding, and are fried as a vegetable in ghee. Flowers are boiled slowly overnight and given with mustard seeds to reduce the size of enlarged spleens. The juice of the fresh bark is supposed to stop diarrhoea. The fruit, which can be seen under the flower, is also used as an aphrodisiac, and as an expectorant. The bark is also used for wound healing, and can be made into a paste for skin problems, with the leaves also used for these. The flowers are also said to be good for the skin and complexion, and for piles. Young fruit is used for chronic inflammation associated with arthritis and rheumatism, and for bladder and kidney problems as well as to treat gonorrhea and chronic cystitis.

  The wood of the tree is used to make matchsticks, coffins and crates and is useful in water, so well-linings and dugout canoes are made from the tree. The bark is used in rope-making.

  Modern medical research has shown that extracts from the stem of the tree contain lupeol which has antiangiogenic¹ properties in vitro, and it also has potent hypotensive activity, so can be extremely useful. However the research is still in its early stages. It also contains the flavanol shamimicin which is also under investigation.

 

Antiangogenic agents inhibit the growth of new blood cells. Such growths play crucial roles in many diseases including some that cause blindness arthritis and cancer. They are found naturally in certain plants and can be manufactured in labs.

TOOTHACHE TREE - INFORMATION : HEALTH BENEFITS AND HOW TO USE TOOTHACHE TREE

TOOTHACHE TREE, WINGED PRICKLY ASH, ZANTHOXYLUM ALATUM ROXB. ZANTHOZYLUM ARMATUM DC

Zanthozylum alatum or Z. armatum, is known as the Toothache tree or Yellow Wood (a translation of Zantho=yellow and zylum=wood) or the Winged Prickly Ash, (the tree has thorns) although it is no relation to the ash tree being a member of the Rutaceae family so a relative of the lemon tree and rue. It also has many other names and in Pakistan its fruits are known as timbar, tajphal, kabab khandan among other names. The dried fruits are a substitute for pepper and it is said to be one of the ingredients in Chinese Five Spice Powder. However some people have mistakenly called it the Szechwan pepper, which it isn’t; that being a relative, however. The fruit is easy to harvest as it grows in clusters. It grows in the Himalayan region and is native to Pakistan, India and Bhutan. It also grows in North America.

  It is called the Toothache tree as one of its uses in traditional medicine is to alleviate toothache. It is also used in traditional medicine to relieve mouth pain caused by food and to cure gingivitis or bleeding gums. The seeds of the fruit (each fruit comes with a hard outer skin and has a single seed in the middle) are ground with a pinch of black salt, a little fresh chilli, and ordinary salt, and given as a cure for stomach disorders. The seeds combined with the bark are combined to make an aromatic tonic and given when someone has a fever or cholera. Modern research has shown that an extract from the fruit may help with mouth irritation. The root of the tree is used for toothache, stomach ache, fever, boils and rheumatism and in Ayurvedic medicine, apart from these uses it is used to expel internal worms and heal piles and stop anorexia. It is used externally for various skin diseases and local people use a decoction or infusion of different parts of the tree to cure the common colds, coughs, fevers (as parts of the tree have diaphoretic properties, that is they promote sweating) and common stomach upsets. An infusion can be made with 1-2 tsps of tree bark to one cup of boiling water and should be allowed to steep for 15 minutes before straining and drinking three times a day.

  The fruit is also used to purify water, and the trees have religious significance and are reputed to have magical properties by some. The branches are often used as toothbrushes like walnut tree and Viburnum grandiflorum bark.

   The essential oil from the leaves is high in linalool and also has a significant amount of limonene, and is used as an insect repellant. However the oil quality varies depending on the altitudes the trees grow at according to one research study. This volatile oil may have anti-fungal properties, but research is still being carried out on this tree as two new flavonoids were reported from it in June 2010.

  The wood from the tree is close-grained and durable and used for making walking sticks among other items. The beauty industry is currently selling day cream which contains extracts from the Toothache tree; one such product also contains iris milk and chamomile.

  The bark contains the coumarins, xanthyletin, zanthoxyletin and alloxanthyletin, resin, tannin, volatile oil, and various alkaloids including laurifoline, g-fagarine and b-fagarine.

HIMALAYAN WILD PEAR ( PYRUS PASHIA) - INFORMATION , USES AND MEDICINAL BENEFITS

HIMALAYAN WILD PEAR, PYRUS PASHIA, PUNJABI PEAR

The Himalayan wild pear is also known as the Punjabi pear and the Indian Pear, and has the Latin synonyms, Pyrus kumaoni and Pyrus variolosa. Locally it’s known by many names such as shegal and kainth but is rarely found in bazaars as the fruit doesn’t travel well. It looks a little like the russet apple, and has an astringent but sweet taste when ripe. It is apparently best to eat when it is decaying slightly, and has a grittier texture than the cultivated pears. This means that it helps reduce the risks of colon cancer and can prevent the growth of polyps.

  The astringent juice is used medicinally to stop diarrhoea, but little else seems to be known about the ways locals use the fruit. Most of the vitamin C content is in the skin of the fruit, which is not eaten as it decays first, but the pear contains minerals, such as potassium, magnesium, phosphorous, calcium and iron.

   The wild pear tree grows commonly at altitudes of between 700 and 2000 metres and because the tree has thorns, farmers use it as a live fence to keep livestock in or out of their fields. It is also used for firewood and for items such as walking sticks and small agricultural and household implements. The tree is also used as rootstock for other pears and it is hoped that this will not cause them to die out.

   Their range extends from Pakistan to Viet Nam and from southern China to northern India and Bhutan. The trees flower from late February to mid-March and the pears begin to ripen during the first week of November and are over by the last week of December. Unfortunately they do not travel well so never reach the bazaar here, and locals who have the pears can’t benefit by selling them as they can from selling the kachnar buds and the wild fig. The wild pears can be dried and used, but it seems that people do not do this as a matter of course during the fruit season, so everyone loses out on a wild food source.

  Little research has been done into this wild pear, so its medical properties are so far unknown.

GREENGAGE, CALLED ALOOCHA IN URDU - HISTORY, USES AND HEALTH BENEFITS: GREENGAGE - VANILLA JAM RECIPE

GREENGAGES, ALOOCHA, PRUNUS DOMESTICA ITALICA

Greengages are basically wild green plums that have been domesticated over the centuries. They have a difficult to research past, and seem to have re-emerged in Britain in the 18^th Century having been introduced from France by the gage family who resided at Hengrave Hall, outside Bury St. Edmonds.

  It is believed that the Romans first introduced the green plum into Britain, but all the material I have read says that these trees mysteriously disappeared after the Fall of the Roman Empire, so that must have been sometime in the 5^th century as Rome was captured by the Germanic general Odacer or Odovacar in 476 AD. After this period Europe fell into the Dark Ages as the early Middle Ages were called. However no one has linked (as far as I can tell) the “Cataclysm” of 535 AD with the disappearance of these wild plum trees from the British Isles. It is known that there was a period of climate change from 535 to 565 or 575 due it is thought to a comet or meteorite impact or more likely the eruption of the Super Volcano Krakatoa which caused a similar weather phenomenon in the 1880s.

  Certainly the climate became colder at this time as scientists have found from examining tree rings around the world. This could have caused the death of the wild plum trees, or they might have been affected by disease which might also have been brought about by a volcanic eruption.

  The wild green plums continued to be grown in Italy and were known in Britain in the early 17^th century although they were called Verdoch, undoubtedly from the Italian name for them, Verdocchio. John Parkinson, (1567-1650) was the apothecary to James I of England (James VI of Scotland) refers to these plums as Verdoch, so they were known in Britain before they were reintroduced from France in the 18^th century.

  On her marriage to Francis I of France, (1499-1524) Queen Claude took trees of green plums with her from Italy to France. There they became known as Reine Claude (Queen Claude) after her. These are still grown in France with the best said to come from Moissac.

  There are several stories as to how greengages arrived in Britain in the 18^th century, but all of them relate to the Gage family. A John Gage, an English Catholic priest, was studying in Paris in 1724 and sent some trees to his brother at Hengrave Hall. In transit the fruit trees lost their labels and the gardener planted them as green Gage in honour of his employer. British horticulturists developed these fruits until they became the green gages we have today. William Coxe (1747-1836), an English historian said of them, they are ‘universally acknowledged to be the finest plumb of this or any other country.” Other eminent men have also commented on the sweetness of this “exquisite” fruit.

  Greengages are a type of plum and related to other trees in the rose family such as the apricot and almond. They have similar health benefits to other plums being rich in vitamin C and the mineral potassium.

  In Pakistan there is a wild green plum aloocha, which is from the genus Prunus aloocha, which may be a close relative of the Italian variety. It is generally believed that greengages came from Armenia, although clearly the wild green plum that grows in Pakistan is a native species, or has become naturalized, perhaps having the same Persian origins as the aloo Bukhara or Persian plum.

  Greengages are best eaten as a fruit and do not take well to being pickled or made into chutney. They are good in jam (see recipe below), pies, tarts, fools and sorbets and the jam goes well with vanilla ice cream or spooned into custard.

GREENGAGE -VANILLA JAM

Ingredients

1½ kilos greengages

1½ kilos sugar

2 vanilla pods

15 gr unsalted butter

Method

Wash the fruit and pick out any blemished fruit or over ripe squishy ones. Slightly under ripe ones are OK.

Put them whole in a pan with 250 ml water and the 2 pods of vanilla. Simmer the mixture gently for about ½ an hour until the fruit is extremely soft.

Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the sugar, stirring constantly until it dissolves.

Return the pan to the heat and add the butter. Stir and bring back to the boil.

Allow it to boil for about 10 minutes, and by then the stones from the fruit should have risen to the top so that they can easily be scooped out with a slotted spoon.

Continue boiling until setting point has been reached. (When you drip a small amount from the back of a metal spoon onto a cold saucer and it gels, it is set.)

Skim off any scum from the top of the mixture and ladle into hot sterilized jars.

Remove the vanilla pods, rinse and dry them then put in a jar of sugar and bury them in it. This will give you vanilla sugar to be used for desserts in future. You can also reuse the vanilla pods in another dessert after they have been in the sugar.

This has Taste and is a Treat.

CITRON ( CITRUS MEDICA) - AMAZING FRUIT: HEALTH BENEFITS, USES AND HISTORY OF CITRON

CITRON, CITRUS MEDICA

Citron is not a citrus fruit that you may be familiar with as it is seldom seen in its fresh state. It is grown commercially for its peel which is candied and used in cakes, puddings, biscuits and sold as candied peel to home bakers. It looks generally like an overgrown lumpy-skinned lemon, although the strange “fingered” citron is like a hand. This variety has only a little pulp and is grown for its peel alone. There are three basic types of citron, the ones which have purplish flowers and are very acid, the sweet variety which has white flowers and the third kind which is bitter but pulpless. The green immature fruits are picked for candying purposes, not the yellow-skinned ripe fruits which take three months to ripen.

   It has a long history and is believed to have originated in the Indian subcontinent where wild ones still grow, but it was cultivated in Medea, in the Persian Empire in 4,000 BC as seeds have been discovered in Nippur and ancient Babylonian city which dates from that time. It is thought that the citron is the oldest of the cultivated citrus fruits, and is in the orange sub-class of the Rutaceae family, although it does seem to the untrained eye and nose to be more of a lemon.

  The citron has a very long and somewhat complicated history as it is connected to the Jewish ritual of the Feast of the Tabernacle, during which Moses ruled that the cedar cone should be used, in Greek this was kedros. The Greeks called the citron they grew in their colonies in Palestine kedromelon, and so when the cedar cone fell out of favour for use during the Feast, the citron was used in its place. The Romans called the fruit the Malus medica, meaning apple of the Medes and later Malum citreum, citrus apple and we know that it was cultivated in Medea between 700 and 500 BC. This Greek cultivar is and was known as the Etrog citron and this was the variety best known in Europe in the Middle Ages. It was used to quell seasickness, for stomach disorders and other intestinal disorders, as well as the juice with wine being used as a purgative and an antidote to poison.

  Dioscorides knew about it in the 1^st century AD and so did Pliny although it is also mentioned by Theophrastus around 346 BC. This gives rise to the belief that Alexander the Great and his army introduced it to Greece and the Mediterranean. In AD 300 it appears in Chinese writings which describe a gift of 40 Chinese bushels of the fruit being received as a gift from the Roman Empire. It has been described in writings of 301 AD as being a commercial food item in Rome and a staple.

   Most of the citron trees have evergreen, long leathery leaves and the trees grow from 8 feet to 15 feet high. The fruit can be oblong or oval and it is fragrant. However it can vary in size and shape even when grown on the same branch.

Etrog citron

   The Spaniards are thought to have taken the citron to Florida and it was introduced into Puerto Rico in 1640. Commercial citron producing began in California in the 1880s but was abandoned after cold weather damaged crops, so the industry only lasted for around 30 years. The fruit is still commercially produced in Puerto Rico, where it is pulped and sent in brine to Europe and the USA to be candied. It can be seen in Florida, where it is grown as a curiosity. It is not the hardiest of citrus trees and is susceptible to fungus and cold.

   It still grows in the Greek islands, particularly in Crete, Naxos and Corfu. The old citron factory in Halki, Naxos, has been turned into a citron museum and visitors can see how the fruit is processed. It also grows on the Italian islands of Sardinia and Sicily and the French island of Corsica, where it has a long history of cultivation. It is also grown in the Caribbean and South America, and in the Indian subcontinent, although it is not extensively cultivated in these regions.

   In India the fruit is pickled, while the peel flavours rice in Indonesia, where the peel is also eaten raw. The fruits are made into jams, marmalades and fruit bars, and in Spain the peel is used to flavour otherwise unpalatable medicines. In China and Japan the whole fruit is used to perfume the air of a room and may be carried around by people. Dried fruits act as moth repellants in clothes and household linen. (They smell better than moth balls.)In some of the Pacific Islands oil is distilled from the twigs and leaves of the citron trees, which is called “Cedrat Petitgrain oil” and is used in the perfume industry. The flowers also yield an oil after distillation which is also used in this industry to a more limited extent. Citron is also used to flavour some vodka. In India the wood from the trees is used for agricultural implements and walking sticks as it is hard and durable.

   It has been used in traditional medicine systems for centuries and the essential oil from the peel is thought to have antibiotic properties. In India and Pakistan the seeds from the fruit are used to expel internal parasites, and a decoction of the shoots of the wild trees are used for stomach problems and in Malaysia, the decoction is sprinkled around homes to get rid of evil spirits. The fresh peel is eaten to stop bad breathe and used in cases of dysentery, while in China, the candied peel is used to improve digestion, as an expectorant and tonic.

 An infusion made from the leaves is believed to be anti-spasmodic, and good for cramps.

  Citron contain ascorbic acid which converts to vitamin C in the body and three of the B-complex vitamins, thiamin, riboflavin and niacin, and the minerals calcium, phosphorus, iron, and also carotene.

  In Iran a tisane is made from the leaves and the fruit is used to flavour fruit salads, and it can also be found in marinades for meat. The Musk citron may be a cross between a lemon and a citron, as it has very thin peel and very acid juice. This one is also known as the Bajana, but there are many varieties of this fruit which is not as widely known as other citrus fruits such as the grapefruit, pomelo, lemon and orange.

CHICKEN BALL SOUP FOR MELISSA: EASY AND TASTY RECIPE

CHICKEN BALL SOUP FOR MELISSA

This is loosely based on a traditional Albanian mountain region recipe. This one was especially created for people who have had upset stomachs and don’t want to eat much in case the problem flares up again. It’s especially good because there is no oil or fat involved. It contains vitamins and minerals which have been depleted and gives you energy and a general sense of wellness.

Ingredients

½ kilo chicken on the bone

4 cloves garlic with skin left on

1 inch piece of ginger root

1 potato, peeled and finely diced

1 small carrot, finely diced

1 tomato, peeled and finely diced

1 onion, finely diced

2 green chillies, finely chopped

6 stalks of fresh coriander cut to where the leaves start

½ handful fresh mint leaves

2 tsps freshly ground black pepper

1 tsp cumin seeds

salt to taste

2 eggs

Method

Put the garlic as it is and the whole piece of ginger root, peeled with the chicken in a pan and add 5 glasses of water. Bring to the boil and simmer for 15-20 minutes.

Remove the ginger, garlic and chicken, and then remove the skin from the garlic cloves and the chicken from the bones.

Pound the chicken meat, garlic and ginger with 1 tsp salt, the cumin seeds and a tsp of black pepper. When the chicken meat is finely shredded add the eggs and combine well.

Make 16-18 small balls with this mixture.

With the stock from the chicken, add the tomato and heat this. When it is hot, gradually add the chicken balls. Cook over a low heat until the balls rise to the surface. Then add the diced potato, onion, chillies and diced carrot. Cover the pot and cook for another 10 minutes.

Add the fresh coriander and mint and cook for a further 10 mins over a low heat.

It is now ready to serve.

For those who would like a more robust recipe cook rice (plain boiled) and pour this over it. You can also add a leafy green vegetable to it such as spinach or purslane or sorrel.

This can be saved in the fridge for later use as it will keep for a few days.

This has Taste and is a Treat.

HIMALAYAN VIBURNUMS - MEDICINAL BENEFITS AND USES

VIBURNUM GRANDIFLORUM/NERVOSUM HIMALAYAN VIBURNUM AND VIBURNUM FOETENS

Viburnum grandiflorum or Viburnum nervosum is also known as the Himalayan Viburnum, as it grows in the foothills of the Himalayas from altitudes of 1800 feet to 3,000 feet. The Viburnum species consists of between 150 and 175 types and these are related to the honeysuckles. They grow wild in Azad (Free) Kashmir and the Swat Valley in Pakistan and from there spread through to Bhutan and southern Tibet.

  The fruit from grandiflorum is a small black drupe, which is sweet tasting and has a single stone in it. It is edible and eaten raw or cooked by locals who also use it for its laxative properties, although it is only a mild laxative, unlike jamalgota and senna pods. It is also used in traditional medicine as a blood purifier and to regulate a woman’s menstrual flow.

  The branches from Viburnum grandiflorum are used for fencing and fuel, and as yet there have been few clinical trials conducted on it. It is known by many different local names depending on where it grows, but a few are guch, kullam and amoch and ghiz mava.  Its flowers are white through to pale pink

  It is believed to be the most ancient of the Dipsacales family of plants, although comparatively little research has been done on its properties until recently. All viburnums are in the Adoxaceae family having recently been reassigned from the Caprifoliaceae along with the Sambucus genus which contains the elder tree and the dwarf elder, making these a relative of these Himalayan viburnums, as is Viburnum opulis, the guelder rose. A 2010 study on Viburnum foetens has shown that it could have anti-cancer benefits as well as having anti-bacterial properties. The leaves of all Viburnums have a foetid smell when bruised, hence the name of this particular variety. The researchers concluded that this species “is a good candidate for isolation of anticancer compounds.”

  Typically Viburnums contain saponins, flavonoids, bioflavonoids, anthroquinones and coumarins, and locally this one (V. foetens) is used for its diuretic, antispasmodic and sedative properties. In traditional medicine it is thought to be a protector of the liver, and thought to have anti-inflammatory properties, as well as helpful to the gastric system, and the twigs are used as toothbrushes by the locals as the twigs of the walnut tree are used in other parts of Pakistan.

WHAT IS PUNJAB FIG? WILD FIG OR ANJEER - HEALTH BENEFITS: HOW TO USE PUNJAB FIG

PUNJAB FIG, ANJEER, FICUS PALMATA

The Punjab fig or anjeer as it is called in Urdu grows wild in Pakistan, northern India, Afghanistan, Nepal, Somalia, Ethiopia and southern Egypt. It looks and tastes like its close relative, the cultivated Ficus carica, and is a member of the Moraceaea or mulberry family of plants. As it has a thin skin and deteriorated shortly after picking it is only sold in areas where it grows, which is a shame, as it is very sweet and tasty, just like the cultivated variety. In fact it is so closely related to the more common fig that it is sometimes called Ficus pseudocarica. It is, however a little smaller than cultivated figs but generally grows around villages on wasteland and in fields. It flowers between March and April and the fruits ripen between mid-June and mid-July. It is usually eaten raw, although could be made into a preserve or jam. The unripe fruits are cooked with the new leaves in spring and used as a vegetable. First of all they are boiled, then squeezed to remove water and fried and served. The ripe fruit has a slightly astringent taste but this can be removed by soaking the fruit in water for a short time before consuming them. The astringency is due to the sap layer under the skin.

  The fruit and parts of the tree, particularly the sap and milky latex are used for medicinal purposes.  They are used as a mild laxative as they are not as potent as jamalgota in this respect, and are given to people with lung diseases and bladder problems. The latex from the plant is used to help remove thorns and splinters from the flesh, and the sap is used as a laxative as well as the fruit itself. The young leaves are mashed to make poultices, either hot or warm which are placed on burns and are also used to help with skin irritations.

  The Ficus palmata trees grow at altitudes of 1500 feet and their wood is used to make decorative items, hoops and garlands. The fruits contain a small amount of vitamin C, and the minerals, potassium, phosphorous, calcium, iron and manganese, so are a healthy source of free food and a source of income for the poor who pick them to sell at local bazaars, however, like the edible buds of the kachnar tree, they are only in season for about 4 weeks every year.

 

CASTOR BEAN OR CASTOR OIL PLANT ( ARANDI): BENEFITS AND USES OF CASTOR PLANT: INFORMATION ABOUT CASTOR OIL

CASTOR BEAN OR CASTOR OIL PLANT, ARAND, RICINUS COMMUNIS, ARANDI IN URDU

Castor oil is used all over the world for a whole variety of ailments, but very few people realize that the plant it comes from is highly toxic, containing as it does the albumin ricin. If you have a castor bean plant in your garden, grown for ornamental purposes you should treat it carefully and wear protective gloves and long sleeves when you prune it. It is cultivated for its flowers which are very pretty red ones, and its long-leaves foliage which looks a little like a hand (although not as much as the fingered citron fruit does).

  It is believed to have originated in Africa, but it is mentioned in ancient Sanskrit writings and grows extensively in the Indian subcontinent in both its wild and cultivated state. It has become naturalized in the southern states of the US and also grows and is cultivated for its oil in countries such as Morocco, Brazil, Taiwan and the US.

  Warm castor oil can be applied to the bridge of the nose to ease congestion and is useful to rub into dry, coarse skin. It is a strong purgative if taken internally, but is not one that is to be recommended. There are more effective ways of preventing constipation, such as eating bananas. They are a lot more pleasant-tasting and cure the disease and not just the symptoms.

  The seeds from the castor plant are made into oil which is used not only in medicinal preparations, but also for industrial and agricultural use. The stems from the plant can be made into paper and wallboard, and the cake or meal left over from the oil-extraction process can now be fed safely to animals as there is a way of detoxifying it.

  Because the sap from all parts of the plant is so highly toxic, it has been used as a poison just like the aak plant. It is said that 20 seeds or beans will kill a person, although it takes 80 or so to kill a rooster or a duck, but only 4 to kill a rabbit. (Please don’t try this as the experiment might well backfire.) However it acts as a counter-irritant to the stings of scorpions.

  As a member of the spurge or Euphorbiceaea family of plants it is related to the cassava or manioc as well as to Dog's Mercury and French mercury, both of which should not be used as herbal remedies..

   Apart from the oil used in medicine traditionally the leaves are applied to the forehead to relieve a headache, and hot applied to skin irritations in poultice form, and to ease pain and swellings. The hot leaves are also used to ease the pain of arthritis, gout, rheumatism and other inflammations and scientists have concurred that they do have anti-inflammatory properties, as does an ethanolic extract of the root bark which also has antihistamine properties.

  In Ayurvedic medicine the leaves or pulp from the beans are applied hot to the abdomen to stop flatulence, while the oil is used for eye problems including conjunctivitis (red eye).The oil is also used for dry skin and internally is given for headaches, tremors, arthritis, sciatica and various other ailments mixed with guggul (Indian Bdellium or false myrrh). The juice of the leaves mixed with gur or jaggery is used for hepatitis and a decoction of the roots with Indian Bdellium is used for arthritis and rheumatism.

   The plant was known to the ancient Greeks, as it was Herodotus the so-called Father of History who wrote that it was called kiki and used by the ancient Egyptians as an unguent and oil for lamps and the seeds have been found in the tombs of the pharaohs. Dioscorides writing his Materia Medica in the 1^st century AD knew about the castor bean plant, saying that it was not good as food but that the seeds were good in external medicinal preparations. Pliny agreed, writing that the seeds were extremely purgative (they are actually less so than jamalgota, however).

   Gerard writing in Britain in his Herball in the 16^th century calls it “ricinus” or “kik” and says that the oil “Oleum cicinum” was good for skin diseases. It was used throughout Europe in the Middle Ages and was used to expel internal worms when all else failed. Combined with citron it has been used as a skin ointment for leprosy. The Latin name Ricinus means tic, of the sort that feed off dogs’ blood and this was probably because of the shape of the markings on the white seeds or beans. Kiki is still cultivated in Greece under the same name as that given to the plant by the ancient Greeks.

   While the oil, bought over the counter can be very beneficial for a number of problems, but it is best not to attempt to make your own preparations from any part of the plant as it is highly toxic, with ricinoleic acid being the major compound in all parts of the plant.

GREEN BEANS OR PHALIA - HEALTH BENEFITS AND USES: HOW TO MAKE SALADE NICOISE

GREEN BEANS, PHALIA, PHALYION, PHASEOLUS VULGARIS

There are hundreds of varieties of green bean, and each one produces a large bean or seed if they are left to reach maturity. However we eat many of them fresh. The French bean, phaliyan in Urdu, produces the haricot bean when it is mature, and I once spent an hour or so extracting the small seeds from the dried pods on a rooftop in Lahore. The pods were discarded, but the little beans were delicious when cooked.

  Green beans originated in the Andes region of South America and also, probably in the Indian subcontinent. They were taken back to Europe by Columbus in 1493 and later by other Spanish and Portuguese explorers. The bean described by Virgil is now though to be the hyacinth bean, as the Romans could not have known about the green beans that are so common today. They are not as well liked it would seem in India and Pakistan, as the dried beans such as the moong bean are more common fare. As legumes they are related to peas and chick peas, and green beans are a good source of beta-carotene despite their green colour. The raw beans contain a toxalbumin, phasin which is destroyed in the cooking process, so they should not be eaten raw.

  They have been used in traditional medicine practices around the world to treat a variety of ailments including acne, diabetes, burns, dysentery and as a diuretic and are believed to help the kidneys to function normally. Legumes are richer in proteins than all other plants and so are a good source of protein for vegetarians. They are also the legume which is most commonly eaten.

  A study of the green beans grown in the Mediterranean region, published in 1988, traced these green beans ancestor to the Andes.

  Green beans contain phytonutrients which include lutein, violaxanthin, neoxanthin and beta-carotene, which have antioxidant properties. They also contain vitamins A, C, K and some of the B-complex vitamins, along with amino acids, bioflavonoids such as quercetin and kaempferol and the minerals manganese, potassium, iron, calcium, copper, selenium, zinc and phosphorous, along with Omega-3 fatty acids including alpha-linoleic acid (ALA). The antioxidant properties of green beans give them cholesterol and heart protective actions, and they are good for our overall health.

  The recipe below requires small fresh French beans, which just need to be snipped at both ends before cooking. Put them in salted water, bring to the boil and cook for about 15 minutes until they are tender but not too soft. They should still be a little crunchy.

 

SALADE NIÇOISE

Ingredients

8 oz cooked French beans, trimmed

4 hard-boiled eggs, halved

1 or 2 tins tuna fish, drained and flaked

1 tbsp capers

4 oz black olives

1 small tin of anchovies, each one snipped in half and washed to remove the saltiness

8 oz cooked potatoes, cubed

3-4 tomatoes, roughly chopped

1 small red onion, finely sliced (optional)

1 head lettuce, leaves separated but kept whole

Dressing

2 tbsps olive oil

1½ tbsps white wine vinegar

few sprigs of fresh oregano, or ½ tsp dried

Method

Place lettuce leaves in a bowl and in another combine all the other ingredients with freshly ground black pepper. (As anchovies are salty you probably won’t need extra salt.)

This has Taste and is a Treat.

 

WHAT IS CHOLIYA? FRESH GREEN CHICKPEAS: HEALTH BENEFITS AND USUS OF CHICK PEAS: SPICY POTATOES AND GREEN CHICKPEAS RECIPE

 CHICKPEAS, GARBANZO BEANS, CICER ARIETINUM

Most people have eaten chickpeas in falafel, hummus, or in salads from salad bars, but how many people have tasted the wonderful fresh green chickpea or choliya as it is called in Urdu? They are a delight and so satisfying to shell as the pods are rather like bubble wrap, so if you enjoy popping those bubbles, then you will adore shelling fresh green chickpeas. The pods are puffed up with air and give a delightful popping sound when squeezed, which is how you shell chickpeas. 

Here is Pakistan we buy them by the kilo which consists of stems and leaves, so you come home from the bazaar carrying a small bush. The leaves and roots are used in traditional medicine but they contain oxalic and malic acids (as do the pods) so are not generally eaten. The chickpea root is boiled and produces a milky substance, which is used as milk for babies and to stop diarrhoea. The leaves and root are also used to produce indigo dye which is used for cotton, silk and wool.

  The leaves are used in medicinal preparations to help bronchitis sufferers and the seeds (the little chickpeas) are used as tonics, stimulants and aphrodisiacs. They are also used in liver and spleen disorders. Eaten raw the little green chick peas quench thirst and stop burning sensations in the stomach and are used to get rid of internal parasites, although I think they are cooked to do this. The leaves are said to have abortifacient properties and are used to promote the menstrual flow, and for colds, coughs and pains.

  The leaves, roots and pods are also used to get rid of warts, to stop constipation, diarrhoea, sunstroke and cholera, so have a lot of traditional uses.

  The fresh chick peas are usually allowed to dry in the pod, giving us the dried chickpea we are accustomed to, the pale yellow ‘bean’ that looks like a hazelnut. Last year we were given some of these, along with the fresh ones (which are in the bazaar right now), and we left them to soak overnight in a metal pot. We were awakened during the night by a noise that sounded like popcorn spattering in a pan. On investigation we discovered it was the chickpeas popping as they expanded. We had to put them on the roof in a plastic pot (covered) so that we could get back to sleep.

Chickpeas were probably one of the first crops to be cultivated and we can trace their consumption back to more than 7,000 years ago. It is believed that they were being cultivated in Turkey well before that, but their origins are thought to be in the Middle East. From there they spread westward into the Mediterranean region (where they were cultivated by the ancient Greeks and Romans) and east into the Indian subcontinent and into Ethiopia. They are related to the garden pea and other legumes including clover, beans, lupin and peanuts and are in the Fabaceae family of plants. The Romans ground the dried chickpeas into flour and used them to make a kind of polenta (usually these days made with corn/maize flour in Italy). Roasted chick peas were combined with lupin seeds and sold on the streets in ancient Rome as snacks. Today Greeks and Pakistanis also eat them roasted with pumpkin seeds and other seeds as a healthy snack. Today they are still found on the streets and in packets in supermarkets.

  Culpeper called them “chick pease or cicers” in the 17^th century and said that they were good to stop flatulence and for semen production as well as to bring on the menstrual flow. (Cicero, the Roman orator, is believed to have got his name because one of his ancestors had a cicer mark on his face, possibly a mole that looked like a chick pea. Cicer was the Latin word for this legume and arietum means little ram)

  Fresh green chickpeas or choliya contain vitamins C, E, K and B-complex vitamins, folate, and the minerals magnesium, zinc, calcium, iron and pantothenic acid; they are rich in molybdenum The dried ones that we make falafel with also contain beta-carotene which the body converts to vitamin A, and phosphorous, potassium selenium and sodium as well as those listed above in fresh ones. They also contain amino acids including arginine (see watermelon) and the flavonoids including quercetin, kaempferol and myrcetin in their outer skins (especially in the black-skinned variety). The interior of the bean contains phenolic acids which include ferulic, chlorogenic, caffeic and vanillic acids and anthocyanins which help to reduce the risk of heart disease. 

Chickpeas have a unique combination of substances which give them powerful antioxidant qualities and they protest the blood vessel walls and keep the blood healthy as well as being good for the digestive system.

  Chick peas are high in dietary fibre and so help reduce the risk of colon cancer, and studies have suggested that they help control blood sugar levels, cholesterol levels and insulin secretion. The fibre in chickpeas remains undigested until it gets to the lower intestine and the colon and so helps those with Irritable Bowel Syndrome, (IBS) and spastic colons.

  There are two types of dried chick peas, the ‘desi’ variety which has a light brown to black outer skin, which is quite thick, and has potent antioxidant properties, and the ‘kabuli’ type (from Kabul, Afghanistan) which we most commonly find in supermarkets.

  The recipe below is for green chickpeas although you can find others on this site for dried chickpeas.

SPICY POTATOES AND GREEN CHICKPEAS

Ingredients

2 medium-sized potatoes, peeled and cubed

150 gr shelled green chick peas, choliya

3 tomatoes, chopped

1 onion, chopped,

1 inch ginger root, peeled and sliced

4 garlic cloves

2 green chillies, chopped

pinch asafoetida (heng)

1 tsp cumin seeds

½ tsp turmeric

¼ tsp cayenne pepper

½ tsp garam masala

½ tsp ground coriander seeds

1 tbsp oil

salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Method

Grind the onion, tomatoes, ginger, garlic and chillies to a smooth paste.

Heat the oil and throw in the cumin seeds, and fry until they release their aroma.

Add the paste, all the spices and salt and pepper stir well and fry until the oil begins to separate.

Now add the fresh chickpeas, the cubed potatoes and 2 cups of water. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 45 mins or until the potatoes and chick peas are tender.

If you need to, add a little more water to prevent the mixture burning and sticking to the pan.

Serve with plain rice or roti (chapattis) or naan.

This has Taste and is a Treat.