RAMBUTAN - EXOTIC FRUIT: HEALTH BENEFITS AND USES OF RAMBUTAN: EXOTIC FRUIT SALAD RECIPE

RAMBUTAN, NEPHELIUM LAPPACEAE

Rambutans look and taste like large juicy lychees, although they come in a hairy or spiny outer case, which is how they got their name; from a Malay word, rambut which means hair. The tree is a member of the Sapindaceae of which reetha, or the soapnut tree (Sapindus mukorossi) is a member. Synonyms for the rambutan tree are Euphoria nephelium DC and Dimocarpus crinita Lour.

  It is a large evergreen tree that can reach heights of between 15 – 25 metres (50 to 80 feet).It bears fruits every alternate year and has long leaves (10-30 cm) which consist of 3-11 leaflets. It is a native of South East Asia where it is now cultivated, but the fruits are rarely exported. It is also cultivated in Ecuador, Colombia, Honduras, Costa Rica, Trinidad and Cuba as well as in Australia. 

    They like humidity and a well-distributed rainfall, which is why, I suppose they have the name Nephelium. In Greek mythology, Nefeli or Nephele was a nymph married to Athamantia, lord of Boetia, which was the central part of the Greek mainland, and she had two children, Frixus and Ellie. Alternatively she was shaped from clouds by Zeus into the form of his wife, the goddess Hera. She had complained to Zeus that King Ixion had attempted to rape her, and to test the truth of her story Zeus made the cloud woman, Nephele, and sent her to the king, who raped her. She conceived and gave birth to the Centauri, the tribe of centaurs, during a rain storm on Mount Pelion. Either way, Nephele has the association with rain and clouds.

  The rambutan was introduced into the Philippines in 1912 from Indonesia and again introduced in the 1930s and then more plants were exported from Malaysia. They were introduced into the US too, but are not grown there.

  Normally people eat the fruit raw, but they can be stewed and made into jams too. They are also used in traditional medicine, for a number of ailments. A decoction can be made from the bark of the tree and used to get rid of thrush or candida. Internal worms can be removed with a decoction made from the roots it is said. The leaves are made into a poultice and applied to the forehead, to relieve headaches, and a decoction of the dried skin, which contains tannins, is used for dysentery and diarrhoea. The seeds are said to be toxic and so should not be eaten raw, although they are OK roasted and are used in the treatment of diabetes. The leaves can be dried and made into a paste with a little water and this can be used on the scalp and hair to condition it. The dried skin is also used for fevers and is sold in markets in Malaysia.

  The fruit may help in a weight loss diet and may also help to lower blood pressure. Eating the fruit is also supposed to help you have softer skin and to improve its health.

  The young shoots from the tree can be used to produce a green dye on silk which has already been dyed yellow with turmeric (haldi), while the fruit produces a black dye for silk. The seed oil, which looks like cacao butter, can be used to make candles and soap.

  Rambutans are high in vitamin C and eating ten of them will give you twice as much of his as is recommended for your daily diet. It also contains niacin B1 and traces of the vitamin A. It also contains the minerals, iron, phosphorous and calcium.

EXOTIC FRUIT SALAD

Ingredients

10 rambutans, skin and stone removed

2 kiwi fruit, peeled

1 small ripe pineapple,

250 gr strawberries, hulled

1 bunch black grapes,

orange liqueur

Method

Slice the pineapple at 2 inches from the top and use a sharp knife to remove the flesh. Keep the shell to put the fruit in. Chop the pineapple into bite sized chunks.

Slice the kiwi fruit.

Put the fruit (not the grapes) into a bowl and pour orange liqueur over them- don’t overdo it!

Leave the bowl, covered in the fridge tossing the fruit in the liqueur every so often to make sure it is coated.

Put the fruit in the pineapple shell and serve.

This has Taste and is a Treat.

WHAT IS BAIKAN OR DHARAIK? CHINABERRY TREE - CULTURAL AND MEDICINAL SIGNIFICANCE

CHINABERRY TREE, BAIKAN, DHARAIK, MELIA AZEDARACH

This tree is native to northern India, Pakistan, Myanmar and northern Australia. It was introduced into the US in the latter half of the 18^th century as an ornamental and is now considered invasive in some states. Like the English yew tree and the aak and datura plants it is poisonous and should be treated with extreme care. 

It is a sacred tree in Iran, Malaysia, India and Pakistan, and is revered like the Neem tree. The Baikan is a fast-growing shade tree, which doesn’t usually last for many more than twenty years.

  Its timber can be used to make small items of furniture, and beams, but it rarely is, perhaps because it is considered to be sacred, rather like its “sister” the neem tree (Azadirachta indica). It grows extensively in Pakistan and India and is used by local people for its shade. To sit and gossip under, like the bohar or banyan tree, although this fast-growing tree does not reach such great heights or girths. Its leaves resemble those of the ash tree, but this chinaberry tree is a member of the mahogany family.

  It has cherry-like green fruits which wrinkle and turn yellow when they mature, and as the leaves fall they are clearly seen, the hanging drupes, await small boys who play marbles with them and then pelt each other with them if an argument ensues. These fruits are called tarkona in Punjabi, while the tree is called dharaik. It is bakain in Urdu. In English it is known as the Ceylon Cedar, the Persian Lilac tree, Pride of India and the Bead tree.

  It got the name bead tree, because when the pulp is boiled away from the 5 seeds it hides, the seeds have round holes in their middles, which are just right to make necklaces, prayer beads (tespih) bangles and earrings.

  Even though the tree’s parts are poisonous medical preparations are prepared by the traditional healers, or hakims, who know exactly what they are doing. The leaves and flowers are used to relieve nervous headaches, applied in a poultice, while the leaves, bark and fruit are natural insect repellants. The oil extracted from the seeds is used for rheumatism, and extract of the bark is given for asthma. A decoction of the leaves is used to treat skin problems such as eczema, acne and ulcers as they have antiseptic qualities.

  The berries produce a highly inflammable gas which gives a clear light, and the roots produce oil which can also be used for lighting. The hakims use the oil to promote hair growth and it is applied to bald spots.

  Medical research has proved it to have antiviral properties, and to be good at ridding the body of tapeworms. The antiviral properties come from the meliacine extracted from the leaves. Extracts from the tree have also shown that it can be used as an alternative to pharmaceutical medication for the HSV-2 genital infection. It may even have anti-cancer properties, but this is far from conclusive as yet.

  Despite the poisonous nature of this tree, it has health benefits for us, but it should nonetheless be treated with due care and respect.

 

YEW TREE - PREHISTORIC TREE - POISONOUS BUT MEDICINALLY USEFUL TREE

THE ENGLISH YEW TREE, TAXUS BACCHATA

Yews or ywen in Welsh, are primordial trees having their roots in the Triassic Age as fossilized parts of the yew have been found dating back to this and the later Jurassic periods of prehistory. They survived the last Ice Age, and comprised an estimated 79 % of forests in Europe as the glaciers and ice receded to the north. There can be little surprise, then that this tree is steeped in history, and there are specimens which are believed to be between 4 and 5,000 years old. The Jurupa oak in California is thought to be 13,000 years old so is the oldest living tree found so far. The ancient yew in a churchyard at Llangernyw village in North Wales is one of these trees, and is located in the churchyard of St. Dygain. It was a sapling in the Bronze Age and is in the world’s top 5 oldest living organisms. The yew is opposite two standing stones, erected by the Celts, and the church stand in the middle of these ancient relics.

Yew at Llangarnyw

  There is a local legend that the Recording Angel, Angelystor, frequented the yew at this churchyard every year at Halloween and in a resonating voice, called out the names of the parishioners who would die the following year. One year a foolhardy local, Sion ap Robert, was drinking in the pub with his mates on Halloween and scoffed at the legend. To prove how much he doubted the legend he walked through the churchyard, and passing under the yew, heard his name called. He was terrified and said that he wasn’t ready to die. Nevertheless that coming year he was buried in the churchyard.

  In Llangadwaladr in North Wales, there is another ancient yew tree, again in a churchyard, that was planted in an avenue of yews, perhaps by the ancient Celts who planted these trees along ley lines linking water, wells, springs and high points of power. This one is linked to St. Cadwaladr, Prince of Gwynedd and the stories surrounding the Pendragons. (Uther Pendragon is said to have been the father of King Arthur.)  This extract from a poem by W. Cowan demonstrates how the Druids regarded yews.

      “Here Druid priests their altars placed.

          And sun and moon adored

           ………………………….

            A tree – the sacred Yew,

            Symbol of immortality-

            Beside their altar grew.”

The ancient Celts and their priestly caste of Druids regarded the yew as the doorway to the Otherworld and believed that at Samhein and Beltane, there could be better communication between those living in this world and ancestors in the Otherworld. The yew was a link between life and death symbolizing death, rebirth and immortality. Shamans would sniff the vapours from the yew which it emits in high summer to gain visions.

  Another famous yew tree is the one at Fortingall in Perthshire, Scotland, which is also in a churchyard and is thought to be at least 4,000 years old. It stands at the entrance to Glen Lyon and is associated in legend with Pontius Pilate, Christ and the Glastonbury thorn. Cuttings from this tree have been planted at Glastonbury and at the Seat of Scone in Scotland, as well as other historic places.

  It is extremely difficult for dendrologists to estimate the age of yew trees as they tend to split and the one in Llangernyw once housed a tank between the split in it which is shown in the picture. Yews may seem to die, but new saplings grow from the roots so regenerate. It is believed that they all come from an original species, Paleotaxus rediviva which basically means ancient yew tree reborn. They have managed to survive the climatic changes that the Earth has gone through for more than two hundred million years.

  Yews are slow-growing trees with a close, tight grain and have been used to make agricultural implements, decorative items and weaponry through the centuries. The Mediaeval longbows (the weapon of choice in those days) were traditionally made from yew. However if you are thinking of carving yew wood, you need to be very careful as it is poisonous, and even the sawdust can be harmful-use protective clothing. The only part of the tree that is not poisonous is the fleshy red aril which grows around the toxic seeds. Smart birds eat this fleshy part but reject the seed inside it. Some arrows were tipped with poison from these trees.

Yew hedge

  The trees were sacred to the pagan Celts in the British Isles and they were so full of power, people believed that churches were built very close to them. They are a symbol of death as they grow in churchyards, but originally they were symbols of death and rebirth. Christianity changed beliefs a little but not entirely. Well-preserved carved items have been found near wells and springs, which might have been votive offerings, as the Druids in particular, thought that natural sources of water had magical powers, as may be seen in the legends of the hazel trees and the wise salmon.

  The yew is believed to have protective powers against all evils, and is a bringer of dreams for soothsayers. It is also a Celtic “forbidden tree” as it can be used to abort foetuses.

  The yew, like the birch and the rowan or mountain ash, can grow well in the shade of other trees, and the male tree has small yellow flowers which have pollen in February, while the female tree has the distinctive red berries, which should not be mistaken for juniper berries. It is related to the Himalayan oak, and like it the bark contains taxol which can be made into an anti-cancer drug. The Pacific yew was harvested almost to the point of extinction for its taxol, and a similar fate may yet meet its Himalayan relative. In Britain the ancient trees, at least are protected, but it also contains this substance.

  Despite the fact that the yew is poisonous it has been prepared by traditional healers to cure various diseases, such as those of the heart and kidneys and gout, as well as neuralgia, cystitis, headaches and failing eyesight. However it is advisable not to try any remedies with yew that you have prepared yourself. Leave it to the people who have had the information about herbs and other plants handed down through their families for generations.

HOREHOUND - A BITTER HERB: TRADITIONS ,HISTORY AND MEDICINAL USES

WHITE OR COMMON HOREHOUND, MARRUBIUM VULGARE

There are forty species of horehound around the globe, but white horehound is indigenous to Europe, North Africa and Central Asia. It has become naturalized in both North and South America and is now considered a pest in Australia, having been introduced there in the 19^th century. Black horehound is now no longer in the same Marrubium genus. Horehound is a member of the Lamiaceae family of plants formerly called Labiateae, which include mint, sage and oregano.

  Horehound is not a corruption of the word ‘whore’ but hore here means hoary or hairy, as the plant is covered in silky white hairs. It is also called Hoarhound. Marrubium either comes from an ancient Italian city, Maris urbs or from the Hebrew marrob meaning “bitter juice” so as the herb is edible it could have been one of the bitter herbs used in the Jewish Passover. Horseradish and Kos lettuce are typically served on the Seder plate as two of the bitter herbs of the Passover. Bitter herbs include rue and wormwood, but horehound is not as bitter as these.

  Some believe that the “hore” is linked with the Egyptian god Horus, god of the Sky and Light, and it is said that horehound was called the “seeds of Horus”. It is also believed that it was known by the names Bull’s blood and Eye of the Star in ancient Egypt. The Egyptians used it for fevers and snake bites and other poison.

  However it is mainly used for chest infections and coughs and colds, with the tisane being very good for these. Gerard and Culpeper the Renaissance herbalists both agreed to its efficacy against these minor ailments. Gerard also recommended it for “those that have drunk poyson or have been bitten by serpents” or indeed by “”mad dogges.”

  Culpeper had this remedy for chest problems and colds-½ oz of each of the following herbs plus horehound: hyssop, rue, liquorice root and marsh mallow, boiled in 2 pints of water which should be reduced to 1½ pints, then strained and drunk three times a day by the wineglassful Interestingly the German Commission E has approved the use of horehound for bronchial problems and laryngitis.

  Dioscorides believed that a decoction of white horehound was effective in cases of tuberculosis, asthma, coughs and believed it was a good immune system booster which could prevent the occurrences of colds and flu. As we now know that it contains vitamins A, C and E as well as some B-complex ones, it can probably help in the case of the common cold. It also contains flavonoids and essential fatty acids, as well as the minerals, iron, and potassium among others. It contains the diterpene marrubin which is known to be an expectorant, so it is good for getting rid of phlegm and mucous. It is useful for sore throats and a good tisane is one that contains equal amounts of white horehound, mullein flowers, thyme and lavender; the other ingredients mask the bitterness of horehound.

  It seems that modern scientists believe that along with the South American Trumpet tree (Cecropia obtusfolia) may help those with Type 2 diabetes. Trials have also been conducted with horehound and ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) which suggest that both have antioxidant properties and may protect the liver.

 Horehounds leaves and flowers have antiseptic and antispasmodic properties and aid digestions, act as a diuretic, and promote sweating during bouts of fever. The plant has been used to promote menstruation, and can be used for its stimulating effects. Interestingly if you grow horehound in the garden with tomato plants, it is said that you will have a better yield, of fruit, but no one quit knows why this might be.

Seed head

  It was believed that horehound when carried with you could protect against sorcery and also it is rumoured that if you put the leaves of this plant in a bowl of water with leaves from the ash tree and place it in a sick room, the person who is ill will soon recover. The fresh green leaves when bruised can be placed on a fresh wound to stop the blood and promote healing, and once they were mixed with fat to make an ointment for wounds.

  This tisane below can be made in a decoction too by boiling the herb in the liquid so that it reduced by ¼ pint and used on skin problems such as irritated skin, acne and eczema. The tisane is for chest problems, colds, flu and fevers.

HOREHOUND TISANE

Ingredients

1 oz fresh horehound leaves and flowering tops, or ½ oz dried

1 pint boiling water

honey (not sugar) to taste, or stevia leaves steeped with the horehound ones.

Method

Put the leaves in a pot and pour the boiling water over them.

Leave to steep for 45 mins.

Strain and drink lukewarm.

The dose is a wineglassful 3 or 4 times a day.

This has Taste and is a Treat(ment).

MARSH MALLOW :ANCIENT AND MODERN USES, HEALTH BENEFITS OF ALTHAEA OFFICINALIS

MARSH MALLOW, KHATMI IN URDU, ALTHAEA OFFICINALIS

The marsh mallow is native to Europe but was probably introduced to Britain by the Romans. It is related to the truly native common mallow and has much the same properties. Althaea comes from the Greek meaning “to heal” and of course, officinalis means official so this plant is an “official healer.” Its relatives also include the musk mallow, Malva meschata, hibiscus, hollyhocks, okra and cotton. There are around 1,000 mallow species and they all contain a gummy, substance called mucilage (think of okra).

  The root of the Marsh Mallow used to be used to produce the confectionary of the same name, but now it doesn’t have a trace of marsh mallow in it. This sweet was first made by the Egyptians who boiled the root of the marsh mallow with honey, using it as a medicine for respiratory problems. The remedy was refined by a French pharmacist who added beaten egg whites to the powdered root and sugar. He called his concoction Pâté de Guimauve (which is the French for marsh mallow).

  The root, flowers and leaves can all be used in medicine, all having different substances in them. The leaves contain the bioflavonoids, kaempferol and quercetin, coumarins and phenolic acids including caffeic and vanillic acid. The roots contain polysaccharides, pectins tannin and asparagines.

  Commercial preparations of marsh mallow typically include other ingredients, one famous remedy for drawing splinters out of the skin is a paste made from slippery elm and marsh mallows, which can even as if by magic draw out bee stings. Pliny knew about this and only used the juice of the marsh mallow to do this. In fact Pliny regarded the marsh mallow highly as he said of it “Whosoever shall take a spoonful of the Mallows shall that day be free from all diseases that may come to him.”

cheeses or seed pods

  The Roman writers Horace and Martial regarded it as a good laxative (not as strong as senna or jamalgota however) and Dioscorides mentions that it was placed on graves with the musk mallow. It is actually difficult to tell which mallow the ancient writers described as the one Dioscorides used was rose-red, while Theophrastus describes one with yellow flowers. Hippocrates, the Father of Medicine used mallow to clean and heal wounds, but Dioscorides used it for diarrhoea, internal injuries, nerve pain, bee stings and toothache among other things.

  In the Middle Ages Paracelsus used it for wounds to clean and heal them, while Lonericus and Matthiolas used it as an expectorant and diuretic as well as for internal injuries (following Dioscorides), ulcers and burns etc.

  You can make an infusion or decoction of the peeled root for skin problems (apply it to the affected areas) and take it orally as a gargle for mouth ulcers and a sore throat.

  If you take all the above ground parts of the marsh mallow, and pour boiling water over it, leave this to steep for 3 hours and drink ½ a pint a day for gravel and kidney stones. However this should be discontinued after 3 or 4 days and you can start again after this period. An old Victorian remedy suggests that you can put a teaspoonful of gin into this drink if there is no inflammation! (Those prudish Victorians were very fond of gin.)

  A remedy for diarrhoea was to boil the powdered root in milk, and in wine for respiratory problems to relieve coughs, bronchitis etc.

  For a tisane of the flowers you should pick them as they are about to bloom and take a handful to a pint of boiling water and leave them to steep in it for 15 minutes.

  The Romans considered the flowers a delicacy, and in former times the tender young tops and leaves were eaten in salads, although if you eat them you may want to steam them first as tastes have changed. They are good for the kidneys apparently.

  If you peel the root and pour boiling water over it, you can use the water for coughs internally and externally it can relieve sunburn. You can make a gel for dry hands by boiling peeled marsh mallow roots until you get a gel although if you stop the process before the gel forms, you can use it as a hair rinse on dry hair.

  In Europe marsh mallows are found along with other ingredients in many ointments and syrups and used to clean wounds, heal ulcers, and generally in products which are for the treatments the traditional healers used to employ marsh mallows for.

 The marsh mallow is a very versatile herb that has been used throughout the ages for a variety of ills.

 

 

TEA PLANT (CAMELLIA SINENSIS): IS IT GOOD FOR YOU? HOW TO MAKE SPICY GREEN TEA

TEA PLANT, CAMELLIA SINENSIS

Tea has its origins in South-East Asia, and has been drunk for around 3,000 years or so. Drinking tea is alleged to have started with a Chinese Emperor who first accidentally made a brew. (Personally, I like the coffee story involving Ethiopian goats best.) Whatever the case, tea is the world’s most widely ingested beverage, second only to water. There are many varieties of Camellia sinensis and tea grown in different places has distinctive flavours. Basically there are four types of tea, black, green, white and oolong.

  China and India are the top world producers of tea along with the island of Sri Lanka, where Ceylon tea comes from, although it is also grown in Japan where there is an elaborate tea ceremony, and in Taiwan. However the tea we drink tends to come from either India or China (hence the saying “…not for all the tea in China”). Darjeeling tea is considered one of the finest black teas, and this is grown at altitudes of 7,000 feet in the Himalayas.

  The young leaves of tea are picked for processing by hand, and the first harvest or “flush” produces the finest tea. Oil can be extracted from the seed, which is clear and golden yellow and isn’t affected when exposed to oxygen. It can be substituted for olive oil or rapeseed oil but not for sesame oil or corn oil. This is not the essential oil sold in outlets such as “The Body Shop” as Tea Tree oil, as this comes from an Australian tea tree, Melaleuca alternifolia.

   The tea trees of Camellia sinensis are pruned so that the leaves can be easily harvested, but in its natural state a tree could grow to 30 feet. In plantations they are the size of bushes. They have small white flowers with yellow stamens which look a little like camellias, to which the tea plant is related.

  In China tea has been used to cure almost everything including cancer and heart diseases, and it does have some therapeutic properties. It contains the alkaloids caffeine, theophylline and theobromine (also found in the cacao bean). Theobromine can help lower blood pressure as it can dilate blood vessels, and also relaxes the bronchii in the lungs, so is often found in cough medicines. Catechins are also found in tea and these polyphenols have potent antioxidant properties, so they can protect cells from damage which can be caused by free radicals. This means that they can help prevent cancer and heart disease.

  A lot of research has been done on green tea, but this has not convinced the USFDA (they refused to allow green tea manufacturers to claim on packaging that green tea can prevent heart diseases and cancer) or other Institutions that drinking green tea can help prevent mortalities. It might but the evidence is not conclusive.

  Drinking green tea is probably better than drinking black tea in terms of a weight loss diet as it doesn’t require milk, use lemon instead, and try not to use sweeteners, unless you add a few stevia leaves. Tea contains tannins, and although tea has been used as a digestive aid and to cure stomach problems, I know to my cost that it can cause vomiting and other side effects.

  Tea also contains caffeine which is a known stimulant and for years it was drunk for this reason. However, coffee has the same effect and for me at least, it doesn’t have the same side effects.

  You can use used tea bags in the same way as slices of cucumber, to get rid of puffiness around the eyes and to help tired eyes. They can also help if applied to sunburn, as can cucumber or natural yoghurt.

  Green tea and black tea can act as antiseptic agents in the mouth, getting rid of herpes or mouth ulcers. Green tea can help protect teeth from a build-up of plaque. A compress of green tea can staunch bleeding from a wound and a poultice can relieve headaches, as can one made from black tea. Green tea has anti inflammatory properties and is antiseptic. It is possible that a skin wash made from green tea can help the elasticity of the skin as it may protect collagen.

  Tea contains amino acids, and it is said vitamin C, although ascorbic acid in fresh leaves is destroyed in the process of producing black tea.

  With all the hype surrounding green tea, it doesn’t seem to make much difference if you drink it or not, although studies have been designed which prove that it does make a difference. It probably won’t harm you but stick to 2 or 3 cups a day of any tea.

  This is in contrast to the studies into coffee which seem to show that the more you drink, the better it is for your health.

SPICY GREEN TEA

Ingredients

1 tbsp green tea leaves for 2 cups

1 green cardamom pod

1 inch piece of cinnamon stick

2 cups water

1 tsp fresh lemon juice

Method

Put all the ingredients except the lemon in the pot and bring to the boil.

Lift liquid up from the pot and allow it to drizzle back in to it, from a height so that the air passes through the liquid. Do this a few times.

Turn off the heat and cover and leave to steep for 3 minutes.

Strain and pour into cups.

Add lemon juice and sugar as required.

This tea is good if you have a cold or flu and is a winter warmer. It is also an aid to digestion.

This has Taste and is a Treat.

NASTURTIUMS - EDIBLE FLOWERS: HISTORY, USES AND HEALTH BENEFITS OF NASTURTIUMS: HOW TO MAKE NASTURTIUM SALAD

NASTURTIUMS, TROPAEOLUM MAJUS

Nasturtiums originally came from Peru and perhaps are also native to Chile. The original nasturtiums were brought to Europe (to Spain) by the conquistadores in the 16^th century, who were also responsible for introducing Europeans to the cacao bean from which we get chocolate. These first nasturtiums were Tropaeolum minus, having a semi-trailing vine and orange-yellow flowers, with leaves in the shape of a shield. The taller variety Tropaeolum majus which had darker orange flowers and rounder leaves was introduced by a Dutch botanist much later. Today there are nasturtiums of various colours from off-white through to a dark burgundy colour.

  The official name of watercress is Nasturtium officinale, and nasturtiums were named so because they have a peppery taste like the watercress. The name nasturtium means “nose twisted” (from the Latin nasum, nose and torquere to twist), probably referring to the pungent smell of the flowers or the mustard – like oil that is released from the leaves when they are chewed. The whole above ground parts of the plant are edible, and can be used for medicinal purposes.

  The Incas knew about the medicinal value of these flowers and used them in salads, as can be done today. Like kachnar, marigold, violet and viola flowers, nasturtium blooms are edible and are a good addition to salads.

  The nasturtium is called by many names including ‘nasties’, Indian Cress, Monk’s cress and Capuchin cress, which is a reference to the shape of the flowers which resemble a Capuchin monk’s hooded cloak. I had the misguided idea that there name was “nasty urchins” and I took a long time to put this right. I used to plant seeds in my part of the garden when I was young along with sweet peas. They grow easily and reseed if left to do so, and are very decorative plants and useful too if you plant them between vegetables as they attract blackfly so sparing vegetables from this pest. They also repel aphids, ants and flies.

  The seeds contain fatty oil which is used as varnish like linseeds oil, and this is composed of unsaturated fatty acids (good ones). The mustard-like oil permeated the whole plant and contains Benzyl isothiocyanate which is anti-bacterial and anti-fungal. The plant is used for respiratory infections and clears phlegm from the chest in bronchial infections. It is also good for the liver, kidneys and bladder, and has diuretic properties. It is also used for skin problems, with an infusion or decoction made from the whole plant (not roots).

  Nasturtiums contain flavonoids such as kaempferol and iso-quercitrin, carotenoids, vitamin C, the minerals iron, sulphur, manganese and amino acids. They have antiseptic properties and act as a diuretic and mild laxative, (not as strong as senna pods or jamalgota).In the past they were used to promote menstruation, and purify the blood. An infusion of the leaves can be made into sap flakes and can be used as insecticide. An infusion or decoction of the leaves and flowers can help combat skin problems including acne. They were useful for their vitamin C content to prevent scurvy in the past when people tended to suffer from a vitamin C deficiency in winter.

  Nasturtiums have featured in many paintings including “La Ronde” by Henri Matisse, and just by looking at the pictures here you will no doubt see why they have been a feature in so many paintings. Monet had them in his garden at Giverney of course.

  The flower buds may be used as a substitute for capers, although you shouldn’t eat too many of them as they contain oxalic acid which is toxic. The flowers are delicious stuffed with cream cheese and the petals can be added to salads. You can make pickles with the seed pods in autumn too, and nasturtium and lemon butter to make a change from garlic butter, as it is good with fish and chicken.

NASTURTIUM SALAD

Ingredients

2 nasturtium flowers per person, washed and dried

cream cheese (depending on how many flower heads)

black pepper, freshly ground

2-3 cloves garlic

1 small Kos lettuce

½ red radicchio lettuce

4 tomatoes, roughly chopped

4 spring onions cut thinly into slivers

1 tbsp capers

black olives

fresh parsley sprigs to decorate

white wine vinegar

olive oil

Method

Mix the cream cheese with the garlic and freshly ground black pepper, then stuff the flowers with it.

Use whole leaves of the lettuces and decorate with other salad ingredients.

Mix 2 parts olive oil to 1 part white wine vinegar, add herbs or a little red chilli powder, or cayenne or paprika according to your preference, shake well and use as a salad dressing. Top with the stuffed flowers.

This has Taste and is a Treat.

COFFEE ( COFFEA ARABICA) - HISTORY AND MEDICIAL RESEARCH: COFFEE IS GOOD FOR YOU: HOW TO MAKE GREEK OR TURKISH COFFEE

COFFEE, COFFEA ARABICA

Coffee grows on bushes or small trees, and the beans ripen in pods called cherries. You probably know the story of how an Ethiopian goat herder noticed his goats were friskier than usual after eating the red berries on a bush. He ate some too and realized the stimulant qualities of what we now call coffee. This is a similar tale to the way Cordyceps sinensis otherwise known as the caterpillar fungus, was found by yak herders in Tibet.

  By AD 1000 coffee had found its way into the Arabian Peninsula and was a well-kept secret among Muslims, who at first used it for its stimulating qualities, allowing them to stay awake all night during special prayer times. Later coffee shops opened and it was drunk for pleasure as it is now.

  No fertile bean grew outside of the Muslim world, and it took Baba Budan to smuggle some out of Mecca, or so the story goes. The Turks had coffee and this was introduced to Europe in 1615. The Europeans adored it and the race was on to establish a coffee trade. The Dutch were the first to have a plantation owned by Europeans, on Java, Indonesia. The beans were given away by the Dutch to European royalty and from the plant given to Louis XIV around 1714, other plantations sprung up, notably in the West Indies. Arguably one of the best (and most expensive) coffees in the world is Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee.

  A Brazilian Colonel was sent to French Guiana ostensibly to settle a dispute, but in fact to steal fertile coffee beans which he did, although he didn’t exactly steal them, they were a gift for his ‘services’ from the governor’s wife, hidden in a bouquet when he left and so his mission was successful, as Brazil is now one of the biggest coffee exporters in the world.

  The coffee bean has a rather lurid history to be sure, and has been reviled because it was once said by scientists to be cancer forming. This was actually retracted by the researchers a day after publication in the world’s press, but the general public only remember the ‘fact’ that coffee caused cancer and not the retraction.

  One coffee plant can produce one pound of coffee beans, and unfortunately the plant is subject to blight which can decimate crops and cause prices to rocket. Banking on coffee futures is often not a good investment. The coffee plant is a member of the Rubiaceae family along with Kadamb.

   2011 was a good year for coffee, as researchers at the University of Bristol, UK conducted a study which showed that women performed memory tests better after drinking coffee, and reacted more quickly than usual to stressful situations. On the other hand men were slower and not as responsive as the women in the study.

  Harvard research later in the same year found that if a man drank coffee (more than 6 cups a day was optimal) then they lowered the risk of getting prostate cancer, and if they contracted it, it was less likely to be terminal.

  Yet another Harvard study showed that coffee drinking did not increase the risk of having a second stroke nor did it adversely affect people with cardio-vascular problems. If you have a heart problem the researchers say, you don’t have to give up drinking coffee.

  If you start drinking coffee at thirty then you will have health benefits, such as staving off Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease. These were the results of two separate studies. Four to five cups a day are deemed to be moderate. The coffee should be caffeinated but decaff will do scientists think.

  As yet they have not identified the substance or compound in coffee that has such beneficial effects on our health, so studies into coffee are ongoing.

 In Italy and Greece people don’t just eat lots of tomatoes, with olive oil, but they also consume a lot of coffee. It has potent antioxidant properties along with chocolate, red wine and green tea. Greeks will take hours over a small cup of coffee and a glass of water in their cafeneions (traditional coffee houses). In both Greece and Turkey fortunes are told by reading the coffee grounds; you upturn the cup when you have finished and the sludgy coffee will plop onto the saucer, after a few minutes. The cup is then turned up the right way and the outlines on the sides of the cup are interpreted for you, in much the same way as people read tea leaves in Britain. In Greece frappé coffee is the norm in summer made form instant coffee. You take a spoonful of it and mix with sugar and a tiny amount of water. Whisk this to a froth then add water and ice and milk if you like.

 Below is the recipe for Greek or Turkish coffee, traditionally made in a briki or long-handled pot. You can use a small saucepan if you don’t have one. Crushed green cardamom seeds may be added to the coffee if you wish or a whole pod for several cups of coffee. You can also add a small piece of cinnamon or cassia to the pot and boil it with the coffee. For a chocolate and coffee mousse see our chocolate post.

GREEK OR TURKISH COFFEE

Ingredients

1½ -2 tsps ground Arabica beans

1½-2 small coffee cups water

sugar to taste

Method

 Put all the above ingredients into the briki and stir well then slowly bring to the boil.

Quickly remove it from the heat and turn the heat down to low. Allow the coffee to boil again, it will be very frothy.

Pour into the cup and drink.

Makes 1 cup

This has Taste and is a Treat.