MONKEY PUZZLE TREE - A LIVING FOSSIL: INFORMATION AND USES OF MONKEY PUZZLE TREE

THE MONKEY PUZZLE TREE, ARAUCARIA ARAUCANA

The Monkey Puzzle tree is an evergreen, native to Southern Chile and South West Argentina where it was prized for its timber. However it is now a protected endangered species under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). Logging caused the destruction of this tree which has been called “a living fossil”. It has been around for 250 million years or so and is very distinctive. It has sharp needle like leaves which were described as being like “hypodermic syringes” by locals in West Cross, Swansea Wales UK who believed that a 150 year old tree should be felled as it was dangerous for children; probably a case of health and safety concerns gone mad.

  These trees can live for 1,200 years and are resilient to dangers from volcanoes, landslides, winds and wild fires in their native habitat. It is thought that they developed their sharp leaves in order to deter grazing dinosaurs, as they have been around since the Mesozoic Age. The leaves are scale-like and the trunk is scaly and ridged with diamond patterns, which make it resemble the outer hard casing of a pineapple. If you make an incision in the trunk a resin will freely exude which is used to heal wounds and ulcers by the indigenous people in its natural habitat.

  The Pehuenche people revere this tree and it is decorated during their two-day long harvest festival and stands in the altar while the potent prayers are said for the bounty of the earth to continue. The timber from the tree was used for carpentry and joinery and is a pale yellow which can be highly polished. Unscrupulous logging concerns almost eradicated this tree in its native habitat until the indigenous peoples made a stand to protect it.

  There are many of these trees planted in Britain and these were mainly planted during the Victorian era. It grows to amazing heights in its native habitat, reaching heights of 160 feet and having a spread of around 50 feet. The trunk can have a girth of around 1.5 metres, and it is sometimes associated with bad luck.

  The trees are believed to have found their way to Britain with Archibald Menzies a plant collector and naval surgeon who sailed with Captain George Vancouver on his circumnavigation of the globe between 1791 and 1795, in Captain James Cook’s former ship, the Discovery. The story goes that he had been invited to dinner by the then governor of Chile when he was served the pine nuts from this tree for dessert. Instead of eating them he took them back to his ship and planted them. He took 5 saplings back to Britain with him and these were supposed to have been the first planted in the UK. They taste a lot like pine nuts and look like chilgoza. The cones when they mature can contain 200 seeds, and these begin to grow when the tree is 25 years old. They take 2 or 3 years to ripen however.

  It is said that the tree got the name Monkey Puzzle tree when a visitor who went to view a tree planted by Sir Joseph Banks, the unofficial director of Kew Gardens, in the latter part of the 18^th century and commented that it would “puzzle any monkey to climb.” In fact, of course, there were no monkeys in the tree’s native habitat. .

  I remember a Monkey puzzle tree in the grounds of a chapel in the small town where I grew up and was always fascinated by it. It was so huge to me and I could watch the birds look for nuts below the tree. They didn’t seem perturbed by the needles. It was a dark, shady tree and crows made their nests in it, which is why it might be associated with bad luck in some places, I assume. Incidentally, Araucaria was also the name of my favourite cryptic crossword puzzle setter in the UK's The Guardian newspaper

  It is a member of the Araucariaceae family and it is said that Whitby jet, prized by the Victorians for jewellery making was formed by a long extinct tree of this family in the same way as we believe amber was formed by a member of the same family.

  These trees are also called Chilean pines and other Latin synonyms for them are Araucaria imbriata and Pinus araucaria. You can’t miss them as they have a loose pyramid shape and really are “living fossils.” 

BLACK RICE - WELL-KEPT ASIAN SECRET: HISTORY, USES AND HEALTH BENEFITS OF BLACK RICE: BLACK RICE AND SEA FOOD RECIPE

BLACK RICE, ORYZA GENUS

Black rice originated in Asia and there are references to its being cultivated in China from 150 BC.  It is a member of the Poaceae family of plants which includes wheat, maize (sweet corn), sorghum, millet, rye, oats and barley, to name but a few of the other members of this grass family. Today it is hailed as one of nature’s superfoods having more health benefits than blueberries.

   Black rice contains the B-complex vitamins, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, B5 and B6 along with vitamin E and the minerals iron, calcium, magnesium, manganese, copper, zinc, being particularly rich in both potassium and phosphorous. It is also a good source of essential amino acids and other amino acids. The colour comes from the anthocyanin molecules classes as flavonoids, and anthocyanins are known to have potent antioxidant properties which help to protect our bodies from cardio-vascular diseases and cancers. The antioxidant properties of the bran which is removed from the black rice are particularly potent and it has been suggested that this bran would be beneficial if it were used in breakfast cereals and other foodstuffs as it is cheap and available. This would boost our health and also help in the anti-aging process. Anthocyanins and their antioxidant properties can also help prevent Alzheimer’s disease and are thought to slow the deterioration process of this disease, as well as to help people suffering from high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels and diabetes.

   The name anthocyanin comes from the Greek which means ‘blue flower’ and these pigments give black rice its distinctive colour. Today anthocyanins can be purple, black and red, not just blue.

  In Asia the anthocyanins are extracted from black rice and added to red wine to give it a richer colour, and by doing this the antioxidant properties of the red wine are also boosted. However, in some countries such additions are classed as adulterants, so the wines cannot be sold in countries which classify this addition as an adulterant.

  Black rice was called ‘forbidden rice’ in China as it was reserved for the sole use of the Emperor and his favourites. The Emperors believed (perhaps rightly it would seem) that black rice increased longevity and slowed the aging process. It was almost an elixir of youth for them as they endowed it with aphrodisiac qualities as well. Anyone who stole the Emperor’s rice was sentenced to death.

  Luckily it is now available to the commoners and is grown throughout Asia. In Japan it is used in sushi and it has been made into noodles and other pasta. It is fibre rich and so good for the digestive system, and if you thought that brown rice was the best there is in terms of health benefits, it seems that you were wrong. Black rice is even healthier.

  There is sticky, glutinous black rice which is used for decoration and desserts in Asia, but “forbidden rice” is not sweet, like brown rice it has a nutty flavour, similar to that of sweet chestnuts. It is gluten-free and so can be safely eaten by people with a gluten intolerance.

  Chinese research has shown that it is good for the stomach, kidneys and spleen, as well as the eyes (the vitamin E content would suggest this is so) and blood circulation.

  If you compare the benefits of equivalent amounts of blueberries and black rice bran, the latter comes out on top as it clearly contains less sugar than blueberries, and it has more fibre, vitamin E and antioxidant properties. It is also cheaper than blueberries.

  When you have a diet that consists of the superfoods such as broccoli, kiwi fruit and other fresh produce, along with whole grains and pulses, you can probably prevent the onset of many diseases, especially if the healthy diet is combined with exercise.

  To cook black rice it should be soaked overnight or for quite a few hours then strained and rinsed so that cooking time is reduced to around 30 minutes. If you cook it without soaking it first, be prepared to cook it for an hour to 70 minutes. You should use 1 cup of rice (soaked) to 2 cups of water, and an extra ½ cup of water if it has not been soaked.

BLACK RICE AND SEAFOOD

Ingredients

1 cup black rice (soaked)

2 cups water

¾ lb prawns (shrimps) shelled and de-veined

¾ lb squid, cleaned and cut into diagonal rounds or pieces

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 small onion (red) finely diced

1 wineglass white wine

¼ pint tomato passata (or fresh pulped tomatoes)

freshly ground black pepper

1 inch piece of ginger root, peeled and finely chopped

1 tbsps fresh oregano leaves, torn or shredded

a splash of Tabasco

1 tbsp cumin seeds, dry fried

2 sprigs rosemary

1 bay leaf

olive oil , sesame oil and sunflower oil for frying

Method

Boil the water and when it is boiling add the black rice, bay leaf and rosemary sprigs. Cooked covered over a medium to low heat for ½ hour or until rice is tender.

Set aside, and leave to cool while cooking the other ingredients.

Heat the oils in a pan or wok; you will need 3 parts sunflower oil, 2 of olive oil and 1 of sesame oil. Add the prawns and fry quickly on both sides, 2 mins per side should be sufficient, until they become white-pink.

Strain and drain on absorbent paper.

Fry the squid in the same way. Remove from the pan and drain on absorbent paper.

Fry the onion, garlic and ginger until the onion is soft and translucent.

Pour the wine and tomato passata into the pan, and add the oregano leaves, cumin seeds and freshly ground black pepper. Stir well and incorporate any brown residue in the pan into the sauce.

  Drain the rice and pour the sauce on top of it with the squid and prawns on top, or stir the seafood into the sauce and then pour over the rice.

This has Taste and is a Treat.

   

PLANTAINS ( GREEN BANANAS) - FULL OF NUTRIENTS: HEALTH BENEFITS AND USES OF PLANTAINS: HOW TO MAKE FRIED PLANTAINS

PLANTAINS, GREEN BANANAS, KACHA KELA, MUSA PARADISIACO

Plantains are very close relations to bananas and you could be forgiven for confusing them. They grow on the same types of trees as bananas but are longer and can be used at any of their three stages of ripeness. The ones used for cooking savoury dishes are mainly the green ones (verde), then come the yellow plantain ( ponto{n}) in the mid-stage of ripeness, and these are semisweet, as the starch of the green plantain has begun to turn into sugar. Finally the black, ripe plantain (maduro) is the sweet one that can be eaten raw or used in desserts. (This should not be confused with the plant plantain, Plantago major.)

  When the plant was named by Linnaeus the Swedish botanist in the 18^th century he called it and the banana genus Musa after the Arabic word for the Biblical Moses, and the plantain became paradisiaco because the Koran says that it is the tree of Paradise.  The Arabs saw the Indian saddhus eating this and decided that it must be the “fruit of the wise.”

   It is said that Alexander the Great encountered the plantain on his campaign in India and ordered that it be grown in his African coastal domains. It certainly grows in the African continent today and was taken to the US and first cultivated there by slaves. It originated in South East Asia and probably the Indian subcontinent.

  Green plantain taste a little like a potato but it is starchier in texture, and can be fried along with a yam or even a sweet potato. When they are green you can do the same with them as you can with a potato in terms of cooking them. They are a little difficult to peel and the easiest way of doing this is to cut two centimetres from each end and then make a cut in the peel which doesn’t quite penetrate the flesh. Slide the knife along the length of the fruit and then it is easy to peel it with your fingers, as you would a banana.

  If you buy green plantains and want them to stay that way you can put them in a pot filled with water, cover it and they will stay green for several days. On the other hand, if you buy yellow ones and want them to ripen, keep them in a paper bag for a few days.

  Plantains contain vitamins A, C, E and K as well as some B-complex vitamins and are rich in potassium. They also contain other minerals, notably calcium, iron, phosphorous, magnesium, selenium and zinc. Apart from these they also contain Omega-3 and -6 fatty acids and 18 amino acids as well as flavonoids.

  It is said that plantain juice, extracted straight from the tree is an antidote to snake bites, and that the mashed pulp of the ripe ones makes a good face mask.

  In Pakistan large bunches of the green ones are still used as decorations in villages if there is a marriage or other special event to celebrate. They are put in the streets and may be light with string of small bulbs.

  Plantains were introduced into the Caribbean islands by Dominican monks from the Canary Isles, and they have become an island staple eaten in dishes of rice and as side dishes which can be mixed with chicken curries. You fry the plantains and then add them to meat dishes after they have been cooked, as a plantain doesn’t take long to cook and soggy ones don’t taste right.

  Try this recipe for fried plantains and then either serve as a side dish or stir into already cooked meat dishes. You can omit the chilli powder if you don’t want to have the hotness.

FRIED PLANTAINS

Ingredients

Peanut oil or sunflower oil or any other oil that can

be heated to high temperatures without burning

4 or 5 green plantains cut into 5 centimetre lengthsand the thickness of French fried potatoes

chilli powder

Method

Dust with chilli powder before frying if you are using it.

Heat the oil in a shallow frying pan and cook the plantains on both sides for 3 minutes.

Drain on absorbent paper to soak up the excess oil.

Either serve as a side dish or with rice or a meat dish, as described above.

These have Taste and are a Treat.

LESSER CELANDINE, WORDSWORTH'S FAVOURITE FLOWER: HEALTH BENEFITS AND USES OF LESSER CELANDINE

LESSER CELANDINE, PILEWORT, FIG BUTTERCUP, RANUNCULUS FICARIA

The lesser celandine is one of my favourite wild flowers although it is invasive in the US it is native to Europe including Britain, western Asia and North Africa. It appears early in February and by the end of April it has died back.  It is a member of the buttercup family, Ranunculaceae, but is easy to distinguish because it has nine or ten petals (the buttercup and marsh marigold (Calutha palustris) have five) and has a star-shaped flower. It likes moist shady places and can frequently be seen in hedgerows, and woods, although in Wales, it grows on mountains too, and is a welcome sight in spring. It forms a carpet of dark green heart-shaped leaves, sometimes kidney shaped, and with its shiny yellow flowers it look very attractive. The problem with it is the tubers which can spread and kill other plants.

   The Lesser Celandine, despite its name is no relation of the Greater Celandine, (Chelidonium majus) to which it bears little resemblance. They have different medicinal properties and should not be confused.

  Like the shrinking violet (banaf shah) and Tickle Me (choi moi), it is sensitive to weather conditions, as these lines from William Wordsworth’s poem, The Lesser Celandine show clearly:-

    “There is a flower, the Lesser Celandine,

      That shrinks, like many more, from cold and rain,

      And the first moment that the sun may shine,

      Bright as the sun himself, ’tis out again!”

Celandines are carved on Wordsworth’s tomb as they were said to be his favourite flower.

  Its Latin name comes from rana meaning frog, a reference to the moist places where it grows, and ficaria is from the Latin ficus or fig. This is presumably how it gets the name in the US of fig buttercup. It is called pilewort because for hundreds of years if not thousands, it has been used as a remedy for piles or haemorrhoids. The remedy can be either an ointment made from lard and the fresh bruised plant (whole) chopped, or taken internally as a tisane in wineglass full doses. The tisane is made with 1 oz of the fresh chopped herb to 1 pint of boiling water, left to steep for 20 minutes and then strained.

   The Lesser Celandine was well-known to herbalists in the Middle Ages and the first written reference we have is an illustration in the German herbalist’s “Kreutterbuch” (Rhodion) dating back to 1533. Gerard wrote about it, but as he may have got it confused with the Greater Celandine, I will only quote Culpeper the 17^th century English herbalist

  “It is certain by good experience that the decoction of the leaves and roots doth

    wonderfully help piles and haemorrhoids, also kernels by the ears and throat called

    King’s Evil and any other hard wen or tumours.”

He went on to show how much regard he had for this little plant (it only grows to 2 inches under normal conditions)

   “The very herb borne about one’s body next to the skin helps in such diseases though it never touched the place grieved.”

  It is clear that the lesser Celandine was efficacious against piles but the Physicians of Myddfai had this remedy:-

   “Apply the calcareous droppings of a peacock (pounded) with fern roots and it will cure it.”

 The fern roots mentioned here were presumably those of bracken.

   The flower only opens at 9am and closes again at 5 pm, as well as being sensitive to the weather. Its buds can apparently be substituted for capers, but this is not to be recommended as all parts of the plant are slightly toxic, although the toxins can be removed by drying and exposure to heat in cooking. The young leaves have been eaten raw in salads, but they should not be consumed in quantities. Older leaves should only be eaten cooked. The young leaves and flower buds can be eaten like spinach but are best after boiling. You should collect the herb when it is in flower and dry it for later use. The leaves can be used in stews but they aren’t very tasty, others such as sorrel are much better. The tubers or bulbils as they are called may also be boiled and eaten as a vegetable. I’m told that the petals of the Lesser Celandine make good tooth cleaners, but can’t personally vouch for that. As far as I am concerned it makes and attractive and welcome appearance in early spring, and I have always loved to find the first celandine.

BORLOTTI BEAN MAKES A FASHION STATEMENT: HEALTH BENEFITS AND HOW TO COOK DRIED BORLOTTI BEANS

BORLOTTI BEANS or CRANBERRY BEANS, COCO ROUGE

Borlotti beans are staples in Italian cuisine and are consumed in quantities in Greece, Turkey and Portugal. The best type is considered to be those grown in the Veneto region of Italy, with Lamon being particularly renowned for its production of borlotti beans. They are related to the green bean and kidney beans but are easily distinguished by their pods which are beige with pink, red or magenta streaks. In the Mediterranean where they are grown it is usual to buy them in their pods, but they can be found canned or bottled in supermarkets around the world. They are most frequently found dried, and as they also have pinky streaks on them they are easy to spot. Unfortunately they lose their colour when they are cooked and become a rather more boring brown. In the US they are called cranberry beans, presumably because the streaks on the pods and beans are the colour of cranberries.

   They originated in Colombia in the South American continent and were one of the crops that found their way into Europe with the Spanish and Portuguese explorers. (They are the cargamento bean.) The Italians, who were the first Europeans to embrace the tomato wholeheartedly, took to the borlotti bean too and now you can eat them in Italy in stews with polenta and in salads as well in appetizers along with prosciutto and lots of flat-leaved parsley and olive oil.

  These are very versatile beans with a nutty flavour reminiscent of chestnuts and with a meaty texture. They make very good beans on toast as a substitute for the more commonly used haricot beans.

  Borlotti beans are potassium rich so are good for the muscles and for the proper functioning of the kidneys. They contain other minerals which include sodium, zinc, selenium, copper, calcium, manganese, magnesium, iron and phosphorous as well as Omega-3 and -6 fatty acids. As for vitamins, they contain vitamin A and several of the B-complex vitamins including B1, 2, 3, 5 and 6. Borlotti beans also contain 18 amino acids along with dietary fibre and protein.

  They are good combined with other beans in a cold salad, and make a hearty addition to stews and casseroles. They are on of the essential ingredients in an Italian minestrone soup. You can add them to a Greek salad to make it more substantial.

  If you aren’t lucky enough to be able to buy fresh borlotti beans, then you will need to soak the dried ones in plenty of water overnight, and should cook them without adding salt to the water.

HOW TO COOK DRIED BORLOTTI BEANS

Ingredients

200 gr dried borlotti beans, soaked overnight and drained

3 or 4 cloves garlic, peeled and halved

3 tomatoes, roughly chopped

1 small bunch of fresh sage

2 tbsps olive oil

Method

Put the drained beans in a large pan with a tight-fitting lid. Add the other ingredients and stir to mix.

Add water so that the beans are just covered and put the lid on the pan.

This can be baked in a moderate oven or cooked over a low heat on top of the stove.

When the beans are soft but still retain their shape they are cooked.

Leave to cool if you are using them in a salad.

These have Taste and are a Treat.

RYE - SOURCE OF MALT AND WHISKEY: HEALTH BENEFITS AND USES OF RYE

RYE, SECALE CEREALE

Rye was one of the last grain crops to be cultivated; some believe that it was first cultivated around 400 BC by the Germanic tribes, although this may not be the case. Certainly rye features in German as well as Eastern European and Scandinavian cuisine and has dome for centuries. It is probably best known as the main ingredient of Pumpernickel bread, which is more dense than other breads, such as wheat because the gluten contained in rye is not as elastic as it is in other grains such as wheat.

  Malt is produced from rye, by germinating the seed grain and roasting it; malt is then extracted from the grains. This is used as a sweetening agent and in brewing beer. In North America, rye is used as a base for whiskeys. The roasted grain can also be used as a substitute for coffee.

   Like oats, rye comes in various forms, such as in flakes, when it looks like the oats used to make porridge, however the grain is also sold whole or cracked, and in the form of flour. Whole rye grains retain many of their nutrients because it is difficult to remove the rye germ and bran from the endosperm. The grain looks like wheat but can be longer and thinner, coming in shades of yellow-brown or grey-green. It is a member of the Poaceae family of plants which includes millet (bajra), oats, barley, sorghum and wheat as well as sugar cane and the grasses.

   Rye is probably a native of south-western Asia, and probably grew in fields of wheat and barley as a weed, until its crop value was recognized. It may have had Secale montanum as its ancestor, which can be found in southern Europe and nearby parts of Asia, or another possibility is that it came from Secale anatolicum in Syria, Iran, Armenia and Turkistan.

  It was taken to the northeastern parts of what is now the USA by early English and Dutch settlers.

  Like other whole grains it is full of nutrients, containing the B-complex vitamins, B1, B2, B3, B5 and B6 along with folate, vitamins A and E and the minerals calcium, iron, copper, manganese, magnesium, phosphorous (in which it is rich), potassium, selenium, sodium and zinc. It also has Omega-3 and -6 fatty acids and 18 amino acids along with flavonoids and phenolics which give it potent antioxidant properties, meaning that it can combat the free radicals that can damage cells and cause cancer. It has proven to be cardio protective as are other whole grains, and of benefit to post-menopausal women, who are advised to have six servings of whole grains per week in their diets to prevent high blood pressure and cholesterol levels and so protect the cardio-vascular system..

  Rye and other whole grains are also good for people with Type 2 diabetes, as they are rich in magnesium which is involved with the body’s use of glucose and insulin secretion. Whole grains can also help prevent this type of diabetes.

  Rye and rye bread contain a lot of fibre so make a good mild laxative, and the seeds have been used in poultices for tumours and cancers in some traditional medicine systems.

  The long rye stalks have been used for thatching, paper-making, weaving small items such as mats and hats, used in mushroom compost and in the manufacture of tiles and bricks. In industry it is used as biomass and fuel. The root systems are long and can go deep into the soil so are good to stabilize sandy soils and prevent soil erosion.

  Rye can grow up to 1.5 metres tall so a small person could hide in it, which is perhaps why J.D. Salinger chose to call his iconic novel “Catcher in the Rye” rather than in one of the other grass crops. Rye figures in the nursery rhyme, “Sing a song of sixpence”,

    “Sing a song of sixpence a pocket full of rye,
     Four and twenty blackbirds baked in a pie.
     When the pie was opened the birds began to sing,
     Oh wasn't that a dainty dish to set before the king?
     The king was in his counting house counting out his money,
     The queen was in the parlour eating bread and honey
     The maid was in the garden hanging out the clothes,
     When down came a blackbird and pecked off her nose!”

In this case rye was bought to feed the birds, and to lure them to the ground so that they could be caught and eaten, as they were considered a delicacy. Robert Burns, the Scots poet also wrote a poem whose chorus is “Coming thro’ the rye.” Rye clearly had a central place in Britain in centuries gone by.
   You can substitute rye grains for rice, but soak overnight before cooking and when you drain the grains rinse again under cold running water. Cook like rice until tender. You can also use rye flakes instead of oats for porridge.

FAT HEN - NOT JUST CHICKEN FEED: HISTORY, USES AND HEALTH BENEFITS OF FAT HEN

FAT HEN, LAMB’S QUARTERS CHENOPODIUM ALBUM

Fat hen gets its name because it was used to fatten poultry; it goes by many other names too, notably lamb’s quarters in the US and pigweed in Canada, as it was used for pig and sheep’s food. In Britain it was known as Midden Myles and Dirty Dick (no, just the name!) because it likes to grow on manure heaps in farmyards. (Middens were the old name for toilets or the dung heaps where excrement was thrown.) It’s a native European plant and also grew in the America, but it is not yet conclusive whether or not it is a native of the USA or was introduced via Mexico. It does seem to have been domesticated first in Mexico and then in the US by the Native Americans. It has certainly been used as food in Europe since Neolithic (New Stone Age times) according to archaeological evidence.

  As a member of the Chenopodium – goosefoot-species it is related to both the stinking goosefoot and quinoa.

  In Pakistan it is used for liver complaints and as a mild laxative, as well as to get rid of intestinal worms, and in India it has been used in traditional medicine for skin irritation (the powder from dried leaves is dusted onto irritated skin) wile the leaf juice is used to treat burns. A decoction is made from the above ground parts of the plant and mixed with alcohol, then rubbed onto joints affected by arthritis and rheumatism.

  In other parts of the world the tisane is used as a skin wash for irritated skin, while the leaves are used in poultices to relieve painful insect bites, as well as for sunstroke, and for swollen feet and rheumatic joints. The seeds may be chewed to help with urinary problems and for preventing semen being discharged with urine. The root juices have been used to treat bloody dysentery and a decoction of the above ground parts has been used for cavities in teeth, to relieve pain.

  The plant has no odour, and the new leaves are recognizable as being toothed while older leaves which grow as the plant mature are toothless. It can grow to heights of 3 feet with a diameter of 8 inches, and can grow anywhere. If it is growing in soils that have been treated with pesticides, don’t use it, as they will have been absorbed into the plant. As it is, the plant contains oxalates, so the leaves should be cooked rather than eaten raw, for safety’s sake. You can cook it like spinach and it makes a good substitute. However plants which grow in nitrogen rich soil will contain nitrates, which are OK in small quantities, but don’t eat too many leaves, as although a small amount of nitrates can help the respiratory system, too many can be lethal. As the leaves are bland, it is best to mix them with stronger tasting ones such as fenugreek leaves (methi). The seeds may also be eaten although they are best soaked first as they contain saponins and can be used as a mild soap substitute. They can be dried and eaten or ground into flour or rather meal, and used to make bread.

  Anita Pal et al published a research paper in February 2011 in the International Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences which shows that extracts of the plant are liver protective, vindicating its use for liver complaints in traditional medicine: “Hepaprotective Activity of Chenopodium Album Linn Plant against Paracetamol-induced Hepato injury in rats.” Another scientific study also published in 2011 by teams from the University of Southern Texas (USA) and University of Fort Hare South Africa, which showed that this plant has antioxidant and anti-bacterial properties. This study concludes that Fat Hen “should be used as a source of nutrients to support major sources [of food]” it goes on to say it “may be of great medicinal value.”

Young leaf

   Certainly it’s food for free and packed full of minerals, being especially rich in calcium and phosphorous and also containing potassium, magnesium, manganese, copper, zinc, nitrogen and sodium. As for vitamins, it has the three main B-complex ones, thiamin, riboflavin and niacin, as well as vitamin A. It has flavonoids and phenolic compounds responsible for its antioxidant properties it is thought.

  A good source of nutrition for free, as it is a weed!

WATER SPINACH, KANG KONG - RICH SOURCE OF NUTRIENTS: HEALTH BENEFITS AND USES OF WATER SPINACH

WATER SPINACH, KANG KONG, IPOMOEA AQUATICA (FORSK)

Water spinach is indigenous to the Indian subcontinent and can be found all over tropical Asia. It is related to the sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas), and field bindweed, being a member of the convolvulus family, Convolvulaceae. As its name suggests it is edible, with arrow-shaped leaves which may be green or purple-tinged. The green plant has white flowers, and the purple-tinged plant has lilac flowers, and the trailing vine can grow up to 4 metres long. The plants live in water in canals, ponds and paddy fields and because of pollution in some parts of Asia there is a worry that the metallic elements found in some plants my affect human health.

  Water spinach is also known as Water Morning Glory, Water or Swamp convolvulus and kang kong. It also has several Latin names including: - Convolvulus repens Vahl; Ipomoea repens Roth and Ipomoea reptans Poiret.

  However it is cultivated in southern China, and can be found in many markets around south-east Asia. The leaves and young tops and stems are boiled and used as a leafy vegetable. The leaves have a mild flavour and can be eaten raw, boiled or lightly fried as in stir-frying.

   The plant is rich in the minerals calcium and iron, as well as containing sodium, magnesium, phosphorous, manganese, copper and zinc. It also contains some of the B-complex vitamins, notably B2 (riboflavin) along with vitamins C and K. The flavonoids such as catechin and phenolic compounds it contains give it potent antioxidant properties and also antiproliferative ones, meaning that it can inhibit the growth (in vitro) of some cancer cells. In a study published on October 28^th 2004 (ejournal sinica edu) “Antioxidant and antiproliferative activities of water spinach (Ipomoea aquatica Forsk) constituents,” Huang et al conclude that the flavonoids and phenolic compounds in the plant “may have a significant effect on antioxidant and anticancer activities.” Extracts from the stems of the plant were more potent than the leaves it was found.

  In other studies extracts from the plant decrease cholesterol and triglycoside in rats and are thought to have possible uses in the treatment of diabetes mellitus. However further studies need to be done on humans and more needs to be discovered about how the flavonoids and phenolic compounds work.

  Water spinach is used in traditional medicine systems and the tops are known to have mildly laxative properties (not as strong as senna or jamalgota). The milky sap or latex from the plant is dried and used as a purgative, while it is said that the juice of the plant is effective against poisoning from opium and arsenic. Poultices of the leaves are used during fever with delirium and the buds are used to get rid of ringworm.

  You can use it in the same way as spinach, and it is good with garlic and chillies, cooked in olive oil for a few minutes. However you have to know where it comes from because of the problem with pollutants.

CAMPHOR TREE - THE MOTH-BALL TREE: INFORMATION AND USES OF CAMPHOR TREE

CAMPHOR TREE, CAMPHOR LAUREL, CINNAMOMUM CAMPHORA

The camphor tree produces a white crystalline substance, camphor, which has been much used as insect repellant. If you have ever smelled a moth ball-that’s camphor. It comes from the wood of the evergreen tree which can grow up to 100 feet and can have a canopy of 6 or 7 feet in diameter. It’s native to the Indian subcontinent, China, Taiwan, Japan and Borneo, and curiously the trees possess different quantities of chemical variants such as linalool and cineole depending on their country or region of origin. Of course it is a relative of cinnamon (Cinnamomum verum).

  It is said to kill fleas as well as repel insects such as moths (personally I’d prefer to use patchouli oil to keep moths away!) I remember that my grandmother smelled of mothballs at the change of seasons, and I never liked the smell.

  Camphor is found in other plants, not just in the camphor tree, called kafar in Arabic and Urdu, karpoor in Sanskrit, the English word camphor seems to come from the mediaeval Latin (derived no doubt from the Arabic) camfora. For example dried rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) leaves contain 20 % camphor oil. The Arabs used camphor to flavour both desserts and meat dishes and it is mentioned in the Quran as being added to drinks for flavour. This must be an example of how our preferences for tastes and smells have changed over the centuries, just as the English herbalist Gerard hated the smell of fresh coriander, so we find it pleasant.

  Camphor has been used medicinally in the Indian subcontinent for millennia and has been used to treat Parkinson’s disease, bronchitis, tetanus, liver and kidney diseases, cholera, breast pains, to cure headaches and as an aphrodisiac. It is used externally as a stimulant and muscle relaxant and as a counter irritant to the pains of rheumatism.

  It has diuretic and diaphoretic (sweat-promoting) properties and is anti-microbial and anti-fungal so useful for skin complaints. In the Middle Ages it was used in lozenges for sweetening the breath. It is also supposed to relieve “the Itch” or genital problems. However, if taken to excess it can result in paralysis and coma, and less severe symptoms such as headaches, convulsions, nausea, vomiting and loss of sight. It’s probably best avoided and stick to using it as an insect repellant rather than for any other uses, unless you use the wood for cabinets, in which case, you will never get woodworm in them.

  In India Hindus use camphor as incense (as they do sandalwood Santalum album) although this is not edible camphor. A distinction is made in the subcontinent between that used for culinary purposes and the one used for incense. It can also be used in embalming and has been used in the making of fireworks.

  In a recipe for Zangcha duck in China’s Szechuan province camphor tree branches and twigs are used for smoking the duck. In the 13^th century an Andalusian cookery book has a recipe for meat with apples, flavoured with camphor and musk (still used in Pakistan as a medicine). Another was for Honeyed Dates flavoured with camphor. This demonstrates the Arabic influence on Andalusian cuisine at the time as camphor was widely used in cooking in the Islamic world at that time.

 The Camphor laurel as it is called in Australia was introduced there in 1822 as an ornamental but now it is invasive in New South Wales and Queensland, as its leaves when they fall, prevent other plants from growing. It is also threatening the native eucalyptus trees, which the endangered koalas rely on. The trees’ extensive root systems are wreaking havoc with sewage and drainage systems.

  It was introduced into the USA in 1875 and has become naturalized in the southern states, and is classed as an invasive species in Florida.

  The tree’s essential oils are found in the leaves as well as in the wood, and a few drops of the oil, or camphor crystals mixed with coconut oil and massaged into the scalp strengthens hair and promotes hair growth, allegedly. Camphor is absorbed through the skin and has a cooling effect; or rather it can act as a local anaesthetic. It is one of the ingredients in Vick’s rubs for bronchitis which you might have been subjected to as a child. It is also used in balms for chapped lips, chilblains, skin problems, and a variety of other medications for respiratory problems and is good for colds and coughs as is menthol and eucalyptus.

  In some parts of Asia the old leaves of the camphor tree are dreid and used as a spice and condiment, while the young shoots and leaves are cooked and used as a vegetable. There’s simply no accounting for taste.