SEA HOLLY, ERYNGOES, A MEDIAEVAL APHRODISIAC, HEALTH BENEFITS AND USES OF ERYNGIUM MARITIMUM

SEA HOLLY, ERYNGIUM MARITIMUM

Sea Holly reminds me of teazle, although the two are not related. As its name suggests in the wild Sea Holly grows along the coast of much of Europe, including Scandinavia, and can also be found along the Black Sea. Its name eryngium comes from the Greek meaning to cure flatulence, and maritimum means of the sea. There could be another reason for the plant to be called eryngium, though, as eeringos is also Greek for the beard of the Billy-goat and Plutarch has this strange tale about a goat which tried to eat Sea Holly. He wrote that if a female goat had sea holly in its mouth “it causes her first to stand still, and afterwards the whole flock, until such time as the shepherd takes it from her.”

  It is said to have aphrodisiac qualities, and a legend has it that the ancient Greek poetess, Sappho, wore it to attract the love of a particularly handsome Greek boatman, Phaon. It is mentioned by Falstaff for these qualities in “The Merry Wives of Windsor”, in Act V, scene v: -

      “Let the sky rain potatoes,

       let it thunder to the tune of Greensleeves

       hail kissing-comfits and snow eryngoes

       let there come a tempest of provocation…”

Sea Holly roots were used as sweets to sweeten the breath in Shakespeare’s day, hence the name “kissing-comfits”; Sea Holly was then known as eryngo. It has been used in the same way as angelica, candied, although it tastes like sweet carrots when eaten like this.

  This plant is a member of the Apiceae or Umbelliferae family and is closely related to rock samphire, sharing its coastal habitat. It is in the same family as the carrot, of which its root tastes a little, parsnip, fennel and lovage. The young plant’s shoots can be eaten, boiled like asparagus, and when the roots are baked or roasted, they taste like chestnuts or parsnips.

  I used to admire these plants when I was on the beaches of the Gower Coast, South Wales, and loved the frosted appearance of the leaves. This is due, I now realize, to a waxy covering which seals in moisture and protects the plants from the ravages of the sea “breezes” which are often gale force winds. They can still be found in the sand dunes along the Gower, although in some parts of the British Isles, such as the Somerset coast, they are extinct. There is some good news for them though, as they can be cultivated in gardens, and as they make a pretty ornamental they are currently in vogue.

  At first sight they look like a thistle, although nothing like a cardoon or a globe artichoke, being more reminiscent of a milk thistle. I have always thought they were fairy plants, probably because of their blue flowers and the frosting – I thought that fairies especially loved blue flowers such as bluebells.

  These plants grow to around a foot high and their roots have been used over the centuries as a diuretic, and to prevent the formation of kidney stones. They are also useful for cystitis and bladder infections and may help with enlarged prostate glands. The 17^th century herbalist Nicholas Culpeper recommended that the distilled water made from the whole young plant should be taken for “the melancholy of the heart” and for fevers. It can promote sweating and so reduce temperatures. He also says that it is good for stiff necks.

  Earlier in the 16^th century John Gerard thought that it was good for liver diseases, stomach cramps and epilepsy, while in the 1^st century AD Dioscorides used it to relieve flatulence and indigestion.

  In medical trials it has been found to have some antioxidant properties, although not as many as rock samphire, and to have anti-bacterial ones. An extract of the rhizome showed anti-inflammatory properties when used on rats.

  In folk medicine it has been used as an antiscorbutic and its purgative properties, as well as for the other cures mentioned above. Studies are still being carried out on this plant. 

SWEET FLAG ( ACORUS CALAMUS) - USED FOR FOOD AND MEDICINE

SWEET FLAG, BACH IN URDU, ACORUS CALAMUS

The Sweet Flag under discussion here is the one native to the Indian subcontinent. It is different to the Sweet Flag grown in North America, which is Acorus americanus. The two plants are in the same genus so are closely related, but have different properties and constituents. Sweet Flag is in the Araceae or lily family so is related to taro (Colocasia esculenta), the Arum or Calla lily and the Cuckoo pint.

  The Sweet Flag which grows in the Indian subcontinent has been an important medicinal plant since early times, and is also a source of food, particularly in Bangladesh, where it is cultivated as well as growing wild. The volatile essential oil extracted from he rhizome of this plant is used in the perfume industry and the root and other parts of this plant are also employed in traditional medicine.

  This plant grows in marshy ground or on the banks of ponds, lakes and in water. Its leaves have been found to have anti-fungal properties and it has been used in Ayurvedic medicine for numerous ailments including bronchitis, for heart, lung, liver, kidney and gall bladder complaints. The roots are used as a remedy for diarrhoea and dysentery, to get rid of intestinal worms and as an anti-spasmodic for epilepsy and stomach cramps and catarrh. The flowers, or inflorescences as they are correctly called, are used for eczema, kidney and liver disorders and rheumatism.

  There are many other uses for the Sweet Flag in traditional systems of medicine, including to start menstruation, if a period is late, and it is said that it can relieve flatulence and aid digestion, as well as help in cases of fever by reducing the temperature by promoting sweating. The root is chewed to relieve toothache, and a potion is made with the plant to aid digestion and to ease anxiety as it is reputed to have sedative actions. It is also reputed to have aphrodisiac qualities.

  Sweet Flag also has other uses and is sometimes burnt as incense; the leaves can be woven to make mats and baskets, for thatch and were used as a strewing herb for floors. They smell a little like cinnamon as do the roots. The essential oil from the leaves is used in perfumery and can be used to flavour vinegar and other food. The leaves are also used as insecticide and insect repellants.

   The β-asarone found in the plant may be carcinogenic and toxic, but in small amounts has tranquillizing and antibiotic actions.

   The rhizome is starchy, but can be used like taro and is also candied and often washed, peeled and eaten uncooked. It is rich in starch like other edible roots such as the yam and taro. The powdered rhizome can be used as a substitute for cinnamon, ginger or nutmeg. Children eat the flowers for their sweetness. Sometimes the leaves are used like vanilla pods are for flavouring custards and milk puddings.

   

SLIPPERY ELM - NATIVE NORTH AMERICAN TREE, NATURALLY SOOTHING: HEALTH BENEFITS AND USES OF SLIPPERY ELM

SLIPPERY ELM, ULMA RUBRUS

Slippery Elm is so-called because of the sticky red mucilage which is found in its inner bark of the trunk and larger branches that smells a little like fenugreek. It is said that the most effective is that which comes from a ten-year old tree or an older one. The Slippery Elm is native to North America and was much-used by Native Americans. It is sometimes confused with the American Elm tree.

  Slippery elm is among the ingredients of a folk remedy for cancer, a medicine called “essiac” which contains other herbs among them burdock and red clover. Slippery elm mucilage contains oleic and palmitic fatty acids, and although research has not been carried out specifically on the ones from the Slippery Elm, fatty acids and monoglycosides have been shown in some studies to inhibit the growth of cancerous tumour cells. Research on the activities of Slippery Elm is in its early stages.

   The sticky substance used in medicine contains the vitamins, E, K and P (P are bioflavonoids) as well as the minerals zinc, copper, iron, calcium, selenium, sodium and iodine (found in laver bread).It also contains some tannins, traces of the phytosterols, beta-sisterol and campesterol along with traces of beta-carotene.

  Native Americans used the bark and mucilage in poultices for gout, rheumatism, and swollen glands and also to stop the spread of gangrene. On a more mundane level it was and is used for sore throats as it soothes the mucous membranes of the lungs, stomach, intestines and anything it touches. Of course, if you live in a country other that one in North America, you may want other remedies for a sore throat, so try blackcurrant juice with lemon juice, honey and a little ginger root. Alternatively if you live on the Indian subcontinent a decoction of hareer works as does a concoction made from the Yellow Himalayan raspberry and if it’s the right season, don’t forget little Prunella vulgaris or Self-Heal.

   The mucilage from Slippery Elm has antioxidant properties, and has been used for its nutrients to feed the young, elderly and those recovering from an illness. When the sticky substance is dried and then re-hydrated in water it swells and then if you add boiling water to it you can make a bowl of it as a cereal rather as you would oatmeal porridge.

  The tree has a small edible fruit which can be made into a tisane with the chopped leaves from the tree. You can also make a tisane out of the slippery, sticky inner bark. Some people dry the inner bark material and grind it to a powder to use for thickening soups, or to add to flour to make bread or cakes with. The inner bark material and leaves may be eaten raw or cooked as a vegetable. The Native American used the bark of the tree to abort foetuses, and because of this use it has been banned in several countries

  The tree grows at a medium rate and can reach heights of 65 feet and can have a diameter of 49 feet. There seems to be little doubt that it has many health benefits, although scientists have been slow to test these it would appear.

TAMARILLO - PERSIMMON LOOK-ALIKE: HEALTH BENEFITS AND USES OF TAMARILLO FRUIT

TAMARILLO, TREE TOMATO, CYPHOMANDRA BETACEA

The tamarillo or tree tomato originates in South America, probably in the Peruvian Andes, although this is not certain, as it is a cultivated plant and not found in the wild. It is called the tree tomato because of its fruit which do look like plum tomatoes. The tamarillo got this name when it was taken to New Zealand in 1891. The name is from the Spanish for yellow, amarillo and the‘t’ is for tomato. It is a member of the Solanaceae family so is a relative of the tomato, aubergine, tomatillo, nipple fruit, Cape gooseberry and Belladonna or deadly nightshade. It is also sometimes called the ‘tomarillo’ and has other Latin synonyms too, including Solanum betaceum-Cav. Cyphomandra hartwegi-Sendt and is one of thirty Cyphomandra species.

  Before the beginning of the twentieth century it was being cultivated in the Indian subcontinent, East Africa, Malaya and Sri Lanka, as well as parts of Indonesia. Now it is cultivated in China, Australia, the Philippines, South Africa and the US among other countries.

  Its flowers are pinky white through to lavender, and the fruits may be purple-red, orange, yellow and some have stripes running down their skins. The sweetest are the yellow and orange ones, and when you slice them open they have black seeds inside, so they resemble passion fruit and have been mistaken for an egg-shaped persimmon. The tree is fast growing and reaches peak production of fruit at four years old. The fruits hang from the branches and 1-6 of them come from a cluster of flowers that may be comprised of between 10 and 50. Leaves have a faintly musky smell and are evergreen.

  The red fruit contain the most lycopene, which is found in watermelons and tomatoes, and gives them their red colour, while the yellow and orange ones typically contain the most beta-carotene. Lycopene is associated with prostate health, so the red, tarter tamarillos are good to help prevent prostate problems.

  Tamarillos can be eaten raw, scooped out of their skins, or cooked and used in stews and sauces; you can substitute them for tomatoes in hot chilli sauces. They can also be baked or grilled and can be sprinkled with sugar to make them taste sweeter. They are high in pectin, so are ideal for making jam and can also be pickled or used to make chutneys- the red ones are generally best for this. They can be eaten with ice cream, or made into a compote and grilled, go well with meat, chicken or fish as a side vegetable. You can make a refreshing drink by peeling them (put them in boiling water for a few minutes, then dip them in cold, as you would a tomato), then adding sugar and water.

  Tamarillos contain vitamins A, C, and some of the B-complex vitamins, as well as the minerals phosphorous (a lot of phosphorous is in the seeds), calcium, iron, magnesium, and sodium.

  The anthocyanins contained in the darker tamarillos especially, are also found in cranberries, red cabbage, black grapes, blackberries, bilberries and blueberries and have potent antioxidant properties (as do the vitamins tamarillos contain), which help combat scavenging free-radicals which can cause cancer and cardio-vascular disease. They also have anti-microbial and anti-inflammatory properties and can help stave off diabetes, neurological diseases, the aging process and cancer as already mentioned.

  In other words, the tamarillo is packed full of nutrients and is beneficial for our health.

  

BLACKTHORN TREE AND SLOES - HEALTH BENEFITS AND USES: HOW TO MAKE SLOE GIN AND SLOE CHOCOLATE LIQUEURS

BLACKTHORN TREE, PRUNUS SPINOSA

The blackthorn tree is native to Europe and the British Isles, Scandinavia and parts of western Asia and extends its range into Iran and Siberia. It is a pioneer tree and can spread into fields and help woodlands regenerate. It has a special place in Celtic mythology and is, according to Irish legends, the home of the “little people” or faeries, the Lunantishees who live in its branches and protect it especially between November 11^th and May 11^th from being cut for its branches.

  There are many superstitions surrounding the Blackthorn tree, with some saying that it formed Christ’s crown of thorns, as if pricked by these, the wound is likely to become septic. When it grows together with the hawthorn, or May tree, the place where they grow is magical. It was believed that if someone pointed a blackthorn staff at a pregnant woman or animal they would miscarry. In Wales we believe that bringing a branch of blackthorn into the house is unlucky and foretells the death not just of a household member, but of a relative. (It is called Draenon ddu in Welsh and in Scots Gaelic it is Draighiann, while in Irish Gaelic it is Draighean.) However, it brings good fortune if entwined with mistletoe in December. Crowns and garlands were made from it and thrown into the May Day fires at Beltane, and the ashes were scattered over the fields to ensure that crops were good.

   It was thought to be one of the trees which crossed the barriers between this world and the spirit world, and if you meditate under it you can communicate with spirits, but you should have an amulet of it so that you can return.

  The Irish use it to make shillelaghs, walking sticks or cudgels and it is valued because of its knotty wood. There are many other legends associated with this tree, but too numerous to mention here.

   The fruit of this tree are called sloes, and these are picked after the first autumn frosts in October to make sloe gin, jellies and jams. They can be made into conserves and are good with apples. They can also be pickled and preserved, like olives. These berries contain stones, which should not be eaten as they contain amygdalin and prunasin which, when broken down in water form hydrocyanic acid (prussic and cyanide). If taken in small doses however, they can stimulate the digestive system, promote a feeling of well-being and the respiratory system.

  Prunus spinosa is a member of the Rosaceae or rose family of plants and is a very close relative of the plum, as well as the apricot, damson, greengage and almond. The fruit, a sloe, is rich in vitamin C and anthocyanins, like the bilberry (whinberry or wimberry), blueberry, blackcurrant, blackberry and black grapes. It can help prevent prostate enlargement, as can the other black fruits, and it has potent antioxidant properties, so can help fight the free-radicals that cause damage to healthy cells and are cancer-causing. The skin is astringent and can be used on irritated skin and skin problems.

  Sloes were eaten by our Neolithic ancestors as archaeologists have found pits that used to be lined with straw to put sloes in for a few months, so that they would ripen and become sweeter.

  The white flowers appear before the leaves and it is their stark contrast with the black bark of the tree that led people to believe that the tree was a symbol of both life and death. These flowers are edible and are the most used part of the tree in herbal medicine.

Sloe syrup is used to relieve the pain of rheumatism, and to help when people have flu. The fruit is used for dysentery and diarrhoea, sometimes in combination with the dried flowers, as the fruit has astringent properties. The bark of the tree contains tannin and so can also be useful in a decoction for these problems. The berries have been used for stomach disorders and to purify the blood, and the dried juice has been made into gum acacia. The sloes can also be made into a paste to whiten teeth and the juice is used for mouth irritations and ulcers as well as gum problems, In the Middle Ages it was used to make teeth firm in the gums.

  You can dry the flowers and leaves and make a tisane with them for stomach cramps, while a tisane of the flowers is made to break up stones in the kidneys and gall bladder. It is purgative and can stimulate a jaded appetite. This is also used as a blood purifier and for catarrh. A decoction of the bark is used in fevers as it is said to promote sweating. The skin of the sloe has antibacterial properties so can be applied to the skin if there is an infection.

  A friend of mine went up a tree to harvest sloes one autumn and disturbed a squirrel which clearly didn’t want to share the harvest. It sat close to my feet and chattered angrily up at the person in the tree, not noticing, or caring about my presence. We used the fruit to make sloe gin, and then sloe gin-soaked chocolates for Christmas.

  To make sloe gin you have to have a bottle of gin, an empty bottle and a couple of pounds of sloes. Pour half the gin into the empty bottle and after washing the fruit, pile it into the bottles, cover tightly and leave for 6-8 weeks, turning it twice a day at first, then once a day. Leave the bottles in a cool dark place. Strain, pour the gin into one bottle and use the sloes in the recipe below.

SLOE CHOCOLATE LIQUEURS

Ingredients

Sloes that have been macerated in gin

  (as described above)

dark chocolate

Method

Melt the chocolate in a pan and throw in the sloes.

Remove from the heat and stir well to mix.

Take a dessert spoon and put a circle of chocolate and sloes on greased paper on a tray.

Take care to keep the chocolate separate.

Refrigerate until the chocolate is set, store in a tin and eat them whenever you fell like it.

These have Taste and are a Treat.

WOOD APPLE - UNIQUE CITRUS FRUIT: HEALTH BENEFITS AND USES OF WOOD APPLE

WOOD APPLE, ELEPHANT APPLE, FERONIA LIMONIA (SWINGLE)

This is a very curious-looking citrus fruit, and has many names both in English and Latin. Whatever you choose to call it this citrus fruit is unique in that it is the only one in its genus. It is like the lemon, grapefruit, meethay, kinnow, and pommelo a member of the Rutaceae family, and was previously known by the Latin name Limonia acidissima L., although according to the agro Forestry database it is now called Feronia limonia. It is also known as Feronia elephantum CORREA and Sehinus limonia L. In English it is also called the Indian Wood Apple, Monkey fruit, Curd fruit, and kath bel and a variety of other names in Indian dialects and languages. In French it is called pomme d’elephant pomme de bois or citron des mois. It looks a little like the Bael fruit (Aegle marmelos) when on the tree, but it is a totally different fruit.

  The tree this fruit grows on is a slow-growing one which is erect with sharp spines on its bark. The flowers are a greeny colour or dull red. The fruit has a very hard rind which has to be cracked open with a hammer or other tool, and the sticky pulp, with its small, numerous white seeds can then be scooped out and eaten raw. This pulp is brown, with a mealy texture, and has an astringent taste. It can be bitter or a little sweet, and can be made into jam, jelly or chutney. The jelly made from the pulp looks like blackcurrant jelly when it is made as it goes a dark purple colour. The leaves smell a little of aniseed.

  It was known to the ancient Greeks and Romans and has been used in Ayurvedic medicine for hundreds, if not thousands of years. In this system of medicine it is used to protect the liver, and clinical studies have recently shown that it can protect the liver and kidneys of rats in the lab, although studies have not yet been carried out on humans. It is also used as a cardiac tonic, and given the antioxidant properties of this fruit it should be of benefit to the cardio-vascular system. It contains iron, phosphorous, calcium, tannins and pectin, and its astringent qualities mean that the unripe fruit is a good treatment for chronic diarrhoea and dysentery. It is prescribed for hiccoughs, sore throats and gum diseases. In a poultice the pulp is used to help with venomous insect bites and stings, as is the dried, powdered rind.

  The pulp is blended with coconut milk and palm sugar syrup as a refreshing drink, and it can be frozen and made into ice cream.

  Juice from the young leaves is mixed with milk and gur (jaggery) and given to children to stop vomiting and other gastric problems. Powdered leaves are also mixed with honey and given to children with diarrhoea or dysentery. Again children are given a decoction of the leaves to aid digestion, and oil from the leaves is said to stop itching.

  The leaves, bark, roots and fruit pulp of this tree are, when combined used as an antidote to snake bites. An extract of the bark of the tree is used in cosmetics to help prevent sun burn and to protect from UV rays.

  The leaves contain flavonoids, polyphenols, coumarin and glycosides, but their properties and constituents are still being studied. In one study it was shown that extracts of the leaves could inhibit nitric oxide production in the body, and in another the extract was found to have antifungal properties.  In rats it also helped reduce gastric ulcers.

  When the monsoon and rainy season is over the tree produces a gum which can be used as a substitute for or an adulterant of gum Arabic, and is used in artist’s watercolours as well as in inks and varnishes. The wood from the tree is hard and durable, a yellow-grey colour which is used for construction, making agricultural implements and many other items as well as being used for fuel. The rind can be made into decorative items such as small boxes too, if it is not dried and powdered for medicinal use.

  This tree and its fruit may have as yet unknown medicinal benefits, and the traditional uses of it may be proved scientifically.

ROCK SAMPHIRE - ONCE HIGHLY PRIZED FOOD:HEALTH BENEFITS AND HOW TO COOK ROCK SAMPHIRE

ROCK SAMPHIRE, CRITHMUM MARITIMUM

Rock samphire is the only plant in its genus, Crithmum, just as the Wood Apple is in its. However, rock samphire belongs to the Umbelliferae or Apiceae family of plants which includes fennel, carrots and lovage. It is native to coastal Europe including the British Isles and southern parts of Ireland as well as the Mediterranean and the Black Sea coasts.

  The Celts of France, Wales and Cornwall ate this plant and it was popular in 16^th century Britain as a pickle mainly. In the 19^th century it was the victim of over-harvesting and so fell out of use in the UK. As its name suggests it grows in rocky places where it can be touched by the salty sea spray and it is now making a comeback both in terms of its abundance and popularity. In Britain it is a protected species so you are not actually supposed to harvest it from the wild.

  In the past it was harvested in the Isle of Wight off the south coast of Britain and transported to London to be sold in the street markets in casks of salt water. The street cry for this herb was “Crest Marine.” It is mentioned in Samuel Pepys diary and Shakespeare clearly saw it being harvested on his journey to Dover, where one of the famous White Cliffs in the region is named after him: Shakespeare Cliff. At the time a rope was tied to a child’s ankles and he was dangled over the cliff to pick the rock samphire that grew in crevices and clefts in the rocks. Shakespeare gives Edgar in “King Lear” (Act IV scene VI) these lines: -

  “There is a cliff whose high and bending head looks fearfully in the confined

      deep.......The crows and choughs that wing the midway air scarce so gross as beetles;

      halfway down hangs one that gathers samphire, dreadful trade!”  

  Today samphire grows again near the White Cliffs of Dover on reclaimed land, which was formed after the building of the Channel Tunnel, it is aptly called Samphire Hoe (a Hoe is a promontory, or piece of land that juts out into the sea).

  The seed pods which can be found from August to October can be pickled and used as a substitute for capers. Rock samphire flowers from June to August, but the young leaves are best for cooking and should be gathered in May. These can be sprinkled with salt, after they have been removed from the stems, boiled and then put in a jar and covered with spices and vinegar. They are best cooked simply as you would asparagus as in the recipe below.

Seed pods

   William Coles (1626-1662) writes that “there is such great plenty [of rock samphire] that it is gathered (yet not without danger) for some have fallen down and broken their necks…” He goes on to say that rock samphire is good for digestion and the “breaking of the stone and voiding of Gravell in the Reines [kidneys] and Bladder.” John Gerard writing in the 16^th century and Coles’ contemporary Nicolas Culpeper agree with this use of rock samphire. However Culpeper writes (50 years after Gerard) that it had gone out of fashion in his day and deplores this, describing it as “very pleasant to taste and stomach.”

  It got the name samphire from a corruption of Saint Pierre (French), the patron saint of fishermen (Saint Peter) and this is reflected in its Italian name, Herba di San Pietro (Herb of Saint Peter) or Sanpetra. It is also called Sea Fennel (Meerfenchal in German), Sea asparagus, Sea bean (It resembles a green bean when cooked) and Sea pickle.

  It reduces flatulence, purifies the blood and removes toxins from the body. In fact rock samphire has similar properties to karella and has a similar, but not quite as strong, bitter flavour. It is currently thought that it may be good for a weight loss diet and obesity, just as chong (Caralluma fimbriata) is and the taste of rock samphire is a little reminiscent of this plant too.

  This simple recipe is very good but if you wish you can serve it with melted butter instead of olive oil. It goes well with meat and fish, especially sea bream and bass.

BOILED ROCK SAMPHIRE

Ingredients

½ kilo rock samphire use leaves only

olive oil

lemon juice

freshly ground black pepper

Method

Clean the samphire, and strip the leaves from the stems. Discard any flowers. There is no need to add salt.

Bring a pan of water to the boil, throw in the samphire and cook for about 7 minutes at simmering point.

Drain and serve with a dressing of olive oil and lemon juice and black pepper.

This has Taste and is a Treat.

BLUEBERRIES - TASTY AND GOOD FOR HEALTH: INDIVIDUAL BLUEBERRY-CINNAMON CHEESECAKES RECIPE

BLUEBERRIES, VACCINIUM GENUS

Blueberries are in the same genus of plants as the British bilberry (also known as whinberry and wimberry) and the cranberry, both of which have amazing health benefits. The blueberry, like all black fruit, blackberries, black grapes and blackcurrants among them, contain anthocyanins which give these berries their blue-black colour.

  There are three basic types of blueberry, all native to the North American continent, mainly distributed in the eastern states.

There is the High-Bush blueberry, Vaccinium corymbosum L., which has astringent qualities so is good for diarrhoea and other digestive disorders, and may also be used for respiratory diseases such as bronchitis and asthma. The Low Sweet Blueberry V. angustiflorum - Aiton, is used in traditional medicine to hasten uterine contractions during childbirth and as a blood tonic and purifier. The third variety is V. constablael – A. Gray which is native to the eastern parts of North America.

   Blueberries have a high vitamin C content and also contain some of the B-complex vitamins, notably B1, B2, B3, B5 and B6. Vitamins E and A are also present and these protects the retina in the eye from damage by oxygen and sunlight. As for minerals these berries contain calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorous, potassium, selenium, sodium and zinc. Omega-3 and -6 fatty acids are also present as are 18 amino acids, and the flavonoids kaempferol, quercetin along with others. Apart from these other phytonutrients are also present such as resveratol.

  In two separate studies on the elderly, with the average age of 76, drinking between 2 and 2 ½ cups of blueberry juice a day increased memory and cognitive powers. It is believed that this is because of the antioxidant properties of blueberries, although Dr. Jeremy Spencer, a molecular nutritionist at the University of Reading UK, believes that the flavonoid rich blueberries and other foods such as chocolate, spinach and some other fruit juices can increase the blood flow to the brain and can restructure it so warding off the loss of memory associated with Alzheimer’s disease.

  Blueberries can help prevent cardio-vascular disease because they lower bad cholesterol but increase the good variety and they can also help to regulate blood sugar levels, making them good for people suffering from Type-2 diabetes. They can also help to regulate blood pressure and maintain normal blood pressure.

  Just as bilberries do, they can help prevent macular degeneration, an eye disease which affects many people as they grow older, and can help with night vision. In fact bilberries do much the same as blueberries and the reason they have become so popular in Britain is because of the health news which hails them as a superfood. In fact in 2010 they overtook sales of one of Britain’s favourite fruits, the red raspberry, and in the US they are the second most popular berry after the ubiquitous strawberry.

  It should perhaps be pointed out that any food which is hailed as a superfood has to be eaten in a well-balanced healthy, nutritious diet to have real health benefits.

 Eating a lot of one fruit or vegetable but still eating a lot of unhealthy trans-fats and fast food will not have any lasting health benefits.

  You can use the recipe below for bilberries too and the bilberry recipe for blueberries.

INDIVIDUAL BLUEBERRY – CINNAMON CHEESECAKES

Ingredients

150 gr blueberries

1 tbsp caster sugar

1 tsp freshly ground cinnamon

6 digestive biscuits, crumbled

25 gr melted butter

250 gr thick natural yoghurt

2 tbsps honey

1 lemon, zest removed and juiced

Method

Cook the blueberries with the caster sugar and cinnamon for 2-3 minutes. You can add more sugar if you have a sweet tooth.

Combine the crumbled biscuits and melted butter and press this crumble mixture into the bottom of 4 glasses.

Mix the natural yoghurt (Greek yoghurt is good) with the honey and lemon zest and juice. Combine well, blend in a food processor if you have one.

Now put a layer of the yoghurt mixture on top of the biscuits, then a layer of blueberries and repeat until all are used.

This has Taste and is a Treat.

MEETHAY FRUIT - TYPE OF PERSIAN LIME: HEALTH BENEFITS AND HOW TO USE MEETHAY FRUIT

MEETHAY, PERSIAN LIME VARIETY, CITRUS LATIFOLIA

In Urdu this fruit is called meethay, but this is a misnomer as meethay means sweet and this citrus fruit is far from being that. The nearest I could get to an English name for this is Persian Lime of which it might be a variant that is commonly grown in Pakistan and the rest of the subcontinent. It is ripe in monsoon season, which is now, and is used as a medicine or at least a health tonic, rather than for eating for pleasure.

  It looks like an under-ripe orange as it has a thin green skin, and segments like an orange or other citrus fruit, but the juice is pale orange while the flesh might be yellow-orange tinged with green. The traditional medicine practitioners or hakims as they are called recommend that you have as much of this fruit as you can when it is in season so that you will be healthy for the rest of the year. It is good to detoxify the whole system, and is said to have a quinine-like effect so that if you eat this you are protected from malaria, just as you would be if you took quinine.

  It is said to have antibiotic qualities and to protect against cholera and to be useful for all fevers. It is rich in vitamin C and the B-complex vitamin B6, and the minerals potassium and iron, and also contains many other health-promoting nutrients. It will help stave off colds and flu and generally boosts the immune system. Its astringency means that it is a good remedy for diarrhoea and dysentery.

  It also contains flavonoids with potent antioxidant properties which may inhibit the growth of cancerous cells in the body, by combating the free radicals which damage healthy cells.

  It doesn’t seem to be the exact same thing as a Tahiti lime which is used as a synonym for a Persian lime in the US as this fruit has seeds. It is used in Ayurvedic medicine for all the above-mentioned ailments and also used to stimulate the secretion of gastric juices in the digestive tract, and to help if you have been exposed to the sun for too long. It also has antiseptic qualities.

  When you cut this fruit you have to eat or drink the juice quickly, so, for example only one fruit is cut into quarters and shared at a time, then it is rubbed with salt and eaten as prolonged exposure to the air makes it even sourer than it already is naturally. When one meethay is finished you cut another and share it. When you use the juice, instead of cutting all the fruit at one time and then juicing it, the traditional way is to cut one fruit at a time and extract the juice and make enough for one glass, then it is drunk with salt. After that you make another glass of juice and so on.

  It tastes rather like an especially tart grapefruit with lemon juice added, although this doesn’t quite describe the tart, astringent taste quite accurately. It isn’t used in cooking here to the best of my knowledge, although it might be a useful addition to a pickle, and if you have never tried one, then don’t get anxious about the fact!