WHAT IS KELA? BANANA: HEALTH BENEFITS , USES AND HISTORY OF BANANAS: EASY BANOFFEE PIE RECIPE

BANANAS, KELA IN URDU, MUSA SAPIENTA

Bananas probably need no introduction but there are some interesting facts about them that you may not know. The banana tree isn’t actually a tree although it can grow to heights of between 10 and 26 feet; it is actually the world’s largest known herb. The flowers which are the precursors of the fruit are absolutely beautiful and this is perhaps not so surprising as it is a member of the orchid and lily family of plants.

  In Pakistan bananas are small, and the name banana actually comes from the Arabic word for finger, banan. The trees I have been up close to do not seem to be well rooted, as they will topple if shoved hard. I know this because the owner of this site was once trying to get rid of a large member of the lizard family that was calling “uck oo” which sounded remarkably as though it was being insulting, outside our bedroom window in Thailand. The poor lizard got a shock when the tree was pushed and fell over. It left us alone at night after that.

   Bananas have an interesting history. It is believed that they originated in Malaysia and were spread from there by travellers across South East Asia through to India in South Asia. They are mentioned in 6^th century BC Indian manuscripts, in Pali writings and Alexander the Great first tasted them around 327 BC in his campaign in India. Contrary to some beliefs, he did not introduce them to Europe. They were cultivated in China in 200BC but didn’t become popular until the early 20^th century, as they were considered exotic fruit. Somehow they found their way to the island of Madagascar off the south eastern coast of Africa, and were discovered by the Arab slave traders and taken to Guinea in West Africa, where the Portuguese explorers found them in 1402. They introduced them into the Canary Islands, and they were cultivated there. A Portuguese Franciscan monk took them from there to the Caribbean island of Santa Domingo in 1516 and by 1633 a greengrocer was selling the exotic banana in a shop in London. There is a wood cut engraving of a bunch of bananas in Gerard’s “Herball” in the 1633 edition, although it is not known how the banan came to be on British soil. In the days before refrigeration the fruit could not have survived a voyage from the Caribbean, so perhaps they were grown in hot houses in the UK. However, this is pure speculation as no one actually seems to know how they got to that green grocer’s shop. They didn’t arrive in America until they were sold at a festival to commemorate the 100^th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence in Pennsylvania in 1876 when they were sold for 10 cents each, wrapped in silver foil.

   Now the banana is one of the world’s most popular fruit after the tomato, ranked at number two or three. In the UK alone, people eat around 12 kgs of bananas per head every year and that’s a lot of bananas.

   The banana has been so popular that it has inspired songs such as “Yes, We Have No Bananas” by Frank Silver and Irving Cohn, from the Broadway revue of the early 20^th century. This was popularized once more in Britain during the Second World War when there were no bananas imported, much to the disgruntlement of the population. Then there is the Jamaican mento (a precursor of reggae and calypso) folksong “The Banana Boat Song” (a.k.a. “Day-O”) popularized by Harry Belafonte in 1956.

   Of course there are the old music hall jokes of people having the misfortune to slip on a banana skin too. We also have the term Banana Republic to describe a small country which is not democratic or economically and politically stable, and Woody Allen’s film “Bananas” from 1971. Then there’s the term “to go bananas” meaning to be temporarily crazy.

  Bananas are packed with fibre and so prevent constipation so reducing the risk of colon cancer and piles. If you eat a banana a day you will lower the risk of getting many diseases. They are good for anaemia because of their iron content and are rich in potassium, which means that they are good for brain power. The US Food and Drug Administration have allowed banana producers to claim that they can reduce high blood pressure and help to minimize the risk of strokes. They have vitamins A, C and B-complex vitamins along with other minerals, zinc, calcium and magnesium so have powerful antioxidant properties. They also contain tryptophan (an amino acid)which the body converts to serotonin, known as the happiness substance, which helps lift depression and regulates moods so is good for PMS/PMT sufferers as vitamin B6 regulates blood glucose levels and is effective with serotonin. The B-complex vitamins also calm the nervous system, and sufferers from Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) also benefit from eating bananas. They are also good to soothe the stomach, and have an antacid effect so relieve heartburn and indigestion. Banana milkshakes are good for hangovers, especially if honey is added as the milk rehydrates the body and soothes the stomach while the honey increases depleted blood sugar levels. The bananas also calm the troubled stomach. Bananas are also good for people with stomach ulcers and even the skin can be used to relieve the irritation caused by insect bites. Put the inside of the skin on the bite for more or less instant relief. People also swear that if you put the inside of a banana skin on a wart and secure it with a sticking plaster, it will get rid of the wart. Bananas are also good for the eyes, as are carrots and wimberries.

   The recipe below is a favourite in Britain and although it is not particularly healthy it is delightful if you are not a diabetic.

BANOFFEE PIE

Ingredients

Base

4 oz melted butter

10 oz digestive biscuits (wheat biscuits), crushed

Filling

4 oz butter

4 oz soft, dark brown sugar (muscovado)

400 gr condensed milk

Topping

4 small bananas, chopped

300 ml double (thick) cream, whipped lightly

Method

First of all grease an 8inch loose bottomed cake tin and then mix the melted butter with the crushed biscuits.

Put this mixture into the tin and flatten it so that it coats the bottom of the tin and the sides up to 1½ inches, evenly.

Put in the fridge to chill while making the filling.

Put the sugar and the butter in a pan and melt the butter over a low heat, stirring constantly until the butter has melted and the sugar has dissolved, then slowly add the condensed milk and continue stirring.

Bring the mixture to the boil, stirring continuously and when it starts to boil, remove the pan from the heat.

Pour the mixture into the base and chill for at least an hour.

Just before you are ready to serve the pie, mix the bananas with the cream and pile on top of it.

You can also add walnuts to the cream and top it with grated chocolate or drizzle melted dark chocolate over it. Delicious!

This has Taste and is a Treat.

STRAWBERRY - HISTORY AND MEDICINAL USES: STRAWBERRY AND CUCUMBER SALAD EASY RECIPE

STRAWBERRIES, FRAGARIA x ANANASSA

It’s strawberry and cream time again, although in Pakistan strawberries (also called the same in Urdu) they are a burgundy colour rather than the red of European strawberries. To me they are irresistible, although some people are allergic to them and so are others if they eat too many of them at a sitting. They can bring out a red rash on sensitive skins, so eat them in moderation.

  Wild strawberries, Fragaria vesca, grow in many parts of the world, and these have a very different taste from the common or garden strawberry that is ubiquitous today. Fragaria in Latin means fragrant, which aptly describes this fruit. This should not be surprising as they are members of the rose family of plants. Strawberries are delicious for tortoises and green snakes, as I know from first-hand experience. The tortoise I had as a child once frightened me because its mouth was red and I thought it was bleeding, but on closer inspection it had been gorging on strawberries in the garden and was covered in their sweet red juice. In Greece little green snakes, which are not particularly venomous, tend to gather in strawberry fields, so be careful.

  The strawberry we know today was developed early in the 18^th century after a Frenchman took seeds from Fragaria chileonensis, the South American variety, back to Europe and successfully crossed these with the Virginian strawberry which was imported from North America into Europe. This hybrid is the strawberry we have today, although there are now many cultivars.

  The strawberry is the only fruit so far discovered which has seeds on its exterior, and they can contain as many as 200 seeds. They are rich in vitamins and minerals as well as containing amino acids. Beta-carotene is also present in strawberries so they are a valuable, as well as delicious, fruit to include in our diets. They have a high sugar content, though so are not so good if you are trying to lose weight. Among other things they contain vitamins A, C, E, K and the B-complex vitamins, and are a good source of calcium, iron, potassium, phosphorous, manganese, copper and zinc with a little selenium too. The vitamins and minerals present in strawberries have potent antioxidant properties so they are very good for our health. They are also rich in bioflavonoids and some of these can reduce the rate of reproduction of cancerous cells, although not all phytonutrients and bioflavonoids in the strawberry have been identified, it is believed.

  They are good for us as cosmetic preparations too, as if you cut a strawberry and apply it to your face, it will remove a slight sunburn and whiten the complexion. If it is a bad sunburn you should apply strawberry juice to the affected area and leave it on for half an hour before rinsing it off with warm water. Try to avoid using soap to wash it off though as this may cause irritation.

   Strawberry roots have been traditionally used in medicine to make a tisane, as have the leaves which is said to stop diarrhoea and dysentery. Take a handful of fresh leaves to a cup of boiling water and allow them to steep for 10 – 15 mins before straining and drinking a few cups a day.

   Strawberries are wonderful on their own, but you could try this salad with a difference.

STRAWBERRY AND CUCUMBER SALAD

Ingredients

½ kilo fresh strawberries

1 cucumber, peeled and cut into slices

freshly ground black pepper

Method

Halve the strawberries and mix with the cucumber slices.

Grind black peppercorns over them to taste.

This might sound a little strange, but the pepper really brings out the flavour of the strawberries. You can use the cucumber peel as a skin toner and place a slice of it over each eye to get rid of puffiness.

This has Taste and is a Treat.

BANABA TREE - INFORMATION: MEDICINAL BENEFITS AND USES OF BANABA TREE: HOW TO MAKE BANABA LEAF TISANE

BANABA TREE, PRIDE OF INDIA, LAGERSTROEMIA SPECIOSA

The Banaba Tree or Pride of India has many other names including Queen’s Flower and Crape Myrtle.  It is native to the Indian subcontinent where it grows wild and cultivated, and to the Philippines, South East Asia, Indonesia and Australia. It has been introduced into parts of tropical Africa, Jamaica and the USA. At the beginning of the year it starts to lose its leaves which have turned bright red or orange by that season. It can reach heights of up to 25 metres and is fast-growing (so is used as a nurse tree for slower growing saplings) with an extensive root system so is useful to stop soil erosion. It is also used as a living fence, and various items are made from its wood, including poles, decorative items and furniture. It is also used for construction and cut down for fuel by local people, who also use it for charcoal. Its bark produces a yellow dye too. However since its medicinal properties have been recognized by the West it is now an important medicinal plant and has been used for thousands of years in the Indian subcontinent as well as the Philippines and the rest of South East Asia to treat diabetes and low blood sugar levels.

   It contains corosolic acid, ellagitannins (in the fruit and leaves), triterpenoids, amino acids and flavonoids. Extensive studies of the leaves made in Japan confirmed the use of extracts from the leaves for diabetes. The corosolic acid lowers blood pressure and has insulin-like properties as do some of the amino acids, and this is what makes it so attractive to researchers. The leaves contain the minerals manganese and zinc among others, and it has been discovered that one of the side effects of banaba is very positive as it helps reduce weight and so banaba can be found in many weight control formulae in the US. Extracts obtained from the seeds (said to be narcotic) have powerful antioxidant properties and the ellagic acid compounds in banaba are being researched to discover if they can help in the treatment of HIV. Banaba may have antibiotic properties too. In fact it might provide a few “wonder drugs” after more research has been done into its properties and their effects on people. The whole plant can be used medicinally but not all parts have been researched as yet.

BANABA LEAF TISANE

Ingredients

1 cup chopped banaba leaves

2 cups boiling water

Method

Boil the leaves in water for 30 mins.

Strain and drink.

This has Taste and is a Treat(ment).

  

KINOW MANDARIN OR KINO - INFORMATION: HEALTH BENEFITS AND USES OF KINOW MANDARIN

KINOW MANDARIN CITRUS RETICULATA

Kinow or kino mandarins (pronounced keen-oo) are a relative newcomer to the citrus fruit family, although the parent plants from which they come have a very long history. In the 15^th century in the Indian subcontinent, citrus trees were only grown in the Mughul emperors’ gardens or in those of the ruling élite as in those times they were considered luxury crops. The King Orange or Shahi sangtara grew in the emperors’ gardens and along with the “willow leaf” orange, was a parent of the kinow. The name comes from king and willow. The first kinows were produced in 1951 by H.B. Frost, a citrus breeder, at the Citrus Research center at the University of California. By 1958 kinow mandarins were being grown in Pakistan and are now largely grown in the Sarghoda and Bhalawal districts in Pakistan’s Punjab province.

  Kinow have loose skins which are easily peeled, and the peel is used in various sweet dishes. It contains essential oil which is used in the perfume industry and in skin care preparations.

   Kinow mandarins contain beta-carotene which has powerful antioxidant properties and helps the skin resist damage caused by the sun. It also contains limonene which is believed to be a potent anti-cancer agent which also has the ability to lower cholesterol levels. Apart from these constituents it also has vitamin A and a high vitamin C content as well as the minerals iron, calcium and phosphorous. They have a high juice content and this is good with carrot juice-the combination provides us with a lot of vitamin A which is beneficial for the eyesight as it can help prevent macular degeneration. Just one kinow provides more than the recommended daily amount of vitamin C so it is a powerful little fruit, and a very tasty one. We have been eating them since November and they will be with us until (hopefully) the end of May.

  Pakistan is one of the biggest producers of the world’s supplies of kinow although it has been threatened recently with a greening disease. Citrus fruits have been grown in the subcontinent and other parts of Asia since around 4,000 BC, and they spread to Europe via North Africa and the Arab traders. The kinow has the same roots as the lemon although it is a new fruit. Soon a seedless variety will hit the supermarket shelves in Europe and the Middle East, having been developed by researchers in Pakistan.