TRUFFLES - THE MOST EXPENSIVE FUNGI - FOOD FOR WELL- BEING: CHAMPAGNE RISOTTO WITH TRUFFLES

BLACK AND WHITE TRUFFLES, TARTUFO, TUBERACEAE FAMILY

There’s still a certain mystique surrounding truffles, despite the fact that they can now be grown and produced commercially. They are the most expensive fungus, with the black truffle commanding higher prices that the white variety. In Italy they are sold in pieces as well as whole, so you don’t have to spend a fortune on them to impress guests. There are truffle oils which have the truffle flavour, but many do not contain anything of the truffle itself. For centuries they have been regarded as one of the finer things of life and have been used as an aphrodisiac, but they do not have any health benefits apart from the fact that they contain amino acids and minerals such as potassium, manganese and calcium, among others.

White truffles

  In the US where they are now produced, they have an affinity with pecan trees, and in Europe they are found under oaks, beech, birch and hazel trees, although they are also associated to a lesser extent with the willow, pine and poplar. They have always been expensive to buy, but the European peasantry had easy access to these delightful edible fungi.

  The truffle was banned by the church in the Middle Ages, presumably because it was regarded as an aphrodisiac which incited people to lewd behaviour. It was a favourite food of both Catherine de Medici and Lucrezia Borgia during the Renaissance, allegedly.

  The ancient Egyptians were eating truffles around 3000 BC and they were a favourite with the Pharaoh Cheops. By the first century AD the Romans were eating the Terfez or desert truffle and importing them from Libya (which was less arid in antiquity), Carthage and the Greek island of Lesbos (Mytilene). Famous Roman writers such as Dioscorides (writing in the first century AD) thought they were tuberous roots, while those of a less scientific frame of mind such as the satirist Juvenal thought that they grew because of thunder and rain. In the 4^th century BC Theophrastus stated that their genesis was a mystery, while Plutarch though they came from lightning, the warmth of the earth and water in the soil.

  There are summer truffles, Tuber aestivum and winter ones such as Tuber uncinatum; the most sought after one is Tuber macrosporum the black truffle.

  According to the Hadith Sahih Mohammed believed that they were the manna of “the people of Moses” and the juice from them was good for the eyes. They were known in the Arab world, as they were harvested in the mountain regions of Armenia and Turkey.

  Truffles came into their own in Europe in the 17^th century, when Europeans abandoned heavily spiced food and turned to herbs and other flavourings which did not have to be imported. However in the market places they were only affordable by the wealthy.

  In the past people relied on truffle-hunting pigs to find their truffles and these were muzzled in 15^th century Italy to prevent the sow eating the prized fungus (after all they were greedy pigs), which is not visible as they live underground. Now dogs are used, as they get rewarded for their finds with things they prefer to eat. The female pig finds them because they smell like the pheromone contained in a boar’s saliva. They certainly do have a pungent aroma, but not having smelled a boar’s saliva, I couldn’t comment.

  Truffles are exported from China (Tuber sinensis or indica) but these are considered inferior to the French and Italian truffles; they are cheaper. In Italy there are truffle festivals in summer and late autumn and these are well worth a visit, as they serve wonderful truffle delights at these affairs.

  The recipe below, is simple but very tasty, and can be made with white wine instead of champagne and basmati rice instead of Arborio (risotto rice) if you can’t find the Arborio variety.

  Truffles may not have any health benefits, but their aroma and taste give you a psychological boost and a general feeling of well-being.

CHAMPAGNE RISOTTO WITH TRUFFLES

Ingredients

1 truffle, black or white, or small slivers

1 cup Arborio rice

½  bottle champagne

freshly ground black pepper

1 garlic clove, finely slivered

1 small onion, finely sliced

salt to taste

olive oil for frying

Parmesan cheese, freshly grated

Method

Soak the rice for 10-20 mins then strain and discard the water.

Fry the onion and garlic for a few minutes, and then add the rice to the pan and stir well to coat in the oil.

Now pour in the champagne and a little water and add the slivers of truffle, salt and pepper.

Cook for 15 or 20 mins until most of the champagne has been soaked up by the rice.

Leave for 5 minutes before serving with the Parmesan cheese.

This is good as a starter or with roast chicken.

This has Taste and is a Treat.

WHAT IS SAFEDA TREE? EUCALYPTUS TREE - MEDICINAL BENEFITS AND USES: HOW TO MAKE EUCALYPTUS LEAVES TISANE

EUCALYPTUS TREES, SAFEDA IN URDU

There are around seven hundred species of eucalyptus trees, which have their origins in Australia, Tasmania and New Zealand. They are a fast-growing species that can withstand drought because their deep roots can take up underground water. This hardy species of the myrtle family (Myrtaceae) have now spread around the world to the Mediterranean region, North Africa, the Indian subcontinent and to the US among other places. As members of the myrtle family they are related to cloves, allspice and guava (amrood).

  The tree that predominates in Greece and Pakistan is Eucalyptus camaldulensis and this is the one featured in this post. The medicinal oil comes from E. globulus or the Blue Gum, which gets its Latin name because it resembles a globe-shaped button that was popular in France towards the end of the 19^th century when the tree was given its botanical name. Flowers on different species may be single ones or bloom in clusters which are on the whole without stalks, or which have tiny ones. Be careful as the bark of some species of eucalyptus can cause dermatitis.

  In Australia koalas like to eat leaves from these trees, and can consume between 2½ to 3 pounds a day. Eucalyptus honey is prized as is the oil which is obtained from the leaves and tops of branches. The tree also yields timber which is durable and strong and can be used as fuel. However care should be taken not to burn freshly cut branches as the wood and seeds emit sparks that can easily start a fire and burn you if you are too close.

  Some species are on the threatened list in their native Australia and are under threat in Pakistan where they are believed to be destroying native plants by depleting the ground of water. Originally trees were imported and planted to help reduce flood waters, and because they are fast-growing and give plenty of shade; also they are able to withstand adverse weather conditions. In the province of Punjab they line the roads and fields, but they are being cut down to be replaced by native trees such as the kikar (Acacia nilotica), neem (Azadirachta indica), and kachnar (Bauhinia variegata) trees. 

The planting of eucalyptus tree in Pakistan began in the 1960s and gathered pace in the early 1990s when aid was received for reforestation from USAID. Now they are being blamed for consuming “underground water unnecessarily” by a Pakistani spokesman for the IUCN, the world conservation union. They were also described as “environmentally unfriendly” in 2006 by a spokesman from the Environmental Protection Department of Punjab province.

  However they are useful in the match-stick making industry and in the process of tobacco curing, as 200,000 are felled annually for those industries.

  In some countries where planting began earlier, the trees deep roots were welcomed as they could dry marshy land which was a breeding ground for malaria bearing mosquitoes, so the trees had their uses. In Pakistan the leaves are gathered and hung close to a baby or young child to protect him/her from diseases and to keep insects away.

  Most people have resorted to menthol and eucalyptus lozenges when they have blocked sinuses, a cold, cough or sore throat, and the tisane made from the chopped leaves given below can be used for the same purposes. However if you have asthma don’t touch eucalyptus as it can bring on an attack. The tisane can also help to reduce fevers.

  The oil from eucalyptus is traditionally used to treat diabetes, and medical research is proving that this may be a correct treatment, although more research needs to be done before it is proved conclusively. Eucalyptus oil can be used for arthritis, to get rid of boils and sores, heal and clean wounds and to repel insects. It is rich in cineole which is a powerful antiseptic that kills the bacteria that cause bad breath (halitosis). It is also effectively used as smelling salts if someone faints.

  The leaves contain tannins which have astringent qualities, and which can reduce inflammation, and flavonoids such as quercetin, which has strong antioxidant properties.

  In 19^th century British hospitals, eucalyptus oil was used to thoroughly clean some medical items, as it has anti-bacterial qualities.

  The Aborigines, the native Australians, used the eucalyptus trees to make boats, boomerangs and spears. They also used it medicinally, using ointments made from it to heal wounds and to cure fungal infections such as ringworm.

  Eucalyptus has many uses, but is often not a good imported species as is so often the case.

TISANE OF EUCALYPTUS LEAVES

Ingredients

½ tsp chopped fresh eucalyptus leaves

1 cup boiling water

a few sprigs of mint

Method

Pour the boiling water over the leaves and leave to steep for 10-15 minutes before straining and drinking.

Drink a cup three times a day for colds, sinus obstructions, coughs, sore throats (also a gargle and wash for skin problems), fevers and flu.

This has Taste and is a Treat(ment). 

MANGOSTEEN FRUIT - INFORMATION: HEALTH BENEFITS AND USES OF MANGOSTEEN FRUIT

MANGOSTEEN, GARCINIA MANGOSTANA

Despite the similarities in their names, mangosteens and mangoes are not related. The mangosteen belongs to the Clusiaceae family of plants, although formerly it was in the Guttiferae one; this means that this fruit is related to st john's wort. It gets its name from a Malay word, manggusta, the name for this fruit. The slow-growing fruit tree with a pyramid shaped crown, which grows to between 20 and 82 feet, was named in honour of the French explorer of the 18^th century, Laurent Garcin.

  I think on the whole I prefer rambutan, and don’t see what the hype surrounding mangosteens is all about. They are not related, but taste a little like each other. Mangosteen has segments surrounding the long flat seeds, and these look like fleshy garlic cloves. They are easy to peel although people seem to need a knife on other web sites; maybe they haven’t had really fresh fruit. You have to be careful though as the purple juice stains your fingers. However, you can eat them as you wander around if you are thirsty. They are sold alongside rambutans in Thai markets and on stalls that line the road when they are in season, in May through June. To me they taste like a cross between a strawberry and a lychee, with a hint of vanilla.

  The flowers of the rambutan tree are hermaphrodites, in other words they have both male and female parts, so it’s easy for them to pollinate. This is partly why they have been moved to the Clusiaceae family. They like humidity and rainfall and although they have been introduced to various countries since their “discovery” by Europeans, they have been difficult to grow on a large scale, and thrive best in hothouses.

  It is believed that they have their origins in the Sunda Islands and the Maluccas, although it can be found wild in the forests of Kemaman, Malaya. Perhaps it was first domesticated in Thailand, but the experts are not sure. They were first planted in Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) in 1800 and then in India in 1881, and some trees still grow there. They were also introduced to Queensland, Australia, where largely unsuccessful attempts have been made to cultivate them since 1884. There are some plantations in the West Indies, and in Guatemala, Honduras and Colombia. The fruits have to be harvested by hand when they are fully ripe, and any that fall are not taken to market.

  In Thailand the non-fruiting trees are felled and used for timber in the construction industry and furniture making. In the past they were used to make spear handles and pounders for rice.

  The fruit contains the minerals potassium, phosphorous, calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese and zinc, along with some others. It also has vitamins A, C and E as well as some of the B-complex ones. The rind of the fruit contains tannins and xanthones, and is used dried in traditional medicine systems in South-East Asia for dysentery and diarrhoea. A decoction of the dried fruits is used for skin problems such as eczema and psoriasis and is drunk as a remedy for cystitis and gonorrhoea.

  In the Philippines, a decoction of the leaves and bark is used to reduce fevers, for urinary tract problems, dysentery and diarrhoea, and candida (thrush). In Malaysia a decoction of the roots of the tree is used to regulate menstruation, and an infusion of the leaves mixed with a little benzoin and an unripe banana is used to stop infection after circumcision of male babies.

  A bark extract from the tree has been found to contain derivatives of mangostin; mangostin-e, 6-di-O-glycoside which depresses the functions of the central nervous system, and can cause a rise in blood pressure in lab-tested animals. There is some evidence to suggest that the mangosteen tree may kill cancer cells, and it has antioxidant properties, but a lot of research is still needed as none of the studies so far carried out have been on people.

  In the 19^th century as well as in the 21^st there was a lot of hype surrounding this fruit which is regarded as the “Queen of Fruit” in South-East Asia, with Durian being the King. Indian and Pakistanis would dispute this saying that mango is the king, while shareefa is the fruit of kings.

  The mangosteen was first grown in Britain in the mid 19^th century on the estate of the Dukes of Northumberland by their gardener, John Ivison, and won the Royal Horticultural Society’s Gold Banksian Medal which was the first time it had been awarded to a single fruit; this was in 1855. Queen Victoria, the reigning monarch at that time, seems to have eaten her first mangosteen in 1891 which she received from Trinidad. Her personal secretary wrote in thanks to Sir Frederick Broome, who had been instrumental in supplying the fruit, that the Queen thought her gift “quite excellent.” However, this may be a case of damning with faint praise, as a thing is either excellent or not.

KITCHARI OR KETCHEREE, THE ORIGINAL KEDGEREE: TASTY EASY VEGETARIAN RECIPE

KITCHARI OR KETCHEREE

Kitchari or ketcheree is the original dish which the British changed into kedgeree, with the addition of smoked cod or herring instead of, or as well as, moong beans. This is a traditional dish in the Punjab, Pakistan and is prescribed for those who are recovering from illnesses as it is very nutritious. It is popular with children, and made in different ways in Pakistani homes. It is a light dish that can be eaten for lunch, perhaps with pickles.

  Kitchari means mixture and this refers to the mix of pulse and grain, rice and green moong beans. Red lentils can also be added to the dish, or, if you can’t find moong beans they may be substituted with red lentils.

  This is a very healthy dish, and excellent for a vegetarian meal.

 

Ingredients

2 cups basmati rice

1 cup moong beans

1 onion, chopped

2 green chillies, finely chopped

1 tbsp finely chopped garlic

1 tbsp finely chopped ginger root

1 tbsp cumin seeds (zeera)

1 tsp coriander seeds

1 tsp black pepper

1 tsp turmeric (haldi)

1 tsp garam masala

½ cup oil

fresh coriander leaves shredded (optional)

Method

Clean the rice and moong beans and then mix together and soak in water for two hours.

Heat the oil in a deep pan and fry the ginger, garlic, cumin seeds for 30 seconds, then add the onion, and fry until this is brown.

Pour 4 cups of water into the pan and add the freshly ground black pepper, coriander seeds, turmeric, moong beans and rice.

Stir well and bring to the boil.

Add the green chillies and garam masala, and boil for 2 mins.

Reduce the heat to low and cover, and cook for 10 mins.

Remove from the heat and add the fresh coriander leaves if using.

Remove the lid and allow the dish to cool for 5 minutes.

Serve alone or with pickles.

This has Taste and is a Treat.