CAPE GOOSEBERRY - INFORMATION, USES AND HEALTH BENEFITS: CAPE GOOSEBERRIES DIPPED IN CHOCOLATE RECIPE

CAPE GOOSEBERRY, GOLDEN BERRY, PHYSALIS PERUVIANA L. OR PHYSALIS EDULIS SIMS

The Cape Gooseberry, looks a little like a tomatillo, to which it is closely related and has the same kind of husk around its fruit. It is a member of the Solanaceae or Nightshade family of plants and so is related to the more common potato, tomato, aubergine and the rather unusual Nipple fruit. As the name peruviana suggests it is native to South America, although it seems not to be clear where it actually originated with best guesses being Chile and Peru, or perhaps Brazil. It also grows wild in the Andes in Venezuela.

   It is a cherry-sized berry that is around 1.5 to 2.5 centimetres in diameter, with yellow flesh which is loosely (more loosely than a tomatillo) enclosed in a papery husk, another of Nature’s pre-packaged foods. These fruits are actually berries as they contain seeds, and they can be orange or golden yellow. It tastes like a gooseberry, perhaps more like an Indian gooseberry (Amla) than the European one. They can be used in salads with tender young greens, such as watercress, spinach, or lettuce, with a vinaigrette dressing (olive oil and white wine vinegar with tarragon or oregano perhaps). You can add them to your breakfast muesli or other cereal, and below is a recipe for a dessert made with them. They can be put in pies, used to make jams and sauces, and are usually displayed in supermarkets with other berry fruits such as raspberries, strawberries or blackberries or with grapes and pomegranates. You can add them to fruit salads, or have them with ice cream, pickle them, and you’ll find the husk helpful if you want to coat them in icing sugar. In Colombia they are stewed with honey and used as a dessert. The ripe fruit are rich in pectin and vitamin P as well as containing some B-complex vitamins, and ascorbic acid (vitamin C) and some vitamin A precursors as well as Beta-carotene. They are rich in phosphorous, and also contain the minerals calcium, iron and copper. Unripe fruits are toxic and shouldn’t be eaten.

  The plants were taken to Africa and planted in the Cape of Good Hope in the 19^th century and then they went from there to Australia which is why and where it got the English name. In fact it has naturalized in New South Wales, where the early settlers had little choice of fresh fruit at first, so they were glad of the advent of the Cape gooseberry. It is also naturalized in the Philippines and was once extensively cultivated on Hawaii. In fact it is said that it will grow wherever the tomato can flourish, so it grows in many countries around the world.

  The husk contains a minor steroidal constituent, physalolactone C which is a blood purifier. The fruit possesses strong antioxidant properties and has been used in the past to treat cancer, malaria, asthma, hepatitis, dermatitis and rheumatism. In Colombia, in traditional medicine, the leaves are made into a decoction which is used for asthma and as a diuretic. In South Africa a poultice is made with heated leaves and applied to inflamed areas. The Zulus use an infusion of the leaves for children with stomach complaints.

 

CAPE GOOSEBERRIES DIPPED IN CHOCOLATE

Ingredients

Cape gooseberries, fresh or canned

Bar of chocolate (white, dark or milk depending on taste)

Method

Melt the chocolate carefully so that it doesn’t burn in a non-stick pan.

Remove from the heat when the chocolate is melted and dip each Cape gooseberry in it.

Chill and serve alone or with ice cream or whipped cream.

This has Taste and is a Treat.

KAVA KAVA, PEPPER FAMILY MEMBER WITH A KICK! INFORMATION

KAVA KAVA, PIPER METHYSTICUM

Kava, or kava kava, is a member of the pepper family and is related to the long pepper as well as to black pepper. It is native to the Pacific Islands where it is used in a ceremonial drink served to honoured guests following a centuries old tradition. It has the same effects as alcohol, so it should be of little surprise that it can, apparently cause liver damage especially if taken in large quantities. There are more than a hundred varieties of kava kava, or yaqona root, and many of these grow on Vanuatu and Fiji where it was first domesticated thousands of years ago. It is a valuable cash crop on these islands and in Hawaii where it is called Awa.

  Recently the French hair care company L’Oreal took out a patent on kava to use in a product which will promote hair growth and stop hair loss, they say. This is a far cry from the times when shamans used a beverage from the root to go into trances. The beverage is not a true hallucinogen, neither is it alcoholic, although it has similar effects to both types of drug. Like alcohol it has been linked to liver damage too.

  In traditional medicine in the Pacific region, kava is used to alleviate anxiety and as a sedative, as it has relaxing properties, and has been used medicinally and recreationally for thousands of years.  However more than 30 cases of liver damage have been reported in Europe which have been linked to the consumption of kava, so in March 2002 the USFDA issued an advisory notice about the ‘rare’ incidence of liver damage possibly caused by kava intake. It is not known whether the reports of liver damage were in people who mixed kava with alcohol or other herbs, drugs or medications; combining kava with anything else is not advised.

  The beverage is made from the roots of the kava shrub which are dug up and dried in the sun then pounded to a powder and mixed with cold water. Clinical trials have been conducted on kava root and it has been found to relieve anxiety but because of the potential dangers of liver damage, it is safer to use other herbal preparations for anxiety, such as olive leaf tisane. A study conducted on kava in 2004 showed that 300mg of kava may improve cognitive performance and enhance the mood. This is a point in its favour, as drugs like Valium which are used to treat anxiety decrease cognitive performance overall. It seems from research that kava can improve sleep quality and help in cases of insomnia, although more research is needed. In lab animals extracts of kava root have been found to relax muscles, promote sleep and reduce convulsions. The roots also have pain-killing properties and when kava is chewed there is a tingling sensation and numbness which is temporary, on the tongue. Its active ingredients include methysticum, kawain and dihydrokawain, which are kavalactones.

   In Europe kava kava has been used to treat a variety of illnesses for more than 150 years, some of the treatments were for gonorrhea, vaginitis, night time incontinence and problems with the gastrointestinal tract. It is said to be an effective diuretic and good for rheumatism, gout, bronchial problems, and ailments resulting from cardiac problems. It has also been used as a local anaesthetic to relieve pain and is said to have an antiseptic effect on urinary tract disorders.

  If you want to try out kava, you should have between 2 and 4 grams and make this into a decoction by boiling it in water and reducing the amount of water by half. This amount can be consumed up to three times a day, for anxiety or stress. It will take perhaps 4 weeks for you to notice a difference.

  There is a ceremony in Tonga for drinking kava from a communal bowl and this spread to Fiji in the 17^th century. The whole of a village could participate rather than just the shamans. It is traditionally drunk from halves of coconut shells.

  Researchers do not yet understand how kava works, and you should be aware that it is banned in some countries, so if you order it online check to see that you can get it legally through customs before buying any. It is not banned in the US as the evidence against is patchy, and it has been used for centuries without Pacific Islanders seeming to have a high incidence of liver problems.

TOMATILLO - HUSKY GREEN TOMATO: HEALTH BENEFITS AND USES OF TOMATILLO: MEXICAN SALSA VERDE EASY RECIPE

TOMATILLO, PHYSALIS PHILADELPHICA, PHYSALIS IXOCARPA-BROT

As you might expect from the name, the tomatillo is related to the tomato as they are both members of the Solanaceae (nightshade) family of plants, which means the tomatillo is also related to the potato, aubergine  and Nipple Fruit. It is native to the South American continent and is widely cultivated in Mexico and Guatemala where the wild and domesticated versions can be found. The wild variety often grows between cultivated crops of maize (corn), beans and gourds, such as the ash gourd or petha. The wild fruit is picked and sold locally.

  It is a fruit with seeds, which grows inside a calyx, so it comes off the plant prepackaged. If you buy the fruit before it is fully ripe it can be stored in its calyx (the husk which covers it) for up to a year. It tastes a little like a gooseberry, although more like the Indian gooseberry than the European one and is related to the Cape gooseberry, Physalis peruviana. Because of the calyx it is also called the husk tomato and is known as tomate verde (green tomato) in Spanish. It is used with chillies in various salsas (sauces) as it takes away some of their hotness. It contains quite a lot of pectin, so is often used to thicken soups and sauces to give them a thicker consistency. The name comes from the Nahuatl “tomatl” which is a generic word that is used for fruits that are watery, round and seed-bearing, and which are sometimes enclosed in a calyx. They come in a variety of colours ranging from green to yellow and through to purple, although this one has been given a separate name, Physalis ixocarpa- BROT, presumably because it contains ixocarpalactoneA, which is a withanolide, in its stem and leaves. This purple tomatillo is mainly consumed in western Mexico. It has been found to be a good safe source of antioxidants and has been subjected to much research. It has antibacterial activity against respiratory infections caused by Staphylococcus bacteria and has potential for developing an anti-cancer drug. It contains carotene, vitamin C in the form of ascorbic acid some B-complex vitamins and the minerals calcium and iron and copper, magnesium, manganese, potassium, phosphorous, zinc, selenium and Omega-3 and -6 fatty acids.. The raw fruit also contains vitamins A, E and K as well as flavonoids,

  In folk medicine, the juice from the fruit is used as eyewash, and in Guatemala it is used for gastrointestinal problems and respiratory disease. The husk is not always discarded as it can be made into an infusion which is used in tamale dough to give it a spongy consistency and to give flavour to white rice; the infusion is also used to tenderize red meat.

  The tomatillo has been cultivated in Mexico and Guatemala for centuries and it is believed that its first cultivation began in Mexico, certainly before the arrival of the Spaniards, who were probably responsible for taking the tomatillo to the Caribbean where it is cultivated. It was taken to Spain and cultivated, but this was stopped as the tomato became much more popular.

MEXICAN SALSA VERDE

Ingredients

1 lb tomatillos, husks removed

1 large onion, finely chopped

4 garlic cloves, finely chopped or minced

2 green chillies, very finely chopped

2 tbsps fresh coriander leaves, shredded

1 tbsp fresh oregano, chopped or 1 tsp dried

½ tsp cumin seeds, dry fried and ground

salt to taste

2 cups water

Method

Put everything in a pan and bring to a boil over a high heat.

Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 10-15 mins or until the tomatillos are soft.

Puree in batches in a blender.

Serve as a dip or side dish to give some extra flavour to chicken or meat dishes.

This has Taste and is a Treat.

STINKING GOOSEFOOT - INFORMATION: HEALTH BENEFITS AND HOW TO USE STINKING GOOSEFOOT HERB

STINKING GOOSEFOOT, CHENOPODIUM VULVARIA OR CHENOPODIUM OLIDUM-CURT

The name stinking goosefoot is apt for this little herb, as its leaves like other Chenopodium species slightly resembles a goose’s webbed feet, and when bruised the leaves stink, not to put too fine a point on it. They are actually edible, but no one would want to, given the stench. The seeds are also edible but as they contain saponins they have to be soaked overnight and then rinsed before roasting or dry frying, then grinding to mix with wheat flour to make bread. Culpeper, writing in the 17^th century, describes the smell from the bruised leaves in this way: “It smells like rotten fish, or something worse.” It goes by a number of derogatory names, such as Dog’s Arrach or Orache, and Stinking Motherwort.

  Its leaves used to be made into a conserve with sugar and used for nervous complaints for women. It was probably a good way to stop a fit of the hysterics given the smell. A tisane was made of the dried leaves with 1 ounce to 1 pint of boiling water, given in wineglass doses for obstructions in the monthly flow, or blood clots during a woman’s periods. In fact it was another Female herb along with the chaste berry tree.

  It is a plant that grows up to 40 centimetres, but it might not be upright, some trail along the ground. It is rare now in southern England and the Channel isles, although it was once abundant throughout the British Isles, and is native to northern Europe. The tisane of dried leaves made from this plant is said to be antispasmodic so was good for menstrual cramps.

  It should not be confused with the true Orach(e) or Arrach, which was thought to be beneficial for gout. It has small green flowers without petals but with 5 sepals and stamens. The word Chen comes from the Greek meaning goose and podi meaning foot. The other goosefoots native to Britain are known as Fat Hen and Good King Henry, but there are many others that grow in different parts of the world.

  The physicians of Myddfai used it in combination with other herbs as in this remedy for profuse menstruation: -

“A woman who is subject to profuse menstruation, should take the reddish bastard balm, small burdock, orpine, stinking goose foot, pimpernel, water avens, with the ashes of a hart's horns, that has been killed with his antlers on, boiling them, as well as possible in red wine, straining the liquor carefully, and drinking it daily, till it is finished, abstaining (the while) from stimulating food. Being restrained by the above means, the blood will be habitually diverted to the thighs and ankles.”

PRUNELLA VULGARIS ( SELF-HEAL) - INFORMATION: HEALTH BENEFITS AND USES OF PRUNELLA VULGARIS

SELF-HEAL, PRUNELLA VULGARIS

Self –Heal is also called All-Heal, Prunella, Brunella, Heart of the Earth and Blue Curls, among other names. It’s native to Europe, Asia and North America, and is used in the Unani (Greek) medicine system in Kashmir. It grows in the Sichuan province of China and has been used in traditional Chinese medicine for centuries. It’s a common plant in Britain, and was much esteemed by both John Gerard and Nicholas Culpeper, the two major British herbalists of the 16^th and 17^th century respectively. Culpeper describes the flowers in this way, “thicke set together like an eare or spiky knap.” You can see for yourself why he described it in this way. The tiny flowers grow from the stem and resemble small orchids. They are usually a blue-violet, but can be pink or white, although these are rare.

  John Gerard describes its use in this way”

   “There is not a better Wound herb in the world than that of Self-Heal…for this very herbe, without the mixture of any other ingredient, being onely bruised and wrought with the point of a knife… will be brought into the form of a salve, which will heal any green wounde…The decoction of Prunell made with wine and water doth join together and make whole and sound all wounds, both inward and outward, even as Bugle doth. To be short, it serveth for the same that the Bugle serveth and in the world there are not two better wound herbs as hath been often proved.”

  Bugle is Ajuga reptans (LINN), while Sanicle mentioned below is Sanicula Europea (LINN). Self-Heal is a member of the mint family, and its leaves are edible and can be used in soups, stews and salads. It’s a Lamiaceae or Labiatae.

  Culpeper explains its name “Self-Heal whereby when you are hurt you may heal yourself.” He agrees with Gerard, that it is as efficacious as Bugle “inwardly or outwardly, for inward wounds and ulcers in the body, for bruises and falls or hurts.” He goes on to recommend its use with both Bugle and Sanicle “to wash and inject into ulcers in the parts outwards.” He also claims that “the juice used with oil of roses to anoint the temples and forehead is very effectual to remove the headache.”

  In Kashmir it has been used as a “brain tonic” for sore throats, colds, headaches, and is used boiled and the steam inhaled for clearing mucous and to reduce a headache. It is also one of a mixture of herbs given to a woman after delivery of a baby to make her strong again.

  You can make a tisane with 1 ounce of the dried herb to 1 pint of boiling water. Pour the water over the chopped herb and leave to steep for 10-15 minutes, before straining and drink to help internal bleeding and piles, also if missed with a little honey it is good for sore throats and mouth ulcers, so can be used as a gargle as well as a tisane. The leaves are wound healers, and if you put the juice from the leaves on a wound, it will heal quickly. A tisane made with the flowers is particularly pleasant to take as a general tonic.

  The plant contains rutin, vitamins C and K, flavonoids, Prunellin, a polysaccharide, phenolic and tannins along with other substances. The rutin combined with the vitamins supports blood vessels and connective tissue in the body, but this little plant has many more health benefits. Because it is so common on three continents, much research has been done into it, and it has been found to be effective against herpes simplex, and is being experimented with as an anti-tumour and cancer treatment as well as an anti-HIV treatment. It has anti-viral and bacterial properties and is effective against the E.coli and Bacillus typhi strains of bacteria. This gives credence to the steam treatment used in Kashmir, where it is also used to lower blood pressure, as an antibiotic, antiseptic, anti-rheumatic, diuretic, vermifuge (to get rid of internal parasites) and for its antibacterial properties.

  It seems that once again, traditional healers know what they are doing with the herbs and other natural ingredients they prescribe.

MALLOW - A SOOTHING HERB: HISTORY, HEALTH BENEFITS AND USES OF MALLOW: HOW TO MAKE MALLOW TISANE

COMMON MALLOW, MALVA SYLVESTRIS

The Common mallow can grow almost everywhere and its habitat ranges from the UK and Europe through North Africa and the Middle East and into the Indian subcontinent where it is a weed. It has become naturalized in many parts of the world (such as eastern Australia) as it was introduced as an ornamental into many gardens across the globe. In the UK it can be found in hedgerows, on wasteland and on roadsides and most websites seem to have concluded that it has fallen into disuse as a medicinal herb in places where the Marsh Mallow (Althea officinalis) grows. However, that could be because it doesn’t grow in the same habitat as its cousin which likes marshes. The Common Mallow on the other hand must be salt tolerant to some degree as it can be found close to the sea where it grows in abundance in South and West Wales.

  Both my father and grandmother swore by this plant’s efficacy to bring down swellings, and I have had hot poultices put on my ankles and knees many times to reduce bruising and swellings, so I can personally vouch for the fact that it works. (I am a little accident prone.)

  The pretty mauve-pink flowers are edible, like those of borage, lavender and kachnar and look good in salad and for garnishes, with its seeds being edible too and tasting a little like peanuts. The leaves can be used as a thickener for soups or blanched for 2 minutes, rinsed in cold water and used instead of lettuce in salads. They are also fine eaten as a green vegetable.

  Eucalyptus leaves or bark and mallow leaves and flowers are a good tisane to make if you have a cough or other respiratory problems. The flowers and immature fruits can be made into a tisane too which is useful for whooping cough. The leaves are cooling and a tisane can be made and used on the skin to relieve inflammation or to stop the pain of insect bites or stings. If you get stung when you are outside you can use a bruised leaf to take the pain away as the leaves are mucilaginous and soothing.

  A tisane of the leaves is a pleasant diuretic, and also has a mild laxative action, so is much more pleasant to take than senna.

  You should gather the plant (not the roots, just the above ground parts) in June when the flowers appear and bloom, then hang it to dry in a light, airy room until crumbly and pack into a jar and keep for future use, as it can be used for coughs and colds in winter.

  The fruits or seed pods of the common mallow look a bit like little cheeses, as do those of the cheese tree. A dye can be made from them, and the whole plant will produce different dyes of cream, yellow and green. In ancient Greece baskets were woven from the stems of this plant, and it is possible to make cloth from it as was done in the ancient world and in Mediaeval times.

Seed Pods

  Mallow was mentioned by several Roman writers, with Pliny the Younger recommending a tisane made with the seeds for nausea. Earlier, in 700BC or thereabouts, Hesiod wrote that only a fool would not consider a little mallow beneficial in their diet. Later around 30 BC Horace in his Odes 31 verse 15 says “As for me, olives, endives and mallows provide sustenance.” (We believe that Pliny was referring to chicory rather than the Belgian endive which is a relative newcomer on the vegetable scene.)  In those times mallow was planted on graves to provide nourishment for the dead. Clearly it was not only my relatives who thought highly of this plant. It has been used as medicine wherever it grows and is in the French and Swiss Pharmacopoeias.

  Young girls would make garlands of mallow and chaplets for their heads to wear on May Day, in Europe.

   The plant is related to the hibiscus and hollyhock and is in the Malvaceae family of plants. It gets the name mallow from the Old English “malwe”

 The Physicians of Myddfai used mallow with other herbs for the treatment of

 intermittent fevers. “Take the mugwort, dwarf elder, tutsan, amphibious persicaria, pimpernel, butcher's broom, elder bark, and the mallow, and boiling them together as well as possible in a pot, or cauldron. Then take the water and herbs, and add them to the bath.”

While this was a treatment for piles: -

“Take the mallow, and boil it in wheat ale, or in spring water. Then take that which grows in the earth of the elder (bark,) bruise well in a mortar, and mix it, crude as it is, with the above mentioned decoction, and administer it quickly to the patient, so as to act upon his bowels. Let him afterwards be forbidden beef, cheese, leeks, large fish, salmon, eels, ducks, garlic, and all kinds of milk diet, except whey made with warm milk”

  Modern medical research into this plant has found that it may be able to protect the kidneys. The German E Commission has approved its use for oral and external use as it is anti-inflammatory and can soothe mouth ulcers as well as irritated skin. There is some evidence that the mucilage it contains can soothe disorders of the gastrointestinal tract too.

MALLOW TISANE

Ingredients

2-4 tsps dried leaves or flowers (or a mixture of both)

150 ml boiling water

Method

Pour the boiling water over the dried mallow and leave to steep for 10 to 15 minutes.

Strain and drink one cup three times a day for colds etc and other ailments mentioned above, or used it externally on irritated skin.

This has Taste and is a Treat(ment).

INDIAN SARSAPARILLA: MEDICINAL BENEFITS AND USES OF INDIAN SARSAPARILLA

INDIAN SARSAPARILLA, HEMIDESMUS INDICUS

Indian sarsaparilla belongs to the Asclepiadaceae family of plants (milkweed family) which typically are flowering plants of the order Gentianales which boasts more than 280 genuses or genera, and more than 2000 species of tropical herbs and shrubby climbers. They are rarely trees or bushes. They can be recognized by their milky juice, their 5 united petals, and pod-like fruit and generally tufted seeds. The pitcher plant is probably one of the best known of these. It is therefore not related to the American Sarsaparilla which is of the Smilax order and one of the Liliaceae.

   It is native to the Indian subcontinent, Sri Lanka and the Malaccan Islands, and is notably used to cure STDS including syphilis. For this it seems to be more efficacious than the American sarsaparilla. It is also used for a number of other purposes, including as an antidote to snake venom, a use which has been borne out by medical research. An infusion can be made by using 2 ounces of chopped root and pouring 1 pint of boiling water over it and allowing this to steep for 1 hour. Then it should be strained and drunk over a 24 hour period. It is good for skin diseases, and makes a good diuretic, and is used for rheumatism, scrofula and thrush. It is also useful for stomach problems including indigestion and loss of appetite. For these problems it can be used powdered with milk, the dosage being between 1 and 6 grams. It can be ground to a paste with a little water and mixed with black pepper for diarrhoea and stomach ache, and a decoction of the root is used on the subcontinent to promote hair growth. A syrup made from the root is used as a diuretic, and a paste made from the root is given for rheumatism, swellings and boils. The flowers can be made into a decoction by boiling them in water and used to promote sweating in fevers. It is used for kidney complaints too and given to children for sore mouths.

  A refreshing cooling drink is made from the powdered roots, flavoured with the addition of rose petals, or lotus petals, milk and honey. This cools the body down in the heat of summer. Modern medical research suggests that it has antifungal and antibacterial problems, which bears out the traditional use for ringworm and thrush. The ethanolic extract of the root has shown that it can inhibit the growth of cancer cells and it has strong antioxidant properties. It has also been shown to have liver protective actions.

  Once again modern medical research is catching up with ancient healing practices.