WHAT IS CHOI MOI PLANT? TICKLE ME PLANT: MEDICINAL USES AND BENEFITS OF TICKLE ME PLANT: CHILD'S PET PLANT

TICKLE ME PLANT, CHOI MOI, MIMOSA PUDICA

The Tickle Me plant is called Choi Moi (pronounced chouyi mouyi) in Urdu and grows wild in Pakistan. Children love to find it and touch its leaves which immediately curl up tight. For this reason it is also called the sensitive plant, the humble plant, Touch Me Not, and probably a lot of other names all relating to its shrinking qualities; even the Latin name pudica means shy.

   There is of course a scientific explanation for this shrinking phenomenon, and this is that the stem has some areas in it which release chemicals which force water out of the cells causing them to collapse when the leaves are touched. The plant has a nyctinastic movement which means that the leaves close at night or in response to darkness, and open when exposed to light. However it captivates young children and is grown in the house in Pakistan to entertain them.

   Mimosa pudica is a pan-tropical weed and an invasive species in some parts of the United States, but before you uproot it, if it’s invading your garden, you may want to consider its health benefits. On the other hand if you grow crops that need to be hand-picked it can be a nuisance and is a problem to growers of tomatoes, sugar cane, papaya and coffee for example. However even for those farmers it has some benefits as the root nodules are nitrogen fixers so help the soil regain its balance.

 This plant has been used in traditional medicine on the Indian subcontinent for centuries, and the roots have been used for their wound healing properties, as a febrifuge (to relieve fevers), as a diuretic and for their antispasmodic and astringent properties. A decoction of the leaves or an infusion has been used to treat asthma as they have expectorant qualities. As a poultice they are used to relieve glandular swellings, and the bruised leaves are good to put on bruises. They are also used to relieve anxiety and hypertension and are a muscle relaxant according to traditional healers or hakims. In some parts of India the plant is used as a contraceptive for women, and for uterine problems. In China the plant is used to treat depression and anxiety. Although the leaves and roots are primarily used in traditional medicine the flowers and fruit (seeds) are also used.

   Surprisingly there have been many medical studies of this plant and it has been shown to be effective in treating women with uterine bleeding or menorrhagia with an extract of the root powder being used. The root extract has also been found to heal wounds and to help treat gastric ulcers, and t help in spinal cord dysfunctions. It has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, so is useful in treating rheumatoid inflammation. It has also shown to have antifertility properties in mice, although humans have not been tested. Mimosa pudica has also been shown to have antibacterial effects on bacteria such as E.coli, and there are studies underway to test its efficacy as an anti-cancer treatment for ovarian cancer and the new alkaloid discovered in it, mimosine, is being tested for its potential for yielding new chemotherapeutic compounds. Other studies include investigating its nerve regeneration potential and as an anti-diabetic, and anti-depressant.

   The seeds have apparently also been used as a coffee substitute, and in Ayurvedic medicine the plant is used to treat impotence and general debility. It is also used in the treatment of diarrhoea and dysentery, skin problems and bronchial complaints.

    If it grows in your garden, don’t be too hasty about getting rid of it.

  

COMMON OR ENGLISH IVY: MEDICINAL BENEFITS OF HEDERA HELIX, USES AND HISTORY: IVY LEAF TISANE

COMMON OR ENGLISH IVY, HEDERA HELIX

There are several types of ivy, one being ground ivy which, as its name suggests, grows on the ground, providing ground cover. However this English Ivy or Common ivy grows up walls and trees, only flowering (in late October until December and then producing berries in the following spring) when it is firmly established and has support, for example when it has reached the top of a wall and can bush out. It is an evergreen and for the Druids was a sacred plant, the female counterpart of the masculine holly. The Druids used it to bring dreams which foretold the future. Together with mistletoe and holly it is traditionally used to decorate houses at Christmas time. This is a pagan tradition which stood the test of time even though the Church banned such decorations. This ancient verse illustrates the pagan roots of the ivy:-

     On Christmass Ivy

    At Christmass men do ivy always get                                    

    And in each corner of the house it set;

    But why do they then use that Bacchus-weed?

    Because they mean, then, Bacchus-like to feed.”

This refers to the fact that Bacchus, or Dionysus, his Greek counterpart, was depicted wearing wreaths of ivy leaves on his head. The Bacchanalian rites were orgies and feasts, and the Christmas meal is probably a throwback to these times. People gorge themselves on as much rich food as they can in Britain at Christmas time, so the orgies tend not to take place anymore. Its associations with Bacchus are strong, as it grows plentifully at the reputed home of Bacchus, Nyssa. The ivy leaves also formed a poet laureate’s crown. Ivy leaves when bruised and gently boiled in wine were thought to remove the effects of a hangover by the ancient Greeks. They would also tie a vine of ivy leaves around their foreheads to prevent intoxication from drinking wine.

   Ancient Greek priests would present a newly married couple with an ivy wreath as a symbol of fidelity and steadfastness and the binding together of the couple. There is an old Celtic poem which begins “The sweet harp of Wales” which also speaks of its binding qualities.

     “And golden mistletoe I’ll bring thee,

       With ivy-bands to bind it there…”

   In Britain an ivy bush was a symbol for a tavern, and many pubs still bear the ancient name of “The Ivy Bush”, hence the saying, “Good wine needs no bush”. In other words good wine needs no advertising.

   With other evergreen plants, ivy has had its place at funerals, and it has not always been recommended as a medicine; Dioscorides writing in the first century AD believed that it caused sterility. Culpepper tells us “It is an enemy to the nerves and sinews taken inwardly, but most excellent taken outwardly.” It is a member of the ginseng family, and has been used in traditional medicine both in Europe and Asia since ancient times. The twigs of the ivy, boiled in butter were a remedy for sunburn. It has also been used to treat arthritis, burns, cancer, coughs, as an expectorant and decongestant of the lungs, for gallbladder problems, gout, inflammation, lice and other parasites, scabies, skin problems disorders of the spleen, nerve damage (neuropathy), jaundice, rheumatic diseases, duodenal ulcers and whooping cough.

   The Physicians of Myddfai (from the 8^th century AD to the early 19^th century) recommended a mixture of the “inner bark of the ivy and the leaves of the honeysuckle, bruising them well together in a mortar, expressing them through a clean linen cloth into both nostrils, the patient lying on his back” for relief from toothache.

    If you want to make a tisane from the leaves they need to be dried first and you should only use 0.3 grams in a cup of boiling water. Ivy is poisonous if taken in large doses, and should not be used for children or pregnant or lactating women.

 The leaves contain chromium, manganese and zinc and modern medical research has shown that they may help reduce blood glucose levels for treatment in cases of diabetes. Studies have also shown that an extract from the leaves can help children with asthma and adults with chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases. Animal studies have shown that the leaf extract may have anti-cancer and antioxidant properties. The German Commission E has approved the leaf extract for use in the treatment of coughs and chronic inflammatory bronchial conditions as an expectorant, and it is often used in cough medicines. The leaf contains saponins and the alkaloid emetine which induces vomiting and increases mucus in the lungs, but as the ivy leaf only contains small amounts of this, it may explain why it has been traditionally used as an expectorant. The saponins appear to be responsible for preventing spasms in the bronchial area.  It has been found that ivy leaf extract is effective in increasing oxygen in the lungs and the recommended dose of the extract for children with asthma is 25 drops per day and 50 for adults with bronchitis as it is an effective anti-inflammatory in bronchial conditions. A wash made from the leaf has been used to treat yeast infections such as candida, and a cream for external use is made from ivy leaves, horsetail and Lady’s Mantle to reduce, but not eliminate stretch marks.

   Ivy is native to Europe, and North and Central Asia, but it grows in many countries, although not the Hedera helix variety. Ground ivy never flowers, so only the Common ivy has berries for the birds to feast on. Its flowers do not have any fragrance, but they do have nectar for bees, although there aren’t many around when it actually blooms. If you were born between September 30^th and October 27^th, according to the old Celtic calendar you were born under the ivy’s influence as this was the month of “Gort” or ivy.

  

 

WHAT IS DATURA? THORNAPPLE: A POISONOUS NARCOTIC PLANT

DATURA STRAMONIUM, THORNAPPLE

There are many Datura species, and some which were formerly classed as Datura have been separately categorized into the genus Brugmansia. One of these is the Trumpet Flower tree, which I first saw growing wild in southern Turkey, near Antalya. They are truly magnificent flowers although at the time I was told that they were highly poisonous; all the Datura and Brugmansia species are.

   The thornapple grows in Britain but has not really become naturalized there. However the herbalist Gerard, writing in the late 16^th century had this to say about it,

  “the juice of thornapple, boiled with hogs grease, cureth all inflammations whatsoever, all manner of burnings and scaldings, as well of fire, water, boiling lead, gunpowder, as that which comes by lightning and that in very short time, as I myself have found in daily practice, to my great credit and profit.”

Brugmansia

  At the time it grew wild and in gardens for ornamental and medicinal purposes. However it is also called stinkweed as the leaves emit a foetid stench when bruised (hence the common appellation for this plant; Stinkweed), although the flowers are quite fragrant. The leaves were once listed in all Pharmacopoeias but in the early 20^th century they were reviewed annually in some countries. They were used for respiratory purposes as they have antispasmodic effects as well as being anodyne. The leaves and seeds especially are narcotic and have been used by bandits such as the assassins in India to drug victims and cause a deep sleep as they have narcotic and sedative effects. In Turkey it is believed that they were smoked by the poor who could not afford opium. The plant used for such purposes in India was and is Datura metel (an indigenous species) which if ingested can cause acute confusion in less than one hour. In India it is used in rituals and ceremonies for the god Shiva, and the flowers are strewn in his temples. It was believed that the plant first grew from Shiva’s chest. Datura fastiosa also grows in India, where it is an indigenous species and both also grow in Pakistan.

Datura metel

  In Peru the indigenous people brewed an intoxicating drink from the seeds which could apparently cause delirium and stupefaction if taken in large doses. The Chinese use the flowers of fastiosa in herbal preparations. Arabs in Africa used to smoke the dried leaves, flowers and seeds in hookahs as a remedy for asthma and flu. Today people smoke the dried leaves and seeds for their narcotic effects as well as to relieve asthma. It is said that the inhalation of the smoke from such a mixture relaxes the muscles and kills pain as well as relieving inflammation caused by rheumatism and other ailments.

  It has been used by shamans in different cultures for predicting the future, as a way of opening the doors to communication with spirits and was thought to have been utilized in this way by the priests and priestess of Apollo at Delphi before they read the oracle.

   It has been linked to the Salem witch trials and as it causes hallucinations, it may have been integral in these. Don’t touch this plant and then rub your eyes as it can cause loss of vision. It’s one of the few wild plants that animals won’t eat, and there have been many accidental deaths because of this plant’s poisonous properties.

  The thornapple variety of Datura is thought by some to have originated in Russia, around the Black Sea, as it grows wild as far as Siberia from that region. The Indian varieties are thought to have been spread to Europe by gypsies. Some species are native to the South American continent and were found by the early Jamestown colonists who recorded its effects. It is from this that it gets the names Jamestown-weed and Jimson-weed, the latter being a corruption of the former name. However it also goes by some other more colourful names such as Devil’s apple, Devil’s Trumpet, and Apple of Peru.

     It gets the name Thornapple from the seed pod which has spines on its outer casing. The seeds have the ability to remain dormant for long periods and can then germinate when conditions are right.

 Both the Nazis and the Americans investigated the plant for its truth telling potential but it would seem that the results of their experiments were inconclusive.

  The plant looks pretty, smells awful and is extremely dangerous and can kill,like aak, so the best advice is to steer clear of it and only use it when prescribed by a physician who knows what he/she is doing. It is psychotropic and can cause hallucinations which may not always be as happy as some would have you believe. It isn’t an upper by any stretch of the imagination.

ROWAN OR MOUNTAIN ASH TREE: HEALTH BENEFITS, USES AND MYTHS OF MOUNTAIN ASH: ROWAN BERRY JELLY RECIPE

THE ROWAN TREE OR MOUNTAIN ASH, SORBUS AUCUPARIA

The Rowan tree is also called the Mountain Ash because it grows at high altitudes and varieties of it can be found in the mountains of western China and the Himalayas. It isn’t an ash tree but is so called because the shape of its leaves is similar to those of the ash. The Sorbus americana has much the same properties as the European Sorbus aucuparia, or Pyrus aucuparia as it is also called. It is a member of the rose family of plants and is closely related to the crab apple and pear trees. The berries are called pomes as the seeds are surrounded by an endocarp around which is the fleshy fruit; in this way the berries are similar to loquats and quinces.

  Mountain Ash (Aberpennar) is also a town in South Wales in Rhondda Cynon, which is mountainous, and the Mountain Ash grows wild in the Welsh mountains. In earlier times the Welsh brewed beer with rowan berries and John Evelyn wrote that it was an “incomparable drink”.Unfortunately the recipe is said to be lost. The Irish flavoured their mead with the berries while the Scots made them into a spirit. It is also cultivated as an ornamental tree. Rowan berries are not poisonous and can be made into jams and a tart jelly (see recipe below) which goes well with game and wild fowl.

   The tree can grow to a height of 30 metres and can be 20 metres in diameter. The fresh and dried berries are used in medicine as is the bark. In times of scarcity, the berries have been dried and ground into flour. The bark and berries can be made into a black dye, and this was used by the Druids to colour the garments they wore in their lunar ceremonies. They also had staffs of rowan wood, and the tree is the symbol of the second month of the old Celtic tree calendar (January 21^st – February 17^th). It was the wood from this tree which was used for runes, and in Norse mythology we are told that the first woman was made from the Rowan tree, while the first man was made from the Alder.

   Greek mythology tells a different tale however; Hebe the daughter of Zeus and Hera was the cup-bearer of the gods and one day the cup of her father Zeus, fell into the hands of a demon. Zeus was wrathful and sent an eagle to retrieve his cup from the demon. In the battle that followed, wherever the eagle’s feathers landed on earth, a Rowan tree grew, and the blood-red berries are from the eagle’s blood. This myth also explains its feather-like leaves.

   It was believed that the tree offered great protection against witchcraft and people would wear twigs or rowan tied with a red thread, to protect themselves from enchantment. There is an ancient proverb: - “Rowan tree and red thread, put the witches’ tine to speed.” (Witches would hasten away from the tree.) It could be that the five pointed star shape under each berry was believed to protect from evil, as this pentagram sign is believed to be magical.

   In Wales there is an old superstition that if you cut down a rowan tree, then the faeries that were imprisoned in it would wreak their vengeance not only on the person who felled it but also on the whole community. The tree is not to be cut with a knife, but the twigs can be used to divine where metal lies in the earth.

   Because of its white flowers, like the elder tree and the hawthorn, it is believed to be a goddess tree and in Iceland it is thought that the bare tree when covered in frost in winter it looks as though it is covered in stars, so is a moon-tree. Moon trees were decorated with lights and fruit in mid-winter to remind people that even in those dark days there was hope of a brighter spring. Some people think that these moon trees were the forerunners of the Christmas tree tradition.

  In Northern Europe the ‘flying rowan trees’, those rooted in rocky clefts but not appearing to be rooted in the earth, gave a special protection against witchcraft. There is also a myth that the Rowan was the first tree and that all other trees are descended from it.

   In traditional medicine, the ripe berries are made into a decoction (boiled in water and allowed to cool) and used as a gargle for sore throats. This is also supposed to be good for piles as it has astringent properties. At one time the berries were used as a treatment for scurvy because of their high vitamin C content.  A decoction of the bark is said to be good for diarrhoea. The bark has astringent qualities as do all parts of the tree, and has been used in the tanning industry.

   Before they ripen the berries contain tartaric acid, and on ripening, citric and malic acid, they also contain carotene and also xylitol which is a sugar substitute used in diabetic diets, which is found in plums, raspberries and strawberries. It has been found to inhibit the growth of pneumococci and so is effective against some respiratory ailments.

    Little research has actually been carried out on the properties of rowan berries, but they are said to be good for sinusitis.

   Wood from the Rowan tree is used to make poles, hoops and barrels, and the trees are useful to protect young oak saplings in plantations as they grow quickly to 10 feet and do not give too much shade, so they protect the saplings until they are strong enough to brave the elements.

ROWAN BERRY JELLY

Ingredients

1 kg rowan berries, cleaned and washed

400 ml water

pectin

Method

Put the berries and water in a pan and cook on a low heat until they start to simmer.

Remove from the heat and allow to steep overnight.

Strain the liquid through a piece of muslin or cheesecloth. There should be about a litre of juice.

Add the pectin and follow the instructions on the packet.

This can be stored in jars in a cool dark place and used to serve with game or wild fowl.

This has Taste and is a Treat.

WHAT IS BAJRA? MILLET: MEDICINAL BENEFITS AND USES OF MILLET: HOW TO MAKE MILLET SALAD

MILLET OR BAJRA IN URDU, PENNISETUM GLAUCUM

Bajra is pearl millet, one of 6000 varieties of millet world wide. The grains range in colour from pale yellow through to grey, white and even red. Pearl millet is the most widely cultivated in Asia and Africa, with Foxtail or Italian millet (Setaria italica) coming a close second. Millet ranks as the sixth most important grain in the world.

 In the West we tend to think of it as the main component of bird seed and if you have ever kept a budgerigar or other bird, then you will know the long grins that you hung in the cage were millet. It might surprise you to know that millet was a staple grain in Europe until the introduction of corn and rice. It was also one of the first grains to be cultivated and is thought to have originated in Ethiopia, where today it is still used to make the flat bread called injera. It is also used in parts of India to make chapattis or roti.

  In Pakistan pearl millet is grown as a main ingredient for poultry feed, and not generally ground into flour. However, millet is becoming popular in the West once again as it is gluten free. In Eastern Europe it is made into kashka a type of porridge for breakfast and it can be very tasty, especially if you take the time to dry fry it for a few minutes before cooking it as in the recipe below.

   Millet is extremely nutritious, containing as it does high amounts of the minerals manganese, magnesium, phosphorous and smaller amounts of copper, iron, zinc, calcium and selenium. Millet also has the B-complex vitamins, niacin and riboflavin, and many amino acids such as tryptophan, and vitamins E and K plus the Omega-3 and -6 fatty acids. This means that it isn’t just bird food, as our prehistoric ancestors realized judging by the finds archaeologists made in Switzerland in the Stone Age settlements of the lake Dwellers. Surprisingly perhaps it was also once the staple grain used in China before rice took over that position. (It has been cultivated in China since 2700 BC.)

   The phytonutrients in millet and the lignans (such as are found in flax seeds) have potent antioxidant properties and help protect against heart disease. Magnesium can help reduce the severity of asthma and also reduce the incidence of migraines.

   The ancients used millet in breads and other foods, and Herodotus who was not usually known for his reticence in telling tall tales, when he described millet would not say how tall the millet grown in Assyria could become, in case his readers did not believe him. One wonders if they believed his tales of how the phoenix protected some of the spices and incense products of the ancient world.

    To cook millet, you have to wash it thoroughly under cold running water and then pick it over to remove any small stones or other debris which might have found their way into the grains. Dry it and then dry fry it for an added nutty flavour.

 

MILLET SALAD

Ingredients

1 cup millet, dry fried

2 cups water or chicken stock

1 sprig rosemary

1 tsp thyme or ajwain

2 tsps olive oil

1 cucumber, peeled and sliced

3 carrots, grated

1 red pepper, chopped

1 yellow pepper chopped

4 tomatoes, peeled and sliced

vinaigrette for tossing the salad

salt and pepper to taste

Method

Boil two cups of water and add the millet and bring back to the boil. Cover and simmer for 25 mins. Stir occasionally and add 2 tsps olive oil to prevent it sticking.

Put the salad ingredients into a bowl and make the vinaigrette with 2 part olive oil to 1 part vinegar adding herbs of your choice, or spices.

When the millet is cooked, fluff up with a fork and if you are not using immediately, rinse under cold running water so that the grains remain separate and fluffy.

Add this to the salad and toss with the vinaigrette.

This has Taste and is a Treat.

  

TIGER NUTS: MEDICINAL BENEFITS AND USES OF TIGER NUTS: TIGER NUT MILK RECIPE

TIGER NUTS, CYPERUS ESCULENTUS, CHUFA

Tiger nuts, from the Cyperus family have been with us for millennia. They were cultivated by the ancient Egyptians and found in paintings in the tomb of Rekhmire. In the tomb was an inscription detailing how to make small loaves of a mixture of tiger nuts and honey. This is that ancient recipe: - First of all a quantity of tiger nuts should be ground in a mortar until they are of the consistency of flour. Put this in a bowl with honey and mix to form a dough. Then put the mixture in a pan with a little fat and cook over a low fire until a firm paste has formed. This should smell toasted but not burnt. Remove the pan from the heat and allow to cool then take a little of the paste at a time and form into conical “loaves.” This was probably one of Rekhmire’s favourite foods and the recipe would have been written down so that it could be made for him in the next world.

   Cyperus esculentus loves to grow in marshy ground and is a member of the sedge family so it is a relative of Nut Grass. It is also known as Yellow Nut Sedge. Other names for tiger nuts include Earth almond and Zulu nuts. It is related to Cyperus papyrus which grew abundantly in ancient Egypt along the banks of the Nile, and from which paper was made. It is also related to Cyperus rotunda which grows in south Asia. The later has been used in the Indian subcontinent in medicine for centuries, as a remedy for all manner of ailments.

 Medical trials of this have shown that it has anti-inflammatory and immunostimulatory properties and it is useful in the treatment of atherosclerosis. This plant is known as motha or nagarmotha in Hindi and mustak or mustaki in Sanskrit. It has been proven to have potent antioxidant properties just like the tiger nuts from Cyperus esculentus, which come from Spain, and are cultivated in the Valencia area.

tiger nut crop drying

   Spanish tiger nuts have come under close scrutiny lately and it has been found that the oil obtained from them has similar properties to olive oil. This plant’s aerial parts look like those of rice or vetiver. Tiger nuts are also more nutritious (and I think tastier than peanuts). They contain minerals: - chromium, sodium, phosphorous, magnesium, manganese, iron, copper and zinc, and have a high vitamin E and C content. Apart from all these beneficial ingredients, they also contain all the amino acids and some of the B-complex vitamins. They are suitable for diabetics and can be eaten raw, roasted or dried.

   They have been known for 4000 years, and are not actually a nut but a small tuber, which is high in fibre, proteins and natural sugars. They are a good source of energy and have a rather curious flavour, which is a little like caramel, and this is perhaps more pronounced because they are chewy.

   Tiger nuts are grown from April through to September, the dried during September and October until they are finally harvested in November/December. Like rice they need irrigation on a weekly basis, and seem to be particularly well adapted to the climate around the Spanish Mediterranean coast. 

They are also grown in Egypt where they are used in perfumes, food and medicine. You may have had ice cream flavoured with them or biscuits. It has been shown that they can help prevent heart attacks and thrombosis and that they increase blood circulation, as they, as well as their Asian relatives have potent antioxidant properties. They can also help to decrease the risk of some cancers including colon cancer partly due it would appear to the high content of soluble glucose in the nuts.

   Keen anglers love tiger nuts as they are an excellent bait for carp. Another interesting fact about the Cyperus rotunda from Asia is that it is used to increase the size of female breasts! (So is imli or tamarind of course.) Cyperus esculentus is classed as a noxious weed in California and is on the B list there.

 In Ayurvedic medicine, rotunda is used for mental problems including psychosis, as an emmenogogue, for wound healing, for poor eyesight, to regulate body weight, improve digestion, for skin disorders, as well as for helping uterine contractions in child birth.

  Below is a recipe for a refreshing drink which has been made in Spain for centuries.

HOCHATA DE CHUFAS (TIGER NUT “MILK”)

Ingredients

250 gr tiger nuts

200 gr sugar

1½ litres of water

lemon rind, grated

1 cinnamon stick and a little cinnamon powder

Method

Soak the tiger nuts in several changes of water for 24 hours.

Grind the tiger nuts and then blend with the lemon zest in ½ litre of water.

Add the rest of the water and stir well, then strain through a layer of cloth.

Now add the sugar and cinnamon stick and keep stirring it until the sugar dissolves.

Put in the fridge to chill for at least 2 hours and serve in glasses of crushed ice, sprinkled with a little cinnamon powder.

This has Taste and is a Treat.

SNOWDROPS: HEALTH BENEFITS PROVEN BY MEDICAL SCIENCE

SNOWDROPS, GALANTHUS NIVALIS

Snowdrops are native to Europe, and their original range extended from the Pyrenees to Ukraine eastward and from Germany and Poland through to southern Italy, Albania and northern Greece. They became naturalized in northern Europe including the British Isles.

  Writing in the latter part of the 16^th century Gerard says that they were a garden flower, and said “Nothing is set down hereof by the ancient writers, nor anything observed by the moderne” as regards their medicinal properties. However we now know that Gerard was wrong. The Bulbous Violet as the snowdrop was called then was mentioned in an old glossary dating from 1465, under the name “Leucis i viola alba” or the white violet, stating that it was an emmenogogue, used to regulate menstruation. It can also be found under narcissi in other old manuscripts and these say that it was a “digestive, resolutive and consolidante” so Gerard hadn’t done his homework too well.

   Snowdrops also go by the name “Fair Maid of February” which is when it pushes its head up through the winter snows, bringing with it the promise of spring and life and rebirth after the cold of winter. It was one of my grandmother’s favourite flowers as was the blue violet. Legend has it that when Adam and Eve were thrown out of the Garden of Eden it was winter on Earth and snowing. Eve cried for the warmth of Paradise and God took pity on her and transformed some snowflakes into snowdrops to console her. Hence they are now the flower of Hope.

   The Druids traveled before they settled in the British Isles and it is possible that they knew of the healing properties of the snowdrop, as in Celtic mythology it is the flower of the Triple goddess, Brigit, goddess of poetry and inspiration, of healing and of the blacksmiths arts. She was the goddess of the New Moon and of flame hearth and the smithy. The Celtic nation of Brigantia was once in parts of Spain, Brittany and the British Isles, and as the snowdrop was native to Spain, the Celts would have known of it. Whatever the case, their healing was lost in the period of the introduction of Christianity and we may only now be beginning to rediscover what they knew of the healing powers of plants. A German legend says that snow got its whiteness from the snowdrop as it wanted a colour and god said it should ask plants and animals for some of theirs. Only the snowdrop was willing to share its colour with the snow and so it is white.

  It is believed that snowdrops were taken to the British Isles by monks from Italy, as they were grown in old monastery gardens.

   William Wordsworth wrote lines “On seeing a Tuft of Snowdrops” in 1819: -

  …these frail snowdrops together cling,

 And nod their helmets, smitten by the wing

 Of many a furious whirl-blast sweeping by”

And this “whirl-blast” seems to accurately describe the way Alzheimer’s patients must feel. It is perhaps apt that modern medical research has shown that galanthamine or galantamine, extracted from snowdrops may be able to help Alzheimer’s sufferers.

   A Russian pharmacologist visiting Bulgaria observed a peasant woman treating children with poliomyelitis with a concoction made from snowdrop bulbs, and was amazed when they recovered without any signs of paralysis. Later, in 1951, another Russian pharmacologist, Mashkovsky, discovered galanthamine in the snowdrop Galanthus woronwii and this has been used in Eastern Europe for the alleviation of neuromuscular ailments including neuralgia and neuritis. It enhances the neurotransmissions in the brain, so was used for poliomyelitis.

   Now in the West, snowdrop lectin (Galanthus nivalis agglutinin) from Galanthus nivalis is being studied for its potential activity against HIV. It is also a powerful insecticide. Galanthamine is used in the treatment of traumatic injuries to the nervous system too.

  It seems as though the humble snowdrop has a lot of health benefits for us that we probably hadn’t realized.

BLUEBELLS FAIRY FLOWERS: SUPERSTITIONS, USES AND BENEFITS OF BLUEBELLS.

BLUEBELLS, HYACINTHOIDES NONSCRIPTA

Bluebells are native to the British Isles and Ireland, although there seems to be a little confusion surrounding them. The “bluebell of Scotland” is the harebell, Campinula rotundifolia which is a completely different flower. This is usually a single flower on a stalk, but bluebells have many bell shaped flowers on a single stalk, and the native British bluebell has a heady fragrance. The invading species of Spanish bluebell is Hyacinthoides hispanica, which is easy to distinguish from the British variety as it doesn’t have a fragrance, has paler blue flowers, is taller, is more upright and has wider leaves. The British variety is now a protected species, under the 1998 Wildlife and Countryside Act so unfortunately it is illegal to collect them. However they were abundant in the woods where I grew up and there were no restrictions on picking them, although no one I knew ever uprooted them. This may have been because of an ancient superstition, which says that anyone who picks or damages a bluebell will die because they are fairy flowers. It was thought that the fairies rang the bluebells to call a fairy meeting and any human who heard the bells ringing would die, or fall under the enchantment of the fairies. In some parts of the country it was believed that you shouldn’t walk into a ring of bluebells because you would fall under a spell or die. They are sometimes called Dead Man’s Bells. When I was young I had no idea that they were a flower of doom, but knew them as fairy flowers, which was not something to fear.

    Another superstition is that if someone wears a garland of bluebells they are compelled to tell the truth. Also if you are a young woman and can turn a single bluebell flower inside out without tearing or damaging it, you will win the one you love.

   The Daily Telegraph newspaper in Britain keeps a close watch on bluebells and got very excited in 2009 and again in may 2010 when white bluebells were found. I have often seen them growing along with pink ones and knew they were rare, although I hadn’t realized (because there were always a fair number of them) that a white bluebell occurs once in every 10,000. We had pink ones in the woods too and these are even rarer, I have since learned. In 2008 it reported that the bluebells had flowered a month early on the 3^rd of March, possibly because of global warming.

  Bluebells along with wild wood anemones, foxgloves, primroses, sorrel and dog violets indicate places where ancient forests (pre1600) once stood. If you have these in your garden, then it is likely that your house in built on ancient forest land.

   These flowers attract bees and butterflies, and the 19^th century poet laureate, Alfred, Lord Tennyson, waxed poetically lyrical about them. Here are some of his lines:

     “In the month when earth and sky are one,

      To squeeze the bluebell ‘gainst the adder’s bite”

And “The heaven’s upbreaking through the earth” was how he described the bluebell in flower, which it does normally around April and May. Juice from the bluebell stems was an old remedy for poisonous bites; the adder mentioned by Tennyson is the viper, the only poisonous snake native to the British Isles.

   Britain actually has 30% of the world’s population of bluebells, which grow in North America, North Africa, Western Europe, the Iberian Peninsula and Central France. They can also be found along the Mediterranean as far as Italy.

   The plant was first called Hyacinthus by the botanist Linnaeus, because of their resemblance to the wild hyacinth which meant that he associated it with the Greek myth of the youth Hyacinth who was beloved of Apollo the Sun god and Zephyrus the god of the West Wind. Hyacinth loved Apollo best and the jealous West Wind sent a quoit in the wrong direction while Hyacinth was playing quoits with Apollo, and he was killed by its blow. In his grief, Apollo caused a hyacinth flower to grow from the blood of Hyacinth and the letters Ai Ai (alas, alas) were written on it. The bluebell was called Hyacinth nonscripta because it was not written upon.

   In the language of flowers the bluebell means constancy, humility and gratitude and is a symbol of humility and gratitude.

  Traditionally the bluebell root was used as a styptic (which stops bleeding by contracting the bleed vessels and tissue) and diuretic, and also as a substitute for starch when huge white ruffs were fashionable (Elizabethan and Jacobean times). The bulb contains inulin and mucilage and trials are underway to teat the efficacy of the bluebell for the treatments of infections stemming from HIV and cancer treatments, but the trials are still in the early stages.

HOW TO MAKE SPICY APPLE SOUP: IDEAL FOR WINTER: EASY AND TASTY RECIPE

WINTER APPLE SOUP

A tasty soup to help ward off colds and flu as it has vitamins and minerals that boost the immune system.

  Broken rice is rice that has been damaged during hulling and so is cheaper than perfect basmati rice. It is commonly used in Pakistan as an addition to soups (as here) or for desserts. Ordinary rice can be used too.

   You can also add crushed roasted chestnuts or shelled walnuts to this soup for added flavour and nutrition when you add the rice.

 

Ingredients

1 onion, chopped finely

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

½ inch ginger root, finely chopped

1 apple, peeled, cored and finely chopped

3 tbsps besan (chickpea flour)

3 tbsps tomato puree (peel and chop a tomato and fry to a paste)

1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

½ tsp garam masala

½ tsp ground coriander seeds

2 tbsps white vinegar

2 tbsps fresh lemon juice

salt to taste

2 tbsps butter

1 tbsp oil

2 glasses chicken stock

1 cup broken rice cleaned washed and soaked

6 glasses water

3-4 green chillies, chopped for garnish

Method

Heat the butter and oil over a low heat so that they don’t burn. Add the onion and fry until soft. Add garlic and ginger and cook for 1 min.

Add the besan and fry but stir so that it doesn’t burn.

Now add the tomato paste and the apple. Cook over a low heat for 5 mins taking care that they do not burn- stir well.

Add the chicken stock slowly and stir to mix completely. Then add the garam masala, coriander, black pepper and rice. Allow the soup to boil, and then add the vinegar, water and cook for 45 mins or until the mixture thickens.

Add the lemon juice and salt, garnish and serve.

If you want to you can keep this in the fridge until ready and just add a little more water and reheat.

This has Taste and is a Treat.

WHAT IS PIPPALI? PIPER LONGUM OR LONG PEPPER: MEDICINAL BENEFITS AND USES OF PIPPALI: LONG PEPPER PEARS RECIPE

LONG PEPPER, PIPER LONGUM, PIPPALI

There are two kinds of long pepper, one is Piper longum, which comes from the Indian subcontinent and the other is Piper retrofractum which grows in South East Asia, notably in Indonesia and Thailand and is sometimes referred to as Balinese pepper. Long pepper was known to the Romans and ancient Greeks and has been used in Ayurvedic medicine since time immemorial.

Theophrastus described it as “elongated and black and has seeds like those of the poppy…”He goes on to say that it was used as an antidote, along with other pepper as an antidote “for poisoning by hemlock.” In the first century AD Dioscorides describes it as “a tree that grows in India. It produces fruit, which is at first oblong-like pods; this is the long pepper, the contents of which closely resemble millet.” He says that it was used to treat poisonous bites. Parsimonious Pliny also refers to long pepper, “Long pepper is very easily adulterated with Alexandrian mustard; its price is 15 denarii per pound, while that of white pepper is 7 and of black, 4.” It actually reached Europe before black pepper did, and it was used in mediaeval cooking.

   It is dried and only a little is needed to flavour a dish. When it is fresh and wet it has a sweet taste but the drying process makes it much more pungent. It grows on a vine and is believed to be native to the Himalayan regions of the Indian subcontinent. Now it is cultivated in Assam, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh, where it is called pippali.

  It has traditionally been used to cure STDs, menstrual pain, TB, leprosy, chronic stomach pain, sleeping disorders, a diuretic, for relaxation of the muscles, to relieve tension and alleviate anxiety, to strengthen the immune system, treat respiratory problems, reduce fevers, as an abortifacient, an emmenogogue, for piles, recurrent fevers, to aid digestion, to boost reproductive functions and so as an aphrodisiac.

   A paste made from the peppers may be applied externally to painful swellings, and when mixed with ghee and honey as a remedy for coughs and TB. Long peppers and Indian gooseberries are used together to treat anaemia. This is a remedy for respiratory problems etc: 3 long peppers boiled in 4 parts milk to 1 part water, for a few minutes, and then drunk. You should take this for 10 days adding one long pepper a day, then for a further 10 days decrease the number of peppers per day by one. This is supposed to also be good for the treatment of recurrent fevers, piles and digestive problems. An infusion is also given after childbirth to expel the placenta.

   Modern medical research has shown that the long pepper had antifertility activity in rats, and that it has antiamoebic properties. It is also an analgesic (has the ability to relieve pain), has anti-tumour properties, and regulates the immune system. Research on the properties of the long pepper is ongoing. However it has proven to be an effective anti-inflammatory and is a diuretic.

   Long pepper is one of the spice ingredients of Ras el Hanout (a Moroccan spice mixture) and berbere which is an Ethiopian spice mixture which contains dried red chillies, long pepper, ginger, cinnamon, cloves and cardamom seeds. The following recipe is a Mediaeval one, and the proportions might not be quite right, so you will have to experiment.

LONG PEPPER PEARS

Ingredients

6 pears

 a little water

¼ pint white wine

2 tbsps sugar

1 vanilla pod

4-6 long peppers

Method

Stand the pears upright in a saucepan and add the liquids, vanilla pod and long peppers. Bring to a boil then cover and simmer for 20-30 mins or until the pears are tender.

This has Taste and is a Treat.

WHAT IS ALOO BUKHARA? PLUMS: MEDICINAL BENEFITS AND USES OF PLUMS: PLUM JAM RECIPE

PLUMS, PRUNES, ALOO BUKHARA

There are more than 2000 varieties of plum which grow around the world. The aloo bukhara, (which in Urdu means the potato of Bukhara, is in fact a corruption of  alu in Farsi, which means plum) grows in Iran, Iraq, Pakistan and India. Bukhara is a famous ancient city, and was founded long before AD 800 when the modern city was founded on an older site. It was the centre of learning along with Samarkand and is now situated in Uzbekistan. It is now famous in the region for its rare books which date from the 13^th century, (Genghis Khan destroyed the city in 1220, but it was rebuilt) when it was the centre of Sufi Islam. Now it is famous for carpets as well as rare books.

 It was an important centre of trade on the Great Silk Road. The plums come into season soon, and we are looking forward to their arrival as they help to ward ff colds and flu. The Latin name for these plums is Prunus bokharensis. They are eaten raw, cooked and dried, and can be used to clean metal. The name Bukhara comes from the Sanskrit, “vihara” meaning “monastery”

   All plum trees are thought to have originated in the area around the Caspian Sea, and were introduced into Britain by the Romans, it is thought. In Roman times there were 300 known varieties. These go under the general name of Prunus domestica. The pilgrims took plums with them to America. In The Vale of Evesham, in the UK plums have been commercially produced since the 19^th century and in Pershore there is an annual Plum Fayre held in August. I had a great aunt who lived close to Pershore and in plum season I particularly liked the Yellow Egg Plum, perhaps because of its name. It is said that this plum tree was found growing wild in nearby Tiddesley Wood in the early 19^th century and records show that in 1870, 900 tons were taken to market at the harvest. In Britain the most popular plum is probably the Victoria, and Pershore is also famous for this and the Pershore Purple, and more recently the Pershore Emblem.

Yellow egg plum

    Plums are related to almonds and apricots and are members of the rose family. It is best not to eat any part of the plum (especially the seeds) which is bitter as they contain amygdalin and prunasin which are water-soluble substances which form hydrocyanic acid which is extremely toxic. However, in small amounts, this stimulates respiration, improves digestion and gives a sense of well-being.

Plums also contain selenium which is probably responsible for this feeling. They also contain chromium, potassium and other minerals as well as the vitamins A and C so they help the eyesight and help the body to absorb iron. Plums also contain amino acids and Omega-6 fatty acid, and unique phytonutrients, neaocholorogenic acid and cholorogenic acid, which are classed as phenols, and have potent antioxidant properties. Regular consumption of plums can help to prevent cancer, heart disease and macular degeneration. Dried plums or prunes have a laxative effect and are used to cure constipation. However they are not as potent in this regards as jamalgota (Croton tiglium) which incidentally, you only need a pinch of to have the desired effect. Plums are also useful to asthma sufferers and those who have rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis.

U K plum

  Each species of plum has its individual stone, so archaeologists could tell which plums were carried on Henry VIII’s flagship the “Mary Rose” when it was raised from the seabed.

PLUM JAM

Ingredients

6 lbs plums

6 lbs sugar

1½ pints water

Method

Pakistani plum

Put the plums in the water and bring to a rolling boil. When tender lower the heat and the sugar. Stir continuously and bring to a rolling boil again. Test to see if it has reached setting point after 15 mins. You do this by putting a drop from a metal spoon onto a cold saucer, waiting for a minute or two then pushing it with your finger. If it wrinkles, it has reached setting point and you can turn off the heat.

You need sterile jars, warmed, to pour the jam into and wax paper to cover it, then cellophane and then put a secure lid on the jar.

This is wonderful with toast or in creamy desserts and custards.

This has Taste and is a Treat.