Plants

There are approximately 400,000 known plant species on earth and certainly thousands more yet to be discovered. From those known 400,000 it is argued that (more than) half of them are edible for humans. But humans have chosen to only eat 200 species, pretty unadventurous for humans who claim that they are adventurous beings. Approximately two thousand plant species are discovered every year. The question you may ask yourself is, why must we care about the plants?  The answer to this question is not very complicated yet not understood by many. Plants in relation with microbes in the soil are the foundation to our ecosystems and basically the foundations of the world’s survival and also ours. It is known that plants are the providers of the oxygen we breathe. That is not all, they provide us with delicious fruits, nuts, leaves and also other edible parts of them. Besides being edible, most of them serve for medicinal purposes in traditional and some pharmaceutical drugs and medicines...

To find food that are indeed healthy for you may be a challenge. In the previous blog posts we’ve focussed on some plants and their share in a healthy diet. This blog post is not different from those. In this blogpost we will focus on the Pistachio nut, its nutritional and health benefits. Sit back, get your nuts and let’s dive into the healthy world of the Pistachio nut:  Pistachio tree  The pistachio tree ( Pistacia vera ), has wide-spreading branches but rarely exceeds 9 metres  and is also part of the cashew family (Anacardiaceae). Pistachio is popular for   its edible seeds, grown in dry lands in warm or temperate climates. The pistachio tree is believed to be indigenous to Iran. It is widely cultivated from Afghanistan to the Mediterranean region and in California. The seed kernels, greenish by color,  can be eaten fresh or roasted and are commonly used in a variety of desserts such as ice cream. Pistachio “nuts”  are drupes just like Almonds, as disc...

The plant kingdom is very fascinating. Besides the leaves and fruits, they also provide a wide variety of edible roots, stems and seeds. The almond tree is an example of providing  edible seeds. The almond seed (or for the convenience we will call it just almond) is one of the many fascinating edible seeds, with a lot of nutritional and health benefits. In this blog we will discuss 9 facts about the almond seed.  The almond tree Almond seeds are logically seeds of almond trees. Almond trees are native to Iran and the surrounding countries and can grow up to 10 meters. This tree is believed to grow in Mediterranean climates, still it is widespread into more tropical parts of the world. There are two variants of almonds , the sweet and bitter ones. The sweet almonds ( Prunus dulcis variety dulcis) are commonly used for consumption. The oil of bitter almonds ( Prunus dulcis variety amara)  is used in the manufacture of flavouring extracts for foods and liqueurs, though pr...

Oranges, limes, key limes, grapefruits, lemon and the list goes on. All of the aforementioned fruits are part of the Citrus family. All of us have consumed these delicious, sometimes sour fruits. They are known for their richness in vitamin C. But what else do you know about the citrus family? In this blog we will look at 7 interesting facts about the citrus family.  Full of Vitamin C and other nutrients Citrus fruits are an excellent source of vitamin C, a nutrient that strengthens the immune system and keeps your skin smooth and elastic. In fact, just one medium orange has all the vitamin C you need in a day .Citrus fruits also have good amounts of other vitamins and minerals that your body needs to function properly, including B vitamins, potassium, phosphorous, magnesium and copper. Additionally, they are rich in plant compounds that have various health benefits, including anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects.These compounds include over 60 varieties of flavonoids, caroten...

Humans are known to consume the roots of many plants. Most of them have medicinal powers, dietary- and health benefits. Some of the most popular roots( root vegetables) we consume ranging from yams to turnips and from sweet potato to beats. In this blog we will discuss one of the “super” roots, called ginger. We will look at 7 facts about ginger.  Ginger is a root. Ginger ( Zingiber officinale ) is a flowering plant whose rhizome, ginger root or ginger, is widely used as a spice and a folk medicine. It is a herbaceous perennial which grows annual pseudostems (false stems made of the rolled bases of leaves) about one meter tall bearing narrow leaf blades. The inflorescences bear pale yellow with purple flowers and arise directly from the rhizome on separate shoots.                 Long lost cousin of Turmeric.  Turmeric ( Curcuma longa) and Ginger ( Zingiber officinale) are both part of the ginger family ( Zingiberaceae ). The...

Ferrero Rocher, Hershey’s, Toblerone, Cadbury and many more are among the most popular chocolate brands. They produce a wide variety of chocolaty treats.Chocolate is one of the most popular and craved food/snack.The majority of people love this sweet treat, but how much do you know about chocolate? In this blog we will discuss 10 facts about chocolate.  Chocolate is a product of the Cocoa tree.  The cocoa tree is native to tropical regions. The fruits of this plant are harvested for their beans, cocoa beans, to make chocolate. The seeds are dried up, roasted and fermented, then liquidize to create chocolate. Chocolate liquor, cocoa solids, cocoa butter are some other products made with the cocoa beans.       Chocolate is bitter.  Real chocolate-lovers and chocolate enthusiasts will already know this, but for those unfamiliar with this it may come as a shock. The cocoa beans have a bitter taste by nature. To let the chocolate most of us consume taste sweeter...