Posts filed under 'Place of Origin'
Tomato
Some things you might not know about tomatoes:
- There are around 7500 varieties of tomato grown
- They contain lycopene, one of the most powerful natural antioxidants.
- Technically a tomato fruit is classified as a berry
- The leaves of tomato plants are poisonous
- The heaviest tomato ever grown was one of 3.51 kg
Botanical Information
Family: Solanaceae
Scientific Name: Solanum lycopersicum L. (described here)
Etymology: Solanum (nightshade) lyco (wolf) persicum (peach)
Uses: Cooking, raw and cooked.
History: The tomato originated in the highlands of South America and was brought to europe by Spanish explorers in the late 15th or early 16th century.
October 30th, 2009
Some things you might not know about artichokes:
- are in the same family as lettuce.
- are a kind of thistle
- The core of the artichoke stem is edible as well – don’t throw it away!
- If you cook artichokes in an aluminum pot it will turn the pot grey.
Botanical Information
Family: Asteraceae (the daisy family).
Scientific Name: Cynara cardunculus L.
Etymology: articiocco, Northern Italy, a variant of Italian. arcicioffo, from Old Spanish, probably from influenced by the Italian ciocco for stump.
Uses: The flower buds are boiled or fried – often dipped in sauce (eg. hollandaise, aioli etc). The part that is eaten are the fleshy leaves or bracts surrounding the inflorescence.
August 10th, 2009
Some things you might not know about figs:
- There are about 800 species of figs.
- The ‘fruit’ that we eat is not a fruit, but actually a collection of flowers called an inflorescence.
- These flowers grow on the inside of the ‘fruit’.
- Each species of fig is usually pollinated by its own species of wasp in a symbiotic relationship.
- It is thought that figs could be the oldest cultivated crop (preceding wheat and rye by up to 1000 years).
- Figs have a higher quantity of fibre than any other dried or fresh fruit.
Botanical Information
Family: Moraceae
Scientific Name: Ficus L. ( the common edible fig is Ficus carica L. )
Etymology: Ficus is the Latin for fig (you get that with very old plants).
Uses: Figs can be eaten fresh or dried. Fresh figs don’t travel very well, so unless you are lucky enough to have your own tree, you can usually only buy dried figs.
History: Figs are an ancient plant and are mentioned in the Bible and the Qur’an.
Another species of fig is the Indian banyan tree (Ficus benghalensis) that is considered sacred. It represents eternal life because of its seemingly ever-expanding branches.
May 9th, 2007
Some things you might not know about capers:
- native to the Mediterranean basin
- are the pickled or salted flower buds of the plant Capparis spinosa L.
- caperberries are semi-mature fruit that have been pickled
- the strong flavour is largely due to the presence of mustard oil.
- capers have been known for thousands of years and were mentioned in the writings of Pliny the Elder.
Botanical Information
Family: Capparidaceae (or Capparaceae) related to the Brassicaceae
Scientific Name: Capparis spinosa L.
Etymology: From the Latin for caper (from the Greek, but origin unknown)
Uses: The flower buds are pickled in vinegar or salted when very young. These have been used in cooking since Roman times for their mustard like taste.
Sometimes confused with Nasturtium fruits due to the similarity in appearance and the fact that Nasturtiums can also be pickled (known as poor man’s capers).
caperberries
May 1st, 2006
Some things you might not know about lemons:
- Lemons are members of the Rutaceae family (Rutceae).
- Lemons have been used as contraceptive in historical times and lemon juice has been shown to kill HIV.
- Lemons are native to south east Asia, Persia and the Himalayas.
Botanical Information
Family: Rutaceae
Scientific Name: Citrus limon
Etymology: The name Citrus comes from the Greek word kedrus which refers to heavily scented wood.
Uses: Lemons are high in vitamin C, pectin, and essential oils.
February 24th, 2006
Some things you might not know about avocados:
- Avocados are members of the Laurel family (Lauraceae).
- The common name avocado is derived from the Aztec word for testicle.
- Avocados are about one third fat (although most of this is the monounsaturated kind).
- Avocados have been cultivated since 8000BC.
Botanical Information
Family: Lauraceae
Scientific Name: Persea americana
Etymology: The name Avocado comes from the Aztec word ‘ahuacatl’ meaning testicle.
Also Known as: Avocado pear, aguacate, alligator pear
Uses: Avocados are extremely nutritious fruits. They are high in vitamins A, B and E.
There are over 1000 varieties of cultivated avocados.
How to tell if an avocado is ripe
Although the greengrocer won’t like you doing it, the best way to tell if an avocado is ripe is to give it a poke. But what should a ripe avocado feel like? The best way to think of it is to compare it with your face. If you poke the middle of your forehead, that’s like an avocado that is not yet ripe. If you poke your cheek, that feels like an avocado that is too ripe. What you want is something that feels the same as when you poke the end of your nose – there is a bit of give, but not too much (thanks to Gabrielle Gate for this tip!)
February 24th, 2006
