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American in origin, Jerusalem artichoke is not only a delicious root vegetable, but also a wonderful cure for many diseases. How much do you know about Jerusalem artichoke?

This vegetable has been known to mankind for thousands of years. His homeland is North America. Even today, thickets of wild types of Jerusalem artichoke occupy vast areas. It came to Europe more than 400 years ago – it was brought here by the Spanish conquerors. The root crop owes its name to the Jerusalem artichoke province, where it was a very popular crop among the Brazilian Indians.
By the way, Jerusalem artichoke is the closest relative of the well-known sunflower: its official name is “tuberous sunflower”. Our plant is called “earthen pear” – the roots really look like a sweet fruit.
With the juice from Jerusalem artichoke tubers, the tubers themselves and a decoction from the stems of the plant, our ancestors treated wounds and burns, pain in the joints and spine, insomnia, poor appetite and loss of strength.
Modern scientists, having studied the composition of Jerusalem artichoke, were pleasantly surprised by the variety of nutrients it contains. The root vegetable is rich in a whole range of vitamins, in particular ascorbic acid and B vitamins, mineral salts of potassium, zinc, iron and silicon.
Also in tubers there is a lot of protein, sugar, pectin substances, organic acids. But what is especially valuable, Jerusalem artichoke contains a plant analogue of human insulin – the polysaccharide inulin (it promotes the utilization of glucose in the body and the restoration of the liver). Thanks to this substance, the immune system is strengthened, the skin heals, excess weight goes away.
In addition, inulin is a powerful medicine for hypertension, coronary heart disease, anemia, stomach ulcer, and eczema. And the juice from Jerusalem artichoke tubers has long been recognized as an indispensable tool for the prevention and treatment of diabetes.
Moreover, there is evidence that the external and internal use of fresh juice from Jerusalem artichoke tubers helps restore pigmentation in vitiligo!
Jerusalem artichoke herb has medicinal properties in the initial stage of flowering (August-September), as well as roots, which are dug up after the plant wilts (in September-October) or in spring after thawing of the soil. The ground part is preserved or dried, like all herbaceous plants. Root vegetables are stored in cellars like potatoes.
Jerusalem artichoke is boiled, fried, stewed, baked, pickled, stuffed, but the most useful is a salad made from fresh root vegetables. The French believe that Jerusalem artichoke tastes like an artichoke.
It is useful to prepare for future use a powder from Jerusalem artichoke tubers to use it as a seasoning for various dishes, as well as for making sauces, gravy and medicinal drinks. To do this, carefully washed tubers are cut into thin slices, dried at room temperature or in an oven at a temperature not exceeding 70 degrees, and then ground in a coffee grinder or mortar. Store the resulting powder in a glass jar with a tight-fitting lid.
Eat Jerusalem artichoke raw to maximize its beneficial properties.

Food

20 Amazing Facts About Pumpkins

The pumpkin plant is very important for agriculture. It is used for food, some of its varieties are grown as animal feed, and representatives of certain nations make a variety of things from pumpkins, sometimes very unusual. These fruits are very diverse, and they readily take root in a wide variety of conditions, demonstrating powerful abilities for survival.

The world’s largest pumpkin is gigantic. The record weight specimen was grown in Belgium, and its weight was more than a ton – 1190 kg.
In South America, the Indians cultivated pumpkins long before the arrival of the Europeans.
These plants are both annual and perennial. There are only about 100 species of annuals.
From the point of view of botany, pumpkin, like watermelon, belongs to berries.
Soups, pastries, and many other dishes are made from pumpkin in different countries.
In total, there are now about 800 varieties of this plant in the world, but only a quarter of them can be eaten.
Modern pumpkins appeared on Earth very recently, about 7000 years ago. Most likely, they were bred by the first breeders from among the ancient people.
The homeland of the pumpkin is Mexico. Since then, this plant has spread throughout the world.
Due to the high content of vitamins A and E, regular consumption of pumpkin in food slows down the aging process.
Vitamin T in pumpkins helps the body absorb heavy foods more easily.
The iron content of pumpkin pulp is higher than that of any other vegetable.
On average, pumpkin is 90% water. The exact value depends on the plant variety.
In Germany, in the city of Ludwigsburg, a pumpkin festival is held every autumn.
Zucchini, cucumbers, and watermelons are botanically related to pumpkin plants.
Since ancient times, the Irish have carved lanterns for the Samhain holiday, which became the prototype of Halloween, from rutabagas. In the United States, their descendants decided that pumpkin was easier to carve because of its softness.
French explorer Jacques Cartier, the first among Europeans to discover pumpkins, mistook them for giant watermelons.
The flowers of some types of pumpkins are quite edible.
In ancient times, many healers believed that pumpkin helped with snake bites. In fact, this is not the case.
Fresh pumpkin juice is a natural sleep aid.
Pumpkin seeds are very useful, and the seeds of a fully ripe pumpkin are an order of magnitude more useful than seeds of a young one.

Food

12 Amazing Facts About Dills

Dill is good fresh too, especially when added to soup, salad, or stir-fry, but it retains much of its flavor as a dried seasoning. What do you know about Dill?

The ancient Egyptians used dill as a medicinal plant, as evidenced by manuscripts discovered by archaeologists – dill decoction was used as a remedy for headaches.
In ancient Rome very often the winners of various competitions were presented with dill wreaths.
In the Middle Ages, many peoples believed that dill protects against witchcraft. Bunches of dill were hung throughout the house so that its smell drives away evil spirits.
During archaeological excavations of Roman ruins in the UK, fossilized remains of dill were discovered.
A description of the effect of dill seeds and their leaves on various human organs was given in his work “Canon of Medicine” by the world-famous Persian scientist Avicenna, who lived from 980 to 1037.
Botanists admire this plant for its thin and at the same time surprisingly strong structure – even a very strong wind cannot break the stems of dill.
The smell of dill repels most insects.
The essential oil contained in its stem, leaves, and seeds gives this plant a special aroma.
The ancient Greek physician Hippocrates, in his treatises, considered the benefits of dill as a medicinal plant.
Dill seeds remain viable for up to 10 years if you follow the storage conditions.
Dill extracts are used as raw materials for the production of perfumery and cosmetics and are also included in creams, toothpaste, and colognes.
It has been scientifically proven that eating dill improves metabolic processes in the body.

Food

19 Amazing Facts About Beans

The legume family is very diverse, and its representatives grow all over the earth. Due to the peculiarity of the fruit, trees, and herbs, shrubs and vines are classified as legumes. Legumes are not only very widespread but also very useful. Perhaps only cereals are more important for human nutrition. Beans are relatively inexpensive, unpretentious, nutritious, and have a host of other health benefits. Here are some of the known and not so many things about beans:

From a botanical point of view, legumes are very diverse. Among the 1,700 species, there are both herbaceous and trees over 80 m high.
The largest bean is produced by Entada climbing, its fruits grow up to one and a half meters in length.
All beans are covered with a very strong transparent shell. It is so effective that it allows the beans to survive the toughest conditions. For example, scientists have successfully sprouted a 10,000 year old bean found in the Arctic.
Beans have an almost perfect combination of protein and fat. Therefore, eating beans instead of meat is really healthy. Moreover, the normal daily dose of beans is only about 150 g.
Beans are three times as high as potatoes and six times as many as corn. There is a variety of lentils, the fruits of which contain 60% protein. At the same time, on average, legumes contain 25 – 30% proteins.
Beans are rich in vitamins and other nutrients. They contain calcium, magnesium, potassium, manganese and a number of acids.
Food containing beans actively removes salts of heavy metals from the human body, so it simply needs to be consumed by residents of industrial regions.
Beans contain toxins, so you should not overuse beans, as, indeed, any other food. Most of the toxins are eliminated by steeping and boiling. Beans should be discarded for problems with the pancreas, inflammation in the gastrointestinal tract, gout, nephritis and circulatory failure.
The homeland of beans is the Mediterranean. The Egyptians ate them 5,000 years ago. And already the ancient Romans knew that beans are good for health and were highly revered. The beans were also known and appreciated in Indian America.
A peanut is not a nut at all, but a bean. China is the world leader in the production of peanuts, and almost all of the cultivated peanuts are consumed in the country. China produces about 40% of the world’s peanuts, and is not among the top five in terms of export share.
In European countries, the flour from which bread is baked often contains a small (up to 1%) proportion of bean flour. Moreover, in different countries, bean flour is added for different reasons: in France, in order to improve the appearance of bakery products, in Spain – to increase the calorie content of bread.
Especially for the British Navy, a variety of beans was bred, which was named so – Navy bean, that is, naval bean. In general, in many Western armies, beans form the basis of the soldier’s diet.
The value of beans was first widely appreciated by Americans during the Great Depression – beans helped millions of Americans survive. Since then, canned beans have been considered food for the poor in the United States.
Beans actually contribute to increased gas production in the human gastrointestinal tract. However, this action is easily neutralized by onions, dill, parsley, carrots or orange juice. But with fresh fruit, beans are not worth eating.
Acids and salt slow down the digestion of the beans. Therefore, add spices and salt to a dish with beans only after the beans are fully cooked.
In Mexico, there is a shrub that produces jumping beans. The moth larva inside makes them jump. The larva eats away the pod core and can move in it, “running away” from heat and light.
Cocoa is also a bean. Rather, the cocoa powder, from which the popular drink is made, is obtained from the beans of the chocolate tree. The cocoa bean is not at all like a pod in shape, it rather resembles a rugby ball.
Beans are not only nutritionally valuable. If the land on which other crops grow has to be fertilized, the legumes themselves produce fertilizers as they grow. Bacteria, which receive nitrogen from the atmospheric air, settle on the roots of legumes. Accordingly, the tops and roots of legumes are an excellent fertilizer.
Acacia, which is very common in middle and southern latitudes, is also a legume. The tree also enriches the soil with nitrogen, like its garden cousins. And from an average size of acacia during the flowering period, beekeepers receive about 8 liters of honey.

Food

14 Amazing Facts About Fennels

Fennel is a herbaceous plant with no more than 10 species in the wild. In cooking, they use any of them – the tubers are stewed, baked, eaten fresh, fresh juices are made, greens are put in salads, and seeds are added to stewed vegetable and meat dishes as a strong, spicy seasoning.

The homeland of the fennel is the Mediterranean coast, from where it came to the north of Europe, to the south to Egypt, and to the east to India and China. The Greeks were the first to use fennel, and we owe its distribution to the ancient Romans. By the way, fennel can be included in the famous Italian minestrone soup, and in our opinion, in vegetable soup.
Ignorant people often confuse fennel with dill. In fact, it is a close relative of celery, and its seeds resemble anise in the aroma. And yet we, following the botanists, assert: fennel is a completely independent plant.
All parts of the fennel are eaten: the leaf part, the stems, and the root. They are used both as a seasoning and as an ingredient in a dish, Byway, fennel seeds are included in the Chinese mixture of five spices (fennel, cloves, cinnamon, anise, and Sichuan pepper) – the personification of the balance of five basic taste sensations: sweet, sour, bitter, spicy and salty). Why fennel can be the basis of a meal. For example, it is very original to cook mashed potatoes on a side dish not from the usual potatoes, but from fennel.
The word fennel comes from the Latin feniculum, which means hay. But this name was assigned to the plant later – in the era of Ancient Rome. Initially in ancient Greece, it was called a “marathon”. And all because in 490 BC. e. in the battle with the Persians, the Greeks won a convincing victory on the battlefield called Marathon. In the heat of battle, the Hellenes took notice of the herb with a spicy-sweet scent that grew in that very field. Since then, the fennel has become a symbol of military success and victory.
The same Greeks endowed fennel with mystical abilities, believing that its roots are able to save from evil spirits and bring good luck. They inserted pieces of the plant into the keyhole as a ward against evil spirits at home.
Fennel can also be called the prototype of modern chewing gum. In the late Middle Ages, it was often chewed during important meetings to freshen the breath. Well, in India, fennel seeds are still served after a meal for this very purpose.
Fennel has been honored to be immortalized in the name of the city. The capital of the Portuguese island of Madeira – Funchal – is named after him.
There is, probably, the most implausible legend about fennel. It seems like thanks to this plant, snakes shed their skin every year and are reborn again. Of course, I would like to understand how they use fennel for this. But a legend is a legend, not a scientifically proven fact, to talk about outlandish things…
Stern, but with a great sense of humor, the English respected fennel in ancient times so much that they even came up with a saying: “Whoever sees fennel and does not collect it is not a man, but a devil.”
The most famous and widespread in gastronomy are fennel seeds – as a spicy-aromatic seasoning. They have a licorice smell and a sweet, spicy aniseed flavor. Fennel seeds are part of the famous 5 Chinese Spice Blend and the Indian counterpart, punch phoron.
When choosing, note that the fennel tubers should be white, firm, and juicy, and the stems and herbs should be green and fresh. They contain many vitamins of group B, A, C, as well as trace elements sodium, calcium, magnesium, and selenium.
Fennel is considered to be one of the best vegetables for weight loss. It removes excess fluid from the body, stimulates metabolism, satisfies hunger, and also calms the nervous system, and lowers cholesterol levels.
The simplest and most delicious fennel dish is to fry the tubers cut into 6-8 parts in olive oil until golden brown, grind with crumbs and parmesan.
Before use, fennel seeds can be slightly calcined in a dry hot pan – this will enhance not only the sweetness but also their pungency. In India, these seeds are used after meals as a breath freshener.

Food

15 Amazing Facts About Cauliflowers

Cauliflower belongs to a group of cruciferous vegetables, also known as the cabbage family. It is closely related to broccoli, Brussels sprouts, collard greens and cabbage. The birthplace of cauliflower is Asia Minor. Its cultivation began 600 years BC. in Turkey. Cauliflower gained popularity in Europe in the 16th century, and its cultivation in America began in the early 20th century. Cauliflower requires slightly acidic clay soil that is rich in minerals.

Cauliflower can grow from 20 to 77 cm in both height and width.
The leaves are large and rough, green in color. They grow in a rosette shape, surrounding a stem, in the center of which is a large white head of cabbage.
Ahead of cabbage in cross-section looks like a miniature tree. Usually, its width is 15.2 cm, and its weight is 900-1400 g in large varieties. Ahead of cabbage consists of a central stem that forks and contains undeveloped flower buds.
Leaves support the development of a white head of cabbage. Without them, a bunch of inedible yellow flowers would appear.
The color of the head of cabbage depends on the variety. The most common type of cauliflower is white but green, purple, orange, brown, and yellow cauliflowers can also be found.
The green variety is known as broccoli because it is similar to broccoli.
Cauliflower belongs to the group of cruciferous vegetables. They are so named because they have flowers that consist of four petals growing in the shape of a Greek cross.
Cauliflower is propagated by seed.
Depending on the variety, it takes 50-265 days from planting seeds to harvesting. Cauliflower is harvested when it reaches the expected size and texture.
Cauliflower is an excellent source of dietary fiber, vitamins C, K, and B vitamins, as well as minerals such as manganese, potassium, and magnesium. The plant is low in calories and can be used as a substitute for rice and potatoes.
Cauliflower can be eaten raw, cooked, or pickled.
Long-term cooking destroys most vitamins, and this is due to the unpleasant sulfur-like smell of cabbage. Cooking for 30 minutes or more reduces benefits by 75%.
Medical research has shown that substances isolated from cauliflower can prevent the development of certain types of cancer.
China is the largest producer of cauliflower in the world.
Cauliflower is an annual plant, which means that it completes its life cycle in one year.

Food

20 Amazing Facts About Garlic

Garlic, like its beneficial properties, has been known to mankind since ancient times, it was actively used in cooking hundreds and thousands of years ago. People have long paid attention to its features and came to the conclusion that a plant that copes with diseases so well probably has another power, and therefore garlic was awarded the “ability” to fight various evil spirits. Interestingly, this superstition originated in many different cultures of the past, independently of each other.

In Japan and Korea, the so-called “black garlic” is a popular delicacy. It turns out if the heads of garlic are fermented at high temperatures. It is indeed black in color and has a sweet taste.
Scientists have proven that people who consume more garlic are less likely to suffer from heart disease.
Garlic is an excellent source of minerals and vitamins needed to keep the body healthy. Its heads are one of the richest sources of potassium, iron, calcium, magnesium, manganese, zinc and selenium.
Garlic was found in sarcophagi with closed eyes and in the internal cavities of Egyptian mummies. Garlic may have ritual significance
In ancient Egypt, garlic was included in the diet of workers engaged in hard work, such as building pyramids to maintain and increase the strength of the workers. Once, about 1600 BC. e., a rebellion broke out there when the workers at the construction of the pyramids did not receive garlic.
Garlic contains over 100 chemically active elements.
Garlic is a natural antibiotic that strengthens the immune system and thins the blood.
The name of the American city of Chicago, translated from one of the Indian languages, means “wild garlic”.
In 1720, garlic entered the history of mankind as its savior, in the truest sense of the word. Thanks to garlic, France was saved. Garlic mixed with vinegar saved the French from a raging plague that could spread throughout the world and destroy masses of people.
In ancient Rome, garlic was necessarily included in the diet of warriors, not only for health, but also because they believed that it gives courage and masculinity.
In ancient times, it was believed that the evil spirits are afraid of the smell of garlic, so garlands with dried garlic were a talisman in many homes.
The cultivation of garlic began about 5 thousand years ago.
Garlic is capable of killing many harmful bacteria.
The unofficial title of the garlic capital of the world is the Spanish city of Las Pedronieras.
In 2009, there was a swine flu epidemic in China, and because of rumors that garlic is helping to cope with this dangerous disease, prices for garlic rose 40 times during the year due to the manifold increase in demand.
For cats and dogs, garlic is quite toxic and therefore dangerous.
Scientists discovered that garlic contains antibiotics back in the 19th century.
In ancient India, garlic was actively used as a medicinal plant, but it was not eaten there because of its pungent smell.
Most of the world’s garlic is consumed in China, Korea and Italy. In these three countries, on average, about 10 cloves of garlic are eaten daily per capita.
Garlic originates from Central Asia. The researchers found that for the first time people began to domesticate this plant in the territory of modern Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.

Food

18 Amazing Facts About Chilies

Everyone will immediately recognize this spicy hot burning taste that slowly spreads in the mouth and the tongue begins to burn. What do we know about chili peppers? Here are some interesting facts.

Chili peppers contain capsaicin, a colorless, pungent, crystalline substance that gives the pepper its flavor.
Interestingly, the pungent taste of the pepper is stronger closer to the heart of the fruit.
Pepper is known to kill harmful bacteria in food.
More than 140 varieties of chili peppers are grown in Mexico.
When eating very spicy food, a general reaction of the body occurs in the form of sweat.
Chili peppers contain more vitamin A than carrots (especially red chili).
Chili peppers can help you lose weight and improve your metabolism.
Chili peppers contain aphrodisiacs and their use increases libido.
Green chili has more vitamin C than citrus fruits.
Chili is the second most common spice in the world, after salt.
Chili pepper was first cultivated in Central and South America around 3000 BC.
The Mayans rubbed hot pepper on their gums to stop toothaches.
The smaller the pepper, the hotter it is. The hottest peppers are up to 5 centimeters long.
The first European to taste chili was Christopher Columbus in America in 1493. Over the course of a century, it spread throughout the world.
The Incas believed that chili peppers improved vision.
An interesting fact in Mexico is chili laden soup is a hangover cure.
Due to the extreme pungency, some peppers should not even be touched, as they can burn the skin. They are prepared by wearing gloves.
The degree of hotness of a pepper is measured on a special scale. The most pungent of all is the habanero.

Food

9 Amazing Facts About Spinaches

Spinach is a very healthy and tasty greenery! How much do you know about Spinach?

Spinach is one of the oldest vegetables. Interestingly, spinach is really a leafy vegetable, not a herb. The first mentions of it date back to the 6th century AD – it was at this time that they began to eat it in Persia. After 1,500 years, he came to China, and from there to Europe, where he immediately became one of the favorite dishes of kings due to its useful and nutritious properties.
Spinach is considered to be a superfood: it contains many vitamins, minerals, fiber, and antioxidants. It also has a very low-fat content, which makes this vegetable a real boon for those on a diet. 100 grams of spinach contains 25 calories, 2.8 grams of protein, 0.8 grams of fat, and 1.6 grams of carbohydrates.
Spinach has a good effect on vision, helps to maintain youthfulness and skin tone, strengthens the immune system and the nervous system, improves memory, helps relieve stress, and regulates blood pressure.
Many stars include spinach in their diets – for example, Nicole Kidman regularly eats spinach for breakfast and adds it to salads. Reese Witherspoon, Alessandra Ambrosio, Jessica Alba, and other stars cannot imagine their start to the day without a glass of spinach smoothie.
If you want to include spinach in your menu, keep in mind that fresh spinach has a softer and more neutral flavor than cooked spinach. By the way, if you overexpose this vegetable on fire, it will taste bitter, and the dish will turn out to be not very tasty and even harmful. Oxalic acid will be released from spinach, which negatively affects the body and is contraindicated in diseases of the joints and kidneys.
It is not worth boiling it: most vitamins will be destroyed. If you want to add spinach to your soup, add it at the very end of cooking.
Spring is a great time to make fresh greens smoothies. By the way, if your kids don’t want to eat spinach, offer them spinach and banana pancakes or a healthy and delicious shake!
Spinach does not lose its vibrant green color during cooking, making it an excellent food coloring. Rotate a bunch of spinach through a meat grinder, squeeze the juice – the paint is ready!
Juice can be used to color butter, sour cream or cream, ice cream, omelets, dough – for example, for pasta or dumplings.

Food

10 Amazing Facts About Sorrel Leaves

Do not pass sorrel through a meat grinder – this leads to the destruction of vitamin C. In cooking, sorrel is used as a filling for pies, soups, salads are prepared with it. What do you know about sorrel leaves?

Sorrel is called “Rumex” in Latin.
For a long time, in some countries, sorrel was considered exclusively a weed, while in others this plant has long been successfully eaten.
The people often called sorrel “wild beet” or “meadow apple”.
The French proclaimed sorrel as one of their national vegetables. The second they consider carrots.
There are over 150 species of this plant, but not all of them are edible. Many of them are just weeds and nothing more.
Sorrel leaves contain mineral salts, proteins, calcium, magnesium, potassium, vitamins, citric, and malic acid. Sorrel should not be minced – this leads to the destruction of vitamin C.
In cooking, sorrel is used as a filling for pies, soups, and salads are prepared with it. There are many recipes where sorrel is the main ingredient.
In France, they make mashed sorrel with the addition of sweet mustard, and they also use sorrel to make the famous French herb soup.
In England, the popular “green sauce” – sorrel puree with sugar and vinegar, which is served with cold boiled veal.
In Greece, national “green” soups are prepared from sorrel leaves, dandelion leaves, young nettle, and soft sheep’s cheese.