about

Among the fruits popular in Asia, which remain very exotic in our area, stands out the citron “Buddha’s hand”, so named for its unusual appearance. These are the largest of all citrus fruits.

This fruit, which grows on evergreen shrubs, was known in the countries of East Asia many centuries ago.
In China, for example, the plant was introduced from India after the fourth century AD. From China, a citron with an unusual shape came to Japan.
For many centuries, the Chinese and Japanese have appreciated this unusual fruit called the fingered citron precisely for its bizarre shape, and this citron looks like a lemon with tentacles like a squid.
The fruits of this tropical evergreen shrub in the countries of East Asia have always been considered a symbol of longevity, wealth, and happiness; houses, temples, and altars were decorated with citrons.
Classical Chinese artists have recreated the shape of citrons in jade and ivory, creating amazingly beautiful works of art.
Finger citron has a subtle aroma, more pronounced than that of its other relatives from the genus Citrus, therefore fruits in Japan and China are used to flavor rooms and clothes.
Also, the fruits are eaten, but only in a candied or dried form. The peel of this citron is used for the production of candied fruits and spices.
Citrons “Buddha’s hand” are grown for decorative purposes, for ritual sacrifices, for decorating the interior and, of course, for eating. However, these fruits are not consumed raw.
Raw fruits are not suitable for human consumption, however, in a candied or dried form, they can be used in cooking, the skin of the fruit is used for making candied fruits.
Sometimes the fruit pulp can be added to salads or as a seasoning, for example, to fish, as part of other flavors.

Food

10 Interesting Facts About Lemon

What do we know about lemon? Sour, aromatic, delicious in tea, an irreplaceable remedy for colds. But there are other, very interesting facts that we will tell you about today.

India and China are considered to be the homeland of lemon. There is a theory according to which lemons came to Greece with the soldiers of Alexander the Great after their campaign in India. Then the lemon was called the Indian apple. Another theory says that the Arabs brought the lemon to Europe and the Middle East.
But in the distant 17th century in Russia, there were no lemons. Only the rich could eat them: they ordered salted lemons from Holland.
The origin of the word “lemon” is attributed to the Malay and Chinese languages. Le-mo in Malay and li-mung in Chinese means good for mothers.
They even make riddles about lemons and write funny stories. From them you can learn that with the help of lemon you can disrupt the performance of a brass band: it is enough to eat a lemon in front of the musicians. Those will begin to salivate profusely, and they will not be able to play the wind instruments.
There is a theory that the lemon was the bone of contention in the Bible. According to another theory, it was a pomegranate, as we have already written about.
Despite the “bone of contention” from the theory above, lemon is considered the fruit of friendship. Otto Schmidt, a famous polar explorer, inoculated a lemon in 1940 – before that the tree was grafted by breeder Zorin. Since then, an interesting tradition has started: people from different countries began to graft this tree. In 1957, the lemon tree was named the Friendship tree. By this time, 167 vaccinations have been given to lemon. Today there are more than 3,000 of them, just imagine! Yes, the tree is still alive and growing in Sochi.
Foreign journalists call some athletes lemons. For example, the French called Evgeny Kafelnikov a lemon – he was taciturn, cold, and did not make contact.
Lemon is often found in Spanish folklore. There he symbolizes unhappy love. But the orange is responsible for the happy one.
Every year, 14 million tons of lemons are harvested in the world. Most lemons are harvested in Mexico and India.
Lemon was listed in the Guinness Book of Records. A simple Israeli farmer has grown a lemon weighing more than 5 kilograms on his plot. Can you imagine what size it should be? By the way, the record cannot be broken for 14 years already.

Food

14 Brilliant Facts About Lime

The lime fruit has been tried by many, but not everyone knows about its beneficial properties. It is a citrus fruit, very similar to lemon, the fruit has a beneficial effect on the liver. When it is necessary to prevent diseases of this organ or to cure an already affected liver, then green lime is added to food. You can use the fruit as a drink or juice.

It contains a huge amount of vitamin C. It has anti-carcinogenic properties, the fruit can stimulate digestion. Lime green is a healing fruit for everyone who wants to improve their health and maintain immunity at the level.
Note! Many people have an allergic reaction to this product, before adding it to food – get an allergy test.
The 17-18 centuries remained in the memory of many people not only with great historical campaigns and conquests but also with diseases that afflict people for two centuries. One of these ailments is scurvy (lack of vitamin C in the body). People were dying and no one could help them. Already at the end of the 18th century, a doctor from Great Britain discovered that green lime has medicinal properties, it prevents this disease.
It was from this time that British sailors began to take lime juice and the fruit itself to the ship. Also, the sailors of England began to be called Limes.
Many people have heard that lime not only protects the liver but also prevents the formation of cancers in the body. How exactly this process takes place is not clear, but scientists have proven that the limonoids contained in it are capable of such reactions.
The limonoids in lime green remain active for much longer than green tea or dark chocolate. A large amount of flavonoids in the product has a positive effect on the digestive tract, they help to remove acids and bile from the body. The latter is produced by the liver and is intended in the body to assimilate fats in the bloodstream. That is, the accumulation of fat in the organs is prevented, especially in the liver and circulatory system.
By adding lime to your diet, you will improve the functioning of your body, cleanse your liver, make it healthier and stronger, and generally improve your immunity.
Lime fruits in the photo are similar to unripe lemons: small 4-5 centimeters in diameter, round or oval, depending on the variety. The rind is bright green and shiny. Sometimes unripe fruit has yellow spots, which affects the taste – the pulp is very sour and less juicy.
Lime pulp is light green and very juicy, practically without seeds. The juice is light green, the taste is sour or sweet and sour. Piquant bitterness is a characteristic of the fruit, the zest has a pleasant pine aroma.
The juicy pulp of lime is 85% water. The peel contains essential substances that are widely used in the pharmaceutical and perfume industries.
The low-calorie content of lime has made the fruit one of the most popular in the diet for losing weight. The pulp contains only 2 grams of sugar per 100 grams, citrus is recommended for people with diabetes and those who follow a low-carb diet.
All citrus fruits contain vitamin C, which gives them their characteristic sourness and pronounced aroma. Lime pulp is rich in ascorbic acid and other beneficial nutrients.
For a long time, it has been believed that lime is an unripe lemon. In fact, in tropical countries, there are more than two dozen varieties. Lemons do not grow well in humid climates, which is why lime is the main citrus fruit in many countries of South America and Asia.
After juicing, add the peel to the water bottle and let it sit overnight. In 6-8 hours, you will get a healthy aromatic drink for morning consumption 15 minutes before meals.

Food

12 Inspiring Facts About Clementines

Clementine or Citrus Clementina is one of the tangelo varieties. It is a hybrid of orange and tangerine. It was created back in 1902 by Father Clemen, who was not only a priest but also a wonderful breeder. The shape of the fruit is the same as that of the mandarin, but much sweeter.

Corsican clementines are considered the most attractive. This is because the fruits for sale are decorated with several green leaves. This fruit is attractive not only for its color contras but also an irrefutable proof of freshness. It is known that the leaves, after harvest, quickly fall off and dry out, so if leaves are present on the fruits, then they are fresh.
For a year, the harvest of clementine can reach 25 tons, and almost all of them remain in a beautiful country – France. These small oranges are only 6 cm in diameter.
This fruit has an amazing aroma and a very sweet taste. This delicacy is a wonderful natural antidepressant. It is very often used to make alcoholic beverages.
This citrus is known to many as the nauvel orange and the Italian mandarin. Recently, Mediterranean countries are engaged in its cultivation: Italy, Algeria, Morocco, France, and Spain. It is from here that the largest volumes of clementines are supplied.
This fruit can very easily be confused with tangerine due to its similar appearance. It has a dark orange color, this is the main difference between them. Mandarin has practically no bones, while clementine, on the contrary, has a lot of them. The rind of this citrus is quite thin and shiny, but despite this, it is very hard.
This fruit has a rather juicy and fragrant pulp. It is easy to recognize clementine because it is distinguished by a slightly flattened shape.
When buying clementine, first of all, you should pay attention to the color. Real tangerine is yellow, so it is very difficult to confuse them. They can be distinguished by touch, the first (clementine) is harder, the second is soft with looser skin.
Storing these citrus fruits is the easiest. They can lie for quite a long time. To preserve these fruits, they should simply be placed in a special compartment of the refrigerator. Thus, they can be stored for a whole month. The ideal temperature is +6, while there should be high humidity.
They can be rubbed with vegetable oil to increase their shelf life. Never store clementines in a plastic bag.
This fruit is ideal for preparing many dishes as well as drinks. Such juicy and sweet citrus fruits are perfect for making biscuits, desserts, cakes, snacks, sauces, and many other dishes.
Wonderful jams, syrups, preserves, liqueurs, and brandy are made of clementines. The British add clementines to marinades and also use them to make the sauce for meat.
This citrus fruit has a rather poetic name: clementine. It got its name in honor of the creator, who bred this variety. It was a French priest, Father Clement.

Food

10 Amazing Facts About Kumquat

No, this is not a small orange or an unusual tangerine. Today we will tell you about kumquat – an exotic and unfamiliar fruit for many of us. If in the supermarket you still walk past the shelves with this citrus, then our 10 facts are especially for you!

Kumquat is the smallest citrus fruit. Kumquat, or Fortunella, is an exotic fruit. Its size does not exceed 5 cm in length.
The southern regions of Ancient China are considered the birthplace of this fruit. In Europe and the United States, this fruit appeared in the 19th century.
The kumquat fruit tastes like tangerine and has a strong, pleasant aroma. They eat it whole, without peeling.
It can be eaten raw or processed (jam, candied fruits, dried fruits, marmalade). Various sauces are prepared from it and added to dishes.
The fruit is rich in healthy oils that have a positive effect on the nervous system, help create a positive mood, and activate brain activity.
Fresh fruit is low in calories (71 kcal) and is almost 80% water. But it is better to refuse dried fruits during a diet, 100 g contains 284 kcal.
Thanks to the sparkling leaves and fragile white flowers that appear in summer, kumquats are also planted at home as an ornamental plant.
In China, after the holidays, they are sure to be treated with kumquat. Even 2-3 fruits will save you from a hangover syndrome.
Eight kumquats are about 10 grams of fiber. Fruit fiber improves digestion, which is why doctors recommend consuming kumquat every week.
Regular consumption of kumquat protects against wrinkles, age spots, rough and dry skin.

Food

25 Delicious Facts About Mango

Mango grows in different countries but is very popular everywhere. It is eaten not only ripe, but also unripe, and in the second case it is used as a vegetable, and not as a fruit. However, culinary experts from all over the world pay due respect to mango and prepare an incredible number of different dishes and desserts from it.

The main mango producer is India, which harvests 13.5 million tons of fruits annually. In Europe, this fruit is cultivated in Spain and the Canary Islands. Some varieties are also grown in South American countries.
While unripe mango is not very tasty, it is a valuable source of pectin. It also contains oxalic, grape, and citric acid. Moreover, in ripe mango fruits, their content is negligible.
Since ancient times, the mango tree in India has been considered sacred, and people believe that it can grant wishes. They say that if you hang a fresh mango on the front door during the New Year, then happiness and blessing will surely come to the house.
The homeland of mangoes is considered to be the rainforests of Myanmar and the Indian state of Assam, where these fruits have been grown for over 4,000 years. Moreover, in India and Pakistan, the mango tree is considered a national plant.
In Thailand and the Philippines, tough and unripe green mangoes are often added to various salads as a vegetable.
The name “mango” comes from the Tamil word “mangay”. When Portuguese traders established trading posts in western India, they adopted the name “manga”.
According to several sources, eating mangoes reduces the likelihood of contracting any virus and also calms the nervous system.
The leaves of the mango tree are poisonous and can be harmful to some animals. Burning mango wood is also not worth it, as the poisonous smoke irritates the eyes and lungs.
Many Asian rulers and simply noble people had their own mango groves, which were considered a sign of high social status. Hence the tradition of sending mango fruit as a gift.
Close relatives of mango from a botanical point of view are cashews, pistachios, Jamaican plum, and poisonous sumac.
In India, on some holidays, it is customary to brush your teeth not with a toothbrush and toothpaste, but with a sprig of a mango tree.
Mango is a low-calorie fruit. Therefore, it can be consumed by those who follow a diet. It is important to take into account that it is recommended to eat the fruit only in the first half of the day.
One ripe mango contains about 50% of the average adult’s daily value of fiber, which is needed for digestion and normal bowel function.
A mango tree can be up to 45 meters high. At the same time, young leaves on the tree will have a reddish tint, and mature ones will be dark green.
The peel of unripe mango fruit contains toxic substances that can cause allergies.
Now in the world there are about 300 varieties of mango, some of which were cultivated in Asia 4-5 thousand years ago.
Persian traders once spread mangoes throughout the Middle East and Africa, and from there Portuguese ships brought the fruit to Brazil. Mango reached North America in the middle of the 19th century.
Oil is prepared from mango seeds, which have an antiseptic effect. With its help, treat skin diseases, relieve itching from insect bites, and also get rid of muscle pain.
More than 20 million tons of mangoes are grown annually in the world. But mostly those that are grown either in Spain or in Ecuador and Colombia fall on the shelves of Russian stores.
In some Asian countries, it is customary to throw mango leaves at weddings. It is believed that this will help the newlyweds to have offspring.
Not all mango varieties are good for food. The fruits of a wild tree, for example, cannot be eaten – they are distinguished by a large number of tough fibers, an unpleasant taste, and smell, like turpentine.
In Asia, mangoes are consumed not only fresh but also dried. The fruit retains all the beneficial properties and can be stored for a long time. Chips are also made from mangoes, which are sold in all supermarkets.
In Russia, mangoes are not cheap. And the stone actually accounts for about a third of the total mass of the fruit.
The bark of the mango tree has medicinal properties. The infusion from it is used for the prevention of oncology.
The Indian capital Delhi hosts the Fruit Festival every year, with a focus on mangoes. The number of competitions includes such original ones as eating these fruits at speed.

Food

11 Exotic Fact About Lychee

The exotic lychee fruit that grows in the region of Southeast Asia has other names: Chinese plum, dragon’s eye, liji, laysi.

Lychees are also called Chinese plum, dragon’s eye, the fruit of love, paradise grapes, Chinese cherry.
Chinese plum fruit began to be called in the middle of the 17th century, after the European Juan Gonzalez de Mendoza described it as a plum that can be eaten in large quantities without harm to the stomach.
The Chinese ate this fruit even before our era (about the 2nd century BC). One ancient Chinese emperor even executed his gardeners for failing to breed lychee trees in North China.
Lychee is a versatile fruit. It is added to meat, fish, desserts, as a snack. It is used to make alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, sauces and mousses.
Lychee`s season in Thailand is in May-June.
In ancient times, lychees were considered the fruit of rich and noble people, the poor only collected fruits from trees and were engaged in their transportation, and even the slightest test of the fruit was punishable by death for them.
In India, from the moment they got to them, lychees were christened “the fruit of pleasure” and used as a powerful aphrodisiac.
In the Thai province of Chiang Rai, a lychee festival is held annually. It coincides with the harvest time of the fruit. At this time, fairs, all kinds of musical performances, and even a contest for choosing the beauty “Miss Lychee” are held on the streets of the town.
From huge bunches of fruits, only a very small part of them ripens – 15-20 pcs.
Lychee fruits are widely used in folk medicine: treatment of heart disease, acceleration of hematopoiesis, weight loss.
The main disadvantage of lychee is that fruits plucked from a tree lose their taste and nutritional properties within three days.

Food

12 Wonderful Facts About Chompoo (Pink Apple)

Chompoo is a rose apple or Malabar plum. The fruit is pear-shaped, pitted with a pink skin and dense white flesh, similar in texture and appearance to an apple. When chilled, its pulp is an excellent thirst quencher. There are also white, green and red colors, usually the lighter, the sweeter. The season is from April to June.

Chompoo is considered one of the favorite fruits of children. It does not need to be cleaned, it has no pits.
Chompoo is a tree of the myrtle family, native to eastern India. It has long been grown in Sri Lanka, Indochina, and the Pacific islands.
In 1762 it was introduced to Jamaica and spread to the Antilles, Bahamas, Bermuda, and the plains of Central and South America; from southern Mexico to Peru.
Since the end of the nineteenth century, it has been cultivated in tropical Africa, on the Pembe Islands, Zanzibar, Reunion, and Australia.
Although the fruit is called apple, it does not in any way resemble the fruit we know, neither in shape nor in taste.
Chompoo is widely used in traditional medicine in those countries where it grows.
The juice from the leaves of the Malay tree serves as a facial lotion. Fruit pulp and seeds, leaves, bark have antimicrobial action; they are also used to regulate blood pressure and treat colds.
They taste like sweetened water, and sometimes just water, odorless and tasteless. When chilled, it is an excellent thirst quencher.
The fruits of the Pink Apple are eaten fresh, stewed with sugar. They are used to make jams, jellies, syrups, and sauces.
At home, their halves are often filled with a mixture of rice and meat, poured over with tomato sauce, seasoned with chopped garlic, and baked for about 20 minutes.
They are also canned in combination with other fruits. The essential oil is extracted from the leaves. The bark of the tree is rich in tannin.
Exotic chompoo has no contraindications; everyone can use it. Of course, it is worth remembering the possibility of individual intolerance and the fact that it is necessary to consume the fruit in reasonable quantities.

Food

16 Amazing Facts About Sweet Рotato

The plant belongs to the bindweed family. Unlike potatoes, which are tuber (stem thickening), sweet potatoes form root thickenings. Storage root – this is what the sweet potato roots are called abroad, which most fully reflects their essence. In addition, all parts of the plant are edible: leaves and young shoots are actively used for food. What do you know about Sweet Рotato?

Worldwide, sweet potatoes are the sixth most important food staple after rice, wheat, potatoes, corn and cassava. However, in developing countries, it is the fifth most important food crop (it is grown more than any other root-tuberous crop). More than 105 million metric tons are produced annually worldwide; 95% of which are grown in developing countries.
The sweet potato can grow up to 2500 meters above sea level. It requires less resources and labor to grow than other crops such as corn, etc. It can also be cultivated in areas with extreme growing conditions: dry periods, poor soil. Here it acts as a cheap “nutritional solution” in developing countries that need to grow more food in a smaller area.
Sweet potato roots have a wide range of skin and pulp colors. It ranges from white to yellow, orange and deep purple. Varieties with bright orange flesh are an important source of beta-carotene, a precursor of vitamin A. Only 125 g of this sweet potato provides the daily requirement for provitamin A of a preschool child.
In addition, sweet potatoes are also a valuable source of vitamins B, C, and E, and they contain moderate amounts of iron and zinc.
US dietitians are studying the potential anti-cancer properties of anthocyanins, which are present in the purple varieties of this crop.
Sweet potato comes from Latin America, but today it is Asia that is the world’s largest producer of this crop: more than 90 million tons. China is the leader here. He not only grows, but also consumes the largest amount of sweet potatoes. The plant is used for food production, animal feed and processing (starch, flour, alcohol, food additives and dyes, etc.).
The importance of sweet potatoes as a food crop is growing at an enormous rate in some parts of the world. For example, in sub-Saharan Africa, it is outpacing the growth rate of other major products. It was also tasted in Europe. This refers to countries that traditionally did not grow sweet potatoes: France, Great Britain, Germany (consumption of sweet potatoes by the population is growing from year to year).
Sweet potatoes are used not only in human nutrition. It is a source of healthy and cheap animal feed. Recent studies have shown that animals fed high-protein sweet potato tops produce less methane gas than those fed with other foods. This potentially contributes to significant reductions in harmful global emissions.
This wonderful crop produces more “edible” kilograms per hectare than any other (including corn and white potatoes). This is why sweet potato is considered one of the first plants to be cultivated in space stations.
Batat more than once rescued the population of different countries during the “difficult periods” of their development. In America, he saved the first colonial settlements of Europeans from starvation. During the Civil War and the Great Depression in the United States, it allowed tens of thousands of people to survive. The Japanese used it when typhoons destroyed their rice fields. Made it possible for millions of people to survive in starving China in the early 1960s. The sweet potato came to the rescue in Uganda in the 1990s when a virus wiped out the cassava crop.
Fresh sweet potatoes, stored for a long time in a modern refrigerator, develops a fragile taste and a hardened heart.
When Columbus brought the first sweet potato roots to Spain, his first biographer wrote: “Christopher discovered one island called Hispaniola (present-day Haiti), whose inhabitants eat a special root bread. A small bush grows tubers the size of a pear or small pumpkin. They are dug out of the ground in the same way as our radish or turnip, dried in the sun, chopped, ground into flour and baked from it into bread, which is consumed boiled. The natives call these tubers “Achies”).
It took the British 200 years to accept ordinary potatoes (they call them “Irish”) as suitable for human nutrition, but sweet potatoes immediately became a rare and expensive delicacy.
Before becoming the Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army and the first president, George Washington was a yam farmer!
In the industry of various countries, not only food products, semi-finished products and ethyl alcohol (from 10 kg of sweet potato yield up to 1.7 liters) are made from sweet potatoes, but also biofuel: bioethanol.
In Japan, the following experiment was successfully carried out: an electric current of 2 A was passed through a sweet potato root crop for 5 minutes. As a result, the amount of antioxidants increased almost one and a half times! This technique had no effect on the taste of sweet potatoes.

Food

13 Awesome Facts About Kiwi

Kiwi is a young fruit that appeared only in the middle of the 20th century as a result of the cultivation of a vine called “gourmet Actinidia”.

In China, the homeland of the kiwi, it is called the “monkey peach” because of the hairy skin that covers the fruit.
Despite its large size and hairy skin, the kiwi is a berry. Chinese emperors in ancient times used it as an aphrodisiac.
Wild kiwi weighs only 30 grams, while cultivated already about 70-100.
The Europeans called kiwi the Chinese gooseberry, although they are not actually related. Kiwi is a liana, and gooseberry is a bush.
Because of its taste and nutritional value, kiwi is grown in many countries around the world. These are mainly countries with a subtropical climate, kiwi is especially widely produced in Italy, New Zealand, Chile, Greece.
All kiwi varieties usually have green flesh, but there is the Gold kiwi variety (“golden kiwi” or “yellow kiwi”), the fruits of which have yellow flesh.
When describing the taste of kiwi, they speak of a combination of gooseberry, strawberry, banana, melon, apple, cherry, and pineapple aromas. Kiwi is eaten fresh, the jam is made from it, jelly is made, and added to salads.
There are many recipes for desserts and drinks with kiwi. Kiwi is perfect for filling pies, it can also be used to make jams and marmalades.
Kiwi peel contains more antioxidants than pulp. It has antiseptic properties, but it is not recommended for hypersensitivity of the oral mucosa.
Interestingly, kiwi contains more vitamin C than citrus fruits. The high potassium content makes kiwi useful for some forms of hypertension, iodine deficiency.
Rich in vitamins, micro-, and macroelements, kiwi reduces the risk of cancer, diseases of the cardiovascular system, can burn fats, and reduces the risk of blood clots.
Kiwi is used in the manufacture of cosmetic masks for cleansing, moisturizing, rejuvenating, nourishing the skin. Due to a large number of fruit acids, kiwi is often used as a peeling.
Researchers at Baylor University in Dallas carefully studied the properties of 27 foods to determine which fruits are most beneficial for our body. As a result, experts noted that kiwi is one of the healthiest fruits.