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Sesame: Nutrients, Effects and Tips For Preparation

Sesame often hides in baked goods. The small grains have no reason to hide: they are full of healthy ingredients. Here you can find more background on the ingredients of sesame.

Sesame originally comes from South Asia. Today, the oil plant is grown in many tropical and subtropical countries around the world. With us, the white sesame seeds are certainly the best known – but there are also brown and black sesame seeds. The different varieties taste different and the nutrient composition also varies slightly.

Sesame: nutritional values ​​and ingredients

The name oil plant already gives it away: sesame seeds contain a lot of fat. Here are the nutritional values ​​per 100 grams of sesame:
Calories: 567 kcal
Fat: 48g
Proteins: 17 g
Carbohydrates: 26 g
Fiber: 17 g
The fat in sesame seeds consists mostly of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids. These in turn are composed primarily of oleic acid and linoleic acid, an omega-6 fatty acid.

Sesame also contains many vitamins and minerals. Sesame seeds are particularly interesting for vegetarians and vegans because they contain a lot of iron and calcium. In addition, sesame provides us with various amino acids, the B vitamins B1, B2 and B6, vitamin E and magnesium, phosphorus and potassium. Black sesame contains a little more of most of the nutrients than white sesame.

Sesame in nutrition: how it affects health

Sesame provides vegetarians and vegans with important iron and calcium, but also has other positive properties:
Sesame contains antioxidants, including vitamin E. These substances protect our cells and are said to prevent numerous diseases.
Linoleic acid is an essential fatty acid that your body cannot produce itself and must be obtained from food. Among other things, it is important for the skin and animal experiments have shown that it has an antioxidant and anti-cancer effect. However, it is important for the positive effect that omega-6 fatty acids such as linoleic acid in your body are always in the right ratio to omega-3 fatty acids. So make sure you’re getting enough omega-3 fatty acids. They are found, for example, in linseed oil and linseed oil seeds and in walnut oil.
Because sesame is high in fiber and protein, it is very filling.
Caution: Sesame is a strong allergen. If you are allergic to sesame, you should definitely avoid it.

Cooking with sesame: use in the kitchen

In the kitchen, you can use either sesame seeds or sesame oil. You can get the latter cold-pressed or refined. Cold-pressed sesame oil tastes nutty and contains many healthy nutrients. Refined sesame oil, on the other hand, can be heated up and stored for a long time. Since it tastes neutral, you can combine it with many foods.

You can roast sesame seeds very well, which makes them taste stronger. Sesame oil also tastes particularly spicy when it is made from roasted seeds.

How to use sesame seeds or sesame oil in the kitchen:
Cold-pressed sesame oil tastes delicious in a salad dressing. It goes particularly well with Asian food.
You can use refined sesame oil for frying.
If you’re baking bread or rolls, you can add sesame seeds to the dough or sprinkle them over the dough pieces before baking. A mixture of light and dark sesame is particularly nice.
You can also garnish salads and Asian wok dishes with sesame seeds.
When you blend sesame seeds and oil together, you get a creamy paste called tahini. Tahini is a great ingredient for oriental creams like hummus.
You can make delicious, filling sweets from sesame seeds. In the Arab world, people like to eat halva or bars made from sesame and honey.

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Food

Freeze Yeast: This Way You Can Use it For Longer

Freezing yeast makes sense if you have leftover yeast after baking or you bought it in advance. Here we explain how you can freeze the fresh yeast.

Freeze yeast: in jars and in cans

Would you like to stock up on fresh yeast or did you only need half a yeast cube for your yeast dough? Then simply freeze the fresh yeast. Frozen yeast keeps for several months and you don’t have to waste food
Place the yeast cube in a small tin or jar

Thaw yeast after freezing

If you want to use the frozen yeast, thaw it ahead of time. There are two variants:
Defrost gently: Put the yeast in the fridge the day before you want to bake and let it thaw slowly.
If you’re in a hurry: Thaw the yeast in a warm liquid if your recipe uses that liquid. Note, however, that yeast does not tolerate temperatures above 45°C, as the yeast then loses its effectiveness.
The yeast may become slightly softer and runnier after thawing than before freezing. But that’s not a problem, you can use them normally for baking.

We recommend organic yeast

Organic yeast is the ecologically better yeast:
While conventional yeast is produced using chemical substances that have to be washed out afterwards, organic yeast is much more sustainable. Because organic yeast does not have to be washed out, it requires less water during production and no unnecessary chemical substances get into the waste water.
In addition, genetically engineered enzymes can be used in the production of conventional yeast. Since there are no long-term studies on the use of genetic engineering, it can harbor undiscovered risks. The production processes of organic products do not contain any genetically modified substances.

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Cooking Tips

Edible Plant Parts – No Case for the Bin!

Admittedly, we were really wide-eyed when Wanda completely cleaned a kiwi with skin and hair during the breakfast break for the first time. Isn’t that poisonous…? we asked. nope was the answer.

You really can’t explain why some parts of the plant make it onto the plate as a matter of course and why others are categorically spurned. It is worth it to us to take a closer look at the topic with an open mind.

When supposed waste becomes a kitchen star

After the preparation of fruit and vegetables, the compost heap is sometimes larger than the meal itself. Valuable and tasty plant parts are often thrown away in the process. affluent society. ignorance. Habit. Wanda slyly felt about it and so she groped her way curiously and made a little space on her plate for seeds, peel and leafy greens. Result: A lot of the avoided accessories of our plant-based food are not only edible, but also tasty, healthy and included free with the vegetables! Time to finally get the plant parts out of their “garbage image”…

Of hard shells and soft cores

Seeds, skins and leaves usually have one thing in common: a densely packed supply of nutrients. In addition, a high fiber content, which comes from a significantly lower water content in these parts of the plant. Your digestion will be happy!

Three parts of plants that are often avoided and their properties at a glance:

The peel – guardian of vitamins?

A widespread thesis is that there are many vitamins under the outer cell layer, the shell. Is that even true? Most of the time yes. In the case of potatoes, however, the vitamin content tends to decrease towards the skin. But that’s usually true. This is also the case with apples, whose vitamin content in the skin is about seven times higher, according to Prof. Bognar (Federal Research Institute for Nutrition). The peel is also often many times richer in proteins and minerals. No wonder that it is often automatically eaten with many types of vegetables and fruit. In the case of a raw tomato, this is for practical reasons alone, as it is only held together by its skin.

Shell Facts:

Antioxidant plant compounds serve to protect the fruit from sun exposure and oxygen
In the shell are polyphenols and vitamin C
These act not only in the plant, but also in the human body as antioxidants and protect against aging processes and cell damage
Apple peel is particularly popular against constipation due to its high pectin content
Vitamin C in citrus peels has a dehydrating effect

The core – power center for new life

The core, botanically more correctly referred to as seed, fruit, drupe, is the basis for the propagation of vegetable and fruit plants.

Seed Facts:

The seed naturally contains nutrients that are intended to promote the growth and further development of the seedling
In the case of stone fruit, the edible seed is in the hard stone fruit, which must first be dried and then cracked (almonds, apricots). The same principle applies to popular seeds such as pumpkin or sunflower seeds
While stone fruit has to make do with just one seed, tomatoes, cucumbers and pumpkins, for example, contain several dozen seeds that are edible without any problems
The components of seeds are scientifically evaluated in a differentiated manner for human consumption, which is why you should inform yourself and weigh up before eating (see information on avocado seeds below).
Kernels that are not used in the food industry are being used more and more to generate energy by being burned, such as corn cobs or olive kernels.

The leafy green – Important for the red blood

Chlorophyll – a boring term for plant pigments, which used to be discussed in biology classes and which for a long time only really interested hobby aquarists. But ever since the green smoothie era began, chlorophyll has been on everyone’s lips as the green happiness of health. And not without reason – there is a lot of power in the green foliage of the plants…

Leaf Green Facts:

Chlorophyll is essential for photosynthesis in plants
Chlorophyll is similar to the human blood pigment hemoglobin
It promotes the absorption of iron and magnesium
It is blood-forming, blood-purifying and cell-strengthening and therefore also good for brain function
Tip: If you harvest leafy greens while the plant is growing, keep in mind that the fruit will then be smaller

You have to try these unusual plant parts!

Fruits

fruit Edible plant part possibility of use
pineapple Peel It is very firm at first and needs to be soaked after washing. Then you can simmer them for the infusion. This can help you lose weight, have a detoxifying effect and be good for kidney stones or high blood pressure.
banana Peel The yellowish peel is edible and is said to have antibiotic and anti-fungal properties. In South America, the peel is cooked or eaten raw. Try some pureed zest in a smoothie!
strawberries Green hood The small green caps of the strawberry can be eaten without any problems. They contain an extra shot of antioxidants and flavonoids.
kiwi Peel Have you ever bitten into a kiwi like an apple? This is common in New Zealand. For this you simply have to cut the hair of the kiwi z. B. Rub off with a vegetable brush. Alternatively, you can also buy a Golden Kiwi directly.
mango Peel Skin and fruit are edible. The peel contains many antioxidants and has an anti-inflammatory effect. The greenish mango peel is not poisonous, at most it has an unusual taste. The peel can be eaten raw or processed into a smoothie or lassi. You can also cut them into small pieces and enjoy them as a candied snack. Approach cautiously at first!
watermelon Peel If you peel the green skin, you can grated the melon peel as a salad, or use it pureed in a soup or smoothie.
citrus fruits Peel The grated peels of lemons, oranges or limes are very popular for baking. You can also let them dry and enjoy them as a sparkling tea.

Vegetables

 

vegetables Edible plant part possibility of use
fennel fennel green It is suitable as a spicy herb for pasta and soups. The feathered part of the green is eaten. Blanched in hot water for 2 minutes, it can spice up any dish as a decorative, tasty herb.
Herbs like parsley, dill and basil stems Not only the fine leaves of many herbs, but also the slightly stronger stalks are good in smoothies, salads and soups and give them a special flavor. So, don’t be too strict when sorting!
Kohlrabi leaves The leaves of kohlrabi can also be processed into vegetable chips, pesto, soup or in a salad.
pumpkin peel, seeds and flowers And that doesn’t just apply to Hokkaido. You can eat the peel, seeds and flowers of almost all edible pumpkin varieties. If the shell is too hard, you can boil it in a broth. You can easily bake the kernels in the oven.
Corn leaf hair In Chinese folk medicine, health-promoting properties are ascribed to the golden hair of corn. It is eaten as a tea or as a raw snack and has a sweetish milky taste.
carrots leaf green Have you ever tried carrot green pesto? Then it’s high time! Simply mix together with sundried tomatoes, garlic, maple syrup, oil and salt
leek leaves You always cut off the firmer, green leaves and only eat the white part? Just put the green parts in the pan a little earlier, then they will be just as tasty as the white ones.
radish leaf green From the green leaves of radishes you can z. B. make a wonderful pesto or a delicious soup – try our recipe!
Beetroot leaf green The green and red patterned leaves of the beetroot can be prepared like chard in a smoothie, in a salad or steamed and have a similar taste.
celery leaf green The leaves of the celery are great to use in a smoothie or puree in a soup.
asparagus (white) Peel The woody shells of white asparagus are usually cut off, as they greatly limit the tender pleasure of eating asparagus. However, you can still cook them in a vegetable broth with butter and cream. The nutrients and flavors are transferred to the water and a strengthening soup is created. The shells are skimmed off after cooking.
zucchini peel, seeds and flowers Baked zucchini blossoms as a garnish for salads or soups look great and are even loved in gourmet kitchens. Plus, this is a delicious way to curb the zucchini glut.
onion/ garlic Peel Onion skins are particularly rich in quercetin. The taste, however, takes some getting used to and is not really digestible. We recommend boiling the bowls with (leftover) vegetables as a warming broth and skimming them off before consumption.
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Olive Oil: That’s How Healthy it is For Our Body

Olive oil is supposed to be healthy: you hear and read that again and again. But why is that – and how does olive oil compare to other vegetable fats?

Olive oil is considered very healthy – that’s why it is an essential part of healthy diets and even diets like the Mediterranean diet. Some attribute the healthy effect to the high proportion of monounsaturated fatty acids, others to the many polyphenols. The latter belong to the secondary plant substances, give olive oil its bitter and pungent aromas and are said to have numerous positive effects. However, studies also show that there is still a need for research into the health value of olive oil – and that other vegetable oils are not necessarily less healthy. In addition, there are quality differences in olive oil that affect the health value.

Lots of healthy oleic acid: the ingredients of olive oil

Compared to many other vegetable oils, olive oil is characterized by its high content of oleic acid (a monounsaturated fatty acid).

14 g saturated fat
73 g monounsaturated fatty acids
11 g polyunsaturated fatty acids
14 mg vitamin E
60 mcg vitamin K

Is Olive Oil Healthy? Assessment based on the ingredients

To find out if olive oil is healthy, you can first look at the individual ingredients. The isolated ingredients do not necessarily have the same effect as the finished product. Nevertheless, the analysis of the ingredients can provide initial clues. The focus is on the ingredients that are supposed to make olive oil particularly healthy – i.e. oleic acid and polyphenols.

Olive oil consists mainly of oleic acid. This monounsaturated fatty acid is said to have numerous positive properties:
According to a review, scientists in two intervention studies found that oleic acid has anti-inflammatory effects. As part of the studies, a total of almost 280 people followed a Mediterranean diet rich in olive oil. As a result, inflammatory markers in the blood dropped, which the study authors believe is apparently due to oleic acid. An observational study of around 3,000 Japanese women came to the same conclusion. However, both studies also say that the omega-6 fatty acid linoleic acid and the omega-3 fatty acid alpha-linolenic acid also have an anti-inflammatory effect.
In experiments on cell cultures, oleic acid has an anti-carcinogenic effect, i.e. it inhibits the growth of tumor cells. However, clinical studies in humans are still pending.
According to two other studies, oleic acid helps against insulin resistance and strengthens the immune system.

Olive oil is healthy, but usually not suitable for searing

How healthy olive oil is also depends on how you use it. If you heat olive oil, for example, you have to be careful: If the smoke point of the oil is exceeded, toxic substances can form. Thanks to the heat-stable oleic acid, olive oils can usually be heated up to around 180 degrees. So you can use them for baking, steaming and gentle frying. You should only avoid searing or deep-frying at high temperatures.

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Cooking Tips

Making Wine Yourself: Useful Information and Tools For Wine Production

Making wine yourself is the dream of many wine lovers. We give you an overview of the basic principles, the accessories and the fermentation methods to make wine yourself.

You can make your own wine from many different fruits. We are particularly familiar with wine made from grapes – in other regions and countries, on the other hand, wine made from apples, berries, cherries or even bananas. However, the basic principle of fermentation is the same: yeasts convert the sugar from the fruit into alcohol.

Make your own wine: mash fermentation or juice fermentation?

Basically, you can distinguish between two methods to make wine yourself: mash fermentation and juice fermentation.

During mash fermentation, you mash or puree the fruit and ferment it whole. Since the color of red grapes is mainly contained in the skin, you get red wine in this way (this does not apply to white grapes, of course). The mash fermentation is considered to be a little easier, and more aromas develop.
For juice fermentation, you squeeze the fruit and only ferment the juice. This is how bright and clear wines are created.
You can also first puree or mash the fruit into the fermentation balloon, squeeze out the juice after a few hours and ferment it. Then you get a rosé.

Make sweet or dry wine yourself

Whether a wine is sweet, semi-dry or dry depends on its sugar content. Since this decreases in the course of fermentation, a sweet wine is less fermented than a dry wine. Accordingly, you can make a sweet wine yourself by interrupting the fermentation process prematurely.

Making wine yourself: important accessories

Without the right accessories, it is relatively difficult to make wine yourself. If you have a few tools, it’s not that complicated.

These are the most important tools for winemaking:
Perhaps the most important tool for fermenting wine is a fermentation balloon, preferably made of glass. The jar should have a matching lid and fermentation attachment. The latter ensures that no air gets inside. To do this, the fermentation attachment allows CO2 to escape, which forms during alcoholic fermentation.
a suction hose or similar to be able to fill the wine out of the fermentation balloon
a scale that is as accurate as possible
a vinometer to measure the alcohol content of the wine (you often get it with the fermentation balloon)
a clean cloth for filtering
large bowls to prepare the fruit or decant the wine. Make sure that these are not made of metal so as not to affect the taste of the wine.
Tip: If you want to make wine yourself, you will not only find fermentation balloons on the Internet, but also complete starter kits.

Making wine yourself: The difficult selection of ingredients

The most important ingredient in wine is the fruit. No matter which fruit you use – they should be fresh, fully ripe and unsprayed. Consequently, freshly harvested organic fruits from the region are ideal for your wine. If you have the right conditions, you can also plant your own grapes.

If you are very puristic, the fruits are almost enough. All you have to do is add a bit of natural yeast and you’re ready to make natural wine yourself. However, even experienced winemakers find this difficult because fermentation with natural yeast is difficult to control. In addition, natural wine has a different taste than conventional wine.

Making wine yourself: these are the steps

Here you will find an initial overview of the stages that await you if you want to make wine yourself. If you actually plan to make wine, you can take a class or use detailed instructions from the internet or books. For the sake of simplicity, these instructions refer to grapes.

Sort the grapes and clean them, washing is not absolutely necessary. Do this very carefully so that no bad grapes spoil the wine afterwards. Important: If possible, do not let the grapes come into contact with metal, as this can change the taste.
Must fermentation or juice fermentation? For a mash fermentation you mash or puree the fruit, for a juice fermentation you squeeze them.
Depending on the recipe, add sugar, yeast and, if necessary, acid or lime to the mash or juice. Note: You can also add the sugar gradually, then there will be a little more alcohol at the end because the yeast can work more efficiently. However, it is easier to add all the sugar at once.
Fill the fermentation balloon with mash or juice, but no more than halfway! As soon as fermentation begins, CO2 is produced. The liquid will begin to bubble and sometimes overflow.
Place the fermentation balloon in a quiet place that has a temperature between 18 and 20 degrees Celsius all the time. After a few days, fermentation begins – the mixture bubbles.
If the fermentation is in full swing, you can also put the fermentation balloon in a cooler place. This slows down the fermentation.
After two to four weeks, there are hardly any bubbles left – the wine is ready. Now all you have to do is filter and bottle the wine. Note: If you have started mash fermentation, you can press out the juice after a few days and continue fermenting it. The longer the juice is in contact with the skin of the grapes, the darker the wine will be.

Important note on making wine yourself

Finally, the most important things to keep in mind when making wine:
Keep all your utensils very clean. This is how you prevent unwanted substances from getting into the wine.
Do not use metal accessories.
Follow the quantities exactly.
The first home-made wine may still taste a bit unusual. However, if you keep trying and adjusting your recipe, you’ll soon get satisfying results. It is best to start with a smaller amount of fruit.

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Lifestyle

Sustainable For Nature and Health – The Glass Drinking Bottle

It is important to drink enough when exercising or exercising in the fresh air. The selection of drinking bottles ranges from plastic to aluminum to glass bottles. But which is the most environmentally friendly and healthiest alternative?

Disposable plastic beverage bottles are a major contributor to the flood of plastic waste around the world. Buying a reusable bottle that you can refill over and over again is a good step towards environmental protection.

There is now a huge selection of reusable drinking bottles made of a wide variety of materials. It is best to take a moment to find out about the advantages and disadvantages of the different variants and to find the most sensible, healthiest and most practical solution for you. Because a reusable bottle that only stands in the cupboard because, for example, after filling with orange juice, all subsequent drinks also taste like it, was not a good buy.

Plastic or aluminum drinking bottles

Many manufacturers rely on plastics for reusable bottles because they are light, comparatively solid and easy to clean. At the same time, plastics are cheap to manufacture. But it can contain plasticizers and other harmful substances that are released into the filled liquids over the course of use. In addition, they ultimately create plastic waste again.

In addition to plastic bottles, there are drinking bottles made of aluminum or stainless steel. They usually look high quality, but are controversial. Acidic drinks can attack the material and, if the coating is damaged, leach harmful substances out of the aluminum. In addition, unsightly dents can appear on the drinking bottles if they fall.

Hygienic and sustainable: glass drinking bottles

Glass drinking bottles, on the other hand, are particularly environmentally friendly and sustainable. Glass drinking bottles are non-toxic, 100% recyclable and tasteless. They can also be cleaned hygienically and used in a variety of ways. Since glass bottles do not absorb foreign tastes, you can fill in any drink after cleaning without the taste of the previous drink remaining.

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Food

Brown Millet: Nutrients and Recipes For The Spelled Grain

Brown millet is still a largely unknown type of grain. In this article you will find out what distinguishes the millet variety and how you use it.

Brown millet: characteristics and ingredients

Brown millet is the red-orange form of the so-called proso millet. Millet has become better known as a healthy grain in recent years: According to the Bavarian consumer advice center, it is rich in minerals and vitamins and contains a particularly large amount of iron, vitamin B6 and silicon. Millet is also gluten-free and therefore also suitable for people with celiac disease.

The better-known golden millet has yellowish seeds. It is peeled before use. Brown millet, on the other hand, is processed with the peel and husk. This preserves important nutrients such as fiber and B vitamins. However, the peeled type of millet is easier to digest and contains fewer pesticides and other problematic substances such as tannins, oxalic acid and phytic acid.

Excessive amounts of these substances in brown millet can have a negative effect on your health: phytic acid impedes the absorption of calcium and iron, among other things. Tannins make protein absorption and starch digestion more difficult. Oxalic acid can also promote the formation of kidney stones, especially in people who already have kidney problems. That doesn’t mean you have to give up brown millet entirely. However, you should consume them in moderation and make sure you eat a balanced diet.

In terms of calories and macronutrient distribution, brown millet does not differ significantly from other types of millet: Govinda organic brown millet, for example, contains around 308 kilocalories per 100 grams. It consists of around 51 percent carbohydrates. About 10 percent is plant-based protein and 4.5 percent is fat. Of these, 3.8 grams are unsaturated fatty acids.

Use and sale of brown millet

You can get brown millet in organic shops and health food stores. Here it is mostly sold in ground form. You can add brown millet flour to muesli, yoghurt and smoothie bowls, for example. You can also stir it into liquids like soups or juices. It is also suitable as an ingredient for bread, cakes and other baked goods. In these cases, however, be careful not to use excessive amounts: brown millet should not be the main ingredient, but only used as a supplement.

You can also sometimes find brown millet as a dietary supplement. Manufacturers advertise the supposedly health-promoting effects of the millet variety. For example, brown millet is said to help against hair loss, nail diseases, arthrosis, tooth decay or osteoporosis.

However, none of these assumptions has been scientifically proven so far, according to the Bavarian consumer advice center. There are also no studies to date on the possible side effects and risks of consuming too much brown millet.

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Wild Carrots: How to Plant, Care For And Use Them

As the archetype of today’s carrot, the wild carrot is also an important food source for insects. The white flowers attract bees, butterflies and beetles. You can read here how to plant the wild carrot and how you can use it.

The wild carrot is the archetype of today’s carrot. It belongs to the umbelliferae family and is widespread in large parts of Europe, North Africa and Asia. It usually grows on roadsides or embankments. You can eat their roots just like those of cultivated carrots, but wild carrots are significantly smaller and less tender. In addition, the wild carrot has a long tradition as a medicinal plant.

Read here how to cultivate wild carrots in your garden and how you can use them.

Wild carrot in your garden

The wild carrot is the archetype of a classic example of old types of vegetables. If you grow them in your garden, you make a double contribution to maintaining the diversity of varieties: in addition to the types of vegetables that you get, the original form of the carrot with its white umbels offers valuable food for insects. According to NABU, the wild carrot is very popular with many insects. These include wild bees, sawflies, bugs, beetles and flies. Some caterpillars, such as those of the swallowtail, particularly value the wild carrot as a food source. It is therefore also a good addition to an insect-friendly garden.

You should consider the following points so that the wild carrot feels comfortable in your garden.

Location: The wild carrot prefers a sunny location, but also thrives in semi-shade.

Floor:
The original form of the carrot is quite adaptable as far as soil conditions are concerned.
In nature, it grows on dry, calcareous and well-drained soils.

Planting and caring for wild carrots

The wild carrot is usually a biennial herbaceous plant. In the first year, it forms its leaves close to the ground, which are arranged in a circle. The wild carrot only flowers in the second year. It grows between 10 and 30 centimeters high. Although the roots contain hardly any carotene and are therefore white instead of orange, their scent is strongly reminiscent of carrots.

If you want to plant wild carrots in your garden, we recommend using organic seeds. In this way you avoid genetic engineering and support the diversity of varieties.

How to plant wild carrots:
The wild carrot is one of the so-called cold germs. It therefore needs a longer cold period at the beginning in order to be able to germinate.
From April you can sow the wild carrot directly into the bed. If you want to cultivate them as a vegetable, a planting distance of about 40 centimeters is recommended. For a wild flower meadow, you can simply scatter the seeds widely.
How to care for the wild carrot:
Until the seeds start to germinate, be sure to keep them moist.
In addition, you only need to water them during long periods of drought.
Since the wild carrot is used to nutrient-poor soil, you do not need to fertilize it.

This is how you use the wild carrot

From a culinary point of view, the wild carrot is particularly valuable because you can use all parts.

Root:
If you want to process the roots of the wild carrot, you should harvest them at the end of the first year. Once the plant has started flowering, the roots become woody and very sharp. In the first year, on the other hand, they store sugar and are particularly sweet.
You can eat them raw or cook them like regular carrots.
leaves and flowers:
You can use the young leaves to prepare wild herb salad, process them like spinach or use them as soup greens.
It is best to harvest the leaves in spring, between April and June, before the stems harden.
The young flowers are also edible. You can use them to decorate dishes. When cooked, they add a pleasant flavor to your dishes.

Fruit:
The fruits or seeds of the plant are rarely used. Basically, you can use them as a spice similar to aniseed or fennel, which come from the same family.
The seeds are ready for harvest from September to October.
Due to its diverse effects, the wild carrot is also considered a medicinal plant. It is traditionally used, among other things, for digestive problems or to regulate menstruation. Here, too, all parts of the plant are used.

According to a study from 2017, the wild carrot also has other healing properties:
antioxidant
anti-inflammatory
conducive to wound healing
hypoglycemic
lowers cholesterol levels.
Tip: If you collect the wild carrot in nature, you can recognize it by its characteristic dark spot in the middle of the light flowers. This spot has also given it the name “carrot”. It is said to attract insects and thus help with pollination. But beware: There are some doubles of the wild plant, such as the poisonous dog parsley, with which you should not confuse the plant.

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Fika: Meaning And Tips For The Swedish Coffee Break

Fika – that’s what the coffee break is called in Sweden. We explain what makes a fika and how you can organize it in your workplace.

Swedes love and cherish their fika. The term fika comes from “ka-fi”, the old Swedish word for coffee. Fika is the usual coffee break that takes place twice a day in Sweden. Whether at home, at work or at university. As reported by Linköping University, the first break usually takes place between 9:30 and 10:00 a.m. and the second in the afternoon around 3:00 p.m.

The Historical Origins of Fika

Do the origins of fika date back to the 19th century.

At that time there were hardly any luxury goods such as sugar or coffee in poor and pre-industrialized Sweden. They were rare and expensive. That is why they were reserved for the upper classes only.
From 1850, sugar and coffee prices fell. This made it possible for the other classes to buy imported luxury goods from time to time. In addition, modern kitchen equipment slowly became available, so that the Swedish population could also bake cakes and cookies in their own kitchens.
In the decades that followed, it became common practice to drink coffee with family, neighbors and acquaintances. The fika became an institution and remains so to this day.

The fika at work

Quality time at work… is that possible? For the Swedish population, this way of thinking is not a problem, but part of their attitude towards life: the coffee break at work is not primarily about recharging the energy batteries with caffeine.

At a fika at work, employees meet their boss to talk and exchange ideas over coffee and pastries. This can be in the morning or in the afternoon.
For German esprit, fika sounds like an unproductive waste of time. For Swedish culture, on the other hand, fika is important for socializing, discussing and spending time together.
Because of this possibility, fika is a sign of a democratic corporate culture. Because the hierarchy is irrelevant in the discussions in the team. This seems to motivate the employees to be able to talk about problems in their work in a relaxed atmosphere even during the fika.

Tips: This is part of a fika at work

Would you also like to try out the fika concept at work? Here we have some tips for you:

The most important thing that makes a coffee break a communal fika is the people. Talk to your supervisor and your colleagues if they know the concept of fika and maybe want to try it out together for two or three afternoons during working hours.
The Fika is not just for coffee drinkers. You can also create your fika with your favorite tea, a delicious juice or water.
In addition to the drink, cinnamon rolls, sponge cake, savory waffles, cookies or even vegan waffles as well as a sandwich can be part of it. Each participating person can share the treats they have brought with the others.
Enjoy your quality time together and talk about interesting things that you might not have known about each other.

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Food

Golden Millet: Nutrients and Recipes For The Spelled Grain

Golden millet is a subspecies of millet. It gets its golden color from its particularly high proportion of beta-carotene. You can read here what else is in the healthy grain and how you can use it.

A special type of small-grain millet is called golden millet. It owes its name to its yellowish colour, which in turn indicates its high beta-carotene content.

Millet is an important part of the world’s food supply and is one of the oldest cultivated grains. Golden millet is a natural variation among millets.

Even if it prefers to grow in warmer areas, golden millet is also cultivated in Europe, for example in Austria. The grain is robust and resistant to pests. Golden millet is often imported from China, India or Canada. In order to avoid unnecessarily long transport routes, you should make sure when buying that the millet comes from Europe.

You can read here which nutrients the grain contains and what you can prepare from it.

This is what makes golden millet so healthy

The ingredients of millet also differ depending on their color. Golden millet contains a lot of beta-carotene, also known as provitamin A, and is therefore particularly healthy for your eyes. In addition, the grain is rich in iron and vitamin C. In addition, the grain is gluten-free and therefore also suitable for people with gluten intolerance.

You can also benefit from the other nutrients of golden millet per 100 grams:

Carbohydrates: 69 g, of which sugars: 2.20 g
Fat: 3.90 g
Protein: 11 g
Fiber: 3.80 g
The complex carbohydrates and fiber it contains will keep you full for a particularly long time. The high protein content makes millet a valuable vegan source of protein and thus supplies your muscles.

There are about 363 kilocalories in 100 grams of uncooked golden millet. This is roughly comparable to oatmeal. Even if the value may seem high at first glance, millet is definitely suitable for nutrition-conscious people, as the grain keeps you full for a long time, contains hardly any fat and provides you with valuable nutrients.

You should pay attention to this with golden millet

You can get golden millet from organic farming in organic shops or in health food stores. But more and more conventional supermarkets also have the grain in their assortment.

In addition to many healthy ingredients, millet also contains the problematic substance phytic acid. This binds minerals that are no longer available to your body. To avoid this effect, it is best to soak the millet in water overnight before cooking. Change the water before you then boil the golden millet. This is how the substance is released from the grain. According to the consumer advice center, soaking foods with phytic acid overnight can help. If you eat a balanced diet, you don’t have to worry about a nutrient deficiency caused by phytic acid.

Golden millet is dehusked before it is sold. Therefore, it is not a whole grain cereal. However, because the nutrients are distributed throughout the grain, millet is just as nutritious as whole grain products. The millet germ can be damaged when the husks are removed. If this happens, the grain is no longer germinable. In addition, the released germ oil wraps itself around the grain. This oxidizes quickly and can lead to a bitter taste in the grain. To avoid this, wash the golden millet thoroughly with warm water before processing it.

Ideas for recipes with golden millet

Golden millet is an incredibly versatile food that enriches your dishes with its nutty note. You can prepare the grain both savory and sweet.

Sweet recipe ideas with golden millet:

Just like you cook porridge from oatmeal, you can also prepare a delicious breakfast porridge from millet. Just try our recipe for millet porridge.
If you cook the millet longer, you can then puree it and season it with a little cinnamon and applesauce to make a fruity dessert cream.
You can use golden millet flour to make bread or other pastries. You can replace all or part of the flour with millet. However, the flour behaves a little differently and gives a softer and slightly stickier consistency than wheat flour.
The cooked golden millet is also an ideal basis for fruity fruit salads.

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