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Buckwheat Honey: What Makes it so Special

Buckwheat honey is a special honey: it is dark brown in color, has a strong aroma and an atypical taste. On this page you can find out what else you should know about buckwheat honey.

Buckwheat honey is special in many ways. While the common types of honey are golden in color, buckwheat honey is dark to almost black in color, similar to forest honey. The taste also makes it a rarity among the many different types of honey: In contrast to most other honeys, buckwheat honey has a very strong, aromatic and only slightly sweet taste. It is rounded off by an intense cereal aroma.

Because of the unusual taste, not everyone likes buckwheat honey. This is also because we have become very accustomed to the sweet taste of light honey. However, many traditional bakeries appreciate the dark color and intense aroma of the extraordinary honey and use it for gingerbread and other Christmas cookies.

Buckwheat honey: the bees fly on it

The buckwheat honey has a light cereal aroma because the honey is obtained from the dark nectar of flowering buckwheat plants. However, buckwheat is only a grain in name. In fact, buckwheat is not a grain, but a knotweed plant.

The angular buckwheat seeds are considered a pseudo-grain because, like other grains, they can be processed into flour or pasta such as noodles and have a grain-like taste. In contrast to wheat and the like, buckwheat is gluten-free.

The pink blooming buckwheat fields magically attract bees. Since bees really like buckwheat blossoms and therefore fly to them intensively, pure honey can be produced from the collected nectar.

Buckwheat honey – the honey with the health benefit

Honey consists largely of glucose and fructose, but also contains smaller amounts

trace elements,
minerals,
vitamins,
Amino acids,
antibacterial and antioxidant agents
Honey has long been considered a healthy home remedy for various ailments, especially colds and coughs. The phenols in honey have a disinfecting and antiseptic effect.

Researchers from the USA have found in a study that dark honey has a higher amount of antioxidants. Thus, buckwheat honey, with its very dark color, is also one of the healthier types of honey.

This was confirmed in another small study in which 105 children with a cold were divided into three groups. One group received buckwheat honey to treat cold symptoms, the second a conventional cough syrup and the third group no medicine at all. It has been proven that buckwheat honey can effectively alleviate night coughing fits, which allows children to sleep better.

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Food

This is What Makes Lentils so Healthy: Minerals, Vitamins and Nutritional Values

Lentils are healthy and are on the menu worldwide. No wonder, legumes are extremely versatile. You can find out here which minerals, vitamins and nutritional values ​​make lentils so healthy.

staple lentils

Lentils come from the Mediterranean region

Why are lentils so healthy?

Lentils are not only a popular kitchen classic because of their versatile preparation options and their filling content. The small round legumes are also real nutrient packages.

Lentils provide high amounts of protein. 100 grams of lentils contain around 10 percent important proteins, as the Federal Center for Nutrition explains. This puts the small seeds, together with other legumes, at the forefront of the most protein-rich plant foods of all. You supply your body with proteins particularly well if you combine lentils with cereals or rice. Both individually do not contain all the essential amino acids, but together they ideally balance this out. Thanks to their high protein content, lentils are an ideal source of protein for vegetarians and vegans. They are also gluten-free and low in fat.
Like all legumes, lentils contain high amounts of B vitamins, which strengthen our nervous system. In addition, they provide vitamin A needed for the immune system and vision, as well as cell-protecting vitamin E.
Lentils are also rich in essential minerals such as potassium, magnesium, iron and calcium. You can make it easier for your body to absorb iron if you supplement the lentils with foods that contain vitamin C, such as spinach, peppers, broccoli or Brussels sprouts.
Studies have shown that a diet with legumes can reduce the risk of coronary heart disease in the long term, lower high LDL cholesterol and high blood pressure and even lead to fat loss, as reported by the online medical journal Ärztezeitung. Lentils should therefore not only be part of a heart-healthy diet.
Thanks to their high fiber content, lentil dishes not only ensure long-lasting satiety, but can also help to improve digestion and possibly even reduce the risk of colon cancer, as Spiegel reports.
Tip – This is how lentils become even more digestible:
Lentils are particularly easy to digest if you soak them before cooking. This also applies to varieties that should not be soaked according to the package insert. Premature salting and seasoning inhibits the lentils from softening. Therefore, only season your lentil dishes towards the end.

sustainability of lenses

Lentils are not only particularly sustainable because of their regional origin. They are also very adaptable, grow almost anywhere and don’t even need fertilizer for a bounty harvest. Biologically, growing lentils is also beneficial for bees, bumblebees and butterflies. Their flowers provide valuable food for endangered beneficial insects, as GEO reports online.

Since the small, inexpensive legumes can be easily preserved or dried, they are available all year round and can easily be stored in stock.

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Food

Red Onions: What Makes Them Special

Red onions are not just a feast for the eyes. Their sweetish, slightly pungent taste distinguishes them from normal onions. They also contain many healthy ingredients.

Red onions – why are they red?

Many know the red skin of the onions not only from the kitchen but also from microscopy in biology classes. The red color ensures that individual components of the cell are easier to recognize. But what makes the onion red?

Red onions get their beautiful color from the anthocyanins they contain. These substances can be found in many so-called superfoods.

These substances not only turn the onion red, but also protect your cells from damage. Anthocyanins are antioxidants. Antioxidants bind free radicals, i.e. harmful oxygen compounds that can promote cancer, among other things. 100 grams of fresh red onions contain up to 250 milligrams of anthocyanins, just like black currants.

Red onions not only contain more anthocyanins than their lighter relatives: their taste is usually described as sweeter. So they taste comparatively mild.

Red onions – season, storage and origin

Onions are harvested from summer to early fall. Since they can be stored very well, they are in season all year round. Check out the Utopia Seasonal Calendar for more information.

When onions sprout and form green shoots, they are still edible. According to the Bavarian consumer advice center, this applies to both the onion itself and the shoots. However, the bulbs themselves lose their firmness as the shoot grows. Therefore, consume germinating onions as soon as possible.

According to the Süddeutsche Zeitung, red onions have a shorter shelf life than light-colored onions. It is best to store them in the vegetable drawer of the refrigerator.

Prepare and enjoy the red onions

Use the healthy red onions to flavor your dishes or to conjure up special delicacies:
Onion chutney or onion jam give red onions a nice flavor. The diverse dips go well with cheese or savory pastries.
The red onions also provide a pleasant, mild spiciness raw in the dressing or in the herb quark.
You can also caramelize red onions. They look particularly beautiful and provide a splash of color on the plate.

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Cooking Tips

Cut Pineapple: This Trick Makes it Easy

Slicing pineapples is an art that I’m sure you’ve tried your hand at before. The fruit is delicious, but stripping it of its skin and woody interior can be exhausting. It’s very easy with this guide.

1. Cut the top and bottom of the pineapple

There are many different ways to cut pineapples. However, a lot of pulp is often lost if you cut off too much at the edge or at the stalk. With our instructions you will get the most out of your pineapple and it is also quick and easy!

That’s how it’s done:
First cut off the crown of the pineapple. Be careful not to cut off too much, cutting two finger widths from the roots is sufficient.
Do the same for the end of the pineapple.

2. Halve the pineapple

Then halve your pineapple by cutting the stalk in half as precisely as possible. This will make it easier to remove in the next few steps.

3. Divide the pineapple into four pieces

Then quarter the pineapple, again in the middle of the stalk.

4. Remove wooden stalk

You can now easily and sparingly remove the wooden stalk from the quarters by cutting into the flesh so that the cut piece forms a triangle.

5. Cut the flesh of the pineapple

Now you can remove the flesh from the skin.
To do this, start as close as possible to the peel so as not to waste any fruit pulp.
Now fillet your pineapple. You can also cut this piece in half lengthwise for convenience.

Ready cut pineapple

You have now successfully removed the skin and stalk from the pineapple.
If you want to use them for a juice, smoothie or similar, you’re done now.

Cut pineapple into small pieces

For snacking, you can cut the pineapple into bite-sized pieces.

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Food

Strawberries are Healthy: This is What Makes the Delicious Fruits so Valuable

Strawberries are healthy, that’s for sure. But why actually? What are the most important nutrients and vitamins? And why are organic strawberries healthier?

As the days get longer, the annual strawberry season is approaching. Strawberries provide you with important vitamins and essential minerals and fiber.

Strawberries not only have a positive effect on health. You can also easily eat them in large numbers without it being noticeable on the scale. Because strawberries contain just 32 kilocalories per 100 grams – half as many as most apple varieties. Bananas, for example, have around 90 kilocalories, and avocados even 130.

Strawberries contain a lot of folic acid (vitamin B9)

Folic acid is a B vitamin and should not be neglected in a healthy diet. It plays an essential role in cell division processes, which in turn are responsible for growth processes. Therefore, pregnant women have an increased need for folic acid. Women who want children should also eat more foods with a lot of folic acid.

Strawberries contain plenty of vitamin B9. 250 grams of strawberries have 110 micrograms of folic acid. The daily requirement of adolescents and adults is 300 micrograms. In pregnant women, the daily requirement is almost twice as high.

Potassium makes strawberries healthy

The mineral potassium is indispensable for the human organism. Together with sodium, potassium transmits signals between cells, for example between nerve and muscle cells. So without potassium you would not be able to move or read this text. It also helps maintain healthy blood pressure and even reduces the risk of stroke.

Strawberries provide a healthy base of potassium. However, you still need other foods to provide you with sufficient minerals and to eat healthily. For example, spinach, cashews, peanuts, and kidney beans are high in potassium. In addition to potassium, strawberries also contain large amounts of manganese, copper and zinc.

Strawberries contain more vitamin C than oranges

you read correctly Oranges and lemons are rightly known for being high in vitamin C. Nevertheless, they cannot compete with the local strawberry.

A quantity of 150 grams of strawberries already covers the daily requirement of vitamin C. Ripe and darker strawberries contain more vitamin C than lighter ones.

If you consume enough vitamin C, the nutrient strengthens your immune system and your health. A slight deficiency can manifest itself in tiredness and bleeding gums.

Strawberries are carriers of healthy fiber

Fiber can bind large amounts of water. This allows food to pass through the digestive tract more easily, preventing constipation.

In addition, dietary fibers are the basic nutritional basis for intestinal bacteria. The more fiber you give them, the better they work and the healthier you feel. In addition to strawberries, numerous types of vegetables such as broccoli or peas, legumes, nuts and seeds are excellent sources of fiber.

Secondary plant substances are essential for health

The positive effects of strawberries on health are due to the numerous vitamins, minerals and dietary fibers. However, recent studies show that secondary plant substances can also have a major impact on health. Strawberries contain polyphenols and flavonoids as secondary plant substances.

A study from the University of California suggests that polyphenols can strengthen the cardiovascular system and prevent diseases of the nervous system. They are also said to help against obesity and even fight esophageal cancer.

Flavonoids are responsible for the red color of strawberries. They have an antioxidant effect and can destroy so-called “free radicals”. Too many free radicals in the body are suspected of contributing to diseases such as cancer, arteriosclerosis or arthritis.

However, secondary plant substances should only be consumed through food and not through dietary supplements. Secondary plant substances only work in interaction with other nutrients. Taking supplements alone can even be harmful to your health.

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Food

Triticale: This is What Makes This Type of Grain so Special

Triticale is a cross between wheat and rye. It combines the positive properties of the grain variety and is suitable for soil-friendly agriculture.

What is triticale?

Triticale is a type of grain and belongs to the grass family. It is a cross between female wheat and male rye. The name is derived from the Latin names of the two types of grain: Triticum aestivum L (wheat) and Secale cereale L. (rye) become triticale.

By crossing the two types of grain, triticale combines the positive properties of wheat and rye. In practice, there are over 30 different varieties. The characteristics vary depending on the variety: some varieties are more like wheat, others more like rye. This makes it difficult to spot triticale at first glance.

Use of triticale

In Germany, triticale grows primarily as fodder for animals. More than half of the harvest is used as feed grain. Since the grain is very rich in protein, it is a good “concentrated feed”.

Along with other grains, triticale is also baked into baked goods. However, pure triticale flour is less suitable for baking. The grain contains many amylase enzymes, which cause the flour to become heavily gelatinized. To prevent this, the flour is mixed with other types of flour for baking. In a small amount, triticale is a good binder.

Bioenergy is produced from a small proportion of triticale, for example in biogas plants. Since triticale contains a lot of starch, it can also be used to produce bioethanol.

Benefits of triticale

Triticale combines the positive properties of the two types of grain, wheat and rye:
Wheat provides high yields and has good baking properties
Rye has low demands on soil and climate
As a result, triticale delivers good harvests even in poor locations. On very nutrient-poor soils, however, rye yields higher yields – on good soils, on the other hand, wheat. Triticale therefore grows mainly in the low mountain ranges. In this climate, its characteristics bring the best yields.

Triticale is also suitable for soil-friendly agriculture. A study by the University of Göttingen has shown that triticale yields a higher yield when the soil is not ploughed. This reduces the risk of agricultural soil eroding or silting up. In addition, the soil life is not destroyed and the soil remains fertile in the long term.

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Food

Rapeseed Honey: What Makes The Variety so Special

Rapeseed honey is a particularly mild and creamy type of honey that can often be bought locally. Find out here what distinguishes rapeseed honey and what you should look out for with blossom honey.

Lime blossom honey, acacia honey or chestnut honey: there are many different types of honey. A variety that is particularly common in this country is rapeseed honey. Because of its mild taste, it is particularly popular with children.

Rapeseed honey: This distinguishes the honey variety

Rapeseed honey is one of the blossom honeys: it is obtained from the nectar of rapeseed blossoms. Since rapeseed is cultivated on a large scale, rapeseed honey is also very common in this country. The fact that it is so popular is partly due to its particularly sweet taste.

Peculiarities of rapeseed honey:
Taste: mild, sweet aroma with a slight smell of cabbage
Colour: light beige to white
Consistency: fine creamy, crystallizes particularly quickly
Ingredients: about 39 percent fructose, 41 percent glucose (source)
Since rapeseed honey contains a particularly large amount of glucose, this type of honey crystallizes faster than almost any other – then the honey becomes solid and tough. All you have to do is stir the honey vigorously so that it regains its creamy consistency.

Use: Since rapeseed honey does not have a strong taste of its own, you can use it in many ways – for example to sweeten desserts such as cakes.

Health: With its high glucose content, rapeseed honey supplies the body with energy particularly quickly. On the other hand, it is one of the types of honey that has the least antioxidant effect – unlike buckwheat honey or honeydew honey: According to a study, these are richer in antioxidants and therefore protect better against free radicals.

This is how rapeseed honey is obtained

Rapeseed honey is extracted from the nectar of the rapeseed blossoms by the bees. For this purpose, the migrant beekeeper usually places his bee colonies on a pure rapeseed field, which is common in Germany – especially since rapeseed has also been increasingly cultivated for the production of biofuel. It is therefore relatively easy for the beekeeper to

The oilseed rape plant blooms from April to June, depending on the weather and climate. The flowers are particularly rich in nectar

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Food

Chestnut Honey: What Makes it Special and How it Works

Chestnut honey is touted as a miracle cure in naturopathy and is popular with gourmets because of its tart taste. What the noble honey is all about.

What is special about chestnut honey?

Chestnut honey is a very special delicacy and significantly more expensive than conventional honey. This is because chestnut honey can only be produced to a limited extent.

For chestnut honey, bees have to collect the nectar of the chestnut tree during its brief flowering period from June to July. After its heyday, the chestnut tree begins to develop the sweet chestnut, also known as chestnut.

Pure chestnut honey has a very intense taste and can also taste bitter. Beekeepers mitigate the bitter taste by mixing pure chestnut honey with another type of honey. Robinia honey in particular is popular with beekeepers because it is cheap and tastes mild. If a product is officially called chestnut honey, the honey must consist of at least 90 percent nectar from chestnut trees.

The Health Benefits of Chestnut Honey

Like other types of honey, chestnut honey consists largely of sugar, which is supplemented by a small proportion of enzymes, acids, vitamins and minerals. About 75 percent of the sugar contained in honey consists of the two simple sugars glucose and fructose. Chestnut honey is characterized by a particularly high fructose content, which is why it has a liquid consistency and crystallizes very slowly.

Chestnut honey is repeatedly touted by manufacturers as a natural remedy. Various scientific studies have shown that honey can have a health-promoting effect. So it was found that honey:
has an antioxidant effect and thus protects the body from free radicals and fights inflammation.
can delay the development of cancer and cardiovascular disease.
has a probiotic and antibacterial effect and thus protects the body from harmful germs.
Chestnut honey is one of the healthiest types of honey as it is very high in antioxidants and minerals. In addition, chestnut honey contains a high proportion of monoamine oxidase inhibitors. These are used as antidepressants by psychologists and psychiatrists to treat depression, Parkinson’s, and Alzheimer’s. Chestnut honey can actually trigger feelings of happiness in you.

Chestnut honey is a sugar and should therefore only be consumed in moderation

With all the health benefits of chestnut honey, you should always keep in mind that honey is a sugar. (It contains up to 85 different types of sugar.) The World Health Organization recommends that you consume no more than six teaspoons of pure sugar per day.

If you consume too much sugar, the risk of developing:
overweight and obesity
diabetes
cardiovascular diseases
Therefore, always consume honey in moderation. Sweetening the tea or yoghurt with a little chestnut honey or other honey is healthier than using white sugar or sweetener.

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Food

This is What Makes Blueberries so Healthy: Nutritional Values And Interesting Facts About Blueberries

The healthy blueberries are often referred to as the powerhouses among fruits. Here’s what you should know about blueberries and what makes them so healthy.

There are two different types of blueberries: wild blueberries and cultivated blueberries. Wild blueberries are richer in healthy nutrients than cultivated blueberries. You can collect the wild berries mainly in the forest and in heath and moorland. It is unlikely that you can become infected with the fox tapeworm through wild berries. Researchers from the University of Ulm found that the highest risk of infection is through direct contact with foxes or through transmission through dogs that have become infected.

What you should consider when buying blueberries

The blueberry season runs from June to the end of September. Because blueberries go moldy quickly, you should eat them—or freeze them—as soon as possible after purchasing or harvesting them. When buying blueberries, also pay attention to organic quality: Cultivated blueberries from conventional cultivation are usually contaminated with synthetic pesticides.

In winter you don’t have to do without the healthy berries. They are also available off-season in frozen or dried form.

Blueberries as a healthy source of nutrients

Blueberries contain many healthy ingredients. In addition to numerous dietary fibers, the berries contain the following nutrients:
carotene
Vitamin A
vitamin C
vitamin E
iron
magnesium
calcium
potassium
Blueberries owe their blue color to the pigment myrtilline. Myrtilline is one of the anthocyanins – these are secondary plant substances that have an anti-inflammatory and blood-forming effect. They also help the body to trap and neutralize free radicals.

Getting high in anthocyanins in your diet can slow down the skin’s aging process – helping to prevent wrinkles. The anthocyanin in blueberries is also said to be useful as a cancer prophylaxis.

Furthermore, blueberries contain healthy tannins, which are particularly found in blueberry juice. They help with diarrhea and kill harmful bacteria and viruses. Blueberry Nut Juice is a juice made from 100 percent blueberries. The healthy ingredients of the berries are thus retained as far as possible.

Good to know: 100 grams of blueberries contain only 36 calories.

Also healthy: tea made from blueberry leaves

Blueberry leaves also have health benefits. If you brew a tea from them, it helps with the following diseases, for example:
stomach pain
Diarrhea
bladder weakness
inflamed eyes (put compresses soaked in tea on them)
Rashes (wash gently with the cooled tea)
To prepare the blueberry leaf tea, pour 1/4 liter of boiling water over two teaspoons of blueberry leaves and let the tea steep for ten minutes. Strain it and drink a cup morning, noon and night.

Important: Do not drink the tea regularly, but only in case of acute symptoms.

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Food

Vegan Wine – What Makes it Special?

Vegan wine – that often causes heads to shake. Because most drinks are inherently vegan, aren’t they? Unfortunately that’s not true. We explain what makes vegan wine and which animal substances are contained in many wines.

Vegan wine: free from animal additives

When growing the grapes in the vineyard, there is still no difference between vegan and non-vegan wine. There are usually no animal substances to be found in the finished product either. In the production of wine, however, turbidity is often found or undesirable flavors, colors or smells appear. Then the wine is “clarified” or “fined”. Various animal proteins have been used in the production process for centuries:

Casein: Casein is made from fresh milk. It combines with the cloudy substances and settles on the bottom of the barrel. The clear wine is then skimmed off so that there is almost no protein or turbidity left in the wine.
Albumin: Albumin is found in egg yolk. It reduces the tannin content and makes the wine milder. After the addition, fine grains form in the wine, which are filtered out. This so-called “egg white fining” is mainly used for red wine.
Gelatin: Gelatin is usually made from pork bones. The background: Gelatine also combines with the cloudy substances and settles on the bottom of the barrel. The wine is then drawn off.
Isinglass: An isinglass is the dried swim bladder of fish. Just like gelatine, it binds small particles such as turbidity in the wine. The isinglass sinks to the bottom with the particles and the clear wine is skimmed off.
Lysozyme: Lysozyme is an enzyme derived from protein. In addition to the dairy industry, it is also used in the wine industry. It prevents faulty, spontaneous acid degradation from occurring

There are numerous vegan solutions for wine

In vegan wine production, wine is clarified with vegetable proteins or mineral substances instead of animal proteins.

Vegetable protein (from peas, beans, potato starch): Just like animal proteins, they bind the turbidity in the wine and make it clearer.
Bentonite: Bentonite is obtained from volcanic ash or the weathering of similar deposits. It can be used in the same way as proteins and is considered the safest remedy for clouding.
Activated charcoal: Activated charcoal also helps against bad taste, odor irritation or discoloration.
Sedimentation: If wine or must is left to stand, particles will settle out on their own. You are then left with careful skimming. This natural process is considered to be quality-enhancing and particularly gentle – but also very time-consuming.

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