I first discovered purslane while pulling weeds from my garden. The plant was succulent-like, with thick padded leaves, brightly colored red stems, and tiny yellow flowers. I inspected it closer. It looked like a vegetable I had seen sold at the farmer’s market and so, with a few stems in hand, I went to my computer to investigate.
Couscous originated in the Berber tribes of North Africa and became a staple throughout the region. The Arabic word “kishusu” was a derivative of the Berber language. It came into existence between the11th century fall of the Zirid Kingdom and the rise of the Almohads in the 13th century. The first published mention of the food was discovered in an Arab cookbook in the 14th century. It was a popular food because it was easily prepared and convenient for nomadic tribes.
For centuries, the people of Mexico have used the flat leaves (or pads) of the prickly pear cactus as a food staple. The pads, called nopales, come from the family of cactus known as Opuntia ficus-indica and are an economically important source of income throughout Mexico.
If you’re reading Basmati, chances are you care about your health.
Up until recently, mangosteen was illegal to import into the United States. When I first moved to the U.S. from Canada, no one understood what I was inquiring after when I asked grocery stores if they carried this superfruit. In Vancouver, British Columbia, where I grew up, mangosteen can be bought at Asian grocers or large markets like the popular Granville Island, where I often bought this delicious fruit for special occasions. Where I first found out about them, in Tahiti, mangosteen is sold like green juice is in the U.S.
Black rice has been known as the Forbidden Rice in China for millennia because it was only served to the Emperors. Research done by Judith A. Carney reveals that the grain was imported to the Carolinas in the United States with the slaves who established it as a crop.
Sorghum is native to Sub-Saharan Africa and was first harvested in the Nile River basin approximately 7000 years ago. It became a crop in India around 3000 B.C.E. and found its way east by way of the Silk Road. It was brought to Rome from India in approximately 60 C.E., then to Spain and finally Europe in the 12th Century. Benjamin Franklin introduced the plant to North America and it eventually became a major crop.
There are a multitude of herbs that have reportedly numerous healing properties and can be effective for treatment in a wide array of conditions. Ashwagandha is one of these herbs. Ayurvedic practitioners in India have been utilizing this ancient herb for many issues, especially for conditions that have root in the brain, including memory, cognitive functions in general, the regulation of neurotransmitters and insomnia.
Bulgur is processed wheat that is native to the Mediterranean basin region and is one of the earliest processed foods that began being used approximately 4000 years ago. It is made by steaming wheat then drying it and cracking the dried kernels. Bulgur was initially processed by boiling wheat in a huge pot for many days to be sure it was thoroughly cooked; then the contents of the pot were spread out on roofs to dry in the sun.
I first came across turmeric in our family kitchen as a child. My mother had printed out a recipe for curry cauliflower, and while the curry powder gave the roasted cauliflower its delicious taste, turmeric was responsible for the subtler taste and stronger hue. Since then, I’ve seen turmeric in everything from egg and tofu scrambles to salad dressings to cookies–I kid you not. Most recently, I stumbled upon a recipe in Meghan Telpner’s The UnDiet CookBook for Jamu Juice.