fiber

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. 

The temperatures are on the rise, flowers are in bloom and farmer’s markets are stocked full of this season’s finest. If you look, you will find asparagus most dominantly known in its green variety, but also available in white and purple, stocked on the shelves. This nutrient dense vegetable is only available in the produce aisle of your local supermarket from February to June, with its peak harvest in April, when the price for these gems may come down a bit.

Why all the hype about asparagus?

Buckwheat was first cultivated in Japan in approximately 5000 B.C.E. The plant then found its way to China and Siberia in about 1000 B.C.E. It migrated to Europe through Turkey and Russia between the 14th and 15th centuries and arrived in America with the Dutch in the 17th century. The name was derived from the Dutch word “bockweit” which means “beech wheat" as the fruit looked like beechnuts.

Wild rice is not actually rice at all, but the seed from a grass of semi-aquatic species found from southern Canada to the eastern United States along the Atlantic coastal marshes. It was the staple food for the Ojibwa and Chippewa people who gathered it by canoe and fire parched the seeds.

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.

Red rice is a whole grain that gets it color from compounds called anthocyanins that are found in red vegetables like red cabbage and red onions.. It is found in the outer layer of the grain, known as bran, and is closely related to bioflavonoids. Red rice is also an effective antioxidant. It has been considered an exotic grain, especially in the United States, and is grown in several regions throughout the world.

Millet is a prehistoric grain native to western Asia. By approximately 3000 B.C.E. the grain had found its way to China where it became one of the five sacred grains. Of the many varieties of the genus the common millet arrived in Europe about 200 B.C.E. where it got its name, which meant “cereal” in Old English.

Psyllium husk doesn’t necessarily “look” like a superfood, but boy is it ever powerful. Psyllium is a master at relieving constipation, and when your bowels are running smoothly, so are you.

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.