Tofu. The very word instills disgust in the mouths of many omnivores, and even in some who abstain from meat products. And with good reason! Since the 1960s, the idea of “tofu” has been used in U.S. media to conjure up images of gross, weird, vegetarian and vegan food – in the collective psyche, it’s almost a four-letter word, one that’s practically synonymous with vegetarianism itself.
The Jerusalem artichoke is neither an artichoke nor has it any connection to Jerusalem. It is the tuber at the root of a flowering plant of the aster family and is native to North America. The flower is similar to the sunflower and the tuber, much like that of ginger, with a texture of a potato. In 1585, Sir Walter Raleigh came upon the plant cultivated by the area peoples of Virginia.
The artichoke has origins in the Mediterranean basin. It is a member of the thistle family and evolved from the cardoon plant. It is the bud part of the plant before it flowers, which is edible. It is composed of triangular scales around the central choke known as the heart and only the lower half or fleshy part of each scale can be eaten, but the heart is the most delectable part of the artichoke. The immature bud can be eaten in its entirety.
Milk. It was the beverage of choice growing up as a child in our house. Never skim, sometimes raw, and with any meal of the day. In fact, cow milk is the beverage of choice in most American households.
Wheat berries are the true whole wheat. They are the complete grain that contains the bran, germ and endosperm. They can be grown into wheat grass, ground into flour or used as side dishes and in salads. They are rich in nutrients, making wheat berries a superfood that benefits the entire body. Wheat berries have several varieties; the Hard Red Spring and Hard Red Winter have a brown tint and are high in protein.
The first time I encountered the stinging nettle, I was unaware. I met its dark green leaves at a friend’s house (a friend who has a definite imp on her shoulder) and she asked me to touch them. Unsuspectingly and whole-heartedly I did, to a hand that felt it had just been stung by a million different bugs. Admittedly, it’s not very painful, but it does leave you with a buzzy feeling of ants walking down your veins. However, the rather prickly exterior of this plant hides many benefits within.
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.
Green beans aren’t exactly the “coolest” vegetable of the hour, but there’s more to this crispy legume than meets the eye.
Also referred to as “snap beans” or “string beans,” green beans have been gracing dinner plates for centuries. Though we don’t usually give green beans as much attention as say, kale or sprouts, they are actually incredibly high in nutrients and even have some “superfood” qualities.
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.