“Watch those prickly spines…and boil the leaves for at least 5 minutes before eating…”
We’re talking about the Maya chaya, a maple-leaf shaped green known as tree spinach in México’s Yucatán Peninsula: a ‘miracle’ medicinal plant richer in iron than spinach and an excellent source of potassium and calcium. But beware: its leaves contain toxic hydrocyanic glycosides so boiling before consuming is a must.
Chaya is only one health food we’ve discovered on our winter sojourns to different foreign destinations over the years.
We’re talking about the Maya chaya, a maple-leaf shaped green known as tree spinach in México’s Yucatán Peninsula: a ‘miracle’ medicinal plant richer in iron than spinach and an excellent source of potassium and calcium. But beware: its leaves contain toxic hydrocyanic glycosides so boiling before consuming is a must.
Chaya is only one health food we’ve discovered on our winter sojourns to different foreign destinations over the years.
Ever eat cactus pads? Nopales (from the Nahuatl language), commonly known as prickly pear plant in Canada, reportedly prevent cancer, improve skin health, protect the heart, improve digestion, boost the immune system...you get the idea. Each Spring it’s easy to spot the prickly pear growing in the wild. Look for splashes of brilliantly coloured red and yellow blossoms that dot an arid field. There’s something neat about saying you’re eating cactus. Of course, we told our skeptical friends, we don’t eat the spines; of course, we scrape them off!
In Lhasa, Tibet, out of breath from thin air in the high altitude until we sucked in oxygen through a tube from oxygen pillows, we chowed down on yakburgers. Only later did we learn this healthy deep red meat, with a delicate beef-like flavour, is higher in protein and Omega 3 than bison and most fish. The longevity of the Himalayan people is attributed to their yak rich diet.
Meanwhile, in Playas (aka General Villamil beach), a coastal town in Ecuador, we heard about nuns who sold Noni wine. Noni is touted as a cure-all: like other superfood discoveries, it helps prevent cancer, diabetes and liver disease; is a powerful anti-oxidant; boosts the immune system and so on and so on.
Always interested in improving our health, we had to try it. Buying Noni wine on the Sabbath from the shy wine-making Sisters in a coastal Ecuadorian convent is a memorable experience. Finding the nunnery was difficult; finally finding the door to the nunnery was like playing a game of Clue. Once inside, we carefully wound our way down a short flight of stairs where we spied a wooden turntable at waist level set into the wall to our right. We heard a hidden garbled female voice on the other side of the wall. Suddenly the turntable began to move, stopping in front of us. The table top held a menu with the name, description of available wines, and prices (about US $8).
After making our choices, we pushed the turntable back to the invisible waiting Sister(s). They pushed back our invoice; we pushed back our money. The final spin carried our order of wine. The transaction was wordless; we never saw the nuns.
Always interested in improving our health, we had to try it. Buying Noni wine on the Sabbath from the shy wine-making Sisters in a coastal Ecuadorian convent is a memorable experience. Finding the nunnery was difficult; finally finding the door to the nunnery was like playing a game of Clue. Once inside, we carefully wound our way down a short flight of stairs where we spied a wooden turntable at waist level set into the wall to our right. We heard a hidden garbled female voice on the other side of the wall. Suddenly the turntable began to move, stopping in front of us. The table top held a menu with the name, description of available wines, and prices (about US $8).
After making our choices, we pushed the turntable back to the invisible waiting Sister(s). They pushed back our invoice; we pushed back our money. The final spin carried our order of wine. The transaction was wordless; we never saw the nuns.
At the night market in Phuket, Thailand, my husband ate insects, now considered a viable protein substitute to meat. The largest crowds gather around the fried insect stall. So popular is this stand there is a sign in English stating photos can only be taken if you purchase the crunchy little morsels. Crickets are caught in the wild while grasshoppers and silkworms are raised on insect farms in northeast Thailand.
Back in Canada, one of our best health foods, wild rice, is a gift from the Ojibwa culture. Not a grain but a grass, wild rice is popular in haute cuisine. In addition, it is used in folk medicine remedies as a treatment for burns, heart problems or digestive complaints. And it’s gluten free!
Also well known abroad as one of Canada’s best-known health foods is maple syrup. When we’ve given it to friends in foreign countries, recipients quickly comment after tasting it, “oh, it’s too sweet!”
Does any reader out there know of another Canadian food we could pack as healthy gifts to foreigners? I've heard poutine is a prime example!
Also well known abroad as one of Canada’s best-known health foods is maple syrup. When we’ve given it to friends in foreign countries, recipients quickly comment after tasting it, “oh, it’s too sweet!”
Does any reader out there know of another Canadian food we could pack as healthy gifts to foreigners? I've heard poutine is a prime example!
RSS Feed