Watermelon is a special kind of fruit known as a pepo. It has a thick rind (exocarp) and fleshy center (mesocarp or endocarp). The sweet fleshy center is usually pink, orange, or yellow. Originally from South Africa, watermelon is a member of the gourd...
Cranberries grow in acidic bogs. Early settlers in North American thought cranberry flowers looked like a crane, and named them 'craneberry'. They are a major commercial crop in North America.
Cilantro is the leaf of the coriander seed. Both the leaves and the seeds have citrus overtones. Cilantro, as a cooling herb, pairs well with hot spicy dishes.
Looking for a new way to keep your body refreshed and cleansed this summer? Mung beans can help you keep your cool when the days are hot. These nourishing legumes are also famous for their cleansing abilities in Ayurveda.
Cool and soothing, verdant and fragrant, fennel is a member of the carrot family that includes other popular spices such as cumin, coriander, dill and celery. Fennel is used as a flavoring in some natural toothpastes and mouth fresheners.
Saffron's use is ancient. Saffron-based pigments have been found in 50,000 year-old paintings in northwest Iran. It conjures romance, royalty, and delicacy wherever it appears. Alexander the Great bathed in saffron to cure battle wounds. Cultivated...
Love for cardamom resonates through history - for instance, ancient Egyptians chewed cardamom to whiten their teeth and sweeten their breath. Cardamom helps take the edge off of caffeine in the famous drink Turkish coffee. Cardamom is a member of the...
Cooked zucchini is extremely easy to digest, making it a favorite for clients suffering from constipation, acid reflux, fatigue after meals, and many other disorders. It is very low in calories making it good for weight loss.
Oft considered a vegetable, these elongated cylindrical delicacies are actually a fruit. They join watermelon and honey dew as succulent members of the summer friendly melon family. Originally from the Indian subcontinent, cucumbers are now grown...
Asparagus has a delicate flavor and texture making it an ideal vegetable for gourmet cuisine!
Amaranth represented up to 80% of the caloric intake of the Aztecs before the Spanish conquest. Amaranth tastes somewhat like corn, but is somewhat less sweet. Others have described the taste as nutty, like bacon or wood, or slightly bitter. It is...
Honeydew, when fresh and ripe, is a succulent treasure. Floral accents perfume its lush green flesh. It's juicy sweetness seems to capture all the wholesome abundance of a teeming garden into a delightful green bowling ball. As a melon, honey dew is...
Plums are the second most cultivated fruit in the world, second to apples. Varieties of plums have been traced back to Eastern Europe, the Caucasian mountains, and China. Plums along with olives, grapes and figs are among the earliest cultivated foods....
Grapes are considered a superior fruit to all others in Ayurvedic. They are an important tonic (rasayana) for late summer. Grapes have been a sign of abundance since Greek times. The Greek God or agriculture, Dionysus, is often portrayed with a crown...
A couple of generations ago, sorghum was a staple sweetener in the South. It was cheap and plentiful. Every time I stop in a country store of the Southern Appalachian, I find a jar of sorghum molasses. Sorghum flour is now gaining popularity among...
Adzuki beans are known to have originated in China where they are used extensively in traditional medicine. They are a staple in the macrobiotic diet and very popular in Japan, second only to the soybean in terms of consumption and popularity.
Hibiscus is from the same family as okra, cotton, and chocolate. More obscure members include durian, marshmallow root, & kola nut.
Artichokes are a traditional liver remedy. As a member of the thistle family, they are
Soothing, Cooling SquashThe vivid colors of summer squash appeal to the eyes, while its soothing and cooling qualities assuage late-summer exhaustion due to heat. A taste of these sweet, watery vegetables rehydrates and cools you...
The avocado fruit grows on trees, but does not ripen until after it has been picked. It has a pear shape, and a rough, dark green to black skin with tiny bumps, which earned it the name "alligator pear". Unlike other fruits, avocado isn't sweet at all,...
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Founder of Joyful Belly Ayurveda, John Immel, answers the question ‘What is Ayurveda?’
