Almonds are members of the peach family. The tree blossoms in the spring before it grows leaves.There are two kinds of Almonds, sweet and bitter. An Almond, technically, isn’t a nut — it’s the pit of a fruit related to peaches, plums and apricots. The Almond fruit is small, green and has soft, velvety fuzz…
Ancient Egypt
Anise
Anise Seed © Randal Oulton Anise, a member of the carrot and parsley family, is an annual plant growing about 45 cm (18 inches) high with small white flowers that later produce seeds. What Anise shares in common with fennel, Star Anise, caraway, and liquorice is “anethole”, a major component in the essential oils of…
Asparagus
Asparagus © Paula Trites Asparagus is a member of the lily family. The plants take three years of growing before they begin to produce marketable shoots, but the plant is perennial and will last up to 20 years, some say 30 to 50. In spring, on a warm day, you can almost watch the Asparagus…
Beans
The word “bean” can refer to several things. Generally it is used to refer to a type of food obtained from the legume family of plants. Sometimes it is used colloquially in the broader sense of legumes such as lentils and peas; other times it refers specifically to actual beans — anything from dried beans…
Cauliflower
Cauliflower Varieties © Paula Trites Cauliflower belongs to the cabbage family. Though its name means “cabbage flower”, it is not just a flowering cabbage. It is formed from natural flowers on the cauliflower plant which have been encouraged over centuries to gather together and create a large mass of what is called “florets” or “curd.”…
Celery Seed
Celery Seed © Denzil Green Celery seed doesn’t actually come from the same celery plant that we eat. The ancestor of celery is a plant called “smallage” or “Wild Celery.” It is still grown in its own right in Asia, where they prefer the stronger flavour. From smallage, two descendants evolved with the help of…
Chicken
Female Chickens are called Hens; males are called “Roosters” or “Cocks.” A castrated male is called a “Capon.” Young males are called “cockerels.” A chicken raised for just meat, as opposed to also eggs, is called a “Broiler.”Hens between the ages of 5 months and 1 1/2 years will lay eggs. The older the hen,…
Chickpeas
Dried Chickpeas © Denzil Green Chickpeas, aka Garbanzo Beans, are round legumes with a nutty taste. They are not a true bean. They are popular in Greece, North Africa, India, Middle East, southern Italy, and particularly, in Spain, where they are prominent almost daily in one-pot meals and stews. Some Spanish regions such as Badajoz,…
Chicory
Chicory © Denzil Green There is a fair bit of confusion about what Chicory is. All types of Chicory are a member of the Endive family. They can be annual or biennial plants. After that, the confusion begins. Chicory as a green leafy veg in its own right Chicory is a green leafy salad veg….
Cider Vinegar
Cider vinegar, sometimes called by its full name “apple cider vinegar”, is a light amber coloured, inexpensive vinegar made from fermented apples. It has a real tang, which is a bit much for delicate vinaigrettes or sauces, but it holds its own well against stronger tastes in chutneys and marinades. It is the most popular…
Citrus Fruit
Citrus are tropical acidic fruit with a thick rind. Inside they have pulpy flesh divided into sections. Some are sweet, some are very sour. The fruit is valued above all other fruits for their juices. The juices have both health benefits, being rich in Vitamin C, and cooking benefits: the acidity of the juices makes…
Cloves
Cloves are the dried, nail-shaped, unopened buds of a small, tropical evergreen tree with smooth, grey bark. The buds grow at the ends of branches in bunches. The tree can be harvested of its buds after it is 5 years old. After that, each year a tree will produce about 7 pounds (3 kg) of…
Coriander
Coriander is a member of the carrot and parsley family. It can be used as both a spice, and an herb. When used as an herb, it is often referred to in North American English as “cilantro.” It is an annual plant that, left untended, can grow 1 to 3 feet tall (300 cm to…
Coriander Seeds
Coriander Seeds © Denzil Green If Coriander plants are allow to flower, and pass through a normal life cycle, they produce small, round crunchy seeds that taste totally different from the plant, which is used as an herb. And unlike fresh Coriander, which should be added at the end of cooking as its flavour will…
Cucumbers
Cucumber © Denzil Green Cucumbers are in the same family as other squashes such as zucchini, pumpkins, watermelon, etc. They have a high water content, which keeps them cool and moist inside. This may be one of the reasons they are such a summertime favourite — and may be where the phrase “cool as a…
Cumin
Ground Cumin © Denzil Green Cumin is a member of the parsley family. As such, it’s even related to the weeds called Cow’s Parsley and Queen Anne’s Lace that we pass everyday. It’s an annual plant that grows about a foot (30 cm) tall. Cumin seeds are actually the fruits of the plant. Sometimes, is…
Egypt (Ancient)
Ancient Egypt was around far longer than Rome — several thousand years compared to Rome’s short 1,000 years. Ancient Egypt, though, was static compared to the dizzying change of pace of Roman fashions and tastes. Consequently, both what was available as food, and what was preferred, did not change as much as it did in…
Emmer
Emmer is an ancestor of wheat that grows about 6 feet (2 metres) tall. It has a larger kernel than spelt, is nuttier tasting than wheat, but gives yields that are far less than the wheat our ancestors came to prefer, which is the wheat we grow today (“Triticum aestivum”.) History Notes Emmer probably originated…
Endive
There are two broad types of Endive, curly and broad-leafed. Both curly and broad-leafed versions belong to the same family as Aster flowers. The seeds for both types of Endive are very small; it takes about 350,000 to 450,000 to make up a pound (450g.) The leaves of both varieties have a mild, pleasing bitterness,…
Fennel
Fennel © Denzil Green Fennel is a very versatile garden plant. It is used as a vegetable, as an herb, and as a spice. The base, “bulb” part of Fennel has a crisp texture and a very mild liquorice taste, but mild enough so that many people who don’t like liquorice don’t seem to mind…
Fenugreek
The Fenugreek plant is an annual that grows from seed to maturity in 110 days. It can grow about 2 feet tall (60 cm.) It will produce white flowers, and then long green pods, with each pod having about 20 seeds in it. The leaves are used as an herb. The plant is cut when…
Figs
Calimyrna Figs © Denzil Green Figs are a soft fruit with edible skin and many small edible seeds inside. In the West, we have mostly known and used them as a dried fruit. There are many varieties of figs, some better suited to eating fresh, some better suited to drying. The colour varies by variety,…
Garlic
Garlic is a member of the onion family that is grown for its bulb. Inside the bulb are individually-wrapped sections called “cloves”. Garlic is used both for its taste and its aroma.
Grapes
Green Grapes © Denzil Green Grapes are grown on vines that produce clusters of small fruit. The vines are staked and trained, so that they don’t grow on the ground. Many fruit growers have to worry about how to get the flowers of their fruit plants or trees pollinated so that fruit will be produced….