Category Archives: ingredients

Shiitake Mushrooms

(lat. Lentinus Edodes) When we hear the word shiitake, we all somehow know that it’s related to our health and well-being. And that’s true, while shiitake is a Japanese word used for one of the few truly unique superfood in form of a mushroom, and its great secret lies in an ability to feed itself with various nutrients from a bark of a shii tree (Castanopsis cuspidata) rather than a soil, and because of that the original taste of these mushrooms cannot be compared to any other food item found on our beautiful planet. Shiitake mushrooms grow naturally throughout Southeast Asia, where they have been known as a food and …

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Rice (hi)story

hystory of rice

  Have you ever wondered why people have custom to throw rice at weddings? Well, rice (or seeds of the plant oryza sativa) is one of the oldest grain in the world. These little seeds are intertwined in ancient Pagan legends, myths an folklore of many nations, symbolizing fertility, luck and wealth. So, when someone throw few seeds of rice at the bride and groom, he/she symbolically wishes them a prosperous life. Furthermore, this wonderful plant represents a staple food for many nations in Asia and Latin America. It has been cultivated in many countries throughout the world since ancient times, which resulted in numerous rice subspecies that differ in …

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Turmeric

  Turmeric is a magical spice with the warm flavor similar to saffron, slightly bitter and aromatic, with just a hint of ginger heat. It comes from a plant called Curcuma longa, which roots are peeled, boiled, dried and then ground into an aromatic vivid yellow powder. This plant grows mostly in India, where it was used in the traditional culinary, medicinal uses, spiritual rituals and as a textile dye as well for centuries. An exquisite importance of this plant to Indian people proves one traditional wedding ceremony, where bride and groom apply a paste of turmeric on each others forehead (in India it is considered to be the third …

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