Kuwait Bakers Blog

Onion Festival In Bern & Swtzerland

2011-04-04T23:16:00.000+03:00

Origano

2011-02-08T22:21:00.000+03:00

Oregano

Oregano

Flowering Oregano
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
(unranked):	Angiosperms
(unranked):	Eudicots
(unranked):	Asterids
Order:	Lamiales
Family:	Lamiaceae
Genus:	Origanum
Species:	*O. vulgare*
Binomial name
*Origanum vulgare*

Oregano (pronounced UK: /ɒrɨˈɡɑːnoʊ/, US: /əˈrɛɡənoʊ/) – scientifically named Origanum vulgare by Carolus Linnaeus – is a common species of Origanum, a genus of the mint family (Lamiaceae). It is native to warm-temperate western and southwestern Eurasia and the Mediterranean region.

Oregano is a perennial herb, growing from 20–80 cm tall, with opposite leaves 1–4 cm long. Oregano will grow in a pH range between 6.0 (mildly acid) and 9.0 (strongly alkaline) with a preferred range between 6.0 and 8.0. The flowers are purple, 3–4 mm long, produced in erect spikes. It is sometimes called Wild Marjoram, and its close relative O. majorana is then known as "Sweet Marjoram".

Description of Plant Biology

Closely related to the herb marjoram, Oregano is also known as wild marjoram. Oregano is a perennial, although they are grown as annuals in colder climates as they often do not survive the winter months.

Biochemistry

Main constituents include carvacrol, thymol, limonene, pinene, ocimene, and caryophyllene. The leaves and flowering stems are strongly antiseptic, antispasmodic, carminative, cholagogue, diaphoretic, emmenagogue, expectorant, stimulant, stomachic and mildly tonic.

Taxonomy

Many subspecies and strains of oregano have been developed by humans over centuries for their unique flavors or other characteristics. Tastes range from spicy or astringent to more complicated and sweet. Simple Oregano sold in garden stores as "Origanum vulgare" may have a bland taste and larger, less dense leaves, and is not considered the best for culinary uses, with a taste less remarkable and pungent. It can pollinate other more sophisticated strains, but the offspring are rarely better in quality.

Syrian Oregano (Origanum vulgare syriacum)

Notable subspecies are:

Origanum vulgare gracile (= O. tyttanthum). Originally from Khirgizstan. It has glossy green leaves and pink flowers. It grows well in pots or containers, and is more often grown for added ornamental value than other oregano. Pungent and spicy.
Origanum vulgare hirtum – Italian Oregano, Greek Oregano. A common source of cultivars with different aroma than those of O. v. gracile. Vigorous and very hardy. It has darker green, slightly hairy foliage. Generally considered the best all-purpose culinary subspecies.
Origanum vulgare onites – Cretan Oregano, Turkish Oregano, rigani, "pot marjoram". A tender perennial growing to 18 inches tall, with pale green to gray-green woolly rounded foliage. Strong, intensely spicy flavor.
Origanum vulgare syriacum – Syrian Oregano, Lebanese Oregano, za'atar – Larger leaves that vary in colors ranging from pale green to grayish. Their taste is pungent and similar to Greek Oregano.

Example cultivars are:

'Aureum' – Golden foliage (greener if grown in shade). Mild taste.
'Greek', 'Kaliteri' – O. v. hirtum strains/landraces. Small, hardy, dark, compact, thick, silvery-haired leaves, usually with purple undersides. Excellent repuration for flavor and pungency as well as medicinal uses. Strong, archetypal oregano flavor (Greek kaliteri: "the best").
'Hot & Spicy' – O. v. hirtum strain.
'Nana' – dwarf cultivar.

Cultivars traded as 'Italian', 'Sicilian' etc. are usually Hardy Sweet Marjoram (O. ×majoricum), a hybrid between the southern Adriatic O. v. hirtum and Sweet Majoram (O. majorana). They have a reputation for sweet and spicy tones, with little bitterness, and are prized for their flavor and compatibility with various recipes and sauces.

Culinary Uses

Dried oregano for culinary use.

Oregano growing in a field.

Oregano is an important culinary herb. It is particularly widely used in Turkish, Palestinian, Syrian, Greek, Portuguese, Spanish, Latin American, and Italian cuisine. It is the leaves that are used in cooking, and the dried herb is often more flavourful than the fresh.

Oregano is often used in tomato sauces, fried vegetables, and grilled meat. Together with basil, it contributes much to the distinctive character of many Italian dishes.

It is commonly used by local chefs in southern Philippines when boiling carabao or cow meat to eliminate the odor of the meat, and to add a pleasant, spicy flavor.

Oregano combines nicely with pickled olives, capers, and lovage leaves. Unlike most Italian herbs, oregano works with spicy foods, which are popular in southern Italy.

Oregano is a widely used ingredient in Greek cuisine. Oregano adds flavor to Greek salad and is usually added to the lemon-olive oil sauce that accompanies many fish or meat barbecues and some casseroles.

In Turkish Cuisine, oregano is mostly used for flavoring meat, especially for mutton and lamb. In barbecue and kebab restaurants, it can be usually found on table, together with paprika, salt and pepper.

Oregano growing in a pot.

It has an aromatic, warm and slightly bitter taste and can vary in intensity. Good quality oregano may be strong enough that it almost numbs the tongue, but the cultivars adapted to colder climates have often unsatisfactory flavor. Factors such as climate, seasons and soil composition may effect the aromatic oils present, and this effect may be greater than the differences between the various species of plants.

The related species Origanum onites (Greece, Turkey) and O. heracleoticum (Italy, Balkan peninsula, West Asia) have similar flavors. A closely related plant is marjoram from Turkey, which, however, differs significantly in taste, because phenolic compounds are missing from its essential oil. Some varieties show a flavor intermediate between oregano and marjoram.

Pizza Sauce

The dish most commonly associated with oregano is pizza. Its variations have probably been eaten in Southern Italy for centuries. Oregano became popular in the US when returning WW2 soldiers brought back with them a taste for the “pizza herb”.

Medicinal

Hippocrates used oregano as an antiseptic as well as a cure for stomach and respiratory ailments. A Cretan oregano (O. dictamnus) is still used today in Greece as a palliative for sore throat.

Oregano is high in antioxidant activity, due to a high content of phenolic acids and flavonoids. It also has shown antimicrobial activity against strains of the food-borne pathogen Listeria monocytogenes.

In 2005, the US Federal Trade Commission brought legal action against a firm that had claimed that oil of oregano treated colds and flus and that oil of oregano taken orally treated and relieved bacterial and viral infections and their symptoms, saying that the representations were false or were not substantiated at the time the representations were made, and that they were therefore a deceptive practice and false advertisements. The final stipulation on the matter said that no representation as to any health benefit could be made without "…competent and reliable scientific evidence…"

Other plants called "oregano"

Plectranthus amboinicus

Cuban Oregano (Plectranthus amboinicus, formerly Coleus aromaticus), also of the mint family (Lamiaceae). Sometimes also called "Mexican oregano", it has large and somewhat succulent leaves.
Mexican Oregano (Lippia graveolens) is not of the mint, but of the closely related vervain family (Verbenaceae), including e.g. the Lemon Verbena (Aloysia citrodora). It is a highly studied herb that is said to be of some medical use and is common in curandera (female shamanic practices) in Mexico and the Southwestern United States. Mexican oregano has a very similar flavour to oregano, but is usually stronger. It is becoming more commonly sold outside of Mexico, especially in the United States. It is sometimes used as a substitute for epazote leaves; this substitution would not work the other way round.
Poliomintha longiflora is also occasionally called "orégano" in Latin America.

Etymology

Oregano is the anglicised form of the Italian word origano, or possibly of the medieval Latin organum; this latter is used in at least one Old English work. Both were drawn from Classical Latin term origanum, which probably referred specifically to sweet marjoram, and was itself a derivation from the Greek origanon ὀρίγανον, which simply referred to "an acrid herb". The etymology of the Greek term is often given as oros ὄρος "mountain" + the verb ganousthai γανοῦσθαι "delight in", but the Oxford English Dictionary notes that it is quite likely a loanword from an unknown North African language.

Pine nuts

2011-02-07T22:43:00.000+03:00

Pine nut

Pine nuts are known as Sanober in the Arab world. It is familiar in various kinds of Arabic Cuisines. They are used with Meat,Fish, Salad and other Vegetable dishes such as fillings for Kibba, in Confectionary used as filings, garnishing for different deserts and also baked with breads. More details as follows..........

Shelled Korean pine nuts (Pinus koraiensis)

Pine nuts are the edible seeds of pines (family Pinaceae, genus Pinus). About 20 species of pine produce seeds large enough to be worth harvesting; in other pines the seeds are also edible, but are too small to be of great value as a human food.

Species and geographic spread

Stone Pine cone with pine nuts — note two nuts under each cone scale

In Europe, pine nuts come from the Stone Pine (Pinus pinea), which has been cultivated for its nuts for over 6,000 years, and harvested from wild trees for far longer. The Swiss Pine (Pinus cembra) is also used to a very small extent.

In Asia, two species are widely harvested, Korean Pine (Pinus koraiensis) in northeast Asia (the most important species in international trade), and Chilgoza Pine (Pinus gerardiana) in the western Himalaya. Four other species, Siberian Pine (Pinus sibirica), Siberian Dwarf Pine (Pinus pumila), Chinese White Pine (Pinus armandii) and Lacebark Pine (Pinus bungeana), are also used to a lesser extent. Afghanistan is an important source of pine nuts.

In North America, the main species are three of the pinyon pines, Colorado Pinyon (Pinus edulis), Single-leaf Pinyon (Pinus monophylla), and Mexican Pinyon (Pinus cembroides). The other eight pinyon species are used to a small extent, as are Gray Pine (Pinus sabineana), Torrey Pine (Pinus torreyana), Sugar Pine (Pinus lambertiana) and Parry Pinyon (Pinus quadrifolia).

In the United States, pine nuts are mainly harvested by American Indians, particularly the Uto-Aztecan: Shoshone, Paiute and Hopi, and Washoe tribes.^[ Certain treaties negotiated by tribes and laws in Nevada guarantee Native Americans' right to harvest pine nuts.

Pollination and seed development

The pinyon pine nut (seed) species will take 18 months to complete its maturity, however, in order to reach full maturity the environmental conditions must be favorable for the tree and its fruit.

Development begins in early spring with pollinization. A tiny cone (small marble size) will form from mid spring to the end of summer in which the premature cone will then become and remain dormant (cessation of growth) until the following spring. The cone will then commence growth until it reaches maturity near or at the end of summer.

Mature fruit and harvesting process

The mature pinyon pine cone containing fruit is ready to harvest ten days before the green cone begins to open. A cone is harvested by placing it in a burlap bag and exposing it to a heat source such as the sun to begin the drying process. It takes approximately 20 days from that time until the cone fully opens. Once it is fully open and dry the fruit (seed) can be easily extracted in various ways. The most common and practical extracting method used is, to repeatedly hit the cone(s) in the burlap bag against a rough surface in order to cause it to shatter, leaving just the job of separating by hand the seed from the residue within the bag.

Another option for harvesting is to wait until the cone opens on the tree (as it naturally will) and harvest the cone from the pinyon pine, followed by the extracting process mentioned above.

Fallen seed can also be gathered beneath the trees.

Ecology and status

In the United States, millions of hectares of productive pinyon pine woods have been destroyed due to conversion of lands, and in China, destructive harvesting techniques (such as breaking off whole branches to harvest the cones) and the removal of trees for timber have led to losses in production capacity.

Elevation and pinecone production

In ecology, in regards to that of the pinyon pine tree, the elevation of the tree is an important determinant as to the quantity of pinecone production, and therefore, on the large part, will determine the amount of pine nuts the tree will yield.

Pinyon pine tree cone production is most commonly found at an elevation between 6,000 to 8,500 feet and ideally at 7,000 feet. This is due in fact that increased temperatures at elevations lower than 6,000 feet, during the spring, will dry up humidity and moisture contents (particularly snow packs), that provide for the tree throughout the spring and summer, causing little nourishment for pinecone maturity. Although there are several other environmental factors such as clouds and rain that determine the conditions of the ecology, without this nourishment (water) the cones are more susceptible to perishing and the tree will tend to abort the cone(s).

There are certain topographical areas found in lower elevations, such as shaded canyons, where the humidity remains constant throughout the spring and summer allowing the pinecones to fully mature and produce seed.

At elevations above 8,500 feet the temperature will substantially drop, drastically affecting the state of the dormant cone. During the winter, the change in temperature, along with gusty winds, with their severity, can cause the cone(s) to be susceptible to freezing that damages the fruit permanently, in which case, growth is stunted and the cone withers away.

Physical characteristics

European Stone Pine nuts (Pinus pinea) to be compared with the picture below

Pine nuts contain, depending on species, between 10–34% protein, with Stone Pine having the highest content. They are also a source of dietary fiber. When first extracted from the pine cone, they are covered with a hard shell (seed coat), thin in some species, thick in others. The nutrition is storembryo (sporophyte) in the centre. Although a nut in the culinary sense, in the botanical sense pine nuts are seeds; being a gymnosperm, they lack a carpel (fruit) outside.

The shell must be removed before the pine nut can be eaten. Unshelled pine nuts have a long shelf life if kept dry and refrigerated (at –5 to +2 °C); shelled nuts (and unshelled nuts in warm conditions) deteriorate rapidly, becoming rancid within a few weeks or even days in warm humid conditions. Pine nuts are commercially available in shelled form, but due to poor storage, can have poor flavour and may be already rancid at the time of purchase. Consequently, pine nuts are often frozen to preserve their flavour.

European pine nuts may be distinguished from Asian ones by their greater length in comparison to girth; Asian pine nuts are stubbier, shaped somewhat like long kernels of corn. The American Pinyon nuts are known for their large size and ease of shelling. In the United States, P. edulis, the hard shell or New Mexico and Colorado became a sought after pine nut species due to the Trading Post System and the Navajo people who used the nuts as a means of commerce. The Italian pine nut, (P. pinea) was brought to the United States by immigrants and became a favored treat along the East Coast until the early 1930s when bumper crops of American Pine nuts were readily available at low prices.

Korean Pine (Pinus koraiensis) pine nuts - unshelled, and shell, above; shelled, below

Culinary uses

Pine nuts have been eaten in Europe and Asia since the Paleolithic period. They are frequently added to meat, fish, salads and vegetable dishes or baked into bread. In Italian they are called pinoli or pignoli and are an essential component of Italian pesto sauce. The pignoli cookie, an Italian specialty confection, is made of almond flour formed into a dough similar to that of a macaroon and then topped with pine nuts. In Spain, a sweet is made of small marzipan balls covered with pine nuts, painted with egg and lightly cooked. Pine nuts are also featured in the salade landaise of southwestern France. Pine nut coffee, known as piñón (Spanish for pine nut), is a speciality found in the southwest United States, especially New Mexico, and is typically a dark roast coffee having a deep, nutty flavour; roasted and lightly salted pine nuts can often be found sold on the side of the road in cities across New Mexico to be used for this purpose. The Nevada Pine Nut, or Great Basin pine nut has a sweet fruity flavor and is relished for its large size, sweet flavor and ease of peeling. Pine nuts are also used in chocolates and desserts such as baklava. It is also a widely used ingredient in Middle Eastern cuisine, reflected in a diverse range of dishes such as kibbeh, sambusek, ladies' fingers and many others.

Throughout Europe and Middle East the pine nuts used are from Pinus pinea (Stone Pine). They are easily distinguished from the Asian pine nuts by their more slender shape and more homogeneous flesh. Due to the lower price, Asian pine nuts are also often used, especially in cheaper preparations. Pine nuts contain thiamine, vitamin B₁ and protein. One study indicates that pine nut oil may suppress appetite.

Risks of eating pine nuts

A small minority of pine nuts can cause taste disturbances, developing 1–3 days after consumption and lasting for days or weeks. A bitter, metallic taste is described. Though very unpleasant, there are no lasting effects. This phenomenon was first described in a scientific paper in 2001. Some publications have made reference to this phenomenon as "pine mouth". This is a relatively new phenomenon which might be caused by the nuts spoiling and having gone rancid. It has been also hypothesized that this bitter side effect is caused by an allergy that some people may have to pine nuts, but this does not explain the recent appearance of this syndrome. Another theory attributes the phenomenon to nuts imported from China. It has been hypothesized that the nut trees are absorbing something and passing it on to the nuts, or the nuts themselves are being treated with something before packaging. Metallic taste disturbance, known as metallogeusia, is reported 1–3 days after ingestion, being worse on day 2 and lasting for up to 2 weeks. Cases were self-limited and resolve without treatment.

Olive oil and Olive in Different uses

2010-12-31T13:05:00.005+03:00

Olive

Olive Tree

Olea europaea, Dead Sea, Jordan
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
(unranked):	Angiosperms
(unranked):	Eudicots
(unranked):	Asterids
Order:	Lamiales
Family:	Oleaceae
Genus:	Olea
Species:	*O. europaea*
Binomial name
*Olea europaea* L.

19th century illustration

The Olive (pronounced /ˈɒlɨv/), Olea europaea, is a species of a small tree in the family Oleaceae, native to the coastal areas of the eastern Mediterranean Basin (the adjoining coastal areas of southeastern Europe, western Asia and northern Africa) as well as northern Iran at the south end of the Caspian Sea. Its fruit, also called the olive, is of major agricultural importance in the Mediterranean region as the source of olive oil. The tree and its fruit give its name to the plant family, which also includes species such as lilacs, jasmine, Forsythia and the true ash trees (Fraxinus). The word derives from Latin "oliva" which in turn comes from the Greek ἐλαία (elaia) ultimately from Mycenaean Greek e-ra-wa ("elaiva"), attested in Linear B syllabic script. The word 'oil' in multiple languages ultimately derives from the name of this tree and its fruit. Description

The olive tree is an evergreen tree or shrub native to the Mediterranean, Asia and Africa. It is short and squat, and rarely exceeds 8–15 metres (26–49 ft) in height. The silvery green leaves are oblong in shape, measuring 4–10 centimetres (1.6–3.9 in) long and 1–3 centimetres (0.39–1.2 in) wide. The trunk is typically gnarled and twisted.

The small white flowers, with ten-cleft calyx and corolla, two stamens and bifid stigma, are borne generally on the last year's wood, in racemes springing from the axils of the leaves.

The fruit is a small drupe 1–2.5 centimetres (0.39–0.98 in) long, thinner-fleshed and smaller in wild plants than in orchard cultivars. Olives are harvested in the green to purple stage. Canned black olives may contain chemicals (usually ferrous sulfate) that turn them black artificially.

History

Apricot Fruits

2010-11-06T23:17:00.005+03:00

Apricot (Mishmish in Arabic)

In Arab world Apricot is not an important subject for food blog, because it is the most familiar fruit among Arab people. But people from the other part of world, some of them never see or even heard about it. So I am posting this here.

It has some traditional value among the Arab people. In one kind or another it is a part of their daily meals. There are different products of Apricot fruits available in the market. Such as Fresh fruits, Dried fruits, Semi dried fruits, Apricot jam, Apricot preserves, Dried apricot paste ( Kamar Al Din) etc…. All these products have different nutritional value and different tastes.

Kamar Al Din (Dried apricot paste)

Kamar Al din is an Arabic word , which is well known among Kuwaitee people. During the Holly month of Ramadaan Kamar Al din is used as a delicious drink by dissolved in water for Iftaar (Breakfast).


Apricot dried paste

Semi Dried Fruit

Scientific Classifications

Plantae

Magnoliophyta

Magnoliopsida

Rosales

Rosaceae

Prunus

Armeniaca

P. armeniaca

The apricot (Prunus armeniaca) is a species of Prunus, classified with the plum in the subgenus Prunus. The native range is somewhat uncertain due to its extensive prehistoric cultivation.

Description
Apricot tree in central Cappadocia, Turkey

It is a small tree, 8–12 m tall, with a trunk up to 40 cm diameter and a dense, spreading canopy. The leaves are ovate, 5–9 cm long and 4–8 cm wide, with a rounded base, a pointed tip and a finely serrated margin. The flowers are 2–4.5 cm diameter, with five white to pinkish petals; they are produced singly or in pairs in early spring before the leaves. The fruit is a drupe similar to a small peach, 1.5–2.5 cm diameter (larger in some modern cultivars), from yellow to orange, often tinged red on the side most exposed to the sun; its surface is usually pubescent. The single seed is enclosed in a hard stony shell, often called a "stone", with a grainy, smooth texture except for three ridges running down one side.
Apricot and its cross section

Cultivation and uses
History of cultivation

Apricots, raw
Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz)
Energy	201 kJ (48 kcal)
Carbohydrates	11 g
Sugars	9 g
Dietary fiber	2 g
Fat	0.4 g
Protein	1.4 g
Vitamin A equiv.	96 μg (11%)
- beta-carotene	1094 μg (10%)
Vitamin C	10 mg (17%)
Iron	0.4 mg (3%)
Percentages are relative to US recommendations for adults. Source: USDA Nutrient database

Apricots, dried
Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz)
Energy	1,009 kJ (241 kcal)
Carbohydrates	63 g
Sugars	53 g
Dietary fibre	7 g
Fat	0.5 g
Protein	3.4 g
Vitamin A equiv.	180 μg (20%)
- beta-carotene	2163 μg (20%)
Vitamin C	1 mg (2%)
Iron	2.7 mg (22%)
Percentages are relative to US recommendations for adults. Source: USDA Nutrient database

The apricot was known in Armenia during ancient times, and has been cultivated there for so long it is often thought to be native there. Its scientific name Prunus armeniaca (Armenian plum) derives from that assumption. For example, De Poerderlé, writing in the 18th century, asserted "Cet arbre tire son nom de l'Arménie, province d'Asie, d'où il est originaire et d'où il fut porté en Europe ..." ("this tree takes its name from Armenia, province of Asia, where it is native, and whence it was brought to Europe ..."). An archaeological excavation at Garni in Armenia found apricot seeds in an Eneolithic-era site. However, the Vavilov center of origin locates the origin of the apricot's domestication in the Chinese region, and other sources say the apricot was first cultivated in India in about 3000 BC.

Its introduction to Greece is attributed to Alexander the Great, and the Roman General Lucullus (106–57 B.C.) also exported some trees – the cherry, white heart cherry, and apricot – from Armenia to Europe. Subsequent sources were often confused about the origin of the species. Loudon (1838) believed it had a wide native range including Armenia, Caucasus, the Himalaya, China, and Japan.

Today the cultivars have spread to all parts of the globe with climates that support it.

Apricots have been cultivated in Persia since antiquity, and dried ones were an important commodity on Persian trade routes. Apricots remain an important fruit in modern-day Iran where they are known under the common name of Zard-ālū (Persian: زردآلو).

Egyptians usually dry apricots, add sweetener, and then use them to make a drink called "'amar al-dīn."

More recently, English settlers brought the apricot to the English colonies in the New World. Most of modern American production of apricots comes from the seedlings carried to the west coast by Spanish missionaries. Almost all U.S. production is in California, with some in Washington and Utah.

Many apricots are also cultivated in Australia, particularly South Australia, where they are commonly grown in the region known as the Riverland and in a small town called Mypolonga in the Lower Murray region of the state. In states other than South Australia, apricots are still grown, particularly in Tasmania and western Victoria and southwest New South Wales, but they are less common than in South Australia.

Cultivation
Dried organic apricot, produced in Turkey. The colour is dark because it has not been treated with sulfur dioxide (E220)

Although the apricot is native to a continental climate region with cold winters, it can grow in Mediterranean climates if there is some cool winter weather to allow a proper dormancy. The dry climate of these areas is good for fruit maturation. The tree is slightly more cold-hardy than the peach, tolerating winter temperatures as cold as −30 °C or lower if healthy. A limiting factor in apricot culture is spring frosts: They tend to flower very early, meaning spring frost can kill the flowers. Furthermore, the trees are sensitive to temperature changes during the winter season. In their native China, winters can be very cold, but temperatures tend to be more stable than in Europe and especially North America, where large temperature swings can occur in winter. Hybridisation with the closely related Prunus sibirica (Siberian apricot; hardy to −50 °C but with less palatable fruit) offers options for breeding more cold-tolerant plants.

Apricot cultivars are most often grafted on plum or peach rootstocks. The scion from an existing apricot plant provides the fruit characteristics such as flavour, size, etc., but the rootstock provides the growth characteristics of the plant. Apricots and plums can hybridize with each other and produce fruit that are variously called pluots, plumcots, or apriums.

Apricots have a chilling requirement of 300 to 900 chilling units. They are hardy in USDA zones 5 through 8. Some of the more popular US cultivars of apricots include Blenheim, Wenatchee Moorpark, Tilton, and Perfection.

There is an old adage that an apricot tree will not grow far from the mother tree. The implication is that apricots are particular about the soil conditions in which they are grown. They prefer a well-drained soil with a pH of 6.0 to 7.0. If fertilizer is needed, as indicated by yellow-green leaves, then 1/4 pound of 10-10-10 fertilizer should be applied in the second year. Granular fertilizer should be scattered beneath the branches of the tree. An additional 1/4 pound should be applied for every year of age of the tree in early spring, before growth starts. Apricots are self-compatible and do not require pollinizer trees, with the exception of the 'Moongold' and 'Sungold' cultivars, which can pollinate each other. Apricots are susceptible to numerous bacterial diseases including bacterial canker and blast, bacterial spot and crown gall. They are susceptible to an even longer list of fungal diseases including brown rot, black knot, Alternaria spot and fruit rot, and powdery mildew. Other problems for apricots are nematodes and viral diseases, including graft-transmissible problems.
Production trends
Apricot output in 2005

Top eleven apricot producers—2005 (1,000 tonnes)
Turkey	390
Iran	285
Italy	232
Pakistan	220
Greece	196
France	181
Algeria	145
Spain	136
Japan	123
Morocco	103
Syria	101
World total	1916
Source:

Turkey (Malatya region) is the leading apricot producer,^[13] followed by Iran. In Armenia apricots are grown in Ararat Valley.
Kernels
Seeds or kernels of the apricot grown in central Asia and around the Mediterranean are so sweet that they may be substituted for almonds. The Italian liqueur amaretto and amaretti biscotti are flavoured with extract of apricot kernels rather than almonds. Oil pressed from these cultivars has been used as cooking oil.
Medicinal and non-food uses
Cyanogenic glycosides (found in most stone fruit seeds, bark, and leaves) are found in high concentration in apricot seeds. Laetrile, a purported alternative treatment for cancer, is extracted from apricot seeds. Apricot seeds "were used against tumors as early as A.D. 502. In England during the seventeenth century, apricot oil was also used against tumors, swellings, and ulcers". In 2005, scientists in the Republic of Korea found that treating human prostate cancer cells with amygdalin induces programmed cell death. They concluded that "amygdalin may offer a valuable option for the treatment of prostate cancers".

In Europe, apricots were long considered an aphrodisiac, and were used in this context in William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream, and as an inducer of childbirth, as depicted in John Webster's The Duchess of Malfi.

Due to their high fiber to volume ratio, dried apricots are sometimes used to relieve constipation or induce diarrhea. Effects can be felt after eating as few as three.

Research shows that of any food, apricots possess the highest levels and widest variety of carotenoids . Carotenoids are antioxidants that help prevent heart disease, reduce "bad cholesterol" levels, and protect against cancer. Although initial studies suggested that antioxidant supplements might promote health, later large clinical trials did not detect any benefit and suggested instead that excess supplementation may be harmful. In traditional Chinese medicine, apricots are considered helpful in regenerating body fluids, detoxifying, and quenching thirst.

Etymology

The scientific name armeniaca was first used by Gaspard Bauhin in his Pinax Theatri Botanici (page 442), referring to the species as Mala armeniaca "Armenian apple". It is sometimes stated that this came from Pliny the Elder, but it was not used by Pliny. Linnaeus took up Bauhin's epithet in the first edition of his Species Plantarum in 1753.

The name apricot probably is derived from a tree mentioned as praecocia by Pliny. Pliny says "We give the name of apples (mala) ... to peaches (persica) and pomegranates (granata) ..." Later in the same section he states "The Asiatic peach ripens at the end of autumn, though an early variety (praecocia) ripens in summer – these were discovered within the last thirty years ...".

The classical authors connected armeniaca with praecocia: Pedanius Dioscorides' " ... Ἀρμενιακὰ, Ῥωμαιστὶ δὲ βρεκόκκια" and Martial's "Armeniaca, et praecocia latine dicuntur". Putting together the Armeniaca and the Mala obtains the well-known epithet, but there is no evidence the ancients did it; Armeniaca alone meant the apricot.

Accordingly, the American Heritage Dictionary under apricot derives praecocia from praecoquus, "cooked or ripened beforehand" [in this case meaning early ripening], becoming Greek πραικόκιον "apricot" and Arabic al-barqūq "apricot" (although in most of the Arab world the word now means "plum").

The English name comes from earlier "abrecock" in turn from the Middle French abricot, from Catalan abercoc. Both the Catalan and the Spanish albaricoque were adaptations of the Arabic, dating from the Moorish occupation of Spain. The name apricock is sometimes still used in English.

However, in Argentina and Chile the word for "apricot" is damasco, which probably indicates that, to the Spanish settlers of Argentina, the fruit was associated with Damascus in Syria.

In culture
The Chinese associate the apricot with education and medicine. For instance, the classical word 杏壇 (literally: 'apricot altar') which means "educational circle", is still widely used in written language. Chuang Tzu, a Chinese philosopher in 4th century BCE, told a story that Confucius taught his students in a forum surrounded by the wood of apricot trees.

The fact that apricot season is very short has given rise to the very common Egyptian Arabic and Palestinian Arabic expression "filmishmish" ("in apricot [season]") or "bukra filmishmish" ("tomorrow in apricot [season]"), generally uttered as a riposte to an unlikely prediction, or as a rash promise to fulfill a request.

Among United States Marine Corps tank-driving soldiers, apricots are taboo, by superstition. Marine Corps tankers will not eat apricots, allow apricots onto their vehicles, and often will not even say the word "apricot". This superstition stems from Marine Sherman tank breakdowns purportedly happening in the presence of cans of apricots.

The Turkish idiom "bundan iyisi Şam'da kayısı" (literally, the only thing better than this is an apricot in Damascus) means "it doesn't get any better than this" and used when something is the very best it can be; like a delicious apricot from Damascus.

Useful facts and figures

2010-10-23T00:34:00.001+03:00

USEFUL FACTS AND FIGURES FOR BAKING

Baking is one area of cookery where you really do need to be very accuracy in your measuring of ingredient quantities, tin sizes and oven temperatures. The following charts should give you all the information you need on cup and spoon measurements and conversions from metric to imperial.

CUP CONVERSIONS

· 1 Cup plain/self-raising flour 125 g (4 oz)

· 1 Cup Butter 250 g (8 oz)

· 1 Cup Cocoa powder 125 g (4 oz)

· 1 Cup Corn flour 125 g (4 oz)

· 1 Cup desiccated coconut 90 g (3 oz)

· 1 Cup Flaked coconut 60 g (2 oz)

· 1 Cup Currants 150 g (5 oz)

· 1 Cup Custard powder 125 g (4 oz)

· 1 Cup chopped glace fruit 240 g (7 ½ oz)

· 1 Cup grated chocolate 125 g (4 oz)

· 1 Cup chopped chocolate 150 g (5 oz)

· 1 Cup chocolate melts 150 g (5 oz)

· 1 Cup chocolate bits 175 g (6 oz)

· 1 Cup Hazelnuts 140 g ( 4 ½oz)

· 1 Cup chopped hazelnuts 120 g (4 oz)

· 1 Cup ground hazelnuts 110 g (3 ½ oz)

· 1 Cup ground Almonds 185 g (6 oz)

· 1 Cup Mixed peel 185 g (6 oz)

· 1 Cup passion fruit pulp 250 g (8 oz)

· 1 Cup raisins 125 g (4 oz)

· 1 Cup Sultanas 125 g (4 oz)

· 1 Cup caster or granulated Sugar 250 g (8 oz)

· 1 Cup Icing sugar 25 g (4 oz)

LIQUID CUP MEASURES

¼ Cup

1/3 Cup

½ Cup

¾ Cup

1 Cup

60 ml

80 ml

125 ml

185 ml

250 ml

2 fluid oz

2 ¾ fluid oz

4 fluid oz

6 fluid oz

8 fluid oz

SPOON MEASURES

¼ Teaspoon

½ Teaspoon

1 Teaspoon

1 Table spoon

1.25 ML

2.5 ml

5 ml

20 ml

INTERNATIONAL INGREDIENT NAMES

Baking Tray

Bicarbonate

Choc bits

Chocolate melts

Cornflour

Cream

Custard

Dark chocolate

Flaked almonds

Flaked coconut

Golden syrup

Greaseproof paper

Hazelnuts

Icing sugar

Madeira cake

Mixed peel

Plain flour

Piping bag

Sprinkles

Thick cream

Baking sheet

Baking soda

Chocolate chips

Chocolate buttons

Cornstarch

Single cream

Custard sauce

Plain/bittersweet chocolate

Sliced almonds

Coconut flakes

Light corn syrup

Waxed paper

Filberts

Confectioners’ sugar

Pound cake

Mixed candied citrus rind

All-purpose flour

Decorating bag

Hundreds&thousands

Double/heavy cream

WEIGHT LENGTH

10 g ¼ oz

30 g 1 oz

60 g 2 oz

90 g 3 oz

125 g 4 oz

150 g 5 oz

185 g 6 oz

220 g 7 oz

250 g 8 oz

275 g 9 oz

300 g 10 oz

330 g 11 oz

375 g 12 oz

400 g 13 oz

425 g 14 oz

475 g 15 oz

500 g 1 lb

600 g 1 ¼ lb

650 g 1 lb 5 oz

750 g 1 ½ lb

1 kg 2 lb

5 mm                           ¼ inch
1 cm                            ½ inch
2 cm                            ¾ inch
2.5 cm                         1 inch
5 cm                             2 inches
6 cm                             2 ½ inches
8 cm                             3 inches
10 cm                           4 inches
12 cm                           5 inches
15 cm                           6 inches
18 cm                           7 inches
20 cm                           8 inches
23 cm                           9 inches
25 cm                           10 inches
28 cm                            11 inches
30 cm                            12 inches
35 cm                            14 inches
46 cm                            18 inches
50 cm                            20 inches
61 cm                             24 inches
77 cm                             30 inches

Sesame Halva or Halva Thahini

2010-10-19T21:46:00.003+03:00

Sesame Halva is a favorite dessert in the Middle East.. In Kuwait it is known as Rehash (this word comes from Arabic Language).It is a traditional sweet among Arabs. I used it as an ingredient to make Coffee sweets of Arabs, from my experience if I made some thing with Rehash, it is guaranteed for sale. Rehash is available in different flavor with Rose water, spices, Dates syrup etc. Served with coffee or tea, it is the perfect ending to any meal.

Nut-butter–based

This type of halva is made by grinding oily seeds, such as sesame, to a paste and then mixing with hot sugar syrup cooked to hard-crack stage. This type is popular in the eastern Mediterranean and Balkan regions, in countries such as Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Romania, Serbia, Montenegro Bulgaria, Russia, Greece and Cyprus , Egypt, Iraq, Israel, Iran, Lebanon, Macedonia, Albania, Syria, Central Asia, Southern India, Caucasus region and Turkey. It is also popular in Algeria and on the central Mediterranean islands of Malta.

Sesame

Sesame halva is popular in the Balkans, Middle East, and other areas surrounding the Mediterranean Sea. The primary ingredients in this confection are sesame seeds or paste (tahini), and sugar, glucose or honey. (called ‘erq al halaweh in Arabic; çöven in Turkish), egg white, or marshmallow root are added in some recipes, to stabilize the oils in the mixture or create a distinctive texture for the resulting confection.
Other ingredients and flavourings such as pistachio nuts, cocoa powder, orange juice, vanilla, or chocolate are often added to the basic tahini and sugar base.
The word halva entered the English language between 1840-50 from the Yiddish halva. The latter term came from Romanian, which in turn came from the Turkish helva, a word which itself ultimately derived from the Arabic Al ḥalwā, meaning sweet confection. The Arabic root حلوى ḥalwā means "sweet".

Here is a recipe for sesame sweet: -

Ingredients:

3 cups sesame seeds
¾ cup tahini
½ cup sugar
½ cup honey
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon allspice

Preparation:

In a skillet, heat sesame seeds over medium heat until lightly toasted or can be toasted in an oven.

Once cooled, add sesame seeds to a food processor or in a wet grinder one cup at a time and blend. Add tahini, sugar, honey, cinnamon and allspice and pulse until mixture is thick and nearly solid

Line a baking pan with parchment paper or plastic wrap and press mixture evenly into pan. Cover and refrigerate until firm. Cut into squares and serve.

Some of the Coffee sweets with Sesame sweets.

<<< Sesame Sweet available in the market

Coffee sweet with Rahsh filling>>>>>>

<<<

Arab cookie with Rehash>>>>>>>

<<<< Arab Cookie with Rehash filling and Garnishing

Back Water and Sea Food from Kerala

2010-10-09T23:35:00.000+03:00

Kuttanadu, a beautiful place in Kerala the God's own country. It is a land of back water, paddy fields, House boats etc. Once you visit there ,never forget the taste of delecious foods, roaming around on house boats.

August 15, India Independence Day & Birth Day of Kuwait Bakers Blog

2010-08-14T00:56:00.001+03:00

Hi Visitors!

On August 15, 2009 the day of Indian Independence and the birth of Kuwait bakers blog happened on the same day was a co - incident. My first posting in foodie blog done on that day.

Thanks to all visitors for your great support and valuable comments. Expects more and more from you. Have a nice surfing!!!!!!!.

"Happy Independence Day "

2010-04-06T23:38:00.004+03:00

Sumac

Sumac is a red colored powder generally used as a spice for garnishing certain Kuwaiti cuisines, such as Hamous, Fata’er (Arabic bread with fillings), mix with certain Salads, Kababs,Chicken Mussakan etc. As an expatriate in Kuwait due to lack of Arabic knowledge, it is quiet difficult to get details of such things. I would like to share my collections with my visitors.

Details as follows:-

Sumac (pronounced /ˈʃuːmæk/ or /ˈs(j)uːmæk/; also spelled sumach) is any one of approximately 250 species of flowering plants in the genus Rhus and related genera, in the family Anacardiaceous.

Sumacs grow in subtropical and temperate regions throughout the world, especially in Africa and North America.

Sumacs are shrubs and small trees that can reach a height of 1–10 metres (3.3–33 ft). The leaves are spirally arranged; they are usually pinnately compound, though some species have trifoliate or simple leaves. The flowers are in dense panicles or spikes 5–30 centimetres (2.0–12 in) long, each flower very small, greenish, creamy white or red, with five petals. The fruits form dense clusters of reddish drupes called sumac bobs. The dried drupes of some species are ground to produce a tangy purple spice.

Sumacs propagate both by seed (spread by birds and other animals through their droppings), and by new shoots from rhizomes, forming large clonal colonies.

Cultivation and uses

The drupes of the genus Rhus are ground into a deep-red or purple powder used as a spice in Middle Eastern cuisine to add a lemony taste to salads or meat. In Arabic cuisine, it is used as a garnish on meze dishes such as Hummous and is added on salads in the Levant. In Iranian (Persian and Kurdish) cuisine, sumac is added to rice or kabob. In Turkish cuisine, for example, it is added to salad-servings of kebabs and lahmacun. In North America, the smooth sumac (Rhus glabra) and the staghorn sumac (Rhus typhina) are sometimes used to make a beverage termed "sumac-ade," "Indian lemonade" or "rhus juice". This drink is made by soaking the drupes in cool water, rubbing them to extract the essence, straining the liquid through a cotton cloth and sweetening it. Native Americans also used the leaves and berries of the smooth and staghorn sumacs combined with tobacco in traditional smoking mixtures.

Species including the fragrant sumac (Rhus aromatica), the littleleaf sumac (R. microphylla), the skunkbush sumac (R. trilobata), the smooth sumac and the staghorn sumac are grown for ornament, either as the wild types or as cultivars.

The leaves of certain sumacs yield tannin (mostly pyrogallol), a substance used in vegetable tanning. Leather tanned with sumac is flexible, light in weight, and light in color, even bordering on being white.

Dried sumac wood fluoresces under long-wave ultraviolet radiation, commonly known as black light.

Toxicity and control

Some species, such as Poison ivy (Rhus toxicodendron, syn.Toxicodendron radicans), Poison oak (Rhus diversiloba, syn. Toxicodendron diversilobum) and Poison sumac (Rhus vernix, syn. Toxicodendron vernix), have the allergen urushiol and can cause severe allergic reactions.

Mowing of sumac is not a good control measure as the wood is springy resulting in jagged, sharp pointed stumps when mowed. The plant will quickly recover with new growth after mowing.Goats have long been considered an efficient and quick removal method as they eat the bark, which helps prevent new shoots.

Taxonomy

A young branch of staghorn sumac

Rhus lancea fruit

Winged sumac leaves and flowers Rhusmalloryi fossil

At times Rhus has held over 250 species. Recent molecular phylogeny research suggests breaking Rhus sensu lato into Actinocheita, Baronia, Cotinus, Malosma, Searsia, Toxicodendron, and Rhus sensu stricto. If this is done, about 35 species would remain in Rhus. However, the data are not yet clear enough to settle the proper placement of all species into these genera.

Products with Pistachio Nuts

2010-03-06T21:25:00.005+03:00

Pistachio

I started this blog with the intention of posting recipes. From my short time experience in the world of Food blogs observed myself there is no scarcity of recipes.There are thousands of Food Blogs with professional and domestic recipes available from around the world. So I am trying to do some thing different. Defenitly your valuable comments will encourage me to do more.

So here is the new post :

Eversince I am working with sweets in Gulf ,Pistachio is an inevitable ingredient for most of the Kuwaiti sweets. As an Indian it is a new thing to me. Pistacio in different stage available in the Arab market such as Salted nut with shell and without shell, roasted nuts ,diced nuts etc. It is using as an ingredient for different Arab deserts such as Baklawa, Guraiba, Halwa, and different kinds of coffee sweets ( Hallu gawa) ,cakes. It is using as mix with dough, fillings for coffee sweets, garnish for deserts and can be used with vegetable salads by soaking for few hours.

Rest of the informations are collected from Wikipedia.com

Pistacia vera Ripening Pistachio on Tree



Salted roasted pistachio nut with shell

Ground Pistachio Diced Pistachio
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
(unranked):	Angiosperms
(unranked):	Eudicots
(unranked):	Rosids
Order:	Sapindales
Family:	Anacardiaceae
Genus:	Pistacia
Species:	*P. vera*
Binomial name
*Pistacia vera* L.

This article is about the culinary nut and the tree that bears it. For other uses, see Pistachio (disambiguation).

The pistachio (Pistacia vera L., Anacardiaceae or sometimes Pistaciaceae) is a small tree native to some regions of Syria, Iran, Kyrgyzstan, Greece, Turkmenistan, Turkey, Pakistan and western Afghanistan, that produces an important culinary nut. Pistacia vera often is confused with other species in the genus Pistacia that are also known as pistachio. These species can be distinguished from P. vera by their geographic distributions (in the wild) and their nuts. Their nuts are much smaller, have a strong flavor of turpentine, and have a shell that is not hard. The word pistachio is a loanword from Persian via Latin, and is a cognate to the Modern Persian word پسته Peste.

History

The modern pistachio nut P. vera was first cultivated in Western Asia. Its cultivation spread into the Mediterranean world by way of central Iran, where it has long been an important crop. The early 6th-Century manuscript De observatione ciborum (On the observance of foods) by Anthimus implies that pistachio nuts ("pistacia" in vulgar Latin) were well known in Europe by late Roman times.

More recently pistachio has been cultivated commercially in the English speaking world, in Australia, New Mexico,^[1] and California. The United States Department of Agriculture introduced the tree in California about 1904, but it was not promoted as a commercial crop until 1929.

Biology

The bush grows up to 10 meters (30 ft) tall. It has deciduous
pinnate
leaves 10–20 centimeters (4-8 inches) long.

Pistachio is a desert plant, and is highly tolerant of saline soil. It has been reported to grow well when irrigated with water having 3,000-4,000 ppm of soluble salts. Pistachio trees are fairly hardy in the right conditions, and can survive temperature ranges between −10°C (14°F) in winter to 40°C (104°F) in summer. They need a sunny position and well-drained soil. Pistachio trees do poorly in conditions of high humidity, and are susceptible to root rot in winter if they get too much water and the soil is not sufficiently free draining. Long hot summers are required for proper ripening of the fruit.

The plants are dioecious, with separate male and female trees. The flowers are apetalous and unisexual, and borne in panicles.

The fruit is a drupe, containing an elongated seed, which is the edible portion. The seed, commonly thought of as a nut, is a culinary nut, not a botanical nut. The fruit has a hard, whitish exterior shell. The seed has a mauvish skin and light green flesh, with a distinctive flavor. When the fruit ripens, the shell changes from green to an autumnal yellow/red and abruptly splits part way open (see photo). This is known as dehiscence, and happens with an audible pop. The splitting open is a trait that has been selected by humans.Commercial cultivars vary in how consistently they split open.

Each pistachio tree averages around 50 kg of seeds, or around 50,000, every two years.

Cultivation

Commercially prepared pistachios in shells

The trees are planted in orchards, and take approximately seven to ten years to reach significant production. Production is alternate bearing or biennial bearing, meaning the harvest is heavier in alternate years. Peak production is reached at approximately 20 years. Trees are usually pruned to size to make the harvest easier. One male tree produces enough pollen for eight to twelve nut-bearing females. Harvesting in the United States is often accomplished by using shaking equipment to shake the nuts off the tree.

Pistachio nuts in and out of the shell

Pistachio trees are vulnerable to a wide variety of diseases (see List of pistachio diseases). Among these is infection by the fungus
Botryosphaeria. This fungus causes panicle and shoot blight (i.e., kills flowers and young shoots), and can damage entire pistachio orchards.

In California almost all female pistachio trees are the cultivar "Kerman". A sprig from a mature female Kerman is grafted onto a one-year-old rootstock. Male pistachios may be a different variety.

Bulk container shipments of pistachio nuts are prone to self-heating and spontaneous combustion because of their high fat and low water content.

Pistachio nut production in 2005 was 501 thousand metric tonnes:

Giant pistachio nut sculpture in Alamogordo, New Mexico

Country	Share of 2005 production (tonnes)
Iran	190 000
United States	140 000
Turkey	60 000
Syria	60 000
China	34 000
Greece	9 500
Italy	2 400
Uzbekistan	1 000
Tunisia	800
Pakistan	300
Madagascar	160
Kyrgyzstan	100
Morocco	50
Cyprus	15
Mexico	7
Mauritius	5

Pistachio nuts, dry roasted, w/o salt
Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz)
Energy	2,391 kJ (571 kcal)
Carbohydrates	27.65 g
Sugars	7.81 g
Dietary fiber	10.3 g
Fat	45.97 g
Protein	21.35 g
- lutein and zeaxanthin	1205 μg
Thiamine (Vit. B1)	0.84 mg (65%)
Riboflavin (Vit. B2)	0.158 mg (11%)
Niacin (Vit. B3)	1.425 mg (10%)
Pantothenic acid (B5)	0.513 mg (10%)
Vitamin B6	1.274 mg (98%)
Folate (Vit. B9)	50 μg (13%)
Vitamin C	2.3 mg (4%)
Calcium	110 mg (11%)
Iron	4.2 mg (34%)
Magnesium	120 mg (32%)
Phosphorus	485 mg (69%)
Potassium	1042 mg (22%)
Zinc	2.3 mg (23%)
Manganese 1.275 mg

The kernels are often eaten whole, either fresh or roasted and salted, and are also used in ice cream and confections such as baklava or biscotti and cold cuts such as mortadella. Inhabitants of the American Midwest make pistachio salad, which includes fresh pistachios or pistachio pudding, cool whip, canned fruit and sometimes cottage cheese or marshmallows.^[5] In July 2003, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the first qualified health claim specific to nuts lowering the risk of heart disease: "Scientific evidence suggests but does not prove that eating 1.5 ounces (42.5g) per day of most nuts, such as pistachios, as part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol may reduce the risk of heart disease".

In research at Pennsylvania State University, pistachios in particular significantly reduced levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL cholesterol) while increasing antioxidant levels in the serum of volunteers.^[7] In rats, consumption of pistachios as 20% of daily caloric intake increased beneficial high-density lipoprotein (HDL cholesterol) without lowering LDL cholesterol, and while reducing LDL oxidation.

In December 2008, Dr. James Painter, a behavioral eating expert professor and chair of School of Family and Consumer Sciences at Eastern Illinois University, described the Pistachio Principle. The Pistachio Principle describes methods of "fooling" your body into eating less. One example used is that the act of de-shelling and eating pistachios one by one slows your consumption allowing you to feel full faster after having eaten less.

Pistachios in shell

The shell of the pistachio is naturally a beige color, but it is sometimes dyed red or green in commercial pistachios. Originally dye was applied by importers to hide stains on the shells caused when the nuts were picked by hand. Most pistachios are now picked by machine and the shells remain unstained, making dyeing unnecessary except to meet ingrained consumer expectations. Roasted pistachio nuts can be artificially turned red if they are marinated prior to roasting in a salt and strawberry marinade, or salt and citrus salts.

Like other members of the Anacardiaceae family (which includes poison ivy, sumac, mango, and cashew), pistachios contain urushiol, an irritant that can cause allergic reactions.

Fagga or Desert Truffles

2010-02-19T00:39:00.006+03:00

Terfeziaceae (Fagga or Desert Truffles)

I think this is the right time to post this article. Because Desert Truffle or Fagga is now a days available in the market. It grows in virgin deserts at the end of winter season. It knowns to be come out from ground after Heavy rain with thunder and lightening. Kuwaitees are collecting fagga during their winter camp in the desert. It can be cooked with rice, meat or as separate.

For the following informations courtesy to www.Wikipedia.com

The Terfeziaceae, or desert truffles, is a family of truffles (Arabic: كمأ Kamā') endemic to arid and semi-arid areas of the Mediterranean Region, North Africa, and the Middle East, where they live in ectomycorrhizal association with Helianthemum species and other ectomycorrhizal plants (including Cistus, oaks, and pines). This group consists of three genera: Terfezia, Tirmania, and Mattirolomyces. They are a few centimetres across and weigh from 30 to 300 grams (1-10 oz). Desert truffles are often used as a culinary ingredient.

Family description

Fruit-bodies (ascomata) are large, more or less spherical to turbinate (like a top), thick-walled, solid; the asci are formed in marbled veins interspersed with sterile tissue. The asci are cylindrical to spherical, indehiscent (not splitting open at maturity), and sometimes stain blue in iodine. Ascospores are hyaline to pale brown, spherical, uninucleate

Habitat and ecology

Desert truffles, as the name suggests, predominantly grow in the desert. They have been found in arid and semi-arid zones of the Kalahari desert, the Mediterranean basin, Iraq and Kuwait, the Sahara and Saudi Arabia, Hungary and Yugoslavia, and China.It is commonly said that they are formed where lightning strikes the desert sands, since they are not the most common of fungi (thus justifying their cost).

Culinary use and commercial importance

Desert truffles do not have the same flavour as European truffles, but tend to be more common and thus more affordable. Whereas forest truffles typically cost $100 per kilogram, and Italian truffles may sell for up to $2200 per kilogram, desert truffles have been sold in Riyadh for $26.75 per kilogram. (Prices in 2002 US Dollars)

Vernacular names

Desert truffles go by several different names. In Turkey they are called "Keme", In Morocco they are called terfez, in Egypt the Bedouin of the Western Desert call them terfas. The Kuwaitis call them fagga, the Saudis
faq'h, and in Syria they are known by their classical Arabic name, kamaa. Iraqis call them kamaa, (or kima or chima depending on local dialects) and in Oman they are either faqah or zubaydi. The Hebrew word is kmehin. In southern Spain, they are known as turmas, though the more common Spanish term is "trufa."In Botswana they are called "mahupu".

In Saudi Arabia, there are two varieties; khalasi are oval with a black skin and a pinkish-ivory interior, and zubaidi have a cream colour but are generally more expensive.

Species list

Terfezia arenaria

Terfezia boudieri

Terfezia claveryi

Terfezia leptoderma

Terfezia terfezioides - phylogenetic analyses based on nuclear rDNA sequences strongly suggest that this species be reassigned to the original monotypic genus Mattirolomyces.

Tirmania nivea

Tirmania pinoyi

Rice with Mixed vegetable and Fagga or Desert Truffle

Vegetable ingredients:-

White Cabbage cut in to big cubes        :    2 Cups

Fagga or Truffles cut in to cubes            :    1 ½ kilo

Coloured Capsicum(green,yellow& red)        :    1 each

Soy Sauce                    :    1 Tbsp

Black pepper,Cummin,Coriander&Bahaar(sweet spices) : ¼ Tsp each

Paprika, Termeric                :    1 Tsp each

Cardamon                    :    ½ Tsp

Dill (Sphinch in Arabic)                :    2 Tbsp

Onion Chopped                    :    3 Big pcs

Tomato peeled & minced            :    1 big pc

Cloves                        :    3 pcs

Garlic, Ginger                    :    1 Tsp each

Saffron Powder                    :    ½ Tsp

Butter                        :    50 grms

Vegetable oil                    :    6 Tbsp

Carrot cut in to cubes                :    2 pcs

Spring Onion(cut in to 2 ½ cm long)        :    2 pcs

Salt                        :    1 Tsp or as required

Rice Ingredients:-

Basmathi Rice                    :    2 ½ Cup

Enough water for boiling the rice + 1Tbsp Butter

Salt 1Tbsp or as required

Butter and Oil for frying onion            :    2 Tbsp each

Extra Onion (cut in to alongative)        :    1 big

Cardamon                    :    ½ Tsp

Saffron Powder                    :    ¼ Tsp

Wash rice and soaked water and salt for half an hour.

Bol Rice with sufficient water by adding salt and table spoon butter till tender.

Drain the water from rice and left until making the vegetable mixture.

Boil the Fagga (Truffle) with water and salt, drain and keep beside.

Preparation of Vegetables:-

Heat the oil and butter then fry onion till golden brown then put garlic, ginger and spices till tender. Then put Capsicum, cabbage, carrot and stir until welted slightly then add boiled Fagga and stir for 2 minutes then add tomato, keep on medium fire for 5 minutes.Put spring onion, dill and stir with a wooden spoon and remove from fire.

Take a cooking bowl (large enough for whole ingredients) heat oil and butter and fry extra onion, add saffron powder,cardamom then put 1/3 portion of rice then put half portion of vegetable miture over the rice. Then put 2^nd portion of rice spread with a spoon and remaining vegetable over it, then the 3^rd portion rice on top. Cover with the lid and left the bowl on medium heat until steam appears. Then reduce heat and put a metal disk under the bowl untill distrusting steam.

Before serve mix the rice and vegetable carefully without breaking rice then serve hot.

Note:- In a Serving dish serve fagga rice garnished with fried onion, roasted cashewnut and fried Dry Grapes.

Slide show

2010-02-02T21:14:00.003+03:00

Za’atar (Thyme)

2010-01-25T22:19:00.002+03:00

Thyme or Za'atar

"Thyme "or"Za'atar" (in Arabic language) is commonly used for culinary and medicinal purposes in the Arab world. It is used as filling for Arab Bread(Fata-ar) and as a Herbal medicine. Olive oil is the best combination of Za'atar for adding taste. Ground Dried Za'atar mixed with Sesame seeds and fresh leaves also available in the Arab market. For more informations scroll down………..

Wait for another post for more recipes with Za'atar (Thyme filling).

Arab Breakfast or Fata-er with Thyme Filling

.

Common thyme, Thymus vulgaris

Dried thyme.
Za'atar or Thyme powder available in Kuwait

Thyme (pronounced /ˈtaɪm/) is a well known herb; in common usage the name may refer to

any or all members of the plant genus
Thymus,
Common thyme, Thymus vulgaris, and some other species that are used as culinary herbs or for medicinal purposes.

History

Ancient Egyptians used thyme for embalming. The ancient Greeks used it in their baths and burnt it as incense in their temples, believing that thyme was a source of courage. It was thought that the spread of thyme throughout Europe was thanks to the Romans, as they used it to purify their rooms and to "give an aromatic flavour to cheese and liqueurs".In the European Middle Ages, the herb was placed beneath pillows to aid sleep and ward off nightmares. In this period, women would also often give knights and warriors gifts that included thyme leaves as it was believed to bring courage to the bearer. Thyme was also used as incense and placed on coffins during funerals as it was supposed to assure passage into the next life.^[

Cultivation

Thyme is widely cultivated for its strong flavor, which is due to its content of thymol.

Thyme is best cultivated in a hot sunny location with well drained soil. It is generally planted in the spring and thereafter grows as a perennial. It can be propagated by seed, cuttings, or by dividing rooted sections of the plant. It tolerates drought well. The plants can take deep freezes and are found growing wild on mountain highlands^[

Thyme retains its flavor on drying better than many other herbs.

Culinary use

Thyme is a good source of iron and is widely used in cooking. The herb is a basic ingredient in Macedonian, Lebanese, Italian, French, Albanian, Persian, Portuguese, Libyan, Spanish, Greek, Syrian, and Turkish cuisines, and in those derived from them. It is also widely used in Arab and Caribbean cuisines.

Thyme is often used to flavour meats, soups and stews. It has a particular affinity to and is often used as a primary flavour with lamb, tomatoes and eggs.

Thyme, while flavourful, does not overpower and blends well with other herbs and spices. In some Levantine countries, the condiment za'atar (Arabic for thyme) contains thyme as a vital ingredient. It is a common component of the bouquet garni, and of herbes de Provence.

Thyme is sold both fresh and dried. The fresh form is more flavourful but also less convenient; storage life is rarely more than a week. While summer-seasonal, fresh thyme is often available year-round.

Fresh thyme is commonly sold in bunches of sprigs. A sprig is a single stem snipped from the plant. It is composed of a woody stem with paired leaf or flower clusters ("leaves") spaced ½ to 1" apart. A recipe may measure thyme by the bunch (or fraction thereof), or by the sprig, or by the tablespoon or teaspoon. If the recipe does not specify fresh or dried, assume that it means fresh.

Depending on how it is used in a dish, the whole sprig may be used (e.g. in a bouquet garni), or the leaves removed and the stems discarded. Usually when a recipe specifies 'bunch' or 'sprig' it means the whole form; when it specifies spoons it means the leaves. It is perfectly acceptable to substitute dried for whole thyme.

Leaves may be removed from stems either by scraping with the back of a knife, or by pulling through the fingers or tines of a fork. Leaves are often chopped.

Thyme retains its flavour on drying better than many other herbs. As usual with dried herbs less of it is required when substituted in a recipe. As a rule of thumb, use one third as much dried as fresh thyme - a little less if it is ground. Substitution is often more complicated than that because recipes can specify sprigs and sprigs can vary in yield of leaves. Assuming a 4" sprig (they are often somewhat longer), estimate that 6 sprigs will yield one tablespoon of leaves. The dried equivalent is 1:3, so substitute 1 teaspoon of dried or ¾ tsp of ground thyme for 6 small sprigs.

As with bay, thyme is slow to release its flavours so it is usually added early in the cooking process.

Medicinal use

The essential oil of common thyme (Thymus vulgaris) is made up of 20-54% thymol. Thymol, an antiseptic, is the main active ingredient in Listerine mouthwash. Before the advent of modern antibiotics, it was used to medicate bandages. It has also been shown to be effective against the fungus that commonly infects toenails.

A tea made by infusing the herb in water can be used for cough and bronchitis. Medicinally thyme is used for respiratory infections in the form of a tincture, tisane, salve, syrup or by steam inhalation Because it is antiseptic, thyme boiled in water and cooled is very effective against inflammation of the throat when gargled 3 times a day. The inflammation will normally disappear in 2 – 5 days. The thymol and other volatile components in the leaf glands are excreted via the lungs, being highly lipid-soluble, where it reduces the viscosity of the mucus and exerts its antimicrobial action. Other infections and wounds can be dripped with thyme that has been boiled in water and cooled.

In traditional Jamaican childbirth practice, thyme tea is given to the mother after delivery of the babyIts oxytocin-like effect causes uterine contractions and more rapid delivery of the placenta but this was said by Sheila Kitzinger to cause an increased prevalence of retained placenta.

Important species

Thymus vulgaris (Common Thyme or Garden Thyme) is a commonly used culinary herb. It also has medicinal uses. Common thyme is a Mediterranean perennial which is best suited to well-drained soils and enjoys full sun.

Thymus herba-barona (Caraway Thyme) is used both as a culinary herb and a groundcover, and has a very strong caraway scent due to the chemical carvone.

Thymus × citriodorus (Citrus Thyme; hybrid T. pulegioides × T. vulgaris) is also a popular culinary herb, with cultivars selected with aromas of various citrus fruit (lemon thyme, etc.)

Thymus pseudolanuginosus (Woolly Thyme) is not a culinary herb, but is grown as a ground cover.

Thymus serpyllum (Wild Thyme) is an important nectar source plant for honeybees. All thyme species are nectar sources, but wild thyme covers large areas of droughty, rocky soils in southern Europe (Greece is especially famous for wild thyme honey) and North Africa, as well as in similar landscapes in the Berkshire Mountains and Catskill Mountains of the northeastern US.

Popular cultivars

Variegated lemon thyme.

There are a number of different cultivars of thyme with established or growing popularity, including:

English thyme—the most common
Lemon thyme—smells of lemons
Variegated lemon thyme—with bi-colour leaves
Orange thyme—an unusually low-growing, ground cover thyme that smells like orange
Creeping thyme—the lowest-growing of the widely used thyme, good for walkways
Silver thyme—white/cream variegate
Summer thyme—unusually strong flavour
Caribbean thyme—Same flavor as English thyme but 10 times stronger.

Damascus Rose

2010-01-16T21:10:00.002+03:00

Damascus Rose or Vard Damaski

This Dry flower called Damascus flower or Vard Damashki I am using for garnishing coffee sweets ( Hallu Gawa). Arab people are using this as a Herbal medicine by boiling in water and drinking.Thats only I heard from Arabs. For the rest of the informations Thanks to” Wikipedia”

Rosa × damascena, more commonly known as the Damask rose or simply as "Damask", or sometimes as the Rose of Castile, is a rose hybrid, derived from Rosa gallica and Rosa moschata (Huxley 1992). Further DNA analysis has shown that a third species, Rosa fedtschenkoana, is associated with the Damask rose (Harkness 2003). The Damask rose is commonly used to flavor food and to make rose water

Description and history

The Damask Rose is a deciduous shrub growing to 2.2 metres (7 ft 3 in) tall, the stems densely armed with stout, curved prickles and stiff bristles. The leaves are pinnate, with five (rarely seven) leaflets. It is considered an important type of Old Rose, also for their prominent place in the pedigree of many other types. They are renowned for their fine fragrance, and their flowers are commercially harvested for rose oil used in perfumery. The perfume industry often refers to this rose as the Damascus rose.

Rosa × damascena Rosa damascena Scientific classification Kingdom: Plantae

Division: Magnoliophyta
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Rosales
Family: Rosaceae
Genus: Rosa
Species: R. × damascena
Binomial name Rosa × damascena

The Crusader Robert de Brie is sometimes given credit for bringing them from Persia to Europe sometime between 1254 and 1276. The name refers to Damascus, Syria a major city in the region. Other stories say the Romans brought the rose to England, and a third account is says that the Henry VIII's physician gave him a Damask rose, as a present, around 1540.^[1]

The hybrid is divided in two varieties (Huxley 1992):

Summer Damasks (R. × damascena nothovar. damascena) have a short flowering season, only in the summer.
Autumn Damasks (R. × damascena nothovar. semperflorens (Duhamel) Rowley) have a longer flowering season, extending into the autumn; they are otherwise not distinguishable from the summer damasks.

A still popular example of R. × damascena is the Ispahan rose. The hybrid Rosa × centifolia is derived in part from Rosa × damascena

Culinary uses

Damascus roses are used in cooking as a flavouring ingredient or spice. It appears as one of the ingredients in the Moroccan spice mixture known as ras el hanout. Rose water and powdered roses are used in Indian and Middle Eastern cooking. Rose water is often sprinkled on many meat dishes, while rose powder is added to sauces. The most popular use, however, is in the flavoring of deserts such as ice cream, jam, turkish delights, rice pudding, yogurt and etc. Chicken with rose is a popular dish in Persian cuisine. Western cookery today does not make much use of rose or rose water. However it was a popular ingredient in ancient times and continued to be popular well into the Renaissance. In the west, it was most commonly used in deserts. Many traditional deserts in Europe, however, still make use of roses, such as Marzipan or Turrón.

2010-01-12T23:06:00.002+03:00

Kuwaiti Salads

2009-12-22T12:32:00.002+03:00

Mixed Vegetable Salad

Ingredients:

Mixed vegetables (boiled) : 2 Cups
Eggplant (skinned and cut into cubes) : 2 Cups
Rocket ( Gergeer in Arabic) : 2 small bundles
Pomegranates : 1 Cup
Flour : 4 Tbsp
Bread loafs(Lebanese Kubbuse) : 5 (Rolled ,cut into 1inch long then fried)

Dressing:

Italian sauce : ½ Cup
Mustard sauce : 1 Tbsp
Mayonnaise : 1 Tbsp
Lemon Juice : ¼ Cup
Olive Oil : ¼ Cup
Vinegar : 2 Tbsp
Summak : 1 Tbsp

Procedure:

Dust the diced eggplant with flour then fry in preheated oil then drain out oil, mix with the mixed vegetables, rocket, pomegranates and fried bread rolls together.

Mix dressing ingredients together and pour over the salad before serving.

My observation: You can find a traditional Arab touch in each and every modern cuisine in the Arab world

Kuwaiti Salads

2009-12-22T12:31:00.002+03:00

Eggplant Fattah

Ingredients:

Eggplants (mid sized cubes)              :    2 pcs

Rocket leaves (Gergeer in Arabic)    :    4 Cups (without stems)

Lemon Juice               :    1 Tbsp

Canned white chick peas          :    1 can

Pomegranate                  :    3 Cups

Summak (for garnishing)       :    1 Tbsp

Dressing Ingredients:

Yogurt                   :    3 Cups

Olive Oil                  :    ¼ Cup

Lemon Juice                 :    2 Tbsp

Vinegar                  :    1 Tbsp

Salt                      :    A pinch

Procedure:

Fry the eggplant and arrange in the bottom of a serving plate, pour lemon juice over it. Cover with the layers of chick peas, rocket leaves, pomegranate, then pour the dressing over it.

Garnish with Summak and pomegranate.

This is a nutritious rich salad among Arabs

Kuwaiti Salads

2009-12-22T12:30:00.002+03:00

Kuwaiti Tabouleh

Ingredients:

Finely chopped parsley leaves : 3 cups

Finely chopped mint : ½ cup

Spring onions (finely chopped) : 4 or 5

Cucumber (peeled and finely diced) : 4

Tomatoes (chopped into small cubes) : 3

Burghul : 100 grms

Lemon juice : 2 Tbsp

Olive oil : 4Tbsp

Salt and Pepper : As your taste

Procedure:

Soak the burghul in cold water for 1 hour then drain.

Mix all the ingredients together, taste and adjust seasoning if needed.

It is a traditional nutritious salad among Arab world.

Main countries of production (Year 2007)
Rank	Country/Region	Production (in tons)	Cultivated area (in hectares)	Yield (q/Ha)
—	World	17,317,089	8,597,064	20.1
1	Spain	6,222,100	2,400,000	25.7
2	Italy	3,429,771	1,140,685	27.6
3	Greece	2,444,230	765,000	31.4
4	Turkey	1,075,854	594,000	30.3
5	Tunisia	998,000	1,500,000	3.3
6	Morocco	659,100	550,000	8.5
7	Syria	495,310	498,981	20.0
8	Egypt	318,000	49,888	63.8
9	Portugal	280,000	430,000	6.5
10	Algeria	208,952	178,000	16.9
11	Lebanon	76,200	250,000	6.5

Small olive tree	Large olive tree - Portugal	Olive tree leaves	Olive tree trunk
Olive flowers	A young olive plant, germinated from a seed	Cailletier cultivar, with an olive harvest net on the ground	Monumental tree in Apulia Region - Southern Italy
Olive tree from Greece, Sithonia	Olive trees on Corfu, Greece	Olive fruits, Sardinia	Olive tree, Karystos, Euboia,Greece