Synsepalum Dolcificum, Miracle Fruit, Magic Berry, Flavor Berry — all these names refer to the same olive-sized fruit, indigenous to West Africa. This tiny fruit contains a unique chemical substance, known as Miraculin, which interacts with the taste buds on our tongue, and temporarily deactivates our sour and bitter tastebuds! In other words, after chewing this fruit, one could drink beer and experience a taste that resembles ice coffee much more than it resembles… well, beer.

It was already known in the 70’s, but rumors have it that the FDA refused to approve it back then due to the Sugar Industry exerting considerable pressure to prevent the fruit from entering the market and damaging their profits.

Nevertheless, the fruit has gained growing popularity in Europe recently, and is used by some to avoid the harsh taste of many kinds of medicines.

In San Fransisco and New York some folks even arrange “flavor tripping” parties, in which the participants lick magic berries and go around tasting all kinds of everyday food in order to attain a mind-boggling experience.

When science finally succeeds at mass-producing Miraculin, it should radically change our culinary lifestyle.

Picture by The Banana Tree

Photo: Culinary Herb Guide

One of the true benefits of spring is the abundance of fresh herbs. While many herbs such as Basil, Oregano, Parsley and Thyme are available at your favorite grocer or whole foods store, many herbs can be found growing wild, or even in your neighborhood. There is simply nothing more lovely as a food taste enhancer than freshly picked herbs. Basil gives a special taste addition to a variety of foods, ranging from spaghetti and other pasta, to salads, meat dishes, and soups. Along with basil, oregano is a “must have” herb for Italian cookery; and fresh oregano is much more taste enhancing than the dried variety.

Herbs such as Rosemary and Sage are actually perennial plants which can often be found in the wild as well as in private and municipal gardens. Both of these zesty herbs go well will numerous dishes, including potatoes, sweet potatoes, chicken and fish. Chives and Mustard (either domestic or wild) are also common in the spring and add zest and flavor to numerous dishes. Though not actually an herb, Garlic (a cousin to the onion) is a must for cooking and is also grown in organic gardens to help keep insect pests away. Garlic Chives are chive-like perennial plants that resemble chives but also have a special garlic-like flavor. They are often grown in organic gardens for reasons similar to garlic.

Herbs which have a special use include varieties of Mint, Fennel, and Dill. Mint is common in many gardens and besides its use in teas and other beverages has many uses as a flavor enhancer for meat dishes, especially lamb. Fennel is both an herb and a succulent vegetable whose flowering tops are used for flavor enhancers for food and sweets, especially licorice. Fennel’s bulb-like stalks resemble celery and can be cooked into many delicious vegetable and meat dishes. Dill is a common pickling herb as well as a taste enhancer in breads such as rye bread.

People who live near wooded or marshy areas can find many of these herbs growing wild during the spring and summer months. By picking them wild and consuming them immediately, you gain the benefit of using truly organic herbs. The alternative to picking them wild is growing them in you own organic garden, which can even be on your apartment balcony if you are a city dweller. Plant and garden nurseries provide special trough-like planters for growing herbs as well as special soil and other needed materials. You can also buy fresh organic herbs at whole food centers and other similar establishments, including public markets.

Ginger is the edible part of the plant Zingiber officinale. Many people mistakenly think that ginger is a root, but we’re actually talking about a rhizome. Ginger is commonly known as a popular spice, which has many culinary uses in various cuisines across the world. Ginger is indispensable product in Asian and oriental cuisine. Ginger has been used by Chinese medicine for centuries. Ginger assists in digestion by enhancing production of digestive fluids. Ginger thus helps to treat dyspepsia, general stomach aches and diarrhea. Ginger can also relieve nausea in pregnant women or sea sickness.

Other therapeutic properties attributed to Ginger are: detoxification of body chemicals, stimulating blood circle, and relieving respiratory diseases such as asthma. The good news is the ginger is not only healthy but also easy to get and relatively cheap. Ginger serves as a very useful product in the any kitchen: it can be cooked as an ingredient in numerous dishes, such as fish, meat or even cookies. Fresh ginger can be added to salads. You can also use ginger in beverages : to make a ginger tea, jusr put a slice of fresh ginger root in hot water, and add honey and sliced lemon.

Needing some veggies, and remembering my last supermarket experience, I wandered in to my city’s version of the popular Whole Foods Store which caters to those who want produce that is a cut above the ordinary. I wasn’t disappointed, as the store, which goes by the name of Eden (from the Garden of Eden, I presume) is definitely a “garden of earthy delights”. The first thing one sees is the store’s layout, which is definitely more upscale than the average supermarket, and even has synthetic parquet flooring to add to the atmosphere.

Browsing though the spice and dried fruit section, I could see that not only was there virtually every kind of spice and fruit available, but arranged much more orderly and cleaner than a similar place might be in an open air produce market. That also goes for the fruits and veggies; and one has a choice of purchasing either regular produce or organic. The organic produce is much more expensive, though, and they had a guy standing there to weigh and price the items, to prevent people from paying for non-organic stuff, which is a lot cheaper, when they check out. Even the bags you put the fruit in are different, the organic ones being green (wonder why?).

One thing most people really notice in this kind of store is that junk food like most carbonated soft drinks, regular potato chips and corn chips, etc. are not available. Neither are the candies and cakes that usually are big selling items in regular supermarkets. The candies, cookies, and cakes that are available have less sugar and whole grains in their make up. And what chocolates are available are at least 60% pure cocoa, which is said to be very healthy for the heart.

Beers and wines that are in stock are mostly from small independent breweries and wineries, with many types being organic.

Am impressive assortment of dairy products are also available, made from low-fat milk products, as well as from soy and other vegetable ingredients. Cereals and granola products are also more healthy types, with most made form whole grains, much of them organic. And the breads; they are in a class to themselves.

The meat department features only “free running poultry” and range fed beef and other hoofed animals. Even the fish looked more healthy, as if they may have actually been taken from unpolluted water – if that’s possible now days. Although the prices for these meat and fish products are much more than the usual supermarket prices, at least you know you’re getting something better for your money.

And the ice cream section, sells home made types that really taste like ice cream!

A full range of vitamin supplements, much of them natural, are also on the shelves, with helpful salespeople to assist customers to purchase the right type needed.

All in all, these stores are worth a visit, even if only occasionally. We might all take heed the words from a popular health club commercial: “you have only one life; so live it well”.

The Indian Subcontinent, aside from being one of the most populous regions of the world, also contains many of the most beneficial medicinal herbs known to man. From the country’s northern mountains to it’s lush southern regions, medicinal herbs have been grown and used by the country’s 1+ billion population for thousands of years. The herbs are both cultivated and found growing wild in virtually all regions, and are used to treat a wide variety of illnesses and complaints including arthritis, cancer, heart disease, intestinal complaints, skin conditions, sexual impotency, and even snake bites.

In this virtual “garden of earthly delights” the herbs are picked and processed into a variety of preparations, many of which are sold worldwide. The names of these herbs are as exotic as the country from which they come; and just a few of them are noted here:

Andrographis paniculata: an extremely bitter tasting herb usually found in southern and southeastern India. This herb is used extensively in treating various types of cancer, inflammatory conditions, and as a treatment for snakebites.

Ashwagandha: Also known as winter cherry, this herb is used to treat a variety of health problems including nervous and stress disorders, anemia, infertility, and is also used to coagulate milk.

Neem tree: A shrub-like tree found in a number of locations ranging from tropical to mountainous, the Neem’s leaves, roots, and berries are used to treat a number of skin disorders ranging from boils to leprosy. It is a very important element in natural or Ayurvedic medicine.

Shatavari plant: A climbing plant found mainly in northern India, the Shatavari is used to treat a number of respiratory ailments including bronchitis, as well as diarrhea, dysentery, and other gastric related problems.

Triphala plant: Also known as “three fruits” the tripahala plant is used extensively to treat conditions of the liver and gall bladder, and is also widely used as a laxative. Due to its cleansing properties, it is often referred to as “nature’s body cleanser”. Due to a high vitamin content it is often used as a food supplement.

Tulsi plant: The tulsi plant is a basil-like herb that has long been used in Indian Ayurvedic medicine. Many refer to it as the “queen of herbs” and its value as a sexual enhancer was even mentioned in the Kama Sutra, the classical Indian work on sexual techniques. The tulsi is also used to treat lung congestion, skin diseases and malaria. It is also a popular spice and is added to a number of food dishes, including curries.

Tumeric plant: Turmeric plant is a popular food enhancer spice that has been used in India for centuries. It is also used to treat a wide range of stomach problems, including gastritis and ulcers. Its benefits in treating cancer is also being studied.

These are just a few of the many kinds of medicinal herbs and plants found on the Subcontinent. There are many more and these can be found in stores and websites specializing in holistic remedies and natural products.

Many people have become advocates of organic and natural foods, knowing that these foods are healthier than those that are commercially processed, vitamin enriched, and laced with antibiotics and other drugs. What many may not realize, however, is that the amount of foods consumed, even whole and natural ones, is even more important for longevity and better health.

Studies recently made in the research departments of some major American universities have found that by consuming 20 to 30% less calories per day, a person may actually add between 10 to 15 additional years to his or her life. Aside from this revelation, it has also been found that even those who consume what some may consider as non-wholesome foods (including “junk foods”) this overall reduction in total calories is still basically the same. Using laboratory rats, and feeding the control group a standard diet, it was found that those given less food actually lived longer, even though they may have been smaller and thinner than the control group.

It’s no secret the people who are overweight have more health problems including cardio-vascular disease, diabetes, and incidents of colon and other cancers, Thinner people are generally healthier and have a more positive mental outlook, which also affects their longevity. Taking these findings into account, this does not mean that people who are “super thin” will live longer. Those suffering from eating disorders, including anorexia are damaging their health by not consuming enough calories.

Types of food consumed, particularly diets with less red meat and dairy products, also help influence longevity, as well as a person’s genealogical makeup. People coming from families with longer life spans are more likely to live longer than those from families with shorter life spans. A diet of whole grains, fresh vegetables and fruit is much more beneficial that a diet consisting of fatty and starchy foods, including most dairy products.

In many Western countries, including the USA, far too much fatty and starchy foods are consumed as against more wholesome diets of less, but more whole grain and other wholesome foods. Diet is not the only factor however, as daily exercise of at least half an hour will help people maintain more healthier lives. This exercise can include a brisk walk around the block, or even inside a shopping mall. The most crucial factor, according to the aforementioned studies, is that by simply exercising one’s “table muscles” to leave the dinner table before too many calories are consumed will eventually work wonders toward maintaining better health.

All in all, it’s not only the old saying “you are what you eat”, but how much you eat as far as the deciding factor that may add longer and more productive years to your life.