9 Super Healthy Spices

9 Super Healthy Spices

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9 Super Healthy Spices

(Photo Attributed to Author: Heydrienne)

The health benefits of spices and herbs have long been known to many cultures worldwide. And these 9 super healthy spices being presented here on this post are by no means all of them. There are an abundance of spices on our planet that are good for you. But these nine are among the very best, for reasons to follow.

According to studies carried out by McCormick Science Institute, an independent research organization, there are many health-promoting advantages realized in the body by consuming more herbs and spices.

The following list is indicative of the benefits of (not just, but especially) the:

9 Super Healthy Spices for your body.

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Health Benefits of Ginger Tea

Health Benefits of Ginger Tea

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The health benefits of ginger tea are many. In fact, they are probably far more than you have imagined. Certainly, just the taste and “comfort” alone of a nice, hot cup of organic ginger tea is reason enough to enjoy a cup or three now and then. However, once you fully understand all the health benefits of ginger tea, you may want to drink it even more often.

This site is, of course, centered around and focused on providing recipes, information, and helpful resources for ethnic foods from cultures the world over. However, we do occasionally pick out some of the especially beneficial ingredients found in various ethnic cuisines and highlight them in a special post. Ginger is one such ingredient. Popular all over the planet, this marvelous root not only provides zing and zip to culinary creations, it is darn good for what ails you, too!

If you have a common cold in the winter? You can’t beat a hot cup of ginger tea for a cure. Ginger root contains extremely high levels of magnesium and other minerals, and the all-important Vitamin C. These qualities are what contribute to the long list of health benefits of ginger tea.

Health Benefits of Ginger Tea

(Photo Attributed to Author: cyclonebill)

There is a simple, easy to make recipe provided below. The great thing about ginger tea is, once you have the basic tea made, you can have fun with the taste buds experience. You can add lemon, organic honey, cinnamon, nutmeg, peppermint, etc. to modify and/or enhance the strong taste of the raw ginger.

But before we get into how to make a cup of soothing, healing, and oh-so-good for you tea, here is a list of the many …

Health Benefits of Ginger Tea

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Which is Best - White or Brown Rice

Which is Best White or Brown Rice

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Many ethnic food cultures have rice as a main staple in their cuisine. And the question of: Which is Best White or Brown Rice – often comes up in the minds of many ethnic foods lovers.

Which is Best - White or Brown Rice?

Rice Paddies (Photo Attributed to Author: Angie, from Sawara, Chiba-ken, Japan)

Rice is cultivated all over the world, and is naturally grown in rice paddies like this image on the left. And “natural” rice is usually some shade of brown in color. But over the past several decades, “white” foods, such as white bread, potatoes, pasta, etc., have taken a bad rap. When asked the question about being the healthiest for you: Which is Best – White or Brown Rice? – most “health conscious” cooks will automatically respond with “brown”.

But is this really the case? I have had conversations with other cooking enthusiasts, chefs, and nutritionists, whose opinions I respect, and discovered that the “Little White Lie” about which is healthier for you – white “processed” foods, or the brown, marketed as “natural” foods, are best.

So I did some digging and research of my own on this, and came up with the following conclusions to help you decide:

Which is Best White or Brown Rice

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(Photo Attributed to Author: Dan McKay)

(Photo Attributed to Author: Dan McKay)

(Photo Attributed to Author: Takeaway)

(Photo Attributed to Author: Takeaway)

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Plantains Edible and Incredible

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Most people (in North America, where I live, anyway) think of the plantains as a kind of banana, only bigger and not as tasty of a fruit. However, while plantains are a relative of the banana, they are, in fact, not a fruit at all. These incredible edible Plantains are actually herbs … and therefore definitely not bananas.

What? You say? These giant “trees” (they grow to heights of over 30 feet) are really overgrown herb plants?
Plantain Tree

(Photo Attributed to Author: Chenspec)

Yep.

In doing my study for this article, I came across quite a number of little-known and interesting facts about plantains, a member of the Plantaginaceae family. Allow me list some things you may not know about:

Plantain-Yellow Public Domain

Those Incredible Edible Plantains!

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6 Weird Edible Mushrooms

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One of my favorite ingredients in ethnic food recipes is mushrooms, hence today’s 6 Weird Edible Mushrooms post.

I love mushrooms. Morels, Shitakes, White Buttons, and lots more. Especially prevalent in Asian cooking, edible fungi is to me a kind of weird yet delightful food. So I decided to do some research and see what else is out there in the world of mushrooms that I haven’t yet tried. This led me to today’s post on:

6 Weird Edible Mushrooms

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Red Hot Chili Peppers

Red Hot Chili Peppers

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Red hot chili peppers come in all sizes, shapes, and levels of hotness. The pepper’s level of SHU (Scoville Heat Units) is what determines just how hot it is.

Red Hot Chili Peppers

(Photo Attributed to Author httpwww.flickr.comphotoscalliope)

In this article we will list the Top 5 Hottest Red Chili Peppers, and what their characteristics are. Starting with the least hot of the very hottest, up to the most savagely torrid pepper on the planet.

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Why Cassava is Good for You

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There is an extensive list of reasons why cassava is good for you to eat, as a balanced part of your overall diet.

Traditional dishes in many Asian, African and Caribbean countries include cassava as one of the more common vegetables used in their cuisines. In these regions, cassava is in high demand, and, much like plantains, it is grown in mass quantities on large plantations. This provides not only locally favored foods ingredients, but a healthy export business to help fuel the economies.

Cassava Plantation (Photo Attributed to Author: Judgefloro)

Cassava Plantation (Photo Attributed to Author: Judgefloro)

Cassava Plant (Photo Attributed to Author: Willy Ochayaus)

Cassava Plant (Photo Attributed to Author: Willy Ochayaus)

Cassava (also called Yucca) is in the same family as other tropical root vegetables, like yams and taro, and is also related to the potato. Cassava thrives in fertile, moist, well-drained tropical soils. A perennial plant, it will, when mature, achieve heights ranging from about 3 to 5 feet.

Much like growing sugar cane, cut-stem sections are planted just under the surface of the cultivation fields. Newly planted cassava plants will produce the first harvest after about 8 to 10 months. Its elongated, globular roots (tubers) grow downward and deep (anywhere from 2 to 4 feet) in a radial pattern from the bottom end of the stem.

Cassava Tubers (Photo Attributed to Author: Thamizhpparithi Maari)

Cassava Tubers (Photo Attributed to Author: Thamizhpparithi Maari)

Depending on the type of cultivar, each mature tuber will weigh anywhere from one to several pounds. The tubers are brown-gray and have rough, woody-textured, tough skins. The inside of the tuber is bright white. This white “flesh” is a starchy, slightly sweet substance, and is what you eat. However, the cassava should only be eaten after cooking – for reasons that will be explained a little later on in this article.

But enough on background. Let’s get into the main topic at hand, and find out-

Why Cassava is Good For You

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Curries Health Benefits and Ingredients

Curries Health Benefits and Ingredients

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Curries Health Benefits and Ingredients

Yellow Curry Powder (Photo Attributed to Author: Thomas Steiner)

Curry Powder is a popular spice mix that has a number of valuable health benefits, including the prevention of cancer, protection against heart disease, reduction of Alzheimer’s disease symptoms, ease from pain and inflammation, boosting bone health, protecting the immune system from bacterial infections,  and increasing the liver’s ability to remove toxins from the body.

Curry powder originated in South Asian and Indian cuisines. However, during the 19th and 20th centuries, when it was discovered by colonial visitors to the East, it soon gained immense popularity and large scale exportation of curry to the West began. By the middle of the 20th century, with the global popularization of Indian cuisine, which relies heavily on curries, the tasty spicy powder became even more readily available all around the world.

Curries Health Benefits and Ingredients

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