Rambutan Rambutan is a cousin to the lychee and the longon. It is sometimes called the hairy lychee. Native to Malaysia, it grows on clusters on an evergreen tree. There are over 50 varieties of rambutan today. Rambutan comes from the Malaysian word rambout, or hair. The small, approximately 2 inches in diameter fruit is cover in soft spikes. The shell is very fragile, and red to yellowish brown in color. The fruit inside is a juicy, translucent sphere, that contains a single, inedible seed that is flat and almond shaped. The rambutan has sweet, mild flavor that is very fragrant. It can be slightly sour or acidic. They taste similar to lychees- kind of like a canned pear, and a strawb
Beets A beet is the tubular root of the beet plant, both of which the green and the root is edible. The Garden variety of beet, which we consume, is the Beta vulgaris. (The original beets were long and bulky, resembling the Greek letter “B”, or Beta). There are over a dozen varieties of beets. The most common variety is the red/purple variety. Beets also come in red, purple, orange, yellow, tan and white varieties. Beets supposedly originated in the North African region of the world. The Chioggia, or a beet that has a red and white bull’s eye pattern, was credited to the Romans. When cooked, the beet is a pretty pink color, with white tones, almost tie-dyed. Beets were offered to Apollo i
Sorghum Sorghum is a widely consumed grain also known as milo. It originates around Africa and Asia approximately 4,000 years ago. There are approximately 40 varieties of sorghum, (sorghum vulgure). Bicolored sorghum Sorghum can be an annual or a perennial grass that grows in tropical or subtropical climates. It is drought resistant, but can adapt to wet climates. This makes sorghum an extremely important food source. It is widely consumed. The sorghum grass has broad, corn like leaves. The grains grow in clusters that hang off the stalk. Sweet syrup can be extracted from the stalk, and this is sorghum “molasses Sorghum grain contains no gluten, so it must be used for either flat