How To Cook Exotic Fruits And Vegetables (Part One) - Recipe

We have selected a collection of fruits and vegetables unusual for our latitudes , which we will present to you in three parts. Let's get acquainted with them and learn a little more about these exotics .

Purple carrots

When it comes to carrots, we all think of the orange vegetable, which in our minds can not be another color. It turns out that it actually can. Even if we had to be quite precise, the carrots were originally purple. The color is due to beta-carotene and a certain amount of the pigment alpha carotene. They contain the alpha pigment anthocyanin, which acts as an antioxidant. In the tenth century, purple carrots were grown in Afghanistan, Pakistan and northern Iran. In the 14th century, raspberry, yellow and white varieties were imported into Southern Europe. Black, green and red carrots are also found.

Dutch growers have studied the beneficial properties of purple carrots and their conclusions show that it provides the body with additional protection against cancer and cardiovascular disease.

Black tomatoes

A unique variety of black tomatoes is appearing on the British market. According to some experts, they contain a substance that increases sexual desire several times. The plant is related to the wild Lycopersicon cheesmanii. The size of the fruit is the same as that of our well-known red tomatoes, but their taste is sweeter and the color is brownish-black.

Six years of research have been needed to improve tomatoes and place them on the European market.

Originally, tomatoes grown by the Aztecs and Incas in the eighth century were not only red, but also yellow, green, white and black (in present-day Ecuador, Bolivia, Chile, Peru, and Mexico).

This cross between a tomato and a blackberry is said to be able to extend the life of mice by 30%. In addition to the beneficial properties of ordinary tomatoes, black tomatoes are characterized by high levels of vitamin C and antioxidants.

Rainbow Cauliflower

This variety of cabbage appears in England. A British company launches cauliflower, whose inflorescences are colored in bright orange, purple and green tones. The taste is the same as ordinary cauliflower, the difference is that the dishes become colorful, because the rich color is preserved after cooking the vegetables.

It should be mentioned that the orange variety contains 25 times more beta-carotene than ordinary inflorescences. And the violet version is saturated with anthocyanin, which is useful as a prophylaxis against heart disease because it slows down blood clotting.

A representative of the manufacturer emphasizes that this is not a GMO product and that the unusual coloring is the result of a traditional selection that lasted more than a decade.

White berry

Homeland of this exotic is South America. White strawberry has the genetic structure of our familiar red, but its taste and aroma are like pineapple. The unique species was about to disappear when Dutch farmers revived it and began to successfully grow it in greenhouses. Immature fruits are green, ripe fruits are known by their white color and red seeds.