The Royal Family of Fruits?
The Durian according to legend
In the early 15th Century, famed navigator Zheng He, of the Ming
Dynasty, set out from China with a crew of sailors, on a mission to
explore Southeast Asia. Homesick and restless, the sailors were an
unmotivated group, and Zheng He was eagerly searching for some spark to
keep the journey going.
One day, while exploring on land, Zheng He came upon a pile of spiky,
egg-shaped fruit laying under several towering trees. The captain
quickly ordered some of his crew to gather the fruits and sample them
for edibility. After just one taste, the crew was hooked. The fruit was
said to be indescribably delicious, and everyone on the boat indulged.
The crew`s spirits were lifted and they began to forget about returning
home altogether. Instead, they started talking about staying close to
the trees bearing the tasty fruits.
Asked to name the new discovery, Zheng He gave it the title Durian.
This word is pronounced ?liu lian? in Mandarin the exact sound as the
Mandarin word meaning ?desire to stay in a particular place? or
?reluctance to leave.?
To this day, the Durian is widely admired for its heavenly flavor and
its plethora of medicinal properties. In fact, in its native lands, the
Durian is known as the reigning King of Fruits.
The benefits of Zheng He`s discovery have been observed over the last
600 years. Traditional Chinese medicine incorporates the eating of the
Durian fruit to hasten a women`s recovery after pregnancy and to
strengthen and improve the health of vital organs. The fruit is also
said to replenish the vital breath known as qi and to improve the
positive energy yang in one`s body. That yang is matched by none other
than the reigning Queen of Fruits the Mangosteen completing the
legendary pairing.
The Mangosteen according to legend
It has been said that on a royal appointment in Asia, Queen Victoria,
of England, sampled the Mangosteen fruit for the first time. Upon
returning to her homeland, the memory of that encounter lasted in the
mind of Her Majesty, and she craved another taste of the delectable
fruit. Though she ordered her subjects to retrieve more, all of their
efforts came up short and no Mangosteens arrived to her throne
unspoiled.
Known for her relentlessness, Queen Victoria put a bounty on the
Mangosteen: anyone who could deliver fresh Mangosteen would be rewarded
with 100 pounds a handsome sum, for the era. Despite the best efforts
of several British subjects, no one succeeded. Try as she might, the
Queen increased the reward: anyone delivering fresh Mangosteen would be
knighted by the Queen herself.
Still her wish was unfulfilled. Yet it is with that quest in mind
that the Western World was introduced to the Mangosteen, which earned
the title as the Queen of Fruits after Victoria`s regal efforts.
In its native lands, the Mangosteen has earned that moniker because
of its remarkable ability to reduce heat in one`s body and, therefore,
medicinally benefit the human body. In fact, Chinese medicine considers
the Mangosteen beneficial for a sore throat, sore eyes and restoring the
health of anyone suffering from an illness or lack of nutrition. Its
protein and fat are also known to be extremely nourishing to the body.
As the Durian provides the yang, the Mangosteen`s cooling property
acts as the yin counteracting the warming Durian so that the two
perfectly match and enhance each other. Incomplete on their own, the
combination of the Durian and the Mangosteen creates the ultimate
?marriage? of the King and Queen of Fruit.
This perfect pairing of two
of the world`s most renowned fruits, alongside two of the world`s
celebrated super fruits delivers the optimum flavorful and nutritional
balance.
The Asai
The fruit, a small, round, black-purple drupe about 1 inch (25 mm) in
diameter, similar in appearance and size to a grape but with less pulp,
is produced in branched panicles of 500 to 900 fruits.
Two crops of fruit are produced each year. The fruit has a single
large seed about 0.25?0.40 inches (7?10 mm) in diameter. The exocarp of
the ripe fruits is a deep purple color, or green, depending on the kind
of a?a? and its maturity. The mesocarp is pulpy and thin, with a
consistent thickness of 1 mm or less. It surrounds the voluminous and
hard endocarp, which contains a seed with a diminutive embryo and
abundant endosperm.[citation needed] The seed makes up about 80% of the
fruit (Schauss, 2006c).
The berries are harvested as food. In a study of three traditional
Caboclo populations in the Amazon region of Brazil, a?a? palm was
described as the most important plant species because the fruit makes up
such a major component of diet (up to 42% of the total food intake by
weight) and is economically valuable in the region.
The Blueberry
Blueberries, also known as bilberries, whortleberries and
hurtleberries, are named for their velvety, deep-blue color, of course.
These luscious berries are one of the few fruits native to North
America.
Native Americans used the berries, leaves, and roots for medicinal
purposes. The fruit was used as a fabric dye and combined with meat into
a nutritious dried jerky.
The shrub is of the genus Vaccinium, from the Latin vacca for cow
since cows love them, a fact first noted by Captain James Cook in the
late 1700s.
Blueberries are often confused with huckleberries, which are of the
Gaylussacia genus.
Blueberries used to be picked by hand until the invention of the
blueberry rake by Abijah Tabbutt of Maine in 1822, so it?s no wonder
that Maine?s state berry is the blueberry.
The most popular variety of blueberry is Vaccinium corymbosum, known
as the ?highbush? blueberry. The wild ?lowbush? varieties are a favorite
of those who like to pick their own in the wild.
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