In modern stores you can find a wide range of fruits and vegetables. Everyone is already accustomed to the fact that at any time of the year there are not only seasonal domestic products on the shelves, but also vegetables and fruits grown in countries with different climatic conditions. However, what is sold in stores and markets is only a small part of the edible plants that nature is so rich in. Today we will talk about rare and very healthy vegetables that are gradually becoming available in our country.
1. "Chocolate" pepper
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Exotic modification of sweet (Bulgarian) pepper. Its ripe fruits have a chocolate-colored skin and pulp, contain a whole range of vitamins and are distinguished by a high concentration of sugars. Due to its high yield, the plant is popular in the United States.
2. Watermelon radish
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The root crop has a white or greenish skin and bright pink flesh. The dimensions are somewhat larger than those of the usual radish varieties: the diameter reaches 7,5 cm. The taste is moderately spicy, pleasantly bitter.
Watermelon radish is rich in copper, magnesium, potassium, calcium, ascorbic and folic acid. In salads it goes well with fresh cucumbers and a variety of herbs.
3. Wee-bee pumpkin
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Sweet, small (about the size of a medium orange), bright orange pumpkins, which contain a large amount of beta-carotene, magnesium, calcium, phosphorus and potassium. Simply indispensable in dietary nutrition.
4. "Forbidden" rice
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One of the types of rice cultivated in China. It is called black rice, it is also known as purple rice. In the past, only aristocrats who belonged to the royal family were allowed to eat it.
Groats look specific: its color during cooking changes from black to dark purple. The taste of the cooked product is very peculiar and very attractive – there is a pronounced nutty tint.
In terms of the content of vitamins and microelements (iron, zinc, magnesium and calcium), this variety is much superior to other varieties of rice.
5. White "egg" eggplant
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A rare variety of eggplant grown in Japan. The fruits are egg-shaped and white in color. They are great for cooking vegetable stews, they are well stored frozen. The pulp of eggplant has practically no bitter taste and has a delicate texture.
6. Lilac cauliflower
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A variety of cauliflower bred by Italian breeders. Like white-fruited varieties that are more familiar to us, it contains many vitamins, trace elements and fiber necessary for normal digestion. It is an important component of dietary cuisine.
The lilac color of the edible inflorescences is due to the presence of anthocyanins, which are extremely beneficial for maintaining the health of the heart and blood vessels.
7. Zucchini "Gold Rush"
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A very productive variety with firmer flesh and fewer seeds than other squashes. It is almost not damaged by insects and can be cultivated without the use of chemical protection agents.
The skin of the fruit has a yellow-orange color, and the pulp has a delicate taste, which allows you to eat zucchini raw, while maintaining all the beneficial properties.
8. White beets
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The root crop contains the same set of vitamins as the usual red varieties. The flesh and skin of this species are white, and the taste is sweet, but not having a specific shade, because of which many do not like red beets.
The product is used both raw and boiled or baked. Well regulates the processes of digestion; the pulp is rich in potassium, phosphorus, manganese, iron and magnesium.
9 Hopi Corn
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The grains of this variety have a dark blue color. They are no less healthy than the grains of white and yellow corn, but the taste is softer, sweeter, with a nutty tinge.
10. Purple potatoes
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This variety of potato is called witelot, but it has several other names: Negro, Chinese трюфель or blue french truffle potatoes. Recently, purple potatoes have become increasingly popular. Its peculiarity is the high content of anthocyanins, which color the tubers in a rich purple color and are powerful antioxidants. During heat treatment, the exotic color is preserved.
Regular consumption of such potatoes helps to slow down the aging process, increase immunity and reduce the likelihood of developing malignant neoplasms.
11. Melotria
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Melothria rough is a plant of the gourd family. It is a liana, which, despite its tropical origin, can also be grown in middle latitudes. Being a luxurious option for vertical gardening, melotria is able to please the gardener with fruits that look like miniature watermelons and edible tubers.
Melothria fruits taste like cucumbers. They are rich in healthy fiber, trace elements and vitamins and are attractive to people who want to lose weight: the energy value is only 14 kcal per 100 g. The fruits are consumed raw (in salads), as well as salted and pickled. The inclusion of melotria in the diet helps to cleanse the liver, reduce the concentration of "bad" cholesterol, and improve the condition of the walls of blood vessels.
Melotria, in addition to fruits, forms tubers weighing up to 400 g. The tubers of the plant are also very useful. Raw, they taste like a cross between sweet radish and cucumber.
12. Momordica
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Another plant belonging to the pumpkin family, which is becoming more and more popular among domestic gardeners. This is a powerful vine, on which fruits similar to elongated melons ripen. The pulp of momordica is tasty and nutritious. It contains proteins, sugars, fiber and a large set of vitamins. It is eaten fried, stewed and boiled, as well as mixed with other vegetables.
But that is not all. In the thickness of each fruit are fragrant and sweet berries – seeds enclosed in a fleshy bright red shell. Dried seeds are also edible: they are ground into a powder that tastes like hazelnuts.
In the culinary and medicine of the peoples of India, momordica is used very widely. It is believed that its inclusion in the diet helps to activate the production of insulin, reduce blood sugar, cure cardiovascular and gastrointestinal ailments, and slow down aging. The healing properties of momordica are also recognized by official medicine.
The planting material of the plants described is gradually appearing in our stores. There are difficulties with growing some of them, but for a person who wants to enrich his menu and the diet of his family with healthy and tasty products, nothing is impossible. And the townspeople should not consider themselves deprived: many edible plant novelties are already found on store shelves.
The use of fruits of exotic plants requires caution. People prone to allergies should be especially careful. You should not offer such products to young children, the elderly and patients with severe chronic ailments. In any case, unfamiliar food should be introduced into the diet gradually, in small portions, monitoring the reaction of the body.
Source: www.neboleeem.net
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