Candlenuts (Aleurites moluccana) are a relative of Macadamia nuts and resemble them in appearance and texture. Primarily used in Southeast Asian cooking, they have a hard, furrowed shell, and the nuts are yellow, waxy, and brittle, much like the Macadamia. They are so named because they used to be used to make candles. The name is … Read more
Brains are actually somewhat nutritious. They are high in protein, at least. Some folks eat them, and some folks find the idea of eating them offensive, on many levels. Nobody is going to want to eat cow’s brains, for fear of “Mad Cow Disease” and not many of us would partake of monkey brains like in Indiana … Read more
Nam Pla is a Thai fermented fish sauce, similar to Vietnamese nuoc-mom, but with less salt used. Like all fish sauces in Southeast Asia, it is a counterpart to garum of ancient Rome. Nam pla fish sauce is often said by Thai cooks to be the most important flavoring ingredient in Thai cooking. Nam Pla Meaning The name … Read more
The avocado fruit is very important to Mexican cuisine. You may not know, however, that avocado leaves, or hojas de aguacate, are used in cooking as well, especially in the Southern regions of Mexico such as Oaxaca. The leaves may be used fresh or dried. Like bay leaves, they can be used whole, but they … Read more
The long serrated leaves of the Mexican epazote (Dysphania ambrosioides or Chenopodium ambrosioides) herb have an unpleasant smell similar to bleach, kerosene or gasoline, although it is sometimes described as minty or citrusy. They lose most of their aroma during cooking, however. The leaves are torn up or chopped similar to cilantro and are used to flavor many dishes, … Read more
Gandule, also spelled guandule, is another name for pigeon peas (Cajanus Cajan). Pigeon peas are a small bean that are native to Africa and/or India but most likely originated in India and were brought to Africa millennia ago, where many different strains were developed. Pigeon peas are also called goongoo beans, Congo beans (Jamaica), no-eyed peas, Red gram, kardis, Pois d’Angole(French West Indies); guandu or andu(Portugese Brazil) … Read more