Eucalyptus… A healing tree

Take a stroll beneath the majestic Eucalyptus [kafour in Arabic] and inhale deeply. You will feel your lungs opening up. A deep connection to your body with this breath will energize your whole being giving a sense of vitality and balance. This response is activated by the powerful aromatic oils found in the glands of the leaves of the tree.

Over the centuries these beneficial oils have been used in curing many respiratory problems. They are one of the main ingredients in cough medicines and ointments.

It is also thought to clear our spaces from airborne germs and bacteria; whilst planting the trees near canals and rivers allows the long roots to help filter pollutants in the water.

In Australia, the homeland of the tree where over 600 species abound, the Aboriginals are known to use it as antibacterial and anti-malarial cure to this day. The adorable Koala bear that is unique to this country feeds mainly on the young shoots of the tree. It has evolved to digest the nutrients in the nourishing leaves that can be toxic to other animals who do not have these intestinal properties.

In Egypt, we have several varieties growing by the Nile and the many canals throughout the governorates, providing shade and cleaning the air and water from pollutants. You can still see them by the side of the Giza Zoo walls. The canopy attracts flocks of Cattle Egret [Abu Erdan] coming back at sunset after helping the farmer by eating the worms in the fields. Their white feathers contrast with the dark leaves making it look very decorative. In Maadi, Eucalyptus used to line the Khashab canal where their drooping branches reflected in the water, making it a romantic background to several Arabic movies filmed there in the 1960s. They still stand over 100 years old in a now grassy median since the canal dried up. On holidays, families and friends can be seen strolling there under the shade of the eucalyptus. enjoying the fresh aroma emitted by the leaves.

The Eucalyptus can reach 100 meters in height, with thick dark or white shedding barks that can be 2 meters in diameter. The leaves are bluish grey with a waxy surface covering. The flowers vary from white yellow or pale pink. Bees feeding on their nectar make some of the highest quality honey like Manuka. Aromatherapy experts use the essential oil of the tree for powerful infusions and scents for deep relaxation and healing. The bark also provides sturdy and valuable source for lumber as well as tannins.

Stand beneath this lofty tree to be uplifted and cleansed with its magical energy.

"I think that I shall never see

A poem lovely as a tree.

..

A tree that looks at God all day,

And lifts her leafy arms to pray;

..

Poems are made by fools like me,

But only God can make a tree."

Excerpt from Tree, a poem by Joyce Kilmer

Contributed by Samia Zeitoun of The Tree Lovers Association 

The Wondrous Date Tree

The month of October marks the height of the date-harvesting season which started in September.

Photos Dr Lotfy Boulos (RIP) The Street Trees of Egypt

Throughout the countryside and the many oases dotting the country, men can be seen climbing the palm trees wearing a jute belt that attaches them to the tree while using the step like cut leaves of the palm to reach to the top and pick the precious fruit.

Date palms have grown in Egypt since prehistoric times. The vivid paintings on the walls of temples clearly depict the palms, and the fruits have been found in burial grounds. Every part of the tree was used as it still is! The dried leaf stalks are used to cover roofs of buildings, create fences, weave mats, crates and baskets.

The thick fibers at the base are used in rope-making. The sturdy trunks were traditionally incorporated in columns for temples and homes.

The Phoenix Dactylifera derives from a Greek word meaning finger-shaped fruits. It has most probably originated from the North African oases.

The date palm is a marvel in terms of structure since it can withstand severe wind storms which its sturdy trunk is flexible enough to overcome.

It can rise to almost 30 meters and has feather-like leaves spanning from 5 to 7 meters. The flowers are small and white on a densely branched spandex. It is pollinated by manually spreading male pollen on the female flowers - an intricate and hard procedure but one which ensures the quality and quantity of the palm. It is propagated also by offshoots and seeds. In a good season the palm carries some 200 kilos of dates.

The tree can reach 30 meters, with beautiful feather-like leaves spanning 5-7 meters

(Photo:nilefm.com)

Date palm loves arid and warm weather... As Dr Lotfy Boulos remarks in his book The Street Trees of Egypt: “the date palm likes its feet in the water and its head in the oven.”

Although the date has high levels of sugar its glycemic index level is not high so it does not shoot up blood sugar levels. The main dates in Egypt are Zaghloul the bright red and crunchy dates, the yellow Hayani, Bahri, Rotab, Siwi, and Samani.

Date palm has been mentioned in all religious books as a holy, life sustaining tree. Dates are very nutritious and rich in Vitamin A, B1, and B2, as well as fiber, protein, iron and potassium which regulates blood pressure. It is highly recommended to eat dates on an empty stomaching to aid the digestive system.

If the reader wants further interesting facts about this tree, do refer to Warda Bircher's book The Date Palm: a Friend and Companion of Man.

Compiled by TREE LOVERS ASSOCIATION

Banyan Tree, Holy Tree

Can a tree be worshiped? 

Yes it can. In India, the heart of Hinduism, followers of this religion gather around the Banyan tree to pray for healing, fertility and happiness.

Indian Banyan Tree  (Ficus benghalensis)

They believe that the Buddha reached enlightenment, self-realization and awakening under a Banyan tree. It is said that the Buddha's tree is now 2,500 years old!

The special feature of the Ficus Benghalensis is that the branches have arial roots that grow downward to thicken the main trunk, thus gaining its name: the tree with many feet!! It assumes an almost sculptural effect, changing over the years. The tree has one of the widest canopies, providing shade in the hot climates where it is grown. In India, the Banyan leaves are protected by law so no one can cut it.

In Egypt, tree lovers can enjoy seeing several specimens, whether in the Manial Palace gardens, along the River Nile corniche near Garden city, or the famous 125-year old that thrives in Zamalek opposite the Cairo Tower.

The Banyan or Bodhi tree is known to have many medicinal properties, as it treats infections and is an effective anti-bacterial. Its sap treats external skin inflammations, while its roots can be used to strengthen the teeth.

Trees are the oldest living beings so let us get to know more about them and honor their presence amidst us.

Contributed by Samia Zeitoun, The Tree Lovers Association

Jacaranda Galore!

Jacaranda Tree by Samia Zeiton

A stroll down Maadi streets during April and May holds a special treat for Nature lovers. This is the season when the Jacaranda blooms! It bursts with color whilst carpeting the ground around it with the heavenly lavender trumpet-like blossoms.

It is said that if you walk beneath the Jacaranda and one of its flowers lands on your head you will have good fortune for the coming year. The Jacaranda tree has always inspired landscape artists to plant it. Here in Maadi, many young couples can be seen taking photographs beneath its purple canopy.

 

The name Jacaranda derives from the Brazilian name for the tree where it grows in abundance as it does in most tropical and sub-tropical regions. It is well-suited to Egypt’s climate. This tree gives a glow to the bleakest street and enhances the whole neighborhood with its splash of color. Once the flowering is over the light green fern-like leaves appear and remain there until autumn when they turn into a deep yellow before shedding. The seeds can be easily recognizable as brown and woody with two valves.

The Jacaranda is shallow-rooted, so is an excellent ornamental tree for medium- to large-sized gardens. It is also popular as a street tree requiring full sun and enough space to grow as they can reach 15 meters and just as wide. Be careful to plant it away from drains, pipes and water lines since they have a strong root system.

Care for the Jacaranda almost always includes proper pruning. This keeps the shape of the tree and prevents the weight of the tree from splitting the trunk. The branches are quite brittle so seasonal pruning is advised to keep branches from breaking. Average life span is about 50 years. Recently new varieties have appeared in smaller sizes ...they can be seen at the Festival City complex. Planted in rows they are truly breathtaking!!!

Pretoria in South Africa is known as Jacaranda City with over 70,000 trees lining their streets blooming from September to November. In Nelson Mandela,s biography The Long Walk to Freedom he writes,”those moments under the shade of the Jacaranda trees on the Vicarage lawn were the most pleasant.”

Next time you happen to be at a nursery look out for a Jacaranda and plant it with care so it can continue giving pleasure to many generations to come

Tahina or Liquid Contentment!

According to writers in the Al-Ahram’s Friday Supplememt, sesame paste or Tahina as it is known all over the Middle East would be the elixir of contentment! “Although it does not make noise like the harvest of cotton or wheat.. sesame represents a quietly contented part of our lives, whether sprinkled on the ubiquitous Ta’ameya pattie, or in liquid form, drizzled over a plate of Fava beans (ful).

Traditionally, the paste is made by grinding the sesame seeds between special stones used especially for this purpose for the last few centuries. According to article, there remain only a few traditional mills for sesame in Old Cairo (serga). The best-tasting sesame comes from Sudan, Ethiopia and Egypt.

Tahina dip (photo: 21food)

The typical way Tahina is served is as a dip. You can find the paste at any Mediterranean food store.

Serves 4

¾ cup Tahina

2 tblsp Lime juice or vinegar

½ to ¾ cup Water

Salt, Cumin to taste

Start out by incorporating the lime juice or vinegar until you get a smooth paste. Add salt and cumin. Then add the water one table spoonful at a time to avoid lumps. Add enough water to reach the consistency of your choice. 

Drizzle this sauce over sandwitches (photo: mediterraneanfood)

Tahina can also be dissolved into yogurt to made a delicious sauce accompaniment (Tartour) to grilled meats and poultry. Simply add 2 tablespoons of Tahina per cup of yogurt.

Delightful Sycamore

Sycamore branches with their fruits growing directly from the branch (photo: Dr. Loutfy Boulos)

This time of the year is the peak of ripening Sycamore fruits. The Sycamore tree was sacred to the ancient Egyptians, perhaps for its ability to bear fruit all year long. It was godess Hathor’s dedicated tree, and she is pictured sprouting out of the trunk to feed the deceased and his family. The wood of the Sycamore has survived for thousands of years unchanged, from the Pharaonic era until today. It was used to make coffers, furniture and small ornate objects on display at the Egyptian Museum.

Fruits at different stages of ripening as seen from color (photo: Dr. Loutfy Boulos)

The delightful Sycamore Syrup brings all that goodness to your plate! Made from all natural ingredients, the Syrup contains no preservatives, relying on sugar content and pH for preservation. It can be used to uplift the taste of any recipe, adding a sweet, fruity flavor to meat dishes, stuffed vegetables and salad dressings.

Growing out of the tree trunk, the Goddess gives fruit and drink to the deceased in this 19th Dynasty depictiion (Tomb of Sennedjem, West Bank, Luxor; photo: touregypt)

Herbed Cucumbers and Labneh

The Mediterranean diet that Middle Easterners have enjoyed for centuries has recently made headlines in the West for its healthy features. With its variety of green, leafy vegetables, monounsaturated fats like olive oil, lots of fresh or dry fruits and juices; and a choice of non-animal protein sources from favorite pulses and whole grains, the MedDiet is increasingly popular with health-conscious consumers.

In the June 2015 issue of Oprah Winfrey's O magazine, this "Labneh with Herbed Cucumbers" recipe offers a refreshing addition to any summer meal! (The recipe below is adapted for local use.)

Ingredients (serves 6)
3 packs, 200 g     Yoghurt, drained overnight
5 pcs                     Cucumbers, medium-size, peeled & sliced
1 pc                       Shallot, sliced thin
1 bunch                Mixed fresh herbs: parsley, dill, mint, cilantro
                              and arugula/rocca (gargir), sliced thin
3 tblsp                  Olive oil              
3 loaves               Brown pita bread
Salt, white pepper & Egyptian lime juice to taste

Photo: Oprah Winfrey's O magazine

Drain yoghurt overnight in the fridge by slitting the tops and lining the packs on their side in a shallow soup dish. Peel and slice cucumbers arranging them in a bowl (if organic, no need to peel). Wash and slice all the herbs and the shallot. To ensure that herbs don't wilt, mix olive oil, salt, lime juice and herbs with cucumbers just before serving. Spread labneh on pretty salad dish, top with herbed cucumbers and drizzle with olive oil. Serve with toasted whole wheat brown pitta loaves. Voila!

Note: If no fresh mint is available, you can use dry mint, crumbled and sprinkled. 

King of Limes

One of Egypt's best kept secrets is its lime! Yellow or green, small in size but big in flavor, this type of lime closely resembles other limes in appearance, except that it is especially juicy and perfumed (Banzaheir variety). Limes are delightful in plain lemonade, mint lemonade, or flavored and colored pink with pomegranate. One use that is unfortunately dying out is in artisan-made Granita, a frozen ice sherbet treat that used to be popular on the coastal towns, especially in summer. Commercial popsicle-like variations are found in the frozen section of the supermarket, and occasionally, the "slush" drink version.  

Fresh mint brings added refreshment to this Egyptian "lime-onade"! (Photo: thepalefox.wordpress)

Squeezed onto soups, salads and baked Fava beans, limes are a staple condiment served at every meal. Egyptians love them with fish and seafood, as well as in dishes such as Stuffed Vine Leaves (Warak 'Einab), giving them a unique tangy, lemony taste. They can be used interchangeably with yellow citrus lemon in any recipe.

With parsley, garlic and onion, fresh lime is essential for fish dishes (Photo: abissadacook.blogspot)

Lime juice is one of the many fresh fruit juices that can be enjoyed year-round in Egypt! The flowers of the tree start to blossom in early spring and the fruits ripen slowly. If left on the tree, they turn from bright green to yellow and drop off. This means the limes are plentiful all year long, except for a short period in summer when they become less juicy and their price goes through the roof.

Tagins or Earthenware Cooking

 

(Photo: forums.egullet)

Traditionally in Egypt, Tagins are used for oven-baked vegetable stews in the countryside, but even city-dwellers cook special dishes in them. Authentic dishes are cooked at home in a “Bram” or برام, in Arabic, for recipes such as “Roz Me3ammar”, a rice dish with a creamy texture, made with tasty morsels of chicken. The delicious Egyptian dessert Om Ali is also baked in the oven in a "Bram".

Shali Lodge Hotel facebook page, photo: Copyright Suzy Bakos Photography

Ideal for slow-cooked dishes in the oven, the Tagins (clay pots and pans) hold their temperature for a long time, even after you take them out of the oven. Another particularity of earthenware is that it's porous, so food looses some of its moisture while the closed oven retains it. Perhaps this is the secret to the special taste of this age-old method of cooking.

While Tagins are found throughout Egypt, savvy Chefs use clay pots of various shapes and sizes, especially made to order in Upper Egypt, where skilled potters continue to produce this traditional crockery. There are deep Tagins, shallow ones, round and oval, but all impart their simple, wholesome glow on the food they hold. Even pizza is more appetizing this way, hot from the oven!

Siwa Dates

Photo by Combos Momn

Dates are Siwa’s pride and joy! With so many traditional varieties, many Siwans prefer dates to chocolate or baked sweets, as this form of sugar is natural.

Dates are used in many creative ways from date-filled crepes to date soufflé and date-stuffed biscuits. Traditionally, the pitted dates are used as a delicious and highly nutritious filling; for example in the preparation of Elhuji, a dish made of eggs with dates and olive oil; and Tagilla, made of flour, dates, water and olive oil. A date syrup can be used as a condiment.

Some of Siwa’s date production is bought up by Italians who love to eat dates at Christmas time, a tradition that goes back to the early days of Christianity when the Magi brought dates along as gifs for the newborn king. Dates in the Muslim world are traditionally eaten first to break the fast during the holy month of Ramadan.

Visitors to Siwa remember fondly a unique dish they enjoyed at breakfast: eggs cooked with dates, a memorable combination!

Pomegranate Craze

At a recent wedding in Siwa, guests were really drawn to the duck dish cooked with pomegranate seeds and Debs Romman (Pomegranate Concentrate). Not only for the duck, but guests also reached for the Debs when enjoying their dessert: they added it next to their pudding (mehallabeya)!

Traditionally, many meats were prepared using fruits, as "sweetmeats" (photo: tastingtable)

 The trend is to add the pomegranate to any dish you like, whether salad, meat or dessert. Known as a superfood for its extraordinary anti-oxidant activity, the pomegranate is popular also for its tart, fresh taste that it imparts to any dish.

Visually appealing, pomegranate seeds add tartness
to the taste of this salad (photo: hungryaustralian)

Using the concentrate made from the seeds makes cooking with pomegranate easy: simply add it in the final stages of cooking, or incorporate it off heat in any sauce or preparation for a fabulous flavor, color and taste.
 
The pomegranate concentrate is available at SIWA store on Ahmed Heshmat Street in Zamalek. 

Lors d'un mariage qui a eu lieu récemment à Siwa, nos rédacteurs ont remarqué que les invités étaient très attirés par les plats de canard cuit avec des grains de grenade et du Debs Romman (concentré de grenade). Non seulement pour le canard, les convives se sont également servi du Debs pour mieux savourer leurs desserts en l'ajoutant à la mehallabeya, un pudding au lait!

Les grains de grenade attirent l'oeil! (photo: theroastedroot)

Traditionnellement, les volailles, le canard ou le boeuf étaient souvent préparés avec les fruits desseches ou frais, comme «viandes dulcinées ou sucrées». La tendance de nos jours est d'ajouter la grenade à n'importe quel plat que vous aimez, que ce soit la salade, le plat principal ou meme le dessert (Photo: theroastedroot). 

Connu comme un "super-aliment" pour son activité anti-oxidante extraordinaire, la grenade est populaire aussi pour son goût acidulé et frais qu'elle impregne à n'importe quel plat. L'utilisation du concentré fait à partir des grains rend la cuisine à la grenade facile: il suffit de l'ajouter 6dans les étapes finales de la cuisson, ou de l'intégrer sans chauffer dans la sauce ou la préparation pour une saveur et couleur fabuleuses.

Le concentré de grenade est disponible au magasin SIWA sur la rue Ahmed Heshmat, à Zamalek.

Protein of the Future?

Photo: fao.org

Nawaya's was locally sponsored to attend an international conference hosted by Wageningen (pronounced "Va-khe-nin-gen) University and the FAO, whose focus was on the potential of farming insects for human food, as well as for animal feed. Attending this international event with over 450 participants was an inspiring event, presenting insects as a healthy and easily farmed protein source. The main interest was to better understand how Nawaya's Fayoumi (Bigawy) slow-growing chicken could be more cost-efficiently grown with a local feed source that could be implemented by small scale farmers. Interestingly, insects can be raised on food scraps and waste that aren't suitable for composting, making a highly attractive conversion rate, turning one creature's garbage into another creature's high-quality feed. What's more, chicken are genetically programed to eat insects, their development requires the intake of amino acids like methionine and lysine, naturally present in insects but chemically added in commercial chicken feed. To top it off, the ecological argument is that in such a small space with such little resources, protein can be farmed, and replace traditional soybean meal* that requires large amounts of land, water and resources -- better fit for human consumption, not for chicken!

Photo:wageningenur.nl

Insects in many countries have been traditionally eaten and collected, or for example in the Arab peninsula eaten during seasonal infestations. Insect consumption does however have a big "ew" factor, let alone that many people do not associate insects as healthy source of food. At the conference presenters tackled the consumer preferences, looking at everything from festivals, high end restaurants and chefs, just as importantly as research on infant growth and food industries exploring how insect protein also act as flavor enhancers. This idea is looking at the insects industry from a "bottom-up" approach, as cheap protein - then from a "top-down" as a new food fashion, that takes ground fast like Sushi restaurants. Farming insects will be accepted over time, and could be the future for cheaper more ecologically produced proteins, however it was constantly reminded that this industry is not the silver bullet that will save a 9 billion world from starvation. It is rather a new sector full of potential, and full of research needs - indeed the conference created a platform for many new partnerships and collaborations to take place. Nawaya will build on these to seek out its own path in Egypt to experiment with insects for chicken feed, hoping to find a silver bullet for indigenous poultry breeds to be competitive in the market, and in the long term to offer a healthy feed alternative that is locally produced.

by Laura Tabet

*Soybean meal is a solid by-product flour made from leftovers after grinding the soybean to extract soybean oil. It is used as a source of protein in animal feed, including chicken, cattle, horse, pig, sheep, and fish feed (adapted from wikipidia).

Mucaja do Brazil

Terra Madre in Torino, Italy (2014) a snapshot from The Voices of Indigenous Peoples Workshops

For 50 years and for as long as he remembers, Mr. Pingao Osbalda (second left) used to make "Ningawre Mucaja" and sell it from a cart as street food. Mucaja is a round and firm fruit that falls from palm-like trees in Brasil from October to  December. Osbalda collects the fruits that fall, crushing and grinding them in a large wooden mortar along with a live (yes, live!!) small, local crab caught fresh and, Voila: the "juice" that results is then strained, cooked and thickened into a sort of pudding: "Ningawre Mucaja," sold only in season as a snack or meal. 

Mr. Osbalda explains that he was soon going to stop because it is physically tiring to make Ningawre Mucaja, but then he decided to teach it to his children, encouraged by the Slow Food members who are doing research on Mucaja fruits and exactly this type of traditional food culture. Such traditional foods, once re-valorized can now be kept alive thanks to this family's dedication. One of many such stories told at Terra Madre this year.

A “Spanish fusion” restaurant in Zamalek

This review of a restaurant in Zamalek, "Jambalaya, a new 'Spanish fusion' restaurant in Zamalek", appeared in the Amcham Business Monthly magazine (March issue):

http://www.amcham.org.eg/resources_publications/publications/business_monthly/issue.asp?sec=8&im=3&iy=2014


"The signature Louisiana Creole dish, a rice-based concoction that mingles French, Spanish and Caribbean influences with hot peppers, sweet onions, shrimp and other staples of the American South, is a close cousin of paella, the Valencian specialty. That’s the idea, I suppose, that Jambalaya is a melding of cuisines and cultures. But with dishes like Pure de Garbanzos con Chorizo (hummus with spicy sausages, LE 28) and the Hamburguesa de Paella (a “Paella Burger” of chicken, chorizo and shrimp, LE 65), Jambalaya takes traditional dishes from southern Europe and North America well outside of their comfort zones.
..

Rejuvenated, and thirsty, I requested a Fresca Limonada (LE 16) as well as a glass of non-alcoholic Sangria (LE 18). If there is one thing Egypt always gets right, it’s juice. The Limonada, a strawberry lemonade, was neither too sweet nor too tart. The Sangria was a little less exciting, but then again, grape juice is not really a substitute for wine, which is traditionally the main ingredient of sangria. Jambalaya had also added a substantial amount of spice, the most prominent being cinnamon, which gave this summer drink a discordant, Christmas-ey flavor, like mulled wine. It wasn’t bad—it just wasn’t really sangria."

"Slow" Iftar at Abusir in Egypt

In the village of Abusir, near Sakkara, Egypt, organic products, some of which are present on the Ark of Taste (Slow Food Foundation), like chicken Begawi, were prepared for an Iftar gathering to break the Ramadan fast. Slow food members led by Sara El Sayed, Slow Food International Counselor for Egypt, and the Nawaya organization organized the Iftar.

As reported on the Slow Food Foundation page:
"The dishes were cooked by four chefs: a mix of city chefs, with modern interpretations of traditional dishes, and women of the village, keepers of the traditional recipes of the dishes. The event, which was attended by over 140 people, gave rise to a menu rich in fruits and vegetables, including couscous with fried chicken breast and grilled vegetables with apricot juice, alternating between the sweet and savory tastes typical of these meals."

Read more here: http://www.slowfoodfoundation.com/pagine/eng/news/dettaglio_news.lasso?-idn=304#.U_LfQiiFgrw

في قرية أبوصير، بالقرب من سقارة في مصر،
تم إعداد المنتجات العضوية لحفل إفطار لكسر صيام رمضان
مع"سفينة الطعم" (مؤسسة الغذاء بطيئ Slow Food)،
مثل الدجاج  البيجاوي.

أعضاء Slow Food
بقيادة سارة السيد، المستشار الدولي لمصر،
نظمت منظمة Nawaya الافطار،
  الذي حضره أكثر من 140 شخص.

كما ورد على الصفحة مؤسسة الغذاء البطيء:
"تم طهي أطباق أربعة شيفات: مزيج من شيفات المدينة، مع تنوع حديث في الأطباق التقليدية، ونساء القرية، حافظات  للوصفات التقليدية من الأطباق.

على قائمة الأغذية في الفواكه والخضروات، بما في ذلك
الكسكس مع صدور الدجاج المقلي والخضار المشوي مع عصير المشمش،
بالتناوب بين الأذواق الحلو والمالح في هذه الوجبات ".

  اقرأ المزيد هنا:

http://www.slowfoodfoundation.com/pagine/eng/news/dettaglio_news.lasso?-idn=304#.U_LfQiiFgrw