Top 100 exotic food plants

708 Pages·2012·192.56 MB·English

by  Ernest Small

TOP 100
Exotic Food
Plants
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TOP 100
Exotic Food
Plants
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Boca Raton London New York
CRC Press is an imprint of the
Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business

Contents
Preface...........................................................................................................................................xxix
Acknowledgments.......................................................................................................................xxxiii
Author...........................................................................................................................................xxxv
Executive.Summary....................................................................................................................xxxvii
Common.Name.Guide.to.Exotic.Food.Plants.Discussed.in.Detail.............................................xxxix
Scientific.Name.Guide.to.Exotic.Food.Plants.Discussed.in.Detail.................................................xlv
Cautions..........................................................................................................................................xlix
Chapter 1 Introduction...................................................................................................................1
How.the.Choice.of.the.Leading.100.Exotic.Food.Plants.Was.Made............................1
Spices:.Essential.Exotic.Flavors....................................................................................3
Commercial.Aspects.....................................................................................................3
The.Health.Dimension..................................................................................................4
Natural.Toxins..........................................................................................................5
Microbiological.Safety.............................................................................................5
Nutritional.Deterioration..........................................................................................5
Marketing.Hyperbole...............................................................................................6
Antioxidant-Rich.Fruits.......................................................................................6
Dangers.of.Insufficient.Risk/Benefit.Analysis.in.the.Marketing.of.Allegedly.
Healthful.Exotic.Plant.Foods...................................................................................8
The.Ethical.Dimension..................................................................................................8
Fast-Food.Imperialism..................................................................................................9
The.Environmental.Dimension...................................................................................10
Fair.Trade....................................................................................................................13
Biopiracy.....................................................................................................................15
Historical.Transfers.of.Crop.Cultivation.among.Nations.......................................16
References...................................................................................................................17
Chapter 2 Statistical.Summary.and.Format.of.Presentation.for.the.
100.Exotic.Food.Plants................................................................................................19
Analysis.of.the.Principal.Food.Uses.and.Commercial.
Production.Areas.of.the.100.Exotic.Food.Plants........................................................19
Format.of.Presentation................................................................................................27
References...................................................................................................................29
Chapter 3 Acai.Berry...................................................................................................................31
Names..........................................................................................................................31
Plant.Portrait...............................................................................................................31
Culinary.Portrait.........................................................................................................33
Culinary.Vocabulary..............................................................................................33
Curiosities.of.Science.and.Technology.......................................................................34
v
vi Contents
Key.Information.Sources............................................................................................34
Specialty.Cookbooks..............................................................................................35
Chapter 4 Acerola.(Barbados.Cherry).........................................................................................37
Names..........................................................................................................................37
Plant.Portrait...............................................................................................................37
Culinary.Portrait.........................................................................................................38
Culinary.Vocabulary..............................................................................................38
Curiosities.of.Science.and.Technology.......................................................................38
Key.Information.Sources............................................................................................39
Specialty.Cookbooks..............................................................................................40
Chapter 5 Akee............................................................................................................................41
Names..........................................................................................................................41
Plant.Portrait...............................................................................................................41
Culinary.Portrait.........................................................................................................42
Culinary.Vocabulary..............................................................................................43
Curiosities.of.Science.and.Technology.......................................................................43
Key.Information.Sources............................................................................................44
Specialty.Cookbooks..............................................................................................45
Chapter 6 Allspice.(Pimento).......................................................................................................47
Names..........................................................................................................................47
Plant.Portrait...............................................................................................................47
Culinary.Portrait.........................................................................................................48
Culinary.Vocabulary..............................................................................................49
Curiosities.of.Science.and.Technology.......................................................................49
Key.Information.Sources............................................................................................50
Specialty.Cookbooks..............................................................................................50
Chapter 7 Arrowroot....................................................................................................................51
Names..........................................................................................................................51
Plant.Portrait...............................................................................................................52
Culinary.Portrait.........................................................................................................52
Culinary.Vocabulary..............................................................................................53
Curiosities.of.Science.and.Technology.......................................................................53
Key.Information.Sources............................................................................................53
Specialty.Cookbooks..............................................................................................54
Chapter 8 Asafetida......................................................................................................................55
Names..........................................................................................................................55
Plant.Portrait...............................................................................................................55
Culinary.Portrait.........................................................................................................55
Culinary.Vocabulary..............................................................................................57
Curiosities.of.Science.and.Technology.......................................................................57
Contents vii
Key.Information.Sources............................................................................................58
Specialty.Cookbooks..............................................................................................59
Chapter 9 Bamboo.......................................................................................................................61
Names..........................................................................................................................61
Plant.Portrait...............................................................................................................61
Culinary.Portrait.........................................................................................................61
Culinary.Vocabulary..............................................................................................63
Curiosities.of.Science.and.Technology.......................................................................64
Key.Information.Sources............................................................................................65
Specialty.Cookbooks..............................................................................................65
Chapter 10 Baobab.........................................................................................................................67
Names..........................................................................................................................67
Plant.Portrait...............................................................................................................67
Culinary.Portrait.........................................................................................................68
Culinary.Vocabulary..............................................................................................69
Curiosities.of.Science.and.Technology.......................................................................69
Key.Information.Sources............................................................................................72
Specialty.Cookbooks..............................................................................................73
Chapter 11 Bay...............................................................................................................................75
Names..........................................................................................................................75
Plant.Portrait...............................................................................................................76
Culinary.Portrait.........................................................................................................76
Culinary.Vocabulary..............................................................................................77
Curiosities.of.Science.and.Technology.......................................................................77
Key.Information.Sources............................................................................................78
Specialty.Cookbooks..............................................................................................79
Chapter 12 Betelnut.......................................................................................................................81
Names..........................................................................................................................81
Plant.Portrait...............................................................................................................81
Culinary.Portrait.........................................................................................................83
Culinary.Vocabulary..............................................................................................84
Curiosities.of.Science.and.Technology.......................................................................84
Key.Information.Sources............................................................................................84
Specialty.Cookbooks..............................................................................................85
Chapter 13 Breadfruit....................................................................................................................87
Names..........................................................................................................................87
Plant.Portrait...............................................................................................................87
Culinary.Portrait.........................................................................................................89
Culinary.Vocabulary..............................................................................................90
Curiosities.of.Science.and.Technology.......................................................................90
Key.Information.Sources............................................................................................91
Specialty.Cookbooks..............................................................................................92
viii Contents
Chapter 14 Cacti............................................................................................................................93
Cactus.Pear..................................................................................................................95
Names.....................................................................................................................95
Plant.Portrait...........................................................................................................96
Culinary.Portrait....................................................................................................96
Culinary.Vocabulary.........................................................................................99
Curiosities.of.Science.and.Technology..................................................................99
Key.Information.Sources......................................................................................100
Specialty.Cookbooks.......................................................................................101
Dragon.Fruit..............................................................................................................101
Names...................................................................................................................101
Plant.Portrait.........................................................................................................102
Culinary.Portrait..................................................................................................103
Culinary.Vocabulary.......................................................................................105
Curiosities.of.Science.and.Technology................................................................105
Key.Information.Sources......................................................................................106
Specialty.Cookbooks.......................................................................................106
Chapter 15 Candlenut..................................................................................................................107
Names........................................................................................................................107
Plant.Portrait.............................................................................................................107
Culinary.Portrait.......................................................................................................107
Culinary.Vocabulary............................................................................................108
Curiosities.of.Science.and.Technology.....................................................................108
Key.Information.Sources..........................................................................................109
Specialty.Cookbooks............................................................................................110
Chapter 16 Cape.Gooseberries.and.Tomatillo:.Physalis.Species................................................111
Physalis.Names.........................................................................................................111
Cape.Gooseberry.......................................................................................................112
Names...................................................................................................................112
Plant.Portrait.........................................................................................................113
Culinary.Portrait..................................................................................................113
Culinary.Vocabulary.......................................................................................113
Curiosities.of.Science.and.Technology................................................................114
Key.Information.Sources......................................................................................114
Specialty.Cookbooks.......................................................................................115
Dwarf.Cape.Gooseberry...........................................................................................115
Names...................................................................................................................115
Plant.Portrait.........................................................................................................115
Culinary.Portrait..................................................................................................115
Curiosities.of.Science.and.Technology................................................................115
Key.Information.Sources......................................................................................116
Specialty.Cookbooks.......................................................................................117
Tomatillo...................................................................................................................117
Names...................................................................................................................117
Plant.Portrait.........................................................................................................117
Culinary.Portrait..................................................................................................118
Contents ix
Culinary.Vocabulary.......................................................................................119
Curiosities.of.Science.and.Technology................................................................119
Key.Information.Sources......................................................................................119
Specialty.Cookbooks.......................................................................................120
Chapter 17 Caper.........................................................................................................................121
Names........................................................................................................................121
Plant.Portrait.............................................................................................................121
Culinary.Portrait.......................................................................................................122
Culinary.Vocabulary............................................................................................122
Curiosities.of.Science.and.Technology.....................................................................122
Key.Information.Sources..........................................................................................124
Specialty.Cookbooks............................................................................................125
Chapter 18 Carambola,.Star.Fruit................................................................................................127
Names........................................................................................................................127
Plant.Portrait.............................................................................................................127
Culinary.Portrait.......................................................................................................128
Culinary.Vocabulary............................................................................................129
Curiosities.of.Science.and.Technology.....................................................................129
Key.Information.Sources..........................................................................................129
Specialty.Cookbooks............................................................................................130
Chapter 19 Carob.........................................................................................................................131
Names........................................................................................................................131
Plant.Portrait.............................................................................................................131
Culinary.Portrait.......................................................................................................132
Culinary.Vocabulary............................................................................................132
Curiosities.of.Science.and.Technology.....................................................................132
Key.Information.Sources..........................................................................................134
Specialty.Cookbooks............................................................................................135
Chapter 20 Cashew......................................................................................................................137
Names........................................................................................................................137
Plant.Portrait.............................................................................................................137
Culinary.Portrait.......................................................................................................138
Culinary.Vocabulary............................................................................................138
Curiosities.of.Science.and.Technology.....................................................................138
Key.Information.Sources..........................................................................................140
Specialty.Cookbooks............................................................................................140
Chapter 21 Cassabanana..............................................................................................................143
Names........................................................................................................................143
Plant.Portrait.............................................................................................................143
Culinary.Portrait.......................................................................................................144
Culinary.Vocabulary............................................................................................144
x Contents
Curiosities.of.Science.and.Technology.....................................................................144
Key.Information.Sources..........................................................................................146
Specialty.Cookbooks............................................................................................146
Chapter 22 Ceriman.....................................................................................................................147
Names........................................................................................................................147
Plant.Portrait.............................................................................................................147
Culinary.Portrait.......................................................................................................148
Curiosities.of.Science.and.Technology.....................................................................149
Key.Information.Sources..........................................................................................149
Specialty.Cookbooks............................................................................................150
Chapter 23 Chayote......................................................................................................................151
Names........................................................................................................................151
Plant.Portrait.............................................................................................................151
Culinary.Portrait.......................................................................................................152
Culinary.Vocabulary............................................................................................152
Curiosities.of.Science.and.Technology.....................................................................152
Key.Information.Sources..........................................................................................154
Specialty.Cookbooks............................................................................................155
Chapter 24 Cherimoya.and.Atemoya...........................................................................................157
Names........................................................................................................................157
Plant.Portrait.............................................................................................................157
Cherimoya............................................................................................................157
Atemoya................................................................................................................158
Culinary.Portrait.......................................................................................................158
Culinary.Vocabulary............................................................................................158
Curiosities.of.Science.and.Technology.....................................................................158
Key.Information.Sources..........................................................................................160
Specialty.Cookbooks............................................................................................161
Chapter 25 Chinese.Artichoke.....................................................................................................163
Names........................................................................................................................163
Plant.Portrait.............................................................................................................163
Culinary.Portrait.......................................................................................................164
Culinary.Vocabulary............................................................................................165
Curiosities.of.Science.and.Technology.....................................................................165
Key.Information.Sources..........................................................................................167
Specialty.Cookbooks............................................................................................167
Chapter 26 Citron.........................................................................................................................169
Names........................................................................................................................169
Plant.Portrait.............................................................................................................169
Culinary.Portrait.......................................................................................................171
Culinary.Vocabulary............................................................................................171