YELLOW STICK (PALILLO, CURCUMA)

Yellow Stick (Palillo) might be the healthiest  spice of earth. The earliest written testimony of it comes from an Assyrian herbarium dating from about 600 BC. The Persians were worshipers of the sun and in honor of it they used the stick as a natural dye for their bodies. In 1285, the Italian traveler, Marco Polo relates that in one of his travels in China he discovered this vegetable and says of it: "There is a plant that has all the authentic properties of saffron, it has the smell and color, but it does not resemble at all to saffron and grows mainly in the regions of Fu-Kien. It is held in high esteem and its price is high."
The variety that grows in Peru is called "Long Curcuma," and takes the name "Yellow Palillo" and its main crop is in the Peruvian Jungle. Made by grinding the dried root of the plant, this ancient food has been used by Andean healers for centuries. In Brazil it is called "Guairaba," and in Colombia as "Guava Milk" or "Guava Monkey."
Recent studies of this variety indicates that it is rich in bisdemetoxicurcumina, an antioxidant that can fight the accumulation of proteins that are parked in the brain fighting the Alzheimer's. The intense yellow color of the stick comes from liposoluble pigments known as curcuminoids. Curcuminoids have a stronger antioxidant action than grape seed extract, vitamin C or E. Antioxidants reduce the damage that free radicals can produce to tissues, cells and DNA; and help slow down the signs of normal aging.
In its collagenous action, curcumin increases the ejection of bile by 100 percent, which corroborates its traditional use for gallstones. For the same qualities it is beneficial in alcoholism.
The Machigengas that live in the Jungle say that the Yellow Palillo is a good diuretic and fights constipation (flu). It also acts as an anti-inflamatory of the respiratory tract, joints and urinary tract. It also stimulates blood circulation.
The potential health effects of the Yellow Palillo are believed to be particularly strong when you combine it with fresh black pepper. It has an aromatic odor similar to ginger and a slightly bitter taste.
One of the most emblematic dishes of the Peruvian Jungle is the famous "Juane," infallible in the celebration of John the Baptist in the whole Peruvian Jungle. The "Juane" is the representation of the beheading of John the Baptist in the Scriptural legend. Of all the dishes stands out one called "stew" made with Peruvian cassava, Yellow Palillo, and local veggies.
Every Peruvian cook  indicates that the Yellow Stick Powder is an essential ingredient for fish, eggs, and rice. Also for dressings or to give yellow color to the food.
Let's use Yellow Palillo powder in garnish our food. Add this spice to whatever you want: vegetables, eggs, meat. You can also add it to the boiling water when making pasta, rice, soup, etc.

THE POWER OF PERUVIAN CILANTRO (CORIANDER).

The latin name of 'cilantro' (spanish translation) is 'Coriandrum Sativum' and the word 'coriander' is derived from it.
Little is known about the origins of the cilantro/coriander herb, although it is generally thought to be native to Mediterranean climate, and has been cultivated from such ancient times.
The taste and smell and pleasant fragrance of the entire plant make it one of the strongest and powerful ingredient in the Peruvian gastronomy. It is a very important crop which has a prime position as a flavoring agent. Most Peruvian people love the smell and flavor of the fresh coriander and fresh chopped leaves are widely used in many traditional dishes, especially into soups.
Coriander likes a warm, dry, light soil. From a cluster of slightly divided radical leaves branching stems rise. The leaves are scalloped, shiny, broad, and flat, arranged alternately and compunded. It grows from a central stalk attached to a taproot to a height of 12-18 inches (25-50 cms)with flowering stems branching out.
Depending on the goal of growing cilantro/coriander, a plant of the easiest culture, you should plant in full sun if you desire seeds for coriander or in partial shade if you want cilantro for culinary or medicinal needs. Sow seeds in 1/2 inch furrows after the danger of frost has past. Sow seeds every 2 weeks to assure a continuous crop of fresh leaves. The seeds are slow in germinating and it is hardy annual. Coriander seeds should be harvested in summer months as they ripen. If you leave the seeds on the plant the weight of the seeds will bend the seed pods to the ground where they become overripe and release from the plant. Once off the plant they are of very poor quality.
Coriander/cilantro has pain relieving properties and is useful for headaches, muscle pain and stiffness, arthritis and rheumatism. It is also useful in soups because of its helpful effects on the digestive tract, relieving nausea, diarrhea, flatulence, and indigestion.
Coriander/cilantro has antioxidant properties and can delay or prevent food spoilage. It is also reputed to enhance circulation and relieving fluid retention. It has been used to control mild diabetes because of its insulin-like activity.
When purchasing, look for the leaves that are tender, aromatic, and very green with no yellow spots, and no evidence of wilting. If it has no aroma, it will have no flavor. To store the fresh herb, put it in a jar with water like a bunch of flowers. Cover the leaves with a plastic bag and put the whole thing in the refrigerator. Change the water every 2 days, picking out any wilted leaves when you do so.
Cilantro complements seafood, especially oily type of fish, because of its tendency of overwhelming the odor of the fish. Use it to enhance salads, beans, rice, omelets, meat, stews, and almost any dish you can imagine, but do not apply it in excess, just one tea spoon of chopped fresh leaves is more than enough to enhance flavor.

PERUVIAN BAY LEAVE (LAUREL) AND ITS HEALING SOUL.

There are many different thpes of plants whose leaves are referred to as 'bay leaves', but the true bay leaf is scientifically known as 'Laurus Nobilis'. They are characterized by woodiness, aromatic parts, and a single strand of conducting tissues continuing from the stem into the leaf.
This Peruvian Laurel is an evergreen shrub or small tree that require, in its forest habitat, a warm subtropical to tropical climate that is cool but also frost-free or with only very slight winter frosts not below -4C, and with high summer heat, rainfall, and humidity.
Peruvian Laurel is at its best when the leaves are well-drained, because of its growing in slightly acidic soils and enhance its rich organic matter. The drained laurel leaves can be stored for months.
Traditionally, the laurel leaves are picked and dried slowly under the shade away from direct sunlight in order to retain their volatile essential oils.
Pleasantly and aromatic, the thick and leathery bay-laurel leave, is one of the well-recognized peruvian culinary leaf-spices in use since the ancient pre-inca time. Just using one of them when added to the peruvian recipes, it gives off a pleasing and sweet aroma. It can be used to flavor soups and stews, but the most common use of the leaf that is for a delicious sauce made with ground beef, onion, red pepper, tomatoes, celery, garlic, carrots, and one whole laurel leaf. It must be removed from the sauce before serving it with noodles of any kind.
Laurel leaf has a very strong effect on the gastrointestinal system because of its organic compounds.
The laurel leaves are a very rich source of vitamin A, B and C. Also they are a good source of minerals like copper, potassium, calcium, manganese, iron, selenium, zinc, and magnesium.
Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) is one of the powerful natural anti-oxidant that help to remove harmful free radicals from the body. Ascorbic acid acts as an immune buster, wound healing, and anti-viral effects.
Folic acid is important in DNA synthesis because of its folates and when given during the preconception period, they can help prevent tube defects in the baby. But during pregnancy, the consumption should be maintained at the minimum since the chemical compounds in them may cause abortion.
Vitamin A is also a natural antioxidant and is essential for healthy visual sight. It is also required for maintaining mucous and skin health. Also it helps to protect from lung and oral cavity cancers.
B-complex groups of vitamins such as niacin, pyridoxine, pantothenic acid and riboflavin, help in enzyme synthesis, nervous system function, and regulating body metabolism.
Potassium is an important component of cell and body fluids that helps control heart rate and blood pressure. Manganese and copper are used by the body as co-factors for the antioxidant enzyme, superoxide dismutase. Iron is essential for red blood cell production and as a co-factor for cytochrome oxidase enzymes.
The red-white-red Peruvian flag contains a coat of arms that its shield is framed by one wreath of palm and laurel branches and surmounted by another.

THE ANDEAN RED PEPPERS.

The Peruvian Red Peppers are the most common high concentration and key ingredient in the Andean culinary world. Consumption of them have been known from the very early settlers of the Andean mountains, because of their faculty to promote negative energy balance from a combination of metabolic and sensory inputs. Also they were known as powerful enhancers of energy expenditure, fat and carbohydrate oxidation.
The crisp and sweet, red peppers are just the mature green peppers. They contain more than 200% of the daily vitamin C intake. Besides that vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant, it helps the proper absorption of iron. As a great source of vitamin B6 and folate, they help to prevent anemia. They are also known as a great supporters of healthy night vision because of its high content in vitamin A.
The capsaicin, the pungent principle in the Andean Rocoto (hot red peppers), are known as a reducers of hunger, stimulators of  thermogenesis, and alterators of the oxidation process. This is one of hottest Peruvian chili peppers. The capsaicin receptor has unique physiological functions in allowing humans to detect the oral burn, regulate core body temperature, and sense external temperature. It is established that marked individual differences exist in the sensitivity to the burn spicy flavor and to the affective interpretation of that sensation, because of its direct relation to consequences of physiological processes, independent of sensory responsiveness.
The appearance of both varieties are very similar, thicker with juicy walls, but the 'Rocoto'has dark brown seeds. No other pepper has seeds of this color nor do they have purple flowers like the 'Rocoto.' In addition, the stems of the plant look hairy which is what gives it the name 'Pubescens.' When you buy them in the market believing that it is the sugary kind, and try to taste it, your mouth is set on fire. This is why 'Rocotos' are mainly used as a condiment, just a little bit to give a kick to some dishes, but in the Andes mountains, some people are used to eat them as apples, straight from the plant. The smaller the 'Rocoto', the hotter flavor is increased. The pepper has three to four forms. The common is thick, somewhat elongated and without a point.
Botanists says that all domestic peppers originated in the Andes where they have an ancient record of use going back thousands and thousands of years. The European invaders took many products from the Andes and introduced them to the Old World where they had a huge impact. The history of the World would be very different had it not been for the Andean potato which allowed populations to boom in many places.
Botanists have described domesticated peppers as belonging to five species. Capsicum annum is the most common and represents most of the chilies known in the world, although the famous 'Tabasco' sauce slowly finding its way onto the South American markets is made from the 'Tabasco' pepper which is capsicum frutescens. The 'Habanero' pepper comes from a different species, the Capsicum chinense, that was came from the tropical lowlands of South America. The Andes is distinguished as having the delightful and fragrant Capsicum baccatum (yellow aji) as its representative and, of course, the famous 'Rocoto'(Capsicum pubescens), that has a flavor that is reminiscent of pine.
Today, in the Andes, the 'Rocoto' continues to be the most commonly consumed of peppers. Many people have a 'Rocoto' plant in their gardens. They just step out of their door and grab one or several from the bush and use them fresh.
"Stuffed Rocotos" that are a very important festival food, is a famous dish from Arequipa, in the South of the Peruvian territory. They are filled with beef, onion and ground peanut mixture, and served with a creamy potato gratin.
In Cuzco, the people talk about there being 3 kinds of 'Rocoto.' The 'Rocoto' from the garden, the common or ordinary one. The 'Rocoto' from Marca Pata, a district in Cuzco's Quispi Canchi province, that is known for being very good and very hot, growing in the upland tropics in small, family plots. And the 'Rocoto' called 'Marate'. This is the hottest of all and is a small, wild pepper of varying shape. When longish it is also called monkey penis (pinguito de mono). The common sauce named 'Llantan' (Uchu-Cuta) is made with 'Rocoto' and the indigenous herb 'Huacatay'.

PERUVIAN "BOTIJA" PURPLE OLIVES.

The olive fruit is one of the oldest foods known, and the trees are one of the longest living trees on earth growing between 200 to 2,000 years.
There are many different types of olives and they are all unique to different regions of the world, having diverse colors, shapes, and tastes, that distinguish them apart.
The most popular worldwide are: Botija - Peru;  Kalamata - Greece;  Hojiblanca and Cacerena - Spain; Nicoise - France;  Ponentine, Gaeta, Lugano, Liguria - Italy;  Sevillano - California.
During the colonization period, the greed of the newcomers trying to make themselves rich, were expressed in the cultivation of extensive olive groves with presses to make oil, and grape vineyards for producing large quantities of wine. The cultivation of Andean traditional products were disrupted in this areas and the Valleys suffered and enormous contraction creating a disruption in the Andean social and economic organization. Obviously this fact benefited the increase in products benefiting the foreigners.
Since nature always finds a way to restore equality, the products obtained from the Inca land were the best of the best around the world, making it be noticeable because of its unique size and flavor.
With a very dark purple color, and complex flavor, olives produced in the Inca land of Peru named 'botija' olives, claim a world of their own, being better than the finest olives produced anywhere in the world.
Most of the country's 'botija' olives are destined for internal market, primarily ripe, cured, and tangy, some as dried olives, and  a smaller group as green ones.
Olives trees are found in much of coastal Peru and especially in the Southern region of Tacna. The olives trees produce fruit in the months of April through July and in those months the Peruvian markets are filled with abundant supply.
Olives are distributed in large vat like containers 'bidones' in which the olives are packed in a brine to preserve them. They are generally sold by grams or kilos. The price varies according to the quality of the olive.
Peruvians like them for their taste, but also because of the nutritional value they have. They contain minerals such as calcium and iron. The high monounsaturated fat content has been associated with reduced risk of cardiovascular disease.
One of the commonly overlooked health benefit is that they are excellent mucus dissolvers helping to break up flem and clearing out the sinuses relieving brain fog and respiratory health. Also lowers blood cholesterol levels, beautifies the skin and hair, assists in balancing metabolism, helps preven oxidative stress, promotes the development of bones and marrow, and acts as anti-inflammatory.
The fat content of olives insulate nerve tissue, lubricate and ground the body yet are easily broken down by the liver. The olive oil in olives is a monounsaturated fat that have one double-bonded carbon and has to be consumed raw because of its structure. Never cook with it. Olives are considered the most powerful of any fruit, next to figs.
Olives are a fundamental ingredient for a range of Peruvian dishes. Peruvians use them for the 'tamale,' to make 'causa,' stuffed potatoes, 'aji de gallina, and the 'escabeche,' among others.

MEMBRILLO, AN ANCIENT FRUITS OF THE ANDES.

Membrillo (Quince) is an ancient fruit that grows on small trees in a manner quite like apples and pears, but it lacks their immediate edibility and appeal.
The tree grows in rocky slopes and woodland margins and in mild and cold climates. The height of the tree is 5 to 8 meters / 16-26ft and 4 to 6 meters / 13-20ft wide.
Membrillo (Quince) is knobby, ugly and tough fruit, with an irregular shape and often a gray fuzz, especially when the fruit has been picked under ripe. If the fruit is smashed accidentally it turns red in the bruise area. The ripest, nicest quince will have a golden-yellow tone and smooth skin, but even ripe it is an acid-tasting and a astringent hard fruit to eat raw, and with a spongy flesh which is difficult to cut up. The phenolic chemicals in the flesh of the fresh fruit coagulate proteins in the mouth, causing the fruit to taste astringent.
But not everything is negative about the fruit.
The first clue that quince hides is its aroma. If you leave a quince on a sunny windowsill it will slowly release a delicate fragrance of vanilla, citrus, and apple . It is a heady, perfumed scent that is completely at odds with its appearance.
Then, when you peel a quince and hack it up, then cook it, those scents blossom into an indescribably wonderful perfume, and the fruit itself magically turns from yellowed white to a deep rosy pink.
Then, when you stew quince in sugar and a little wine, it becomes not just edible but delicious sweet, delicate, and fragrant.
The quince is popular and commonly used in the mountains of Peru for its high pectin making it ideal for making jams and jellies. Also it is used to make preserves and poached for compotes. It can be added to apple or pear jams, in small quantities, to enhance the flavor and used to make wine, and a sweet paste called 'machacado' that often is paired with cheese as a snack.
The carotenoid molecules that give quince its yellow color break down into compounds, notably those rose-scented ions, that impart the fruit's pungent floral aroma. When cooked for a long time, heat and acidity convert its phenolic compounds into antho-cyanins, so the pulp loses its astringency turning into a pleasant pink.
To make the delicious Purple Corn Drink (Chicha Morada), the fruit is paired with pine apple to make it very tasty.
The 'emoliente,' Peru's popular street vendor's medicinal infusion is made from stewed fruits that includes quince, lemon grass, and clove, that make up the liquid base, then fresh aloe vera extract , flaxseed and lime juice, are added to make it layered, slimy, and thick, assisting our microbiome and healing the gut.

GARLIC AS A HEALING PLANT.

Garlic is a specie in the onion family. Its close relatives include the onion, shallot, leek, and chive. With a history of consumption and use of over 7,000 years, garlic has long been a staple in the Andean Mountains Region of Peru, as well as a frequent seasoning in the Coast Region. It has been used both for food flavoring and traditional medicine.
Garlic is effective in lowering the bad cholesterol if taken for longer than two months. It has a very positive effect and is well tolerated with very no side effects.
The effect of garlic on blood pressure is clearly positive and there is sufficient evidence to determine that ingesting a couple of garlic cloves in the diet lowers the cardiovascular rates in people with hypertension.
Also epidemiological studies found that fresh garlic consumption is associated with lower risk of stomach cancer and prostate cancer. You just need to prepare a fresh salad every day including two garlic cloves grounded and the juice of one lime, salt and pepper.
There is sufficient evidence also regarding the effect of garlic in preventing or treating the common cold. You just need to prepare a fresh chicken soup using organic chicken boiled with leeks, potatoes and cabbage and two chopped garlic cloves, salt and pepper. Drain and serve with lime drops.
Garlic can be used as a fish and meat preservative, and displays antimicrobial properties at temperatures as high as 120 degrees Celsius. It is very convenient when you go camping and the meat is already marinating with chopped garlic, vinegar, paprika, lime juice, cumin, salt and pepper.
Garlic is known to cause a bad breath (halitosis) and body odor when used in excess. You just need 2 cloves of fresh garlic in your diet for the whole day. When it is in excess the body try to get rid of it by sweating it out. The sulfide content of it is absorbed immediately into the body during the metabolism of garlic-derived sulfur compounds. From the blood it travels to the lungs and from there to the mouth and skin pores. If you know that your consumption of garlic was in excess just zip milk to neutralize the effect and do not consume again until you know that the body got rid of that excess. Plain water, basil, parsley, and mushrooms also neutralize or reduce the excess and the odor.
People who suffer from garlic allergies are often sensitive also to onions, chives, leeks, shallots, garden lilies, ginger, and bananas. Symptoms can include irritable bowel, diarrhea, nausea, breathing problems and mouth and throat ulceration.
In the spiritual realm the garlic is regarded as a powerful force able to connect to both good and evil. It is proven by the fact that the abundant sulfur compounds in garlic make it turn green or blue during pickling and cooking. Ring structures absorb particular wavelength of light and thus appeared colored. The same process is acted in the spiritual realm cleansing energies that are not beneficial in the place where it is placed. Garlic is hung in the entrance of the room or in windows.