What is Yacon or Smallanthus sonchifolius? It's a sweet tuberous root originally from Northern and Central Andes, primarily Colombia and Argentina. It is now also grown in Italy, Vietnam and New Zealand. Due to the presence of inulin, it has a sweet apple taste as well as texture. Being a tuber, it ...

The most well-known of all the oriental mushrooms, the shiitake mushroom not only tastes good, but also has a number of potencies. Its name comes from the Japanese words ‘shii’, which refers to the tree it grows on, and ‘také’, which simply means mushroom. Now you know a little bit more about these ...

Stevia, what is it and why does it sound like the female version of Steven? Well I can only answer one of those questions. It's a sweetener and sugar substitute native to south America, extracted from the leaf of plant species Stevia rebaudiana. A lot of us love the sweet, sweet taste of sugar and ...

Ashwagandha (Sanskrit: ashwa = horse + gandha = smell, aka Indian Ginseng) actually classed as an ‘Ayurvedic herb’ and is commonly used as a supplement for all kinds of problems including anxiety and ADHD. Whilst it has commonly been used to help treat a number of conditions over the years, ...

Brown rice, may not seem as huge a popular favourite as it should be; not because it lacks taste by any means but rather because of the extra time it takes to boil. However, the pros do outweigh the cons. So read on for these Top 5 Health Benefits of Brown Rice and learn why you should add it to ...

Haricot (aka in the US, 'navy') beans are probably more commonly known in their role as baked beans. How often do we take beans on toast for a quick warm lunch on a cold day for granted? When you strip away the sauce that your baked beans come in, you’re left with a creamy white bean with an ...

I love peanuts, they’re an incredible edible which is actually native to the tropics. The legume most often misconstrued to be a nut is also extremely good for you! Peanuts, whilst being ubiquitously popular as a snack in the UK, are also featured in Asian cooking with satay and chikki (or peanut ...

Native to the Mediterranean and Eurasia and growing in rocky, mountainous areas, there are several types of oregano, not just the ones you can buy in the shops. In fact there are 44 species of oregano! You probably know it though for its role in Greek and Italian foods and many love it for its ...

Apples are so common, they may be taken for granted (try making one!) but this mainstay of the fruit bowl may not have been getting the credit it deserves. Did you know there are over 7,000 varieties of apple? No longer should they be seen as just a mundane everyday fruit for they contain a whole ...

Shallots are an extremely well recognised part of folk medicine native to Asia as well as being a versatile ingredient. They are closely related to onions as you've probably guessed, and share some similarities with garlic. If you love onions and would never dare to pick up a shallot, let me see if ...