What are Tempe Health Benefits? - Part 1 – Food Variety 16

Tempe or Tempeh is fermented cooked soybean, one of Indonesia traditional foods.

Now days, Tempeh easily found at commercial markets in America and some European countries.

Fig 01- Sliced of Tempe

It is believed Tempe has many health benefits as suggested by Keri Wiginton (2021: The Health Benefits of Tempeh).

Some of Tempeh health benefits are:

1. Help to reduce cholesterol

2. Maintain blood sugar

3. Improve bone health

4. Reduce heart diseases risk

5. Improve metabolism

Fig 02- Tempe sold in the USA market

Fig 03- a kind of bean, just for illustration

Fig 04- Tempeh was made from these soybeans 

(credit to Subagja Hamara).

Since Tempe contains niacin, omega 3 and 6, and polyunsaturated fat thus able to lower heart diseases risk include heart attacks.

Vitamin B-12 in Tempe has functions which are relating to red blood cell in our body:

- the vitamin could improve metabolism of red blood

- and essential for production of red blood.

# To be continued to Part 2

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Local Jelly at the Farmer Market – Part 2 - Food Variety 15

Jellies in the jar at the farmer market

Previous post (Part 1):

It is a kind of dressing which is combines of a jam and a sauce or a seasoning. A typical classic product from southern states of America.

A pepper jelly is a vinegar or pectin base preserve, made with:

- hot peppers

- sugar and salt

So, you may guess the taste, yes, mix of sweet and spice of hot peppers which may include:

- Jalapeno

- Habanero

- Serrano

The makers of Bulldog Pepper Jelly from city of New Orleans, Louisiana claimed that their assorted jellies are locally grown, not imported from other states or other foreign countries.

A sign of farmer market

Pepper jelly was popular in America during 1980s to 1990s.

The product is consumed or used for multiple purposes such as:

- glaze on meats, chicken wings, fish and on vegetables.

- topping for crackers, ice cream, cheesecake, cheese and waffles

- using as sauce and dipping

- using as spread to sandwich, turkey slices and hamburger.

- using as appetizer

- mixing with yogurt

Have you tried pepper jelly? What do you think?

# Previous postings of food and varieties:

- Are Raw Peanuts Good for Health? - Food Variety 6

- Late Harvest of Satsuma Orange in the Yard - Food Variety 7

Local Jelly at the Farmer Market – Part 1 - Food Variety 15

Pepper Jelly, the local product

Bulldog Pepper Jelly is a brand name only. It is homemade jelly which I believe to be produced and sold in our state only, Louisiana, so far.

Quite difficult to find this brand in groceries across our city, but, luckily I found it in the one of farmer markets close to our home.

There are four types of jellies in the market:

- Roasted Garlic Pepper Jelly

- Jalapeno Pepper Jelly

- Strawberry Pepper Jelly

- Roasted Pecan Pepper Jelly

The price is US$1.62 per ounce (28 gram), expensive compared to manufactured jelly sold in:

- groceries

- supermarket

- Amazon

Jars of pepper jellies on the shelves

However, Bulldog Pepper Jelly is made traditionally, hence fresh and high quality product. I think.

International friends might wonder: what is pepper jelly? What its taste like?

# To be continued to part 2

## Previous postings of food and varieties:

- Have you Tasted Red Pear? - Food Variety 1

- Have you Tried Rainbow Baby Carrot? - Food Variety 2

- Harvest Fresh Chili from the Pot Routinely - Food Variety 3

- Do You Like to Grill Fish? - Food Variety 4

- Do You Know a Prickly Cactus Pear? - Food Variety 5

Have You Tried Jalapeno Cheese Poppers? - Food Variety 14

Fig 01- Jalapeno chili, sold in many groceries.

You might know Jalapeno, Capsicum annuum, quite hot spicy for me, but medium compared to other chilies for many people.

Some hotter chilies than Jalapeno:

- Serrano
- Red Habanero
- Cayenne peppers

Almost all groceries across USA sell Jalapeno with reasonable price

I always see this pepper and used it for cooking while peppers in green color.

They could turn red when ripen. Both red and green can be eaten.

The red is less spicy and grassy.

Sure, Jalapeno has several health benefits, the most important one that Jalapeno may be used for migraine relief due to it contains the capsaicin.

Other health benefits are anti inflammatory, improve our immune system and improve our nervous system.

Research has been done to use Jalapeno as an anti cancer drug.

Fig 02- Spicy vegetable for illustration

Fig 03- Jalapeno cheese poppers

We just went to a grocery, and the first time, we noticed a Jalapeno Cheese Popper.

We bought several of poppers to try their taste.

Since I like cheese, the taste of poppers is not bad, a quite delicious.

It seems that chef uses cheddar cheese inside poppers. I think the cheddar cheese is quite sharper.

Fine shred of cheddar was fit in the hallow of a half jalapeno chili, and then insert inside popper. Cheese makes smell delicious.

Have you tried Jalapeno Cheese Poppers?

Wild Berries Grow Well in Our Backyard - Food Variety 13

Fig 01- A single wild red berry

At least, we have 3 kinds of wild berries grow well and produce fruit in our backyard every year:

- two red berries
- one is blackberry.

One of red is ground berry, another red berry climbs the fences.

All of three photos in this post are ground red berries, presumably has a scientific name Rubus sp.

The size and form (shape) as small as blackberry.

My ground wild red berry has no taste (fairly to say is tasteless).

Some people said, the berry is good for jam, jelly and alcohol drink.

It is believed the wild red berry contains manganese and have a lot of health benefits. Some of them are:

- good for bone health
- metabolism improvement
- has antioxidant effects.

Fig 02- Three wild red berries

Fig 03- Two wild red berries on the ground

The berry also rich in vitamins C and K. Vitamin C is needed for repairmen and development of our body tissues.

We might know that Vitamin C could improve the immune system too.

Moreover, the Vitamin that makes protein for “normal blood clotting” and healthy bones (together with manganese) is Vitamin K.

This vitamin is an essential vitamin for wound healing.

What kind of wild berries do you know?

Honey as a Local Product - Food Variety 12

Fig 01- Local honey in the grocery.

I believe all of us have ever consumed honey, but, some may not love it. However, demand for honey is increasing year by year.

Based on report from United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) in 2020, honey production increase by 2%, make total production to be 157 million pounds.

The states with higher honey productions are following:
- North Dakota
- South Dakota
- California
- Montana
- Florida
- Texas
- Minnesota
- Michigan
- Louisiana 

Fig 02- Colorful flowers as a source of food for honey bees

Interestingly, not only honey, but live bees also be traded, locally and internationally.

Fig 03- Bees visit roses to collect pollen.

Several countries have exported live bees include:
- Egypt
- Slovakia
- Belgium
- United States of America (USA)
- Canada

In term of pollination, bees have vital roles in many economic plants for human consumption.

Quite amazing that a bee could pollinate 5,000 flowers a day. They pollinated many our daily foods such as:
- apples
- cranberries
- melons
- broccoli
- cherry
- almond

Hope, bees will continue their job!!

Older post:

Will Confederate Jasmine Crawl Back After Winter? | Tanza Erlambang Update

Have you Tried to Drink Chai Tea? - Food Variety 11

 

Fig 01- Chai tea also for lip balm, just for illustration

Sure, there are plenty of tea’s brand, but Lipton is a tea brand which always in my mind.

I drink tea every day, hot tea in the colder seasons (fall, winter and spring), and iced tea during hot summer.

Depend on the sources of readings, it is said that there are at least 6 types of teas (Science Learning Hub, 2013). They are:

- black

- green

- white

- yellow

- oolong

- post-fermented

As far as I remember, I mainly drink black and green tea of Lipton. In addition to colors, the processing steps could produce tea variations in terms of form and taste.

Fig 02- Chai tea ingredients for lip balm, illustration

In respect to countries, there are four well known countries of tea productions and traditions:

- Japan (Macha tea)

- China

- India (Darjeeling tea)

- UK (English breakfast tea)

Fig 03- Icy leaves, just for illustration.

In addition, China has many different types of teas:

- black tea

- green tea

- Oolong

- White tea

- Pu Erh

- Biluochun

- Longjing tea.

Chai tea is a beverage tea comes from India. A kind of milk tea, black tea boiled in the milk with spices flavor. The spices and sweetened may include:

- star anise

- cardamom

- cinnamon

- sugar

- honey

The tea is believed has many health benefits such as:

- reduce stress

- regulate cholesterol

- improve digestion

- and even to prevent cancer.

Do you have specific favorite of tea? What kind of tea?

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Do you Consume Raw Radish? - Food Variety 10

Beautiful red Radish

I just noticed this “pretty” vegetable in the grocery recently. I though the Radishes were fruit, but they are “root” vegetable.

Look like tomatoes in terms of color (red), shape (round or irregular) and size from far distance.

The Radish is one of members from Brassicaceae family, among other vegetables include in this family are:

- kale

- cabbage

- kohlrabi

- Brussels sprout

- mustard

- collard green

- horseradish

- turnip

- rutabaga

Radishes with their leaves

Based on information from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) link (dpi.wi.gov..) that radish was native to China.

In the ancient times, this root plants then distributed to the regions or countries such as:

- Egypt

- Greece

- Rome

Radishes is low calories food, about 19 calories pe cup (128 gram). They are believed rich in:

- vitamin (C and B2)

- minerals (calcium, potassium and manganese)

Many people consume raw radishes by slicing them, and then mix with others vegetable for salad.

Some people cook radishes to lower their hot spicy flavor, so people can eat a lot of this vegetable.

Do you eat radish? Raw or cooked?