Henry David Thoreau, in the years after he wrote On Walden Pond, devoted himself to the study of the native plants in the vicinity of his home town: Concord Massachusetts. One plant he wrote about at some length was the wild grape (Vitis labrusca), which abounded in his neck of the woods. In one passage, […]
In the natural foods business, we are always looking for the next “superfood.” Last year it was mangosteen, a tropical fruit from southern Asia. This year it is goji berries, a Tibetan food from the Himalayas. Both are revered in their native habitats and have long traditions of use as health supporting foods. Both have […]
It is one of the most versatile plants known to man, harvested for food and fiber for well over 10,000 years. It was grown by George Washington and Thomas Jefferson. The original Declaration of Independence was printed on paper made from its fiber. Its seed has more protein than any plant food except the soybean. […]
Like most Americans, my first experience with figs was in the form of a cookie. Fig Newtons were one of the first “mass-produced” cookies, first made in 1891 and still popular today. This famous soft cookie with its fig jam filling was a favorite of my grandfather. I was never wild about them because I […]
I was familiar with the flavor of cherries long before I ever ate one. Whenever I had a cold as a young child, I asked for the cherry flavored cough drops, which I vastly preferred to the licorice flavored ones. Many years later when I finally got to try fresh cherries, I was pleased to […]
