Foods
Tomato
Currently, tomatoes are one of the most popular vegetables eaten by Americans. Tomatoes are members of the fruit family, but they are served and prepared as a vegetable. This is why most people consider them a vegetable and not a fruit. They are high in vitamin C and also provide...
Squash
Squash are fleshy vegetables protected by a hard rind. They belong to the plant family that includes melons and cucumbers. Among substances present in summer squash are these two phytochemicals, coumarins and flavonoids. The skin and rind of summer squash are rich in the nutrient beta-carotene, but...
SPINACH
Spinach is believed to be of Persian origin and introduced into Europe in the 15th century (Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia). Since the early 19th century, spinach has been a versatile and commonly used vegetable in the United States. Eating and preparing spinach is simple and easy, since it...
POMEGRANATE
Pomegranates are one of the oldest cultivated fruits, mentioned in the Old Testament book of Deuteronomy. Homer wrote about it and praised its taste and health benefits.
A native of Persia, the pomegranate traders brought the tree to many Mediterranean countries. In Carthage and Egypt,...
Plums
There are more than 140 varieties of plum sold in the United States. The plum is a drupe — a pitted fruit — related to the nectarine, peach, and apricot, but it is far more diverse than its relatives, coming in a wider range of shapes, sizes and especially skin colors. Its flavors also...
Persimmons
Persimmons origins go back to ancient China. Fate intervened in the 1880’s when a United States Commander brought back a native Japanese persimmon variety to Washington, D.C. Now, persimmons are grown in California where hundreds of different varieties flourish. This brightly colored, glossy...
Pepino Melon
Pepino melon is native to Peru, but is now also grown in California and New Zealand. It is also known as treemelon, bush melon and mellowfruit. Pepino’s are teardrop shaped and have a smooth skin that is striped with yellow and dark purple. The flesh of this fruit is fragrant and combines the...
Pears
Pears (Pyrus communis) are a pome fruit relative of the apple. One of the earliest written histories or records comes from Homer's reference to them as "Gifts from the Gods." The first pears arrived in the United States by European settlers in the 1700s. Pears rank second to the apple as the most...
Parsnip
Parsnips look like a pale carrot and are actually a relative of the carrot, celeriac, and parsley root. Commonly found in Europe, this root vegetable arrived to the United States with the colonists. Popular in the 19th and early 20th centuries for its celery flavor and nutty fragrance, this...
Papaya
The exact origination of papaya is unknown but it is believed to be native to southern Mexico and neighboring Central America. The papaya is a melon like fruit with yellow-orange flesh enclosed in a thin skin that varies in color from green to orange to rose. Papayas are a rich source of vitamin A...
