Food Facts

Grown in the Mediterranean region as far back as 2,000 B.C., beet cultivation spread to Babylonia in the eighth century, then to China around 850 A.D.

Beets, along with their greens, belong to the Goosefoot family, known as Chenopodiaceae. Within the botanical family, beet greens are factored alongside spinach, Swiss chard, quinoa…

Cultivated in China for centuries, bok choy has played a large part not only in its cuisine, but in traditional Chinese medicine. Today, it’s a staple in both Asian and American recipes.

A deep green leafy vegetable that resembles Romaine lettuce on top and a large celery on the bottom, bok choy is a crucifer more closely related to cabbage. The entire vegetable can be used…

Native to southern Ecuador and northern Peru, where it still grows uncultivated, the tropical fruit cherimoya is unheard of by many Americans, since it has somewhat finicky growing preferences. Cherimoya trees don’t fare well in extreme temperatures, nor do they grow in tropical lowlands or at very high altitudes.

The leaves and fruit suffer when exposed to climates over 85-90 degrees or below 30-32 degrees Fahrenheit for very long. They also require excellent drainage. Limited production of cherimoya is known in…

A crunchy snack all by itself or with peanut butter added to round out the nutrients, celery is one of the most versatile vegetables in the garden, useful for its flavorful seeds and pale green leaves and stalks. It’s a direct descendant of wild celery and a member of the Apiaceae family with parsnips, fennel, and parsley,

possessing in appearance or flavor some of those characteristics. Celeriac or knob celery (A. graveolens rapaceum) is an example, although this…

Cauliflower is one of many crucifers, including broccoli, cabbage, and kale, and is named for its cross-shaped stems. White, purple, green, or pale orange in color, it’s one of those amazingly versatile veggies that shows up raw on relish plates, sautéed in stir fries, pickled with baby onions, roasted on shish kabobs, and even processed to resemble mashed potatoes. It’s a good mixer with other cooked vegetables, such as carrots and broccoli.

When purchasing cauliflower, look for firm heads with no brown or soft yellow spots on the surface. Place heads…

Native to Brazil, cashews are crescent-shaped nuts with a sweet flavor and a plethora of uses in the kitchen. Considered third in consumption among all the tree nuts in the world, they’re great when mixed with raisins, dried cranberries, shredded coconut,

sunflower seeds, and other nuts, such as almonds and walnuts, to make a fantastic homemade trail mix.Cashew butter is a staple in many households around the world, and they’re a crunchy, delicious addition to any stir-fry…

Extremely versatile to eat and available nearly anywhere in the world, carrots have been around for centuries. Historians believe that carrots were cultivated by the Ancient Greeks and Romans, as they were mentioned by Pliny the Elder and prized by Emperor Tiberius.

Carrots belong to the Umbelliferae family, a term derived from the umbrella-like flower cluster on top of the plants in this family. You’ll find similar fern-like leaves on plants the carrot is related to, such as fennel, parsley, dill, and anise…

Up until the 19th century, most of the world was supplied with cardamom from the area where it originated: tropical parts of India, Nepal, and South Asia. This spice has been traded in those regions for over a thousand years, but today, it’s grown commercially in areas like Guatemala, New Guinea, and Vietnam, which indicates the type of climate it requires.

From the Zingiberaceae family of plants, cardamom comes in a small, greenish pod and has a strong, unique, spicy-sweet or camphor…

“Succulent” is a perfect word for the juicy flesh of the peachy-orange cantaloupe, one of the most refreshing summer fruits. It’s a member of the cucurbit family of plants, along with cucumbers, pumpkins, gourds, and other melon varieties, like honeydew. Their cultivation is widespread throughout the world, including the US. California wins the prize for highest production, although we still import from South and Central America because consumption is high and it’s a warm-season crop.

Sometimes it’s difficult to know when cantaloupes are…

One of the most wildly popular trees on the planet is the cacao, the plant species from which cocoa – and chocolate – is derived. While some might think cacao and cocoa are one in the same, they’re not, exactly. Cacao is the tree, while cocoa is the product made from it (not to be confused with coca, an evergreen shrub from which cocaine is concocted). Edible parts of cacao pods and the beans inside them can be processed to make cocoa powder, cocoa butter, or chocolate after being dried and fermented…