by Dr. Marli Botha What is a zucchini’s favourite game? A: Squash! The zucchini or courgette is a summer squash which can reach nearly 1 metre in length, but is usually harvested when still immature at about 15 to 25 cm. In South Africa, a zucchini is also known as a baby marrow. In a culinary context,...
by Dr. Marli Botha Yuca root (joo-kah), also referred to as Cassava, is a starchy tubular root like a potato, and is not to be confused with yucca (yuck-ah), which is an unrelated fruit-bearing shrub. Believe it or not, this is where we get tapioca: the cassava root is dried and ground to a powder to...
by Dr. Marli Botha With nice hot South African summers, there is a constant need to keep ourselves hydrated and fresh. What better than a bowl full of watermelon, which is not only tasty but filling and healthy too. One of those fruits boasting of high-lycopene content, watermelon has a lot to offer, especially when you...
by Dr. Marli Botha Ximenia, also known as a sourplum (“suurpruim”), is a small tree or small shrub that is thinly branched. In particular, the sourplum is native to regions in South East Africa, mainly Botswana, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. The fruit are generally sour with a dry aftertaste, however...
by Dr. Marli Botha A vitamin is an organic molecule (or related set of molecules) that is an essential micronutrient that an organism needs in small quantities for the proper functioning of its metabolism. Essential nutrients cannot be synthesized in the organism, either at all or not in sufficient quantities, and therefore must be obtained through...
by Dr. Marli Botha The Ugli fruit also known as the Jamaican tangelo, is a citrus fruit that arose through the natural hybridization of a tangerine or orange with a grapefruit (or pomelo). The name being a variation of the word "ugly", which refers to the fruit's unsightly appearance, with rough, wrinkled, greenish-yellow rind, wrapped loosely...
by Dr Marli Botha Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit… Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad! The tomato is the edible, often red, berry of the nightshade Solanum lycopersicum, commonly known as a tomato plant. Botanically, a tomato is a fruit — a berry, consisting of the ovary, together with its seeds, of a...
by Dr Marli Botha If you grow roses in your garden, you may get the added benefit of rosehips, a cool-cat fruit that packs a healthy punch! Rosehips are the rose plant’s seed pod/fruit, although most home gardeners don’t get many as we prune back our roses to encourage strong blooming. Rosehips are typically a vibrant...
by Dr Marli Botha Q: When is an apple not an apple? A: When it's a pineapple! Jokes aside, pineapples are tropical fruit that is rich in vitamins, enzymes, and antioxidants. They may help boost the immune system, build strong bones and aid in digestion. Also, despite their sweetness, pineapples are low in calories. Not that you need...
by Dr Marli Botha Quince is an ancient fruit, found in Roman cooking and grown across Turkey and Southeast Asia. It grows on small trees and is closely related to apples and pears, but it lacks their immediate edibility and appeal. Quince may be the most difficult, yet consequently, rewarding fruit ever encountered, it's completely inedible...
