Porridge

2024 Author: Jasmine Walkman | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 08:29

Delicately flavored porridge is a favorite snack between meals that can be found in almost every store. It makes a great butter and is a suitable addition to salads and fried dishes.

The tree porridge originates from the lands of present-day Brazil and, contrary to phylogenetic beliefs, is closer to mangoes than peanuts. Cashews, known as Anacardium occidentale, are from the same family as mangoes and pistachios.

Cashew is an evergreen plant that reaches a height of 12 meters, and its fruitful life lasts up to 45 years. Very often its fruit is called cashew apple, and in appearance strongly resembles a large red pear or quince. At the bottom of the cashew apple hides a hairy, kidney-shaped growth, which hides the delicious nut porridge. This nut is immersed in a highly toxic secretion that protects it from various pests.

Every one porridge an apple gives one nut, but one tree can bear up to 300 fruits in one year. This extremely small amount, combined with the laboriousness of collecting the nuts, together with the transport, set the relatively high price of cashews.

Nowadays, cashews mainly grow in the lands of Africa and Asia. There it was imported by Portuguese flotillas in the distant 16th century.

The tree porridge it has always been prized for its wood, cashew balm and cashew apple, but the cashew nut itself became popular only in the early 20th century. Today, the leading cashew producers are India, Brazil, Mozambique, Tanzania and Nigeria.

Cashew composition

Cashews are a very good source of vitamin B, folic acid and potassium. Contains adequate amounts of selenium, copper, phosphorus and magnesium.

Cashews have a very low glycemic index and a low glycemic load, which makes it a great source of slow carbs.

100 g porridge contains 18 g of protein, 292 mg of magnesium, 660 mg of potassium, 593 mg of phosphorus, 20 mg of selenium, 2.2. mg of iron, 12 mg of sodium, 5.8 mg of zinc.

Selection and storage of cashews

- If you buy cashews packaged, look to see if the package is hermetically sealed to make sure there are no traces of moisture;

'If possible, smell the cashews to make sure they haven't spoiled;

- It is recommended to store the cashews in an opaque package, which guarantees that there will be no light penetration and the cashews will not turn rancid. After opening the package porridge, it is best to store it in the refrigerator;

- In the refrigerator, the cashews will last about six months, or in the freezer, where it will be stored for about a year;

- The oil from porridge should be placed in the refrigerator immediately after it has been opened.

Culinary use of cashews

Cashew nuts are most often served roasted, as an appetizer to various alcoholic beverages. Cashews can be added to various salads, in vegetable purees, meat dishes and fish.

Cashews are also used in confectionery as an ingredient in many pastries, muffins and cakes. In addition, cashews are used in recipes with mousses, creams, ice creams, nut milks and cheeses. Baked cashews can be consumed completely on their own.

Cashews are used to make flour, which is a real delicacy from which porridges and cakes are made. Cashew oil is also a delicacy, but it is used more widely in pharmacy and medicine and less in cooking - especially in the extraction areas.

Benefits of cashews

- Contains heart-healthy monounsaturated fats. Cashews not only have a reduced fat content compared to other nuts, but also about 75% of it are unsaturated fatty acids, and about 75% of them contain the so-called oleic acid - the same heart-healthy acid that is contained. in olive oil.

- If you are worried about your heart - eat nuts! After conducting various studies, scientists advise that to reduce the risk of cardiovascular and coronary heart disease, it is enough to take a handful of cashews or other nuts, or a spoonful of peanut butter at least four times a week.

- The honey contained in cashews acts as an antioxidant, produces energy and is good for bones and blood vessels. Copper plays an important role in many physiological processes, including the utilization of iron by the body, the elimination of free radicals, the building of bone and joint tissue and the production of melanin.

- The magnesium contained in it takes care of our peace. Unsatisfactory amounts of magnesium can lead to high blood pressure, muscle spasms and migraine attacks, and a quarter cup of cashews a day gives us 22.3% of the daily value of magnesium.

- Protects us from gaining weight. Although nuts are known to give us many cardiovascular benefits, we often avoid them because we are worried about gaining weight. However, a recent study found that people who ate nuts at least twice a week were less likely to gain weight than those who did not eat nuts at all.

Harm from cashews

Although allergic reactions can be caused by almost any type of food, it is known that some foods are associated with more allergies than others. About 90% of food allergies are associated with 8 types of food: tree nuts (such as cashews), fish, crustaceans, cow's milk, chicken eggs, soy products, peanuts and wheat.

Cashews are also among the few foods that contain oxalates - natural substances found in plants, animals and the human body. When they become very concentrated in body fluids, they crystallize and can lead to some health problems. For this reason, people with kidney or bile problems should avoid taking cashews.