Sunday 21 December 2008

Enough, already!

.
It seems that cranberries are the flavour of the month. Year even.

Now, they are alright but they are not that good and certainly not in every recipe. I went looking for kumquat recipes last week; I have a kumquat tree; I wanted to make a dessert with them. I settled on pear and kumquat tart. But most the recipes on-line were for kumquats and cranberries.

The weekly recipes in my local paper - salads, one had cranberries in it. Why?

Perhaps they are the new wonder health food but when you look up a list of antioxidant foods you find that cranberries come in quite a way down the list, below blueberries and just above artichoke hearts (List). Interestingly cinnamon is the 'best'* antioxidant and you get more more antioxidants from two black plums than you do from a cup of cranberries.

And don't get me started on 'food miles'. The things only grow in the northern hemisphere, what are we doing sprinkling the little suckers in our salads in Australia?

I think I will go and suck on a kumquat.

*Whatever 'best' may mean.
...

12 comments:

  1. I prefer dried cranberries in my salad.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Now this is my first encounter with kumquat..(interestingly Wikipedia had mentioned a species of Malayan Kumquat..but I've never seen or heard about them)..may be I should be looking for it for a taste. Cranberries, definitely I've heard of but hardly find..the juice yes, many but not the fruit. And if cinnamon is the best antioxidant, does that mean it's okay for me to indulge in the cinnamon rolls more often? LOL..

    ReplyDelete
  3. pomegranates (specifically pomegranate juice) are all the rage here.
    i think i'll have some ice cream with raspberry swirl. that ought to give me the fruit part of my diet.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I do like cranberry sauce with turkey - other than that, leave me out of it.
    have you made brandied Kumquats? My Mum did many years ago and they looked like a bottle of gallstones. LOL

    ReplyDelete
  5. Thanks Lee, you have provided me with justification for eating cinnamon donuts :o)

    ReplyDelete
  6. i love kumquats! if they are too tart i will pull them through a little sugar. wish i had a tree. :(

    i do love cranberry relish though...with oranges, pecans, and a tiny bit of sugar, ground up together into a relish which is delicious on turkey or chicken sandwiches or as a side dish with any meal. yummmmmmm!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Fruit? YUK! Give me a rare steak any day....................god I hope Braja isn't reading this;)

    ReplyDelete
  8. Hmmm... I googled kumquat and I must say I haven't tasted them before.

    But I have a feeling that it'll taste really good when mixed with 'sambal belacan.'

    ReplyDelete
  9. I drink cranberry juice at breakfast. It is supposed to be good for the prostate gland, but as I no longer have one (cancer) I sometimes question why I continue.

    ReplyDelete
  10. I've never had a kumquat. I need to sample this culinary delicacy. I however, do feel that the cranberry lives up to its reputation.

    ReplyDelete
  11. kumquat-hate them
    cinnamon a better antioxidant? so, it's either eat a spoonful of cinnamon powder a day, or a few cinnamon rolls...hmmm...difficult to decide...i guess i'll hv the rolls....hahhahha

    ReplyDelete
  12. I like them alot and they are growing all around me but blueberries are my fav.

    ReplyDelete

Moderation cuts in six days after posting.