GLOSSARY: POTATOES

The potato is a starchy, tuberous crop from the perennial Solanum tuberosum of the Solanaceae family (also known as the nightshades). The word potato may refer to the plant as well as the tuber. Potatoes are believed to be from Peru where it was cultivated as long as 10,000 years ago. Potatoes are the world's fourth largest food crop, after rice, wheat and maize. The name Potato comes from the Spanish word ‘patata’ which is compounded from two south american words (of different dialects) – papa and batata.


Although Peru is the birthplace of the potato, over 99 per cent of all cultivated potatoes worldwide are descendants of a subspecies indigenous to south-central Chile.


The potato was introduced to Europe in 1536 and subsequently by European mariners to the rest of the world. Once established in Europe, the potato soon became an important food staple and field crop. Lack of genetic diversity, due to the fact that very few varieties were initially introduced elsewhere in the world, left the crop vulnerable to diseases in the introduced countries. In 1845, a plant disease known as late blight, spread rapidly through western Ireland, resulting in crop failures that led to the Great Irish Famine.


China is now the world's largest potato producing country, and nearly a third of the world's potatoes are harvested in China and India. Potatoes are now a staple in nearly all cuisines throughout the world.

TYPES OF POTATOES AVAILABLE IN AUSTRALIA AND COOKING GUIDES

ATLANTIC:
An attractive potato with white skin and flesh. Good for boiling and baking, superb for frying and chips.

BANANA:
Yellow, banana-shaped, waxy-type tubers with firm texture that have wonderful flavour baked, boiled and steamed. Perfect for salads.

BINTJE:
A waxy potato from the Netherlands. It is creamy with a yellow flesh and ideal for potato salads.


BISMARK:
Ideal for roasting or frying when you want crispy skins. Available only around mid Summer.

BROWNELL:
Brownish-pink tubers and white flesh. It is excellent for boiling, especially when new, and for mashing and chips when more mature. Not recommended for baking. Stores very well.

COLIBAN:
A white potato ideal for mashing or roasting.

DELAWARE:
A white potato ideal for roasting and chipping.

DESIREE:
A pink skin and yellow flesh potato ideal for boiling.


DUTCH CREAMS:
Originally from Holland but grown widely in Australia; the best hailing from Tasmania. Best boiled and eaten with a little salt.

RUSSET BURBANK:
White fleshed potato good for chips, roasting and mashing.

JERSEY ROYAL:
Cream skined and white flesh potao great for boiling whole or in potato salads.

KENNEBEC:
Creamy skin and white flesh - the old staple potato.

KING EDWARD:
White flesh. Great for roasting, boiling and mashing.

KIPFLER (OR GERMAN FINGER POTATO):
A waxy, finger shaped with creamy-coloured flesh. Great boiled, steamed and in potato salads and for presentation purposes.

LATONA:
Yellow skin and flesh. Good for boiling and mashing.

LUSTRE:
An oval, white-skinned and white-fleshed potato. Excellent flavour. Good for baking and roasting, makes great chips. Especially recommended for boiling. Very similar to Kennebec.

NADINE:
Creamy-coloured skin and flesh. A general purpose potato except for chips.

NICOLA:
Yellow flesh. Excellent for mashing and gnocchi and good for boiling, chips and roasting. It has a very buttery flavour.

OTWAY REDS:
Good all rounder.

PATRONE:
Ideal for roast or salads. Waxy, very firm and never fall apart. Light yellow flesh and skin. Great for curries.

PINK EYE (OR SOUTHERN GOLD):
A cold climate potato, so those from Southern Tasmania are usually the best. A very nutty flavour. Good for roasting, boiling and salads.

PINK FIR:
The ultimate salad potato. They are very waxy and very firm.

PONTIAC:
Pink skin and white flesh A good general purpose spud.

PURPLE CONGO:
Originating from Peru, it has a subtle lavender flesh which can add a decorative touch to potato salads or gnocchi. No need to peel.

RED NORLAND:
Early red potato with excellent flavoured white flesh. A very versatile potato, best for salad, boiling and mashing.

ROYAL BLUE:
Purple skin and yellow flesh. Good for roasting, mashing and chips.

RUBY-LOU:
Creamy texture, white flesh, rosy skin.

RUSSET BURBANKS (IDAHO):
A good frying potato and good all-rounder. Used by McDonald's throughout the world for its French fries.

SAPPHIRE:
A spectacular purple potato with rich purple flesh that maintains its colour when cooked. Makes the most striking mashed potato.

SEBAGO:
Cream skin and white flesh. Good for chips, mashing and general purpose.

SOUTHERN GOLD:
A waxy potato with a yellow flesh.

SPUNTA:
A yellow fleshed potato that is a good all rounder and good for potato salads.

SYMFONIA:
Red skin and yellow flesh. Good for roasting, mashing and chips.

TASMAN:
Tasman is a useful all-purpose with white flesh. Great for boiling, salad, mashing, chips and baking.

TOOLANGI DELIGHT:
With a pure white flesh and a creamy texture they are a very good general purpose spud.

Named after the Department of Agriculture's potato research station. Good mashed or in their jackets in oven. The purple skin will rub off with water.

UP-TO-DATE:
An heirloom Scottish variety, introduced in 1894, with a high reputation for its baking quality. It's also good for boiling, mash and chips. The tubers are flat and oval, with creamy-white skin and cream flesh.


YUKON GOLD:
Developed in Canada and not readily available in Australia, the Yukon Gold is a yellow potato similar to the Bintje but not quite as flavourful. A useful general purpose potato.



IN SUMMARY:

For mashing: Nicolas, Desirees, Bintjes, King Edwards, Russet Burbanks and Toolangi Delight.

For potato salads: waxy varieties such as Pink Fir, Kipfler, Patrone and Pink Eyes.

For roasting or baking: King Edwards, Delaware and Up-To-Date.

For chips (or French Fries): low sugar and floury varieties such as Sebago, Russet Burbanks and Bintje.

For boiling, steaming stews and curries: waxy varieties such as Patrone and Desiree.

For gnocchi: Nicolas.

All purpose: Tasman, Russet Burbanks and King Edward.

Source: Wikipedia, White Hat Cookbook and Tasmania Gourmet Potatoes

NATTER: HOW OLD IS GRANDPA?

Stay with this; the answer is at the end. It will blow you away……


One evening a grandson was talking to his grandfather about current events.

The grandson asked his grandfather what he thought about the shootings at schools, the computer age, and just things in general.

The Grandfather replied, "Well, let me think a minute, I was born before television was commercialised, penicillin available widely, polio shots, frozen foods, Xerox, contact lenses, Frisbees and the pill.


There were no credit cards, laser beams or ball-point pens.


Man had not invented panty hose, air conditioners, dishwashers, clothes dryers and the clothes were hung out to dry in the fresh air and man hadn't yet walked on the moon.


Your grandmother and I got married first, and then lived together.

Every family had a father and a mother.

Until I was 25, I called every man older than me, "Sir".

And after I turned 25, I still called policemen and every man with a title, "Sir."

We were before gay-rights, computer-dating, dual careers, day-care centers and group therapy.

Our lives were governed by good judgment and common sense.

We were taught to know the difference between right and wrong and to stand up and take responsibility for our actions.

We thought fast food was what people ate during Lent or Ramaddan.

Having a meaningful relationship meant getting along with your cousins.

Time-sharing meant time the family spent together in the evenings and weekends……not purchasing condominiums for holidays.

We never heard of FM radios, tape decks, CDs, electric typewriters or guys wearing earrings. If we did, they were gypsies or sailors.


We listened to the Big Bands, Jack Benny, and the King's speeches on our radios.

And I don't ever remember any kid blowing his brains out listening to Tommy Dorsey.

If you saw anything with 'Made in Japan ' on it, it was junk.


The term 'making out' referred to how you did on your school exam.


Pizza Hut, McDonald's, and instant coffee were unheard of.




We could actually buy things for pennies and threepence.


In my day:

"Grass" was mowed and "coke" was a cold drink.


"Pot" was something your mother cooked in and "rock music" was your grandmother's lullaby.


"Aids" were helpers in the Principal's office, "chip" meant a piece of wood, "hardware" was found in a hardware store and "software" wasn't even a word.


And we were the last generation to actually believe that a lady needed a husband to have a baby. No wonder people call us "old and confused" and say there is a generation gap.


How old do you think I am?

I bet you have this really old man in mind... Well, you are in for a shock!

I am only 60 years old!!!

NATTER: HISTORY IS NOT BORING

DID YOU KNOW……They used to use urine to tan animal skins, so families used to all pee in a pot and then once a day it was taken and sold to the tannery.......if you had to do this to survive you were said to be "Piss Poor."


But worse than that were the really poor folk who couldn't even afford to buy a pot...........they "didn’t have a pot to piss in" and were the lowest of the low.


The next time you are washing your hands and complain because the water temperature isn't just how you like it, think about how things used to be. Here are some facts about the 1500s and 1600s.

Most people got married in June because they took their yearly bath in May, and they still smelled pretty good by June. However, since they were starting to smell, brides carried a bouquet of flowers to hide the body odor. Hence the custom we have today of carrying a bouquet when getting married.


Baths consisted of a big tub filled with hot water. The man of the house had the privilege of the nice clean water, then all the other sons and men, then the women and finally the children. Last of all were the babies. By then the water was so dirty you could actually lose someone in it. Hence the saying, "Don't throw the baby out with the bath water!"


Houses had thatched roofs-thick straw-piled high, with no wood underneath. It was the only place for animals to get warm, so all the cats and other small animals (mice, bugs) lived in the roof. When it rained it became slippery and sometimes the animals would slip and fall off the roof. Hence the saying "It's raining cats and dogs."


There was nothing to stop things from falling into the house. This posed a real problem in the bedroom where bugs and other droppings could mess up your nice clean bed. Hence, a bed with big posts and a sheet hung over the top afforded some protection. That's how canopy beds came into existence.


The floor was dirt. Only the wealthy had something other than dirt. Hence the saying, "Dirt Poor." The wealthy had slate floors that would get slippery in the winter when wet, so they spread thresh (straw) on floor to help keep their footing. As the winter wore on, they added more thresh until, when you opened the door, it would all start slipping outside. A piece of wood was placed in the entrance-way to stop the thresh from slipping outside. Hence: a "thresh hold".


GETTING QUITE AN EDUCATION, AREN'T YOU???

In those old days, they cooked in the kitchen with a big kettle that always hung over the fire. Every day they lit the fire and added things to the pot. They ate mostly vegetables and did not get much meat. They would eat the stew for dinner, leaving leftovers in the pot to get cold overnight and then start over the next day. Sometimes stew had food in it that had been there for quite a while. Hence the rhyme: "Peas porridge hot, peas porridge cold, peas porridge in the pot nine days old".


Sometimes they could obtain pork, which made them feel quite special. When visitors came over, they would hang up their bacon to show off. It was a sign of wealth that a man could, "bring home the bacon." They would cut off a little to share with guests and would all sit around and "chew the fat".

Those with money had plates made of pewter. Food with high acid content caused some of the lead to leach onto the food, causing lead poisoning death. This happened most often with tomatoes, so for the next 400 years or so, tomatoes were considered poisonous.


Bread was divided according to status. Workers got the burnt bottom of the loaf, the family got the middle, and guests got the top, or the "upper crust".


Lead cups were used to drink ale or whisky. The combination would sometimes knock the imbibers out for a couple of days. They were laid out on the kitchen table for a couple of days and the family would gather around and eat and drink and wait and see if they would wake up. Hence the custom of "holding a wake".


The folks in England started running out of places to bury people. So they would dig up coffins and would take the bones to a bone-house, and reuse the grave. When reopening these coffins, 1 out of 25 coffins were found to have scratch marks on the inside and they realized they had been burying people alive. So they would tie a string on the wrist of the corpse, lead it through the coffin and up through the ground and tie it to a bell. Someone would have to sit out in the graveyard all night (this became known as the graveyard shift) to listen for the bell; thus, someone could be "saved by the bell" or was considered a "dead ringer". And that's the truth......


NOW, WHOEVER SAID HISTORY WAS BORING????

GLOSSARY: MANGOES

Mangoes belong to the genus Mangifera, consisting of numerous species of tropical fruiting trees in the flowering plant family Anacardiaceae.

The mango is indigenous to the Indian Subcontinent and has been cultivated in the Indian subcontinent for thousands of years. It reached East Asia between the 5th and 4th century BC and by the 10th century AD, they were transported to East Africa and subsequently introduced to Brazil, the West Indies and Mexico, through the slave trade.

In tropical parts of Asia, mangoes are grown in household plots. Nearly half of the world's mangoes are cultivated in India. Though India is the largest producer of mangoes in the world, it accounts for less than one per cent of the global mango trade.


Mango trees are evergreens that will grow to 60 feet tall. The mango tree will fruit 4 to 6 years after planting. Mango trees require hot, dry periods to set and produce a good crop.


Mango cultivars are classified into two groups – monoembryonic (where only one seedling emerges from a single seed) or Indian type; and polyembronic (where multiple seedlings emerges from a single seed) or Indo-Chinese type. The Indian type is intolerant of humidity, has flushes of bright red new growth that are subject to mildew, and bears fruit of rich colour and regular form. The Indo-Chinese type tolerates excess moisture, has a pale green or red new growth and is mildew resistant. Its polyembryonic fruit is pale green and elongated kidney-shaped. Today there are over 1,000 different varieties of mangos throughout the world.

A ripe mango is sweet, with a unique taste and flesh that nevertheless varies from variety to variety. In some cultivars, the flesh has a fibrous texture.

Apart from being consumed as is as a fruit, mangoes are used in various forms – unripe, ripe, dried, pickled and powdered. For example, in western recipes, ripe mangoes are used to make 'chutneys' which are usually very sweet; whereas in Indian ‘chutneys’, unripe sour mangoes are used along with spices. The Indians also pickle unripe mangoes. In South-East Asia, green (unripe) mangoes are used in salads and a popular Malaysian dish called Rojak. Malaysians also eat green mangoes sliced, very thinly, with soy sauce mixed with chilli.

Dried and powdered unripe mango, known as amchur (sometimes spelled amchoor) in India and ambi in Urdu, is used in cooking.


In Mexico, mango is used to make juices, smoothies, ice cream, fruit bars, raspados, aguas frescas, pies and sweet chili sauce, or mixed with chamoy, a sweet and spicy chili paste. It is popular on a stick dipped in hot chili powder and salt or also as a main ingredient in fresh fruit combinations.

Pieces of mango can be mashed and used as a topping on ice cream or blended with milk and ice as milkshakes. In Thailand and other South East Asian countries, sweet glutinous rice is flavored with coconut then served with sliced mango as a dessert.

In other parts of South-east Asia, mangoes are pickled with fish sauce and rice vinegar. Green mangoes are also used in mango salad with fish sauce and dried shrimps.

MANGO NUTRITION INFORMATION

Mango is rich in a variety of phytochemicals and nutrients that qualify it as a model "super fruit", a term used to highlight potential health value of certain edible fruits. In all, mangoes contain over 20 different vitamins and minerals.The fruit is high in prebiotic dietary fiber (up to 40% of your daily fiber requirement), vitamins B6, A and C, polyphenols and carotenoids. Mangoes are a great way to replenish potassium lost through physical activity.

Apart from being full of nutrition, mangoes contain an enzyme with stomach soothing properties similar to papain found in papayas. These enzymes act as a digestive aid.

HOW TO CUT A MANGO

The easiest way to cut a mango is the "Inside Out" method.


* Ensure your hands, utensils, work surface and fruit is clean.

* Stand the mango on your cutting board stem end down and hold. Remember, the mango has one long, flat seed in the centre of the fruit.

* Place your knife about 1/4" from the widest centre line and cut down through the mango.

*Flip the mango around and repeat this cut on the other side. The resulting ovals of mango flesh are known as the "cheeks". What's left in the middle is mostly the mango seed.

* Cut parallel slices into the mango flesh, being careful not to cut through the skin. Turn the mango cheek 1/4 rotation and cut another set of parallel slices to make a checkerboard pattern.

* Turn the scored mango cheek inside out by pushing the skin up from underneath.

* Scrape the mango chunks off of the skin, using the knife or a spoon.

The result: Beautiful cubes of fresh mango.

Source: Wikipedia, Current Science 2004, Organic Food.Com.Au and Indiamarks.com

GLOSSARY: CHERRIES

The cherry is a fleshy fruit that contains a single stony seed. It belongs to the Rosaceae family, along with almonds, peaches, plums and apricots.

The cherry as we know today are thought to have come from a wild cherry which grows in areas spanning from the United Kingdom to western Asia. Since ancient times, the trees with the sweetest fruit have been selected for cultivation and from these, the modern varieties have arisen.


The cherry is generally understood to have been brought to Rome from northeastern Anatolia, historically known as the Pontus region, in 72 BC. The Romans are thought to have taken their preferred varieties to Britain when occupying the country in the 1st century AD.

In Australia the first commercial cherry orchard was planted at Young in New South Wales in 1878. Young has continued to grow cherries since then and today, Young and Orange are the major cherry growing areas of Australia. However, South Australia and Tasmania also produce a lot of the cherries that are found in the shops today.

A breakdown of the world cherry produces, Australian cherry growing regions and Australian cherry seasons are provided below.






STORING CHERRIES

Here are some instructions for storing cherries to maximise their lifespan…..that is, if you can stop yourself from eating them all!!!

* Cherries are picked ripe and sweet from the tree, so there is no need to ripen them.

* Keep the cherries cool, ideally in the fridge, to keep them fresh for longer.

* Store dry and loosely packed in a covered container in the fridge until needed.

* Leave the stems on - they help keep the cherries fresh.

HEALTH BENEFITS

Cherries have a unique combination of vitamins, minerals, anti-oxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds which act together to deliver health benefits not available in supplements. Fresh foods not only retain more of their nutrients than processed foods or supplements, but these act together to naturally provide the body with a more complex and potent mix of the compounds it requires to prevent disease.

Vitamins E and C and the flavonoids found in cherries and other fruits may slow ageing and they may slow or even reverse the symptoms of neurological diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. Cherries also contain compounds that can help to slow or inhibit the progression of cancer (Polyphenolics Egallic acid and Lignans).

Antioxidants are necessary to clear the body of damaging free radicals and they are most effectively acquired through diet. If we don’t consume enough antioxidants, damage can occur, leading to degeneration and disease including cardiovascular disease, arthritis, cancer, inflammatory conditions and neurological diseases. Cherries contain 16 antioxidants, plus a suite of other compounds with beneficial health benefits.

Cherries may benefit people suffering from chronic inflammatory conditions such as gout, pancreatitis, or prostitis, as well as allergic conditions including asthma, hay fever, eczema and hives because they contain the compounds cyanidin and quercetin.

So cherry lovers can indulge to their heart’s content, because cherries have significant health benefits in slowing or inhibiting the progression of cancer, ageing, neurological diseases, cardiovascular disease and inflammatory conditions. They may also aid in detoxification of foreign substances.

And to top this off – cherries have only 224 kilojoules (54 calories) per 100 grams and virtually no fat!

Source: Wikipedia, Victorian Cherry Association and Fresh for Kids

GLOSSARY: EGGS (POULTRY)

Eggs are one of the most common and versatile cooking ingredients. The most commonly used are poultry eggs from chicken, followed by duck, goose and quail. Other more exotic eggs from the bird family include ostrich, gull, guinea fowl, pheasant and emu eggs.


Chicken eggs (hereby referred to as eggs) are widely used in many types of dishes, both sweet and savoury. Eggs can be pickled, hard-boiled, soft-boiled, scrambled, fried and refrigerated. They can also be eaten raw, though this is not recommended for people who may be especially susceptible to salmonella, such as the elderly, infirm or pregnant women. In addition, the protein in raw eggs is only 51 per cent bio-available, whereas that of a cooked egg is nearer 91 per cent bio-available; meaning the protein of cooked eggs is nearly twice as absorbable as the protein.

Eggs have been a valuable source of food since prehistory, when our ancestors were hunter gatherers. In Thebes Egypt, the tomb of Haremhab, built about 1420 BC, shows a depiction of a man carrying bowls of ostrich eggs and other large eggs as offerings. In ancient Rome, eggs were preserved and meals often started with an egg course. In the middle ages, eggs were forbidden during Lent because of their richness.

Eggs supply essential amino acids for humans, and provide 11 different vitamins and minerals, including vitamin A, D, E, riboflavin, folic acid, vitamin B12, choline, iron, calcium, phosphorus and potassium. They are also an inexpensive single-food source of high quality protein, healthy fats (including omega-3) and important antioxidants.

All of the egg's vitamin A, D and E is in the egg yolk. The egg is one of the few foods which naturally contain Vitamin D. A large egg yolk contains approximately 60 Calories (250 kilojoules); the egg white contains about 15 Calories (60 kilojoules). A large yolk contains more than two-thirds of the recommended daily intake of 300 mg of cholesterol (although one study indicates that the human body may not absorb much cholesterol from eggs). The yolk makes up about 33 per cent of the liquid weight of the egg. It contains all of the fat, slightly less than half of the protein and most of the other nutrients. It also contains all of the choline, and one yolk contains approximately half of the recommended daily intake. Choline is an important nutrient for development of the brain, and is said to be important for pregnant and nursing women to ensure healthy fetal brain development.

Recent research shows eating eggs has very little, if any, effect on blood cholesterol levels with the real culprit being saturated fat. In addition, chicken eggs that are high in Omega 3 fatty acids have come on the market. These eggs are made by feeding laying hens a diet containing polyunsaturated fats and kelp meal. Nutrition information on the packaging is different for each of the brands.

In Australia, the Australian Egg Corporation Limited (click HERE for the website) defines the sizes of eggs sold in Australia. The following table shows Australian egg sizes.


According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (or the ABS), Australia produced 236.4 million eggs (from 440 producers) in 2006/07. Average retail prices for one dozen eggs (March quarter, 2008) sold in Australia is $4.51. A breakdown of the grocery/retail production share of these eggs is presented below.


Eggs should be considered in a similar way as other protein-rich foods and included as part of a varied diet that's low in saturated fat and contains a variety of cardio-protective foods (such as fish, wholegrains, fruit, vegetables, legumes and nuts).

There is little research to guide recommendations for egg consumption for people at high risk of heart disease (e.g. with diabetes or high cholesterol). However, prudent advice is that the inclusion of eggs in the context of a diet low in saturated fat, and containing known cardio-protective foods, is not associated with increased risk.

As eggs provide a great source of high quality protein, a relatively low amount of kilojoules and 11 different vitamins and minerals, they are an excellent inclusion in a healthy, well balanced diet:

* Boil eggs and pack for lunch with wholegrain bread and salad.

* Scramble eggs with grated or finely chopped vegetables and serve with ham, tomato and mushrooms for a great Sunday morning ‘pick-me-up.'

* Mash boiled egg with canned salmon and ricotta cheese for a high calcium sandwich filling or as a topping for wholegrain crackers.

* Mix beaten eggs with grated reduced fat cheese, cracked pepper and parsley and stir through cooked wholemeal pasta for a quick and easy dinner or lunch. Serve with a green side salad.

* Make a healthy fried rice by mixing cooked, chopped vegetables, ham, and chopped boiled egg with cooked rice. Stir fry in sesame oil, add a splash of soy sauce and cook until heated through.

Source: Wikipedia, Australian Egg Corporation, Australian Bureau of Statistics, AC Nielsen and Eggs.Org.Au

GLOSSARY: HONEY

Since antiquity, honey has been a source of food and energy. From the first hunter gatherers, to the ancient civilizations of the Egyptians, Greeks and Romans; records show the value of the bees and their honey.

If we journey back 4000 years to ancient Egypt, hieroglyphics show the story of the bee’s life. So primitive man had discovered the delight of honey — for centuries it was the only sweetener available.

In the 4th century BC, Aristotle wrote of the bee. Three hundred years later, Virgil the poet and Pliny the naturalist, carried the story further.

In England under Saxon rule, honey was accepted by some landlords as part-payment for rent from tenants. The bee had truly earned a valuable place in society.

In 1792 a blind naturalist, Huber, published a book in Geneva on bees and honey. The honey industry that we know today began to grow.

Honey that is sold in shops comes from honeybees (Apis mellifera). Honey produced by other bees or other insects has very different properties.

Honey is created by bees as a food source. In cold weather or when food sources are scarce, bees use their stored honey as their source of energy. By contriving bee swarms to nest in artificial hives, people have been able to semi-domesticate the insects, and harvest excess honey.

Generally, honey is classified by the floral source of the nectar from which it was made. Honeys can be from specific types of flower nectars, from indeterminate origin or can be blended after collection.

The bee's value however is not confined to making honey. Honeybees also help our fruit and vegetables grow. When the bee gathers nectar, her body becomes dusted with pollen. As she moves from flower to flower, the pollen passes from male to female stigma and cross-pollination (or fertilization) takes place which leads to new seeds and plant regeneration. Without bees, trees and flowers may not make fruit, nuts or seeds and there would be no honey.

The honeybee is not native to Australia. The colonists who came to Australia in its early days missed many of the comforts and treats of “home” (England) that they tried to introduce many of them to their new country. Plants, trees, animals, birds and many other reminders of home were introduced during those early years. One of these treats were honey. In 1810, Samuel Marsden brought the first honeybees to Australia but the attempt to start a bee colony failed. In the early 1820’s, a second shipment of honeybee was brought to Australia aboard the ship Isabella. She arrived in our waters in 1822 and adapted so successfully that other bee species were introduced from Italy, Yugoslavia and North America (thankfully the bees are one of the few introduced species that did not wipe out our unique eco system!)

Typically, honey is made up of:
~ 80 per cent natural sugars (mainly levulose, dextrose and glucose)
~ 17 per cent moisture
~ 3 per cent mineral traces


The honeybee is a most amazing insect. Its family (hive) consists of workers, drones and a Queen Bee. The bees collect nectar, pollen and water each day to take back to the hive so that future generations can live. The raw nectar comes from flowers. They mix this with secretions from their glands, thereby transforming it. It is then deposited in the comb where it ripens into honey.

In a day’s work, bees produce:

~ Honey – to provide food reserves for the hive (which we use as a sweetener)
~ Bees wax – to make honeycomb (traditionally used for candles and cosmetics)
~ Pollen – to nurture their young (which when dried and preserved is a valuable nutrient)
~ Propolis – to seal their hive from wind and rain (which can be used as an antiseptic)
~ Bee venom – to protect itself (which can be used to relieve arthritic and rheumatic pains)

Source: Wikipedia, Honeybee.com.au and Honeybee.org.au

NATTER: HOW MUCH SUGAR ARE YOU CONSUMING?

I received an e-mail recently from a friend (one of those spam e-mails) with some photos of beverages and food and their sugar content. I was quite surprised to see the claims that were made and decided to check the web to see whether the claims were true. I found the source for the pictures of the e-mail, which is Sugar Stacks (and I have a slide show of some of the pictures above) and also checked a few other sites to verify that these claims are true. To MY knowledge, the claims check out and are to an extend, supported by Choice Australia, a major and reputable Australian consumer magazine. You can check out Choice’s articles on sugar and the sugar contents of some Australian major brands at their site (click HERE).

There have been media reports that fresh fruit (and vegetables) should not be allowed to have “healthy claims” associated with its consumption and sale as some fruits such as dates, bananas, figs, kumquats and lychees (to name a few) have very high to high sugar content. Whilst this may be true, it must be noted that these sugars are naturally occurring sugars (and are not processed sugars) and the benefits of consuming fruit and vegetables out weighs the sugar content. However, as with everything in live, moderation is the key. You can check out the sugar levels and other information on fruits on The Fruit Pages.

The dietary advice in Australia is that you should eat 2 serves of fruit and 5 serves of vegetables a day for good health.

One serve of fruit is 150g or:

~ 1 medium sized piece e.g. medium apple
~ 2 small pieces e.g. apricots
~ 1 cup canned or chopped fruit
~ 125 ml 100 per cent fruit juice
~ 1 ½ tbsp dried fruit e.g. sultanas or 4 dried apricot halves.

One serve of vegetables is 75g or:

~ ½ cup cooked vegetables
~ 1 medium potato
~ 1 cup salad vegetables
~ ½ cup cooked legumes – dried beans, peas and lentils.


Choose fresh fruit over fruit juice or dried fruit if possible. Juices have lower fibre content than fresh fruit. Dried fruit, if eaten in large quantities, can contribute to tooth decay because it contains a concentrated form of sugar that stick to your teeth. Check out the “Go for 2 and 5” website for full information.

In conjunction with this dietary advice, we should also pay attention to daily intakes (DI) which is a set of reference values for a variety of nutrients, as well as energy. The DI values are based on a diet of 8700kJ, which is the daily requirement for an average adult. As different nutrients contribute different amounts of energy, to get 100 per cent of the DI for energy, you need a balance of these following nutrients: carbohydrates, sugars, protein, fat, saturated fat, fibre and sodium.

FYI: Do you know that there are around 900,000 Australians diagnosed with diabetes? This is approximately 4.28 per cent of Australia’s population. The number of diabetic suffers in the world is estimated to be 171 million and is likely to rise to 366 million in 2030. India has the most cases (31.7 million), followed by China (20.8 million) and the USA (17.7 million).

Source: Sugar Stack, Choice Australia, The Fruit Pages, Go for 2 and 5, Kellogg's Australia, Diabetes Australia, WHO and CIA World Facts.