Coconut The coconut is botanically referred to as the ‘Cocos nucifera’. It is a member of the Arecaceae or palm family. Coconuts are thought to have originated in the Pacific. Now, this plant is grown throughout the USA, the Pacific,…

Bell Pepper (Capsicum) Bell pepper, or capsicum, originates from Mexico, Central and South America, and belong to the nightshade family, Capsicum annuum whose members include potatoes, tomatoes and eggplants.These bell shaped vegetables, with their tangy flavour and bright glossy exteriors,…

Have you ever wondered how celebrities can look so good even without make-up on? It is the glow that they emanate, making them look all healthy and radiant. No beauty product can produce such glow as it comes from within…

Have you been feeling down in the dumps lately? Don’t, because life is too short to be miserable all the time. Sing the song Don’t Worry, Be Happy instead and cheer up. But of course, things are easier said than…

Soursop Soursop (Annona muricata) is native to Mexico, Cuba, Central America, the Caribbean, South America and sub-Saharan African countries that lie within the tropics. It was most likely brought from Mexico to the Philippines by way of the Manila-Acapulco galleon…

Bean Sprout Bean sprouts can be grown from mung bean or soya bean. Nonetheless, green mung bean sprouts is the type which is the most popular in the South East Asian recipes, where the Chinese have been growing mung bean…

Asians typically don’t like the sun. While the Westerners are too happy to stretch out on the beach with a book and get a tan, we seek cover for dear life. Trips to sunny places are always ‘protected’ by a…

Food is the web of life. We need food in the same way that a car needs petrol or fuel. Every day we need to eat, and there really are lots of reasons to eat – the taste, social engagements,…

Although the International World Water Day is only celebrated once a year, the crucial importance of water goes beyond any designated date. Water footprint All human activities use water: drinking, cooking, washing, but also and mostly, for producing food, paper,…

Botanically they belong to the family Dioscoreaceae; of genus Dioscorea where there are several hundred species in existence. Although yam is similar in appearance to sweet potato; but not at all related to it. Yam has been cultivated since 50,000…