Today’s Soul Food – Not Your Grandmothers Health Dangers

For over 300 years soul food, often equated with comfort food and good times, continues the legacy. In fact, as far back as slavery times the food known as “good times” food included ingredients and cooking techniques of today’s soul food.

The term “good times” food came when cooks prepared items the slave masters did not eat. For example, the slave masters gave the cooks and plantation chefs the items they couldn’t or wouldn’t eat. For example, the cooks and plantation chefs prepared items the slave masters guards couldn’t eat. The guard’s wives cooked and prepared the foods as well.

Another example is fried chicken the slave masters wouldn’t eat. They called it “jerk chicken”. It became a sought after dish and a favorite Southern delicacy. Again the women got the job of preparing this culinary delight – “cooking chicken”.

Why was this favorite Southern delicacy dropped from the menus of so many loving families? – Because it was unhealthy. For the cooks, it was a weakness. For the slave masters it was a disease. They couldn’t afford to go through the process of slowly cooking and tenderizing the meat. In addition, they couldn’t afford to use hickory mashing restaurants to cook their food because it was unhealthy.

The food of soul food has taken on a healthier change. Many of today’s biggest stars release their own versions of this southern comfort food. For example, Berry Parkway, located in Atlantaaches butterkase beef liver patty. Top Chef creates bbq chicken with sweet potato bacon jam. Olive Garden offers their version of macaroni and cheese, called “The Broadway Freeze”.

Today,tomato soupis a favorite soul food side dish. But did you know that the tomato was once a poisonous plant? Yes, it has been documented that the tribes of Native Americans believed that the tomatoes were poisonous. The misnomer only came when European settlersoye plants to America.

Why was the plant of the tomato beneficial to man? The tomato contained high amounts of lycopene which was found to be friendly to human beings. Lycopene is a red pigment that occurs naturally in certain plant and algal tissues. In addition to giving tomatoes their color it is an excellent anti-oxidant that can prevent heart disease and some forms of cancer.

The tomato was once considered a poisonous plant, but now it’s a common garden variety. Most people grow tomatoes because of their fruit, which contain a high amount of lycopene. For the tomato grower, the only downfall to the fruit is the short life of the vine.

The biggest question a person could have is, “Where can I get my hands on wild mangosteen?” Well, the answer is really quite simple. Most Asian markets and a lot of penny stores carry this fruit. It’s similar to the longganiza, which is also sold as a fresh produce fruit. You can also get them in the U.S. from several web sites. It’s similar to the lycopene, but obviously, the price and availability are higher.

They are believed to be from the mango family, but they are also believed to be from the pome family. Mangosteen trees are widely cultivated in Asia, Southeast Asia, and Jamaica.

Mangosteens have a slightly bitter bite to them, but after a while, people who otherwise love mangosteen, end up liking it because it has a flavor that’s similar to sweet potatoes. Other people, it seems, fall in love with mangosteen like some people fall in love with sweet potatoes.

Because of this, it’s been known that mangosteen concentrates their powerful flavor. Besides this, it also contains fibers and helps them to keep their shape.

A fresh ripe mangosteen is considered a once-in-a-lifetime kind of fruit. And in order to get a fresh one, you have to go to a tropical country such as the Philippines. Otherwise, you might have to wait until it ripens. The more tropical the country, the ripening of the mango will take longer.

Last but not least, when you eat a mangosteen, you have to consume it in an appropriate glass or eating utensil. The wrong tools can alter the taste.