Yogurt/ABC Wednesday

Y is for Yogurt

Growing up, I never like milk.  Probably because I was "forced" to drink fresh milk as a child when I wanted soda.  My father who advocated milk-drinking in the family tried to give us  choices--from canned fresh milk to soya milk, chocolate-flavored milk, Yakult, etc.  My siblings grew up to be milk drinkers, I am not.  And after a few incidents with milk products, I believe I am  lactose-intolerant.

When yogurt became the craze of dieters in the office, I tried it, too, but later declared that the taste was disgusting!  But I do like yogurt when used as salad dressing or as a condiment.  

Yogurt or yoghurt is a dairy product produced by bacterial fermentation of milk.  The bacteria used to make yogurt are known as "yogurt cultures". Fermentation of lactose by these bacteria produces lactic acid, which acts on milk protein to give yogurt its texture and its characteristic tang.  Cow's milk is commonly used worldwide to make yogurt, but milk in water buffalo, goats, ewes, mares, camels and yaks is also used in various parts of the world.

Dairy yogurt is produced using a culture of Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus and Streptococcus salivarius subsp. thermophilus bacteria. Other lactobacilli and bifidobacteria are also sometimes added during or after culturing yogurt.

I read about the health benefits of yogurt and have been trying to find a flavor that I'd like.  I buy mango or blueberry flavored yogurt and just close my eyes to swallow each tablespoon.  Until I "discovered" frozen yogurt!

Frozen yogurt has the consistency of ice cream, and the flavors mask the tartness of yogurt.  Now, it has become my favorite snack and dessert.  I usually add some toppings like fresh fruits, cherries, nuts (almond flakes, macadamia), and choco-coated crunchies.

Yogurt has been around for centuries.  Records in ancient cultures of India and Iran, yogurt was mentioned by 500 BCE.  A combination of yogurt and honey was considered "food for the gods" in ancient India.  Medieval Turks used yogurt as written in 11th century literature.  Before the turn of the century, yogurt was a staple in diets of people in the Russian Empire, western Asia, eastern and central Europe and India.  18th century doctors believed that regular consumption of yogurt was responsible for the unusually long lifespan of Bulgarian peasants.

toppings

Yogurt is marketed as a health food.  It is nutritionally rich in protein, calcium, riboflavin, vitamin B6 and vitamin B12.  It has nutritional benefits beyond those of milk.  Lactose-intolerant individuals can sometimes tolerate yogurt better than other dairy products, because the lactose in the milk is converted to glocuse and galactose, and partially fermented to lactic acid, by the bacterial culture.

Yogurt containing live cultures has been found effective in a randomized trial at preventing antibiotic-associated diarrhea.  Yogurt contains varying amounts of fat. There is non-fat (0% fat), low-fat (usually 2% fat) and plain or whole milk yogurt (4% fat).  A study published in the International Journal of Obesity also found that the consumption of low-fat yogurt can promote weight loss, especially due to the calcium in the yogurt. Source 

Linking to ABC Wednesday

Guava/ABC Wednesday

G is for Guava

Guava is a tropical fruit native to Central America and northern South America.  It belongs to the Myrtle family, genus Psidium (or pomegranate) with about 100 species of tropical shrubs and small trees.  It is known as Goiaba in Portuguese and Guayaba in Spanish.  Guava fruit is often bitter when unripe, soft and sweet when ripe---tastes something between a pear and strawberry, tangy with a citrus flavor.    The fruit is usually green before maturity, but becomes yellow, maroon or light green when ripe.  

Guava is one of my favorite fruits, and one of the first trees I climbed when I was a kid.  There were a couple of guava trees in our yard and I virtually lived on guava trees--my grandfather called me a guava-eating bat.  

Source

The guava in our yard has small fruits, about the size of a lemon, and has a distinct aroma when it ripened.  The pulp also turned red when the fruit was ripe.  It's the kind of guava that is used as a souring agent in sinigang, a popular Filipino soup dish.

Guavas produce fruits all-year round.  My mother used to cook ripe guavas in sugar and coconut milk---it was my father's favorite dessert.

There  is  a  fruit  stand  a few blocks from my apartment  selling guapple, or  Apple Guava---I buy 2 kilos every 3 to 4 days.  From  cookies, chips and  chocolates, I've switched to guapple, a  healthier snack.  Guapple is an extra-large variety--a fruit weighs about 500 grams, about  5 to 6 inches long  It has a thick and white-fleshed fruit, and the crunchiness of an apple.

Guavas  are  a  good  source of  Vitamin C  and A,  dietary  fiber,  folic acid, potassium,  copper  and manganese.  It has a low calorie profile, and a  single guava fruit contains about four times  the amount of Vitamin C of an orange.  Fruits are usually eaten raw, ripe fruits can be processed to jelly, wine and jam preserves.  

Apple Guava, Psidium guajava

Guava leaves have been used in folk medicine for as long as I can remember.  Decoction of leaves in water is a good  cure  for  diarrhea---my mother still treats my dog with this concoction when he has the runs.  It  is  also used as an astringent,  mouthwash  for  swollen gums,  reduces fever and anti-spasmodic.  Bark  and  leaves  are  used  in  childbirth  to expel  the placenta.  The bark is recommended in making complex cosmetics.  Young tender leaves chewed or crushed applied to tooth cavity acts as eugenol for toothaches. 

But there's  one use  of  guava  leaves  that would make  you shudder.  In  far-flung areas of the country where traditional circumcision  method is  still  being  practiced,  pre-adolescent boys who undergo this procedure are given  guava leaves  to  chew  on to  distract them from the pain.   The  chewed  guava  leaves  is  applied to the cut foreskin with the dressing.  It is believed that guava leaves  have  antiseptic and  anti-hemorrhagic  properties. I  remember over-hearing  my  brothers  and male cousins  talking  about  some  boy  we  knew  in  childhood who swallowed the chewed guava leaves instead of spitting it out in the middle of traditional circumcision.  Poor boy!  But I couldn't help but laugh at the thought!  I hope I wouldn't run into the guy in one of our elementary school reunions.:p

Guava has been found to be beneficial to people suffering from asthma, bacterial infections, convulsions, high blood pressure, obesity, oral ulcers, poor circulation, prolonged menstruation, scurvy, swollen gums, toothache, and lung congestion.

Linking to ABC Wednesday