Wild rice (Zizania aquatica) belongs to the family Poaceae, along with bamboo, black rice, lemongrass, brown rice, wheat, corn, oats, barley, millet, and rye, plus many other grasses. The Algonquin, Ojibwa, Dakota, Winnebago, Sioux, Fox, and Chippewa tribes used wild rice as a staple in their diets. They called it manomin or mahnomen, after the Menominee tribe and referred to wild […]
Figs (Ficus carica) belong to the family Moraceae, along with banyan, breadfruit, mulberry, and Osage-orange. Figs likely originated in southern Arabia. They have been cultivated for thousands of years: remnants of figs having been found in excavations of Neolithic sites traced to at least 5,000 BC. Sumerians and Assyrians were familiar with them. Figs spread slowly through Asia […]
Peanuts (Arachis hypogaea) belong to the family Fabaceae, along with common beans (green snap beans, pinto beans, heirloom beans, Great Northern beans, black turtle beans, kidney beans, and navy beans), edible-pod and mature peas, fava beans, black-eyed peas, adzuki beans, lima beans, jicama, chickpeas, carob, and licorice. The family also includes broom, gorse, and kudzu. Peanuts probably originated in what is now Peru or Brazil in South America. People in […]
Tahini is a spread made from ground sesame seeds. Traditionally, it is made by soaking the seeds overnight, after which they are crushed in order to separate the hulls from the seeds. The crushed seeds are then put into salted water, which allows the hulls to sink and the seed kernels to float to the top of the […]
Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) is a a member of the family Apiaceae, along with other mostly aromatic plants with hollow stems and umbrella-like flower clusters. Included in this family are anise, caraway, carrot, celeriac, celery, chervil, coriander (including cilantro), cumin, hemlock, Queen Anne’s lace, parsley, dill, and parsnip. Fennel originated throughout the Mediterranean Basin. Its Greek name, marathon, means “grow thin,” reflecting […]
Kiwifruit (often shortened to kiwi outside of New Zealand), is the edible berry of one of 60 species of woody vine in the family Actinidiaceae. The most common commercial species is Actinidia deliciosa. Kiwifruit originated in the Yangtze Valley of northern China and Zhejiang Province on the coast of eastern China. Originally called yáng táo, they were […]
Sunflowers (Helianthus annuus) are members of the the Asteraceae family, along with the herbs arnica, burdock, boneset, calendula, chamomile, cronewort (mugwort), coltsfoot, dandelion, echinacea, elecampane, feverfew, gravel root, grindelia, liferoot, milk thistle, tansy, yarrow, valerian, wormwood, and wild lettuce. The family also contains the foods artichoke, lettuce, endive, and sun chokes (also known as Jerusalem artichokes). And it contains the decorative flowers asters, chrysanthemums, […]
Kidney beans are a variety of common beans (Phaseolus vulgaris). They share their species with green snap beans, pinto beans, heirloom beans, Great Northern beans, black turtle beans, cranberry and borlotti beans, flageolet beans, pea beans, pink beans, other white beans, and yellow beans. These beans, along with corn (maize), and squash were the “three sisters” of Native American cuisine. Common beans share the genus Phaseolus with tepary beans, […]
Peaches (Prunus persica) share the sub-genus Amygdalus with almonds. They both belong to the genus Prunus, which also includes plums, apricots, cherries, and nectarines. These fruits are in the Rosaceae family, along with strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, quinces, apples, pears, and ornamental trees and shrubs (such as roses, meadowsweets, photinias, firethorns, rowans, and hawthorns). Peaches originated in China around 2000 BC, where the first wild peach trees produced small, […]
Hemp (Cannabis sativa) is the sole species in the Cannabis genus, which shares the Cannabaceae family with hops and hackberries. Hemp likely originated in the Himalayas, and from there, it was spread by humans and other animals. Hemp is among the oldest industries. By 8000 BC, hemp was woven into fabric. It grew in popularity over time on a global scale to […]
Author + Educator of a Ketogenic, Grain-Free, Vegan Lifestyle
The strongest debating posture does not merely state a position you believe to be right, it also forcefully shows why the opponent’s argument is wrong.
Promoting Responsibility and Choice in Private Home Rentals
Thoughts about veganism. Promoting an end to the use and the property status of members of nonhuman species.
The Bizarre Economics of Meat and Dairy
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Transcending Speciesism Since October 2008
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