Moringa oleifera

Download or read book Moringa oleifera written by Mentalo Publishing and published by Mentalo. This book was released on with total page 60 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Moringa plant is native to Northern India, where it was first described around 2000 B.C. as a medicinal herb. The oral tradition of Ayurvedic medicine in India declared that Moringa prevents 300 diseases Ancient Egyptians treasured Moringa oil as protection for their skin from the ravages of desert weather. Later, the Greeks found many healthful uses for Moringa and introduced it to the Romans. Moringa Oleifera, is very useful and is called the world`s most valuable plant. Virtually every part of it is edible. The leaflets can be stripped from the feathery, fernlike leaves and used in any spinach recipe. Very young plants can be used as a tender vegetable. The flowers can be eaten or used to make a tea and provide good amounts of both calcium and potassium. They are also good for beekeepers. The young pods can be cooked and reportedly have a taste reminiscent of asparagus. The green peas and surrounding white material can be removed from larger pods and cooked in various ways. Seeds from mature pods (which can be 2 feet long) can be browned in a skillet, mashed and placed in boiling water that causes an excellent cooking or lubricating oil to float to the surface. . It is an extremely fast growing tree and it is advisable to prune frequently beginning when they are young or they will become lanky and difficult to harvest. Breaking off tender tips (used in cooking) when the trees are about 4 or 5 feet tall, the trees become much bushier.