Barbara Ellington and Nashauna Drummond
A cranberry product(left) and a sorrel product(right).
Today, Americans celebrate Thanksgiving Day and the menu includes the undisputed icon of everyone's table - cranberry sauce. This goes well with the roast turkey that forms the main entrée on the table. But, the sauce is just one of several condiments that can be made with the cranberry. There is a cranberry syrup, a cranberry tangy preserve, a palate awakening cranberry mustard sauce and a whole range of beverages.
Here in Jamaica, we have come up with a perfect substitute or a fantastic original, depending on how you view it. It's sorrel chutney. Like cranberry, sorrel is versatile and there are many other delightful recipes that can be made with the beautiful sorrel flower petals. Try once again the Christmas favourite sorrel drink, or how about sorrel chutney, sorrel jam, sorrel sauce and sorrel syrup?
In a tribute to the two red favourites of the holiday season,
Food takes a look at the merits of both and shares some recipes with you.
CRANBERRY CUISINE
YEARS OF scientific research has proven that regular consumption of cranberry juice is good for urinary tract infection; it significantly inhibits E coli bacteria from adhering to the urinary tract.
Compounds in cranberry may also inhibit the adhesion of certain
bacteria found in the mouth which contribute to gum disease.
Research found that cranberry components inhibited the development
of tumours in mice injected with human breast cancer cells. Further research will determine the benefits to human health.
Early research suggests that the components in cranberry juice may promote cardiovascular health. In the research, it proved to be an effective antioxidant, preventing artery-clogging LDL cholesterol from becoming oxidised and thus causing more damage. Further
research is underway. The journal of the American Medical Association suggests that cranberry juice may inhibit the growth of bacteria such as staphylococcus aureus and salmonella enteritis.
- Source A Taste of Life produced by Ocean Spray
OLD BIG RED
TRADITIONAL JAMAICAN Christmas is usually dominated by one red drink: The king of the reds, sorrel drink/wine.
But sorrel has evolved. It's not only found in our glasses and not only at Christmas. Sorrel is now available all year round and its uses have also increased. Over the years, research into the added medicinal benefits of sorrel has gone into high gear indicating that it may be helpful in fighting cancer cells and, it is anti-inflammatory. Sorrel also contains calcium, niacin, riboflavin and a group of compounds called flavanoids.
Flavanoids give sorrel its deep red colour and are also recognised as powerful antioxidants that help to rid the body of free radicals that can cause deadly diseases.
At the recent sorrel festival, the Scientific Research Council unveiled the versatility of the big red flower. It now graces the shelves of supermarkets in the form of sorrel liqueur, chutney, squash and jam. If you are celebrating Thanksgiving Day with friends today, try the sorrel chutney with the turkey.
Also available is a range of pharmaceutical products such as lotions, shampoos and oils, the technology for which is still being fine-tuned.
So, when you you take a drink this year you will be doing your body a world of good.
