Quinoa, chia seed, goji berries and maca powder. For the past time we’ve been slapped around the face with all these so called super foods (products that are high in nutrients and antioxidants). Bird seeds that suddenly became super expensive because someone branded it super food. And are they actually good for you? Don’t get me wrong, I too have half of Whole foods in my kitchen cupboards. Sometimes I get so carried away I’ll make the weirdest smoothies that can actually give you a mustache. The Surinamese kitchen is one of my faves and because of that (and all the food/hair/ advise from my friend Nicole) I know where the real super foods can be found. Surinam is home to the healthiest vegetables because of its rich soil. There’s a natural cure (plant) for any ailment. During my last trip to Surinam I visited a local farm and bought a bunch of stuff to prepare at home. Want to know more about the real super foods? Read on my friend.
Too bad you can’t smell anything through your screen. Fresh veggies galore! From the Surinamese kitchen these are the easiest (leafy) vegetables to prepare. Long beans (on the right) are often prepared with chicken and rice and the popular dish roti. More challenging to prepare are antroewa (looks like a green tomato, related to the eggplant) both super healthy but bitter taste (one of the merchants said if it’s bitter you can’t cook #shade.. ?). Just like sopropo (looks like a ridged cucumber) a super veggie but demands a good cook.
On the left, my fave tanier spinach. This heart shaped, big leave related to, indeed spinach, is packed with nutrients and iron. I always add it to my green super juice (sharing the recipe below).
Everyday I’m hustling… To bad I’m not the best cook in the world otherwise I would have bought everything on the market.
After a visit to the local farmers market, a very photogenic walk back to the hotel.
Surinamese street style #colorful.
Bought a bunch of these tropical flowers (nice prezzies) to take home.
A couple of must try (Surinamese) super foods are:
Cassava (or yuka): packed with vitamine C. Not a lot of minerals but still folic acid, magnesium, iron, phosphor and zinc. Can’t eat it raw though..so always boil or fry it. So bring on the cassava chips.
Soursop: don’t let the ‘sour’ in soursop put you off. There’s nothing really sour about it. Graviola (like soursop is also known) is considered to be the queen of super foods. The spiky looking fruit (not to be mistaken by the stinky durian) has many health benefits and is even known to kill cancer cells. Also beneficial for people suffering from high blood pressure, artritis, fungal infections and depression. It is a bit of a hassle to remove all the seeds from soursop but when you’re done: mix the pulp together with your favorite milk (coconut) and add fresh mango and pineapple. Bottoms up!
Tanier spinach: as I mentioned before, this spinach relative is full of iron. I love adding it to my home made, cold pressed green juice because it is creamier than spinach and thus adds more fiber. So here’s the recipe to The Trend Attendants super/beauty juice:
What you need for a juice prep for about seven 250ml bottles (always BPA free of course).
- 6 green apples
- 1 cucumber
- (one complete) celery
- parsley plant (I think it has more ‘life’ to it than the pre cut version)
- about 6 tanier spinach leaves (I don’t use the stems)
- about 250 grams of spinach leaves
- thumb size piece of ginger
- 1 lemon
- 1 avocado
- fresh pineapple (about 4 slices)
After washing and chopping up all the ingredients (don’t forget to peel the lemon and ginger) I throw everything in a slow juicer. Everything but the avocado and pineapple. I blend these two separately and then add to the rest of the juice. This is the way I give the green juice more body and fiber. I know it sounds like a lot of work but this juice gives you life! You’ll really get an instant boost. Just do a prep once a week and you’ll be fine.
Are you going to try The Trend Attendants super juice? (no mustache, pinky promise!)
xx Mishanou
