THE INGREDIENTS " CAUTION IT'S SPIKED AND TASTY"

DURIAN

   Durian tree is tropical in origin and belongs to the family of Malvaceae, in the genus, Durio; a large family of plant species which also include some of the interesting relatives such as okra, cocoa beans, hibiscus, and cotton. It is botanically known as Durio zibethinus.

   Delicious, soft, durian fruit is one of the popular tropical fruits known for its one of a kind fragrance and flavor. Durian is widely recognized as the "King of Fruits" in many South-East Asian countries.

   The flesh or pulp of durian can be consumed at various stages of ripeness and is used as flavoring agent in a wide variety of culinary and sweet preparations in Southeast Asian cuisines. Durian seeds are small, round to oval shape kernels and appear like that of jackfruit seeds. Although boiled seeds can be eaten safely, many discard them. The seeds feature a bland taste akin to jackfruit seeds.

   Its edible flesh emits a distinctive odor which can be described as robust and penetrating, appreciable from far even while its husk is intact. This unusual stinky and intense odor of the durian fruit may have prompted many people to express diverse and peculiar opinions ranging from profound gratitude to disgusting.

   Durian is a seasonal fruit; its season lasts typically from June until August which coincides with that of the other tropical specific fruits like mangosteen, jackfruit, and mango.

   Durian fruit is distinctive for its large size, unique odor, and formidable thorn-covered husk. It can reach up to 30 cm (12 in) long and 15 cm (6 in) in diameter, and typically weighs one to four kilograms (two to seven lb). In shape, it varies from round to oblong; the color of its husk (rind) is green with brown, and its flesh features creamy-yellow to saffron color bulbs depending upon the species.

NUTRITION

Here is the nutrient content in a cup (243 grams) of pulp :

Calories: 357.

Fat: 13 grams.

Carbs: 66 grams.

Fiber: 9 grams.

Protein: 4 grams.

Vitamin C: 80% of the RDI.

Thiamine: 61% of the RDI.

Manganese: 39% of the RDI.

Vitamin B6: 38% of the RDI.

Potassium: 30% of the RDI.

Riboflavin: 29% of the RDI.

Copper: 25% of the RDI.

Folate: 22% of the RDI.

Magnesium: 18% of the RDI.

Niacin: 13% of the RDI.

BENEFIT

   Reduce cancer risk. Its antioxidants may neutralize cancer-promoting free radicals. In one study, durian extract prevented a strain of breast cancer cells from spreading.

   Prevent heart disease. Several compounds in durian may help lower cholesterol levels and decrease the risk of atherosclerosis, or the hardening of the arteries.

   Fight infection. The rind contains antibacterial and anti-yeast properties.

   Lower blood sugar. Durian has a lower glycemic index than other tropical fruits, meaning it may lead to a lower blood sugar spike. It may also prevent some glucose from being absorbed and stimulate insulin to be released.

SELECTION AND HOW TO STORE

   In the stores, choose a durian fruit with firm stalk. Outside its natural habitat, durian is one of the expensive fruits; some of its varieties like D24 (Sultan) are in high demand and therefore, may command higher price. The fruit can also be stored in the refrigerator for few days.

   On its exterior, the durian fruit is fully covered with sharp spikes capable of inflicting cuts; therefore, one should be careful while handling it. Cut open the fruit longitudinally the same way you do in Jackfruits to expose underlying creamy yellow flesh (pulp). Slice the flesh to remove seeds.

COOKING USE

   Durian fruit is used as a flavor base in a wide variety of sweet preparations such as traditional Malay candy, ice kachang, dodol, biscuits, etc.

   It is also used in the preparation of ice-cream, milkshakes, Yule logs and cappuccino.

   Red-fleshed durian is traditionally added to sayur, an Indonesian soup made from fresh water fish.

   Ikan brengkes, a fish cooked in a durian-based sauce, traditional in Sumatran islands in Indonesia.

   Unripe durians may be cooked as a vegetable in variety of dishes.

Durian seeds, which taste similar to jackfruit seeds or yam, can be eaten boiled or roasted.

CACTUS

   Nopales are thick, oval, flat, modified stems of the cactus plant eaten as a vegetable. It's soft pads, known as nopalitos, are one of the chief components of Mexican cuisine since olden times and today, gaining popularity among the Europeans and US for their health benefiting profile.

   Cactus is a modified evergreen plant that grows well in semi-arid and desert climates. Cactus leaves are actually flat, oval, and pad shape stems but misinterpreted as leaves. On the cactus plant, its segmented stems stack one over the other in odd angles arising directly from the root. 

   The completely grown up plant may reach up to 10-12 feet in height; however, in the cultivated farms, their growth is truncated to about 4-5 feet. The nopal pad surface indeed is covered with sharp spines (glochids) at the nodes.

   The cactus species is thought to have originated in the desert lands of Mexico. Over two hundred Cactaceae cultivars grow in their natural habitat, particularly in the semi-arid and dry areas of northern Mexico. Edible cactus paddles, however, gathered from the Opuntia ficus-indica (Barbary fig) plants.

   Attractive blooms begin to appear during the spring all along the sides of pads, which subsequently develop into pear shaped delicious "cactus fruits." 

   The fruit, commonly known as prickly pear, is actually famous in the whole Latin world as "tuna." Each fruit measures about 5 cm in diameter and weigh about 75-100 g. Sweet and juicy; their taste is somewhat reminiscence of watermelon and strawberry combination.

NUTRITION

   A 1-cup serving of nopal cactus has 61 calories per serving, a little over 1 gram of protein, less than 1 gram of total fat and over 14 grams of carbohydrate. It also has 5.4 grams of dietary fiber. As a low-fat, high-fiber food, nopal cactus is a healthy food choice, despite its sugar content. 

   The recommended dietary allowance for carbohydrates is between 130 and 210 grams per day for adults. This means a single serving of nopal has 6.7 percent to 11 percent of the total RDA for carbohydrates.

   With 20.9 milligrams of vitamin C per 1-cup serving, chopped nopal cactus is rich in this essential vitamin. The recommended dietary intake of vitamin C is between 75 and 120 milligrams per day, so a single serving of nopal cactus provides 28 percent to 17 percent of the daily RDI. 

   Vitamin C helps produce collagen, a protein that keeps your skin, tendons, ligaments, cartilage and blood vessels healthy. It is also important for healing wounds and keeping bones strong and healthy.

BENEFIT 

• improved antioxidant status in healthy humans
• inflammatory diseases.
• reduction in LDL cholesterol levels.
• decrease in blood glucose values
• treat gastric ulcers

SELECTION AND HOW TO STORAGE

   Young, tender, succulent cacti-paddles are generally gathered during spring in Mexico for local use and to export to Europe and USA. 

   Fresh nopales can readily be available in the southern US states where sizable Mexican communities live. One can find canned nopalitos in brine in grocery stores as well.

   Buy fresh, firm, pale green nopal pads from the farmer's markets specializing in Mexican vegetables. Avoid thick, mature pads as they are rough, pithy and out of flavor.

   Once at home, raw pads can be stored in the refrigerator for about a week or so. Diced or cut pads should be used as early as possible.

COOKING USE

• They can be eaten raw in salads (Ensalada di nopales) and salsa (Nopal de salsa) with onion, tomato seasoned with salt, pepper, dried oregano and dress with olive oil.
• Fresh nopal is used in soups, stews, juices, and cooked as a vegetable.
• Fry strips in nopalitos fritos.
• Boiled, and roast or grilled nopalitos are again eaten as a delicious side dish.
• Pickled nopal is a favorite appetizer. Diced nopalitos, onion, tomato sauteed with scrambled eggs is a favorite breakfast during the Lent season in Mexico.
• Cactus pad (nopal) juice produced industrially has been marketed as wellness drink for its health benefiting properties. However, such claims yet to be proven scientifically.

SEA URCHIN

   Sea urchins are easily recognized type of marine animals. They belong to the group of animals called echinoderms. There are around 200 species of sea urchins that can be found in oceans throughout the world. Sea urchins usually live in warm waters on the rocky bottom or close to the coral reefs. 

   Pollution of the ocean and overfishing (they are used for the preparation of sushi in Japan) are major threats to the survival of sea urchins. Due to drastic reduction in the number of sea urchins in the wild, they are placed on the list of threatened species (they can become endangered in the near future).

NUTRITION

   A 100-gram portion of sea urchins, which is equal to about 3.5 ounces, contains 119 calories and very little fat. The fat that a serving of sea urchins does contain is almost all unsaturated fat.

    For example, there are 1.75 grams of polyunsaturated fat in a serving of sea urchins. Eating polyunsaturated fats in place of saturated fats, such as those found in a burger, can help lower your overall cholesterol level. 

    Sea urchins also contain omega-3 fatty acids, which can help lower blood pressure and reduce the risk of an abnormal heart beat, the American Heart Association notes

BENEFITS

• Low in Calories 
• Very Low in Fat
• Minimal Carbohydrate Content
• Rich in Protein

PREPARATION AND HOW TO STORAGE

   Wear gloves while you trim off the spines to protect your hands from accidental stings. The gloves will also keep your hands free of the urchin’s dark purple dyes.

   Working mouth-side-up, cut out the top of the shell with regular kitchen scissors, and then carefully pierce the bottom, allowing the fluid to drain out. You’ll want to do this over the sink or into a bowl to contain the mess.

   A quick rinse with fresh water will help clear out some of the undesirable bits. The rest you can pick out with tweezers.

Keeping uni in a salt water solution that is concocted to mimic the salt levels of the sea where the uni is from is the best way to store and enjoy uni.

COOKING USE

   For consumption as sashimi, uni is best consumed within two days upon receipt. After which, you may choose keep for up to five days to cook it as a pasta or topped on chawanmushi, and so on. Do note that uni's texture will be compromised when frozen.

   As for beverage pairing, a lot of it depends on how you prepare the sea urchin dishes.

SOURCE BY

https://www.nutrition-and-you.com/durian-fruit.html

http://www.luluhypermarket.com/GoodLife/tips-to-buy-and-store-durian-fruit-zzfodc271.html#.WgiEwI-Cy00

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/durian-fruit#section1

https://www.livestrong.com/article/158059-nopal-cactus-nutrition-facts/

https://www.nutrition-and-you.com/nopales.html

https://www.motherearthnews.com/real-food/how-to-eat-cactus-zmaz84zloeck

https://guide.michelin.sg/en/ask-the-experts-uni

http://www.softschools.com/facts/animals/sea_urchin_facts/479/

https://www.livestrong.com/article/259787-a-skin-rash-from-shell-fish/

https://www.livestrong.com/article/557549-health-benefits-for-sea-urchin-sushi/

https://www.saveur.com/basics-how-prepare-sea-urchin