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The Best Baby Food Pouches: 2022 Guide

By Anjali Shah on · Last Updated on

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This is your guide to the healthiest and best baby food pouches on the market today! Learn what to avoid, what to buy, and what to look for on the label!

When your little one transitions to solids, a common question is: should I buy pre-made baby food pouches or make baby food at home? While it doesn’t necessarily have to be an either-or, many of you know that I’m a huge fan of homemade baby food because it’s so easy and you can control all of the ingredients your little one is getting. I shared all of the recipes I used for Layla and Ayan in my baby food cookbook and put many on my blog here!

But there are those times when you’re on the go, or pressed for time, and you don’t have any homemade baby food on hand. Which is when baby food pouches can be a quick and convenient meal for your little one! But there are SO many baby food pouches out there, and not all of them are healthy. Many are filled with processed ingredients and added sugars. This can set your baby up to only appreciate sweet foods and reject vegetables as they get older. So what should you buy? And what should you avoid?

This is your guide to the best baby food pouches available today!

Can Some Baby Food Pouches Really Be That Unhealthy?

The food industry knows that babies shouldn’t be having added sugars when they first start solids, right?

Wrong.

As you have probably heard when it comes to buying pre-packaged food, what’s on the front is often misleading. This is also true when it comes to baby food pouches. The front may say spinach and kale, but when you turn it over you’ll find less expensive fillers such as fruit purees, or even fruit juices like apple juice concentrate. Sometimes in a “spinach” pouch the first 3 ingredients are fruits! That’s because, while there may be spinach, the manufacturer is not required to list the percentage of ingredients on the label.

This basically means that your baby is only getting a sweet taste when eating that pouch and isn’t getting exposed to the actual taste of a vegetable. And in those early months of developing tastebuds, getting exposure to all kinds of flavors and tastes is essential to having a baby who doesn’t become a picky eater (who rejects veggies) later on!

Why Is It So Confusing To Find The Best Baby Food Pouches For Your Child?

Ingredient labels are confusing, packaging is misleading. I remember when I first gave Layla a baby food pouch and she devoured it. It was a pouch that said “organic super greens” on it. And I remember thinking: “Yeah! She loves greens!” When I turned it over, the ingredients were: bananas, pear, apple, spinach. What??

It has always really bothered me that most baby food pouches (even the ones promoting veggies) contain fruit. Like why add bananas or pears to a carrot & sweet potato pouch? Carrots and sweet potatoes are already naturally sweet – there is no need for fruit purees to make it even sweeter! Since breast milk is naturally sweet, it’s so important that babies learn the other tastes: bitter, sour, pungent, etc. when they start solids. All the fruit purees are essentially taking over your baby’s taste buds, making them think that if food isn’t sweet it’s not worth eating.

On top of that, many pouches that are fruit-forward and look healthy actually have a ton of unnecessary processed ingredients added. Take a look at Gerber’s Fruit & Yogurt Strawberry Banana Pouch.

Sugar, Carrot Juice Concentrate, Natural Flavor, Gelatin, Two different types of coloring…

These are all major red-flag ingredients in baby food. What in the world is gelatin doing in a pouch that looks vegetarian-friendly? And for a pouch that is supposed to have apples and strawberries (both of which are rich in fiber), there is less than 1g fiber in the entire pouch because of all of the fillers added. AND this pouch has 14g sugar. That’s as much as 1.5 Fun Sized Milky Way bars, or 1/3 of a can of Coke.

That’s why reading labels is so important to finding healthy, packaged baby food! So how do you find those pouches? Skip to the end of this post for my list of the healthiest baby food pouches! But first…

Top 5 Tips To Find The Best Baby Food Pouches

  1. Look at the sugar content: Stick to pouches with less than 8g of sugar, but ideally you’ll want to find pouches between 4-6g of sugar. For example, if you look at the front of Ella’s Organic Apples, Green Beans, Raisins pouch, you might think, “green beans are in here, this is great!” But the pouch actually has 13g of sugar from the apples and raisins, while the green beans are a very small addition. 13g sugar is equal to a fun sized milky way bar.
  2. Look to see if the ingredient listed on the front of the package is the first ingredient listed on the back. If you’re buying “spinach and apples,” it’s likely that apples are the dominant flavor. Some companies are more transparent than others on the percentage or amount of each ingredient in the pouch.
  3. Stick to pouches that ONLY have vegetables. These are harder to find, but they do exist. And they actually taste like vegetables! If you do buy one with veggies & fruits, make sure there is <8g sugar, that vegetables are first, and fruits are last on the ingredients list. Beware of labels that make it seem like the pouch only has veggies: there are some deceptive pouches such as Veggie Blends, and Plum Organics Mighty Veggie pouches. These veggie blends also contain fruit, and often has as much or sometimes more sugar than those labeled as fruit blends.
  4. Fiber matters. A good sign that a pouch is either mostly water or fillers is when the fiber content is 1g or less. Aim for pouches with 2g fiber or more.
  5. Avoid ingredients likely to be contaminated with heavy metals. Pouches that have apples, pears, carrots, sweet potatoes, and rice are particularly at risk. (For more details: A study done by the Clean Label Project in 2017 found that 65% of baby food products had detectable levels of arsenic, 36% detectable levels of lead, and 58% contained detectable levels of cadmium. A more recent study done by Consumer Reports in August of 2018 found that out of 50 nationally distributed baby food products, every single one of them had trace amounts of at least one of the heave metals which included arsenic, lead, or cadmium. Two-thirds of those tested had worrisome amounts of heavy metals, and 15 of the foods could pose potential health risk. The pouches that included rice and/or sweet potato were more likely to have higher amounts of heavy metal, and organic foods were just as likely to contain heavy metals as their non-organic counterparts.)

There are pouches out there that are organic, vegetable-forward, and don’t have any added sugars or fruit juices in them.

So here it is: the healthiest baby food pouches on the market today, the brands I love, and which pouches to buy.

A special shout out to Alison Corey from Keeping the Peas who helped me with some of the research for this post! If a pouch is not listed on this list, it’s likely either high in heavy metals (per the Consumer Reports and Clean Label Project studies) or too high in sugar/fruits/processed ingredients, and should be avoided. But if you have a question about a particular pouch, don’t hesitate to ask in the comments of this post!

What Makes These the Best Baby Food Pouches?

  • They contain between 0-8g of natural sugar; and 0g added sugar
  • They have 2g fiber or more
  • They are all organic
  • They don’t carry a risk of heavy metals

The Best Baby Food Pouches (Organized by Brand)

Holle Organic Baby Food: Holle’s baby food is made in Europe and is certified both Organic and Biodynamic, which means that their farming practices go above and beyond just regular organic standards. All of their baby food is unsweetened, I love these flavors from this brand:

  • Veggie Bunny: Carrots, Sweet Potatoes, and Peas
  • Power Parrot: Pear, Apple, Spinach
  • Zebra Beat: Apple, Banana, Beetroot

Cerebelly Organic Custom Pouches: All of Cerebelly’s pouches are super healthy and made with 100% organic ingredients. All of their pouches were developed by their founder – a neuroscientist and mom who is dedicated to creating the highest quality baby food possible. The way it works is super simple: you fill out a quick survey that tells Cerebelly your child’s age and what they’re up to. Cerebelly recommends a personalized pack of organic purees with the right blend of nutrients, and it gets shipped right to your door! The best part – they offer 20% off your first order + free shipping with the code: FIRSTORDER20!

Yumi Organic Baby and Toddler Food. Yumi prides itself on creating custom blends for your baby that are 100% organic, made with real food, customized based on your baby’s stage of eating (from Stage 1 purees all the way to snacks and mini meals!). Their food comes in little jars – not pouches – as it’s made fresh and delivered weekly, straight to your door. You can also be confident that Yumi’s food contains no heavy metals, as they partner with trusted farms that are USDA Certified Organic, Non-GMO Project Verified and follow rigorous food safety testing. They look at federal data on soil contamination to find the best farms. Lastly, you get to choose from their range of 60+ unique organic meals you won’t find anywhere else, handpicked by nutritionists to support every milestone! Yumi is also offering 50% off your first order with the code: PICKY50!

Serenity Kids

I love Serenity Kids because ALL of their pouches are under 5 grams of sugar! They’re 100% organic, made with super clean ingredients, has no added preservatives or sugars, and were created by a husband and wife team trying to find a better option for baby food for their daughter. Here are all of hte pouches I love – use the code PICKY to get 15% off your first order!

  1. SK – Kabocha Squash, Butternut, Pumpkin, 2g Sugar
  2. SK – Butternut Squash + Spinach, 2g Sugar
  3. SK – Carrot, Spinach and Basil, 3g Sugar
  4. SK – Chicken, Beef, Pork or Wild Salmon (choose your variety here), 2-3g Sugar
  5. SK – Carrots, 4g Sugar
  6. SK – Sweet Potato + Parsnip, 4g Sugar
  7. SK – Mixed Root Veggies, 4g Sugar
  8. SK – Sweet Potato + Spinach, 4g Sugar

White Leaf Provisions: WLP is a family business run by a husband and wife team who are bringing the first 100% regeneratively farmed, biodynamic, organic & GMO-Free baby food line to retail in the US! I love their pouches because the ingredients are so pure, and the majority of them have less than 8 grams of sugar per pouch! And, they are offering all of my readers 10% off your purchase by using the code “PICKYEATS” at checkout! My two favorites are:

  1. WLP – Pumpkin + Nectarine, 5g Sugar
  2. WLP – Peach + Oat, 7g Sugar
  3. WLP – Pumpkin + Nectarine, 5g Sugar
  4. WLP – Peach + Oat, 7g Sugar

Amara Organic – Note: these do not come in a pouch that is ready to serve – they need to be mixed with water or milk and served in a bowl. But these are still a good option if your baby is ok eating from a bowl/spoon and you need an option that saves you time!

  1. Amara – Black Bean and Sweet Corn, 0g Sugar
  2. Amara – Peas, Corn, Carrots, 2g Sugar
  3. Amara – Potato Kale Mash, 2g Sugar
  4. Amara – Pumpkin + Pear, 2g Sugar
  5. Amara – Sweet Potato Raspberry, 5g Sugar
  6. Amara – Oats and Berries, 5g Sugar

Ella’s Kitchen Organic

  1. Ella’s Kitchen Veggie Bean Feast, 1g Sugar
  2. Ella’s Spaghetti and Meatball, 1g Sugar
  3. Ella’s Beefy Stew, 2g Sugar
  4. Ella’s Vegetable and Lentil Bake, 3g Sugar
  5. Ella’s Pears, Peas, and Broccoli, 8g Sugar

Beechnut Organics

  1. Beechnut Peas & Spinach, 2g Sugar
  2. Beechnut Peas, Green Bean and Avocado, 4g
  3. Beechnut Corn, Kale, Quinoa, 4g Sugar
  4. Beechnut Veggies, Squash, Peas, Pear, 6g Sugar
  5. Beechnut Apple, Kiwi, Spinach, 6g Sugar
  6. Beechnut Pear, Pumpkin, Cranberry, 7g Sugar
  7. Beechnut Veggies, Carrots, Zucchini, Pear, 7g Sugar
  8. Beechnut Apple, Black Bean, Raspberry, 8g Sugar

Sprout Organic

  1. Sprout – Green bean, peas, butternut squash, 1g Sugar
  2. Sprout – Butternut squash, chickpea, quinoa, dates, 4g Sugar
  3. Sprout – Butternut Squash, Blueberry, Apple, with Beans, 5g Sugar
  4. Sprout – Mixed Berry Oatmeal, 7g Sugar

Plum Organics

  1. Plum – Hearty Veggie, Pumpkin, Spinach, Chickpea and Broccoli, 1g Sugar
  2. Plum – Hearty Veggie, Corn, Kale, Carrot and Tomato, 1g Sugar
  3. Plum – Hearty Veggie, Butternut Squash, Carrot, Chickpea and Corn, 1g Sugar
  4. Plum – Hearty Veggie, Carrots, Beans, Spinach and Tomato, 2g Sugar
  5. Plum – Stage 3 Meals, Carrot, Spinach, Turkey, Corn, Apple, Potato, Celery, Onion, 2g Sugar
  6. Plum – Stage 3 Meals, Carrot, Chickpea, Pea, Beef, Tomato, Celery, Date, Onion, 4g Sugar
  7. Plum – Eat Your Colors Red, 5g Sugar
  8. Plum – Eat Your Colors Orange, 5g Sugar
  9. Plum – Pear, Green Bean and Greek Yogurt, 6g Sugar
  10. Plum – Pear Spinach and Pea, 6g Sugar
  11. Plum – Pear, Purple Carrot and Blueberry, 7g Sugar
  12. Plum – Eat Your Colors Green, 7g Sugar
  13. Plum – Mighty 4 – Guava, Banana, Black Bean, Carrot, Oat, 7g Sugar
  14. Plum – Mighty 4 – Pear, Cherry, Blackberry, Strawberry, Spinach, 7g Sugar

Happy Family Organics

  1. HF – Hearty Meals, Root Vegetables, Turkey and Quinoa, 2g Sugar
  2. HF – Hearty Meals, Harvest Vegetables, Chicken and Quinoa, 2g Sugar
  3. HF – Hearty Meals, Vegetable Beef Medley, 3g Sugar
  4. HF – Green Beans, Spinach, and Pears, 4g Sugar
  5. HF – Zucchini, Pear, Chickpea, Kale 5g Sugar
  6. HF – Purple Carrots, Banana, Avocado, and Quinoa, 6g Sugar
  7. HF – Zucchini, Apples, Peas, Quinoa, and Basil, 6g Sugar
  8. HF – Pear, Green Beans, Peas + Super Chia,  6g Sugar
  9. HF – Pears, Kale, and Spinach, 7g Sugar
  10. HF – Black Beans, Beets and Bananas, 7g Sugar
  11. HF – Pears, Pumpkin, Peaches, and Granola, 7g Sugar
  12. HF – Pears, Peas, Broccoli, 7g Sugar in the new formulation
  13. HF – Pumpkin, Apples, Peached and Cinnamon, 8g
  14. HF – Pears, Squash, and Blackberries, 8g Sugar
  15. HF – Pears, Zucchini, Peas, 8g Sugar
  16. HF – Pears, Pumpkin, Passionfruit, 8g Sugar

Earth’s Best

  1. EB – Broccoli, Red Lentil, Oat, 1g Sugar
  2. EB – Spinach & Potato, 1g Sugar
  3. EB – Carrots & Broccoli, 2g Sugar
  4. EB – Winter Squash, 2g Sugar
  5. EB – Summer Vegetable Dinner, 2g Sugar
  6. EB – Corn & Butternut Squash, 3g Sugar
  7. EB – Peas & Brown Rice, 4g Sugar
  8. EB – Zucchini & Broccoli Medley, 4g Sugar
  9. EB – Spring Vegetables & Pasta, 4g Sugar

Note: If you are in Canada, Baby Gourmet has a couple of good options (e. g. their roasted squash and fruit medley has only 6 grams of sugar!), and their savory meals are low in sugar as well!

I used many of the pouches on this list (prioritizing the flavors listed in bold since those contain only veggies) for my kids when I needed a meal on the go. One thing to note on these pouches is that even if you use them regularly, it’s still important to incorporate a variety of finger foods so your baby becomes familiar with the different textures and flavors of non-pureed food.

I know the baby food aisle can be overwhelming at times, but I hope this post helps you find the healthiest baby food pouches with confidence! If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to leave me a comment on this post or contact me here! I respond to every single message I get! 🙂

For more information about the best products for baby, check out these posts!

  • The Best Probiotics for Kids
  • Best Baby Cereal Brands
  • 80+ Healthy Road Trip Snacks For Kids And Toddlers
  • Best Organic Baby Formula
  • Healthiest Children’s Multivitamins (see my top pick here)

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Aphrodisiacs.

Products that increase sexual activity.

In cooking, herbs, vegetables, fruits, roots, seasonings and spices are widely used to prepare stimulating food. Also, one should not forget about dairy and sour-milk products, such as kefir, cottage cheese, yogurt, cheese.
For sexual arousal it is very important that there is no lack of vitamin B, which is found in legumes, potatoes, fish.
In addition, erotic food must contain enough proteins, fats and carbohydrates for the body.

Products:

Honey . A rich source of boron - improves the metabolism in the body and helps produce estrogen - the main female sex hormone, which increases the sexual energy of men.

Oatmeal . Increases the amount of testosterone (male sex hormone) in the blood.

Eggs . Rich in B vitamins (especially B6 and B5) - balance hormone levels, reduce stress, energize.

Cappuccino . A frothy mixture of cream and coffee, invented by the monks of the Capuchin order, helps to maintain sexual activity.

Ginseng root . The king among aphrodisiacs, which has not lost its power even after four thousand years.

Grapes . The Greek god Dionysus was the god of wine, fertility and reproduction. Even unfermented grapes have stimulating properties.

Pineapple . In the Mediterranean countries, it has a reputation as the most effective libido stimulant.

Truffles . The most favorite excitatory among the Romans. The sexual temptation of truffles is associated with their musky aroma and taste sensation.

Bow . One of the most famous aphrodisiacs. Served to newlyweds in France the morning after their wedding night in order to restore their libido. During the time of the pharaohs, Egyptian priests were forbidden to eat onions. Arabic folklore says that an exciting drink made from onion juice mixed with honey is real Viagra. Onions also help to stimulate blood pressure.

Seafood . Lobster and oysters have always been considered aphrodisiacs. Many believe that all seafood, because it is a light food that does not overload the stomach, has the same properties. It's true - it's not easy being romantic on a full stomach.

Oysters . Always considered an aphrodisiac. Basically, this opinion is associated with the ritual of opening and eating them. Oysters contain a lot of zinc and iron. Iron promotes the transport of oxygen through our vessels, and zinc is the main element that stimulates metabolism. (Warning! All shells spoil quickly, so make sure the shells are tightly sealed. Oysters are fresh if they squeak a little when you pour lemon juice over them.)

Caviar . The name comes from the Persian word "khav-yar", meaning "cake of strength", as the caviar was believed to have the power to restore and promote longevity. Many of the secret stimulating properties of caviar are related to the way it is served at the table.

Chocolate ! Chocolate is a pleasant-tasting source of energy that can lift your spirits. While research hasn't proven that chocolate is a true aphrodisiac, many can agree that a good mood is conducive to romance.

Avocado . The most nutritious fruit in the world helped Louis XIV in moments of love weakness.

Celery . Promotes digestion and in some cases improves the functioning of the genital organs. Celery stalks have long been famous for their magical effect on potency. Celery seeds are used as a garnish for oysters and also in condiments.

Nuts . Grandfather Freud knowingly praised pumpkin seeds for their potential. Eating zinc-rich nucleoli will ensure the smooth functioning of the gonads. Pistachios, walnuts and pine nuts are also good. "King of nuts" - almonds. Oriental men have been crunching them for centuries to always be on top.

Walnut. Used by the Romans during fertility rites, usually to evoke a romantic mood. Walnuts are also used in some wedding ceremonies in place of rice.

Spices . It is not for nothing that the stimulating effect of spices is used by oriental cuisines. The East has long been famous for the art of love. Ginger is especially good, by the way, coriander, anise, cumin, fennel, marjoram, pepper, nutmeg, cinnamon, cardamom will come in handy. Don't forget about horseradish - the British didn't call it horseradish for nothing. Spices will add spice not only to dinner, but also to the subsequent sexy dessert. Nutmeg, pepper, cloves, saffron, ginger, rosemary, like many other aromatic spices, are very conducive to voluptuousness.

Cardamom . According to Indian herbal medicine, crushed cardamom seeds boiled in milk and honey are an excellent remedy for impotence.

Carnation . Chinese literature of the 3rd century BC promoted cloves as an aphrodisiac. The folk epic says that clove powder can make a man desire a woman intensely. In fact, cloves are a great digestive aid.

Garlic . Used for centuries in Europe, Egypt, Greece, Ancient Rome, China and Japan. Garlic is a very old aphrodisiac. It stimulates the secretion of gastric juice, promotes digestion and increases blood pressure.

Ginger . Softens the stomach. It has been used by English women for centuries for menstrual cramps. Sweet ginger ale helped with morning sickness.

Fennel (sweet dill). Its sweet seeds, reminiscent of licorice flour, are one of the most ancient spices, and when brewed in tea, they have medicinal properties for bloating, gas in the intestines and other digestive problems, the healing of which contributes to a good romantic mood.

Vanilla . The energizing properties of vanilla mainly work through smell and aroma. Vanilla is a medicine, an unripe fruit of an orchid. Its name comes from the Spanish word for "pod".

Asparagus . A proven remedy for sexual weakness.

Mushrooms . At the height of the mushroom season, it's time to arm yourself with a basket and go hunting. You will not find famous truffles for the positive effect on the love power. But morels, oil, whites, milk mushrooms, champignons, gain more. They also have a lot of zinc useful for potency. Fried, pickled, salted - everything will go for the future.

Banana . Due to its phallic shape, the banana has always been the "hero" of many jokes. Bananas are rich in potassium and natural sugars. Ayurveda lists the banana as an aphrodisiac. One of the recipes for an exciting banana dish: layer them with curry with butter and walnuts. Eaten at breakfast, this dish will excite your sexual appetite for the whole day.

Coconut . Ayurveda claims that coconut increases sperm count and cleanses the bladder. Walnut pulp, viscous, rich in oil, is eaten in the tropics instead of meat. Oriental doctors recommend it as a valuable food for fatigue caused by chronic diseases. Coconut milk with honey quenches thirst, improves digestion, increases sexual appetite. A drink of pineapple juice, fresh papaya and grated fresh coconut is a delicious, rejuvenating and refreshing breakfast that replenishes enzymes and arouses sexual interest.

Dates . The sweetest fruit on earth. They grow in Africa, Central Asia, southern California. Dates are the main food in many areas of the tropics and deserts, where date palms protect from the scorching sun. According to Ayurveda, dates purify the blood and increase sperm count. Their sugar content, useful for prolonged sex, may be the reason why dates are considered a "love" food. Date rolls are a classic stimulant food. These are finely chopped, pureed dates wrapped in pieces of coconut and filled with blanched almonds. Wow!!!..

Mango . If the word "divine" can be attributed to a fruit, then this is an accurate description of a mango. Juice will run down your lips as you eat this juicy and sweet tropical wonder. Mango grows in the Middle East and India. In Ayurveda, it is noted as easily digestible, strengthening and exciting. Mango is clearly similar to the testicles, which excites the imagination and desire.

Olive oil . The most nutritious of all vegetable oils and the best digested. It can be stored for a long time without heating and does not become rancid. Rich in essential fatty acids, olive oil provides complete nourishment for healthy sex organs. Pure olive oil, pressed from olives, is better than all other oils. The Greeks first of all drink a sip of olive oil in the morning, and then a large spoonful of fresh honey to flush the bile ducts and fill the genitals with strength. Olive oil with tarragon vinegar is great for marinating mushrooms. Natural olive oil is one of the healthiest foods. It is a good cosmetic product. The peoples of the Mediterranean have used it for many centuries in religious rituals for anointing.

Fresh or dried mint leaves peppermint can be steeped in boiling water, infused and taken half a cup twice a day for the same purpose.

Aloe arborescens must be among your indoor plants. This plant is common in everyday life and is known under the name "agave". Aloe leaves are used like this: squeeze the juice and mix with a spoonful of honey. Take it in a teaspoon three times a day. Aloe preparations cause a rush of blood to the pelvic organs. Liquid aloe extract can also be bought at a pharmacy. Course duration - 2-5 weeks.

The reason for the beneficial effect of many products lies in various alkaloids, which have an exciting effect on the body. This primarily applies to various herbs and spices. Chili, paprika or ordinary pepper occupy an honorable first place here, because, among other things, they improve blood circulation in the pelvic organs. Nutmeg also works well, although it is harmful in large quantities. But cocoa, on the contrary, has a relaxing effect and causes a feeling of fullness.

Romantic dinner options:

Romantic dinner at home "at the TV"

Romantic dinner at home in the style of the movie "9 from 1/2 weeks"

Romantic dinner: football party for two

Romantic dinner: a magical holiday for your favorite princess

Romantic dinner: creating an unforgettable setting…

Romantic dinner recipes: - blooming tropical plant of the Malvaceae family, which in Latin America called okra, candia and okra. It grows up to three meters in height, but young green ones are edible pepper-like pods. For for eating, the pods of abelmosh are cut into pieces, boiled and stewed. He goes well with tomatoes, onions, meat, curry, lemon and vinegar, and the taste somewhat reminiscent of zucchini or zucchini. In Costa Rica, mature seeds are roasted and this product serves as a coffee substitute.

Agave - plant Asparagus family, whose leaves grow from a rosette. Most types of agave, similar to each other, grows in the arid mountainous Mexican regions, where they received such names as mezcal, maguey, pita and others. Agave is very valuable since the fibers and spines of its leaves are used by artisans, the juice is for obtaining sweeteners and several varieties of alcoholic beverages, the most famous of which are tequila, pulque and mezcal.

Aguaje Edible palm fruits having an oblong shape, juicy fleshy yellow-red flesh and bittersweet taste. Mauritia tree winding grows in the tropical part of South America in a swampy area and flood plains, such as the Amazon, where indigenous peoples have different own names - aguaje, buriti, moriche. Indians from time immemorial use this palm tree in the household: inflorescences can be eaten instead vegetables, from the pulp they get the fermented drink chichu, make juices and jams, palm fibers are used by artisans, and harvested from trunks weevil larvae are also for consumption. Of fruits, apart from everything other things, get oil with useful cosmetic properties.

Airampo - cactus fruits of one of the species of prickly pear growing in the Andean regions, mainly in Peru, at an altitude of over 3000 meters. They were known back in Inca times as food with a persistent dye and an effective antipyretic, therefore, in their Airampo occupied an important place in culture, songs and holidays were dedicated to it. The fruits are a bit like pitaya, but smaller larger, more fragile, with red seeds. Now they make ice cream refreshing drinks, recommended for stomach ulcers and fever, are baked with them very fragrant bread, and homespun cloths are stained with the red substance of the seeds.

Algarrobo - carob a tree cultivated in the Mediterranean, especially in Spain, is wild in places. It is easily recognizable by its dark pods ranging in length from one to three decimeters, inside which ripen hard beans - algarroba. Beans are surrounded by sweet and pleasant pulp, and these pods, as well as the leaves of algarrobo, are fed to livestock. Except In addition, the pulp is a dietary alternative to chocolate, it is also extracted from it flour, which has an astringent and antidiarrheal effect. Many types of carob trees are common in arid regions of Latin America - Chile, Peru, the Gran Chaco region. Here, carob oil is squeezed out of the fruits, wines and chicha are made, flour, sweets, produce cosmetics.

Annatto - shrub bixa, typical of the tropics of Mexico, Central America, Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Bolivia and Peru, where it is called achiote, acotillo and onoto. The spice obtained from the fruits of this shrub also received the same name. It is used as a dye to give food a beautiful orange color, similar to saffron, and as a condiment. In the food industry, annatto color cheese cheddar, smoked fish and squeezed vegetable oil, and in regional cuisines used for rice, soups and stews. Medicinal properties are also known: astringent, antipyretic, antiseptic, diuretic, laxative. In addition, the indigenous peoples of the Americas annatto dye makes drawings on faces and bodies.

Anyu - nasturtium tuberous, cultivated in the Central Andes of Colombia, Bolivia, Ecuador and Peru is like a potato at an altitude of 2600 to 4100 meters above sea level on lands with poor soil. The indigenous peoples of these countries call the plant mashua, mahua, cubio and bitter potatoes. It is a known fact that anyu tubers suppress sexuality, so the military leaders of the Inca Empire recommended these tubers for army food. Inca warriors were never seen raping women captured cities because they were under the effect of mashua, or because could be called erectile dysfunction.

Arracacha - edible root crop of a plant of the Umbelliferae family, a vegetable crop of Colombia, Costa Rica, Venezuela, Peru, Brazil, Venezuela and Ecuador. Represents something the average between carrots and celery, and in the archives of researchers in Ecuador referred to as the white carrot. Today the main producer arracachi - Colombia. The root crop is pleasant to the taste, easy to digest, rich in calcium, ascorbic acid, phosphorus and vitamin A. The disadvantage is a short storage period. Arracacha is used for soups, purees, meat stews, pies and desserts. In addition, flour and baby food are made from it.

Acai - palm tree Euterpe, common in Brazil. Edible in this tree are core and fruit. Traditionally, fruits are kneaded before eating, releasing the pulp, mixing it with water and turning it into a thick juice. This the substance goes to the preparation of ice cream, jams and jellies, as well as side dishes with cassava flour, fish and seafood. In addition, oil is squeezed out of the fruit, and their seeds are used in handicrafts.

Acerola is a Barbados cherry grown in many tropical regions of Latin America. The fruits of this evergreen tree only outwardly resemble an ordinary cherry, in fact, the plant is not its closest relative. The berries, which contain three seeds, are edible and are used in cooking to add to fruit salads, preserves, jellies and jams.

Achachairu - wood garcinia squat, growing only on the alluvial plains of Bolivia and giving edible fruits - berries similar to mangosteen. The peel of the orange fruit color, becoming reddish as it ripens, and the flesh is white, with bittersweet taste. Bolivians call achachaira the "golden fruit" because its use in cooking is extremely wide: it is used for cooking pork ribs with syrup and other side dishes, as well as in various desserts.

Achira - eland Indian, flowering plant of South America, reaching three meters in height. It is known by various names among the indigenous peoples, and most the common name of them comes from the Quechua language, and the main meaning of this the words are "sneeze". Achira fruits are ellipsoid capsules with very hard black seeds, from which the Amazonian tribes make jewelry. From plant roots starch is extracted, with which bread and cakes are baked, noodles are made, and the broth The roots are used as a diuretic. The juice of the leaves is known as an antiseptic and for healing burns. Still in the leaves of achira wrap products for subsequent grilling or charcoal grilling. In Europe, canna is decorative garden and houseplant.

Basella - Malabar spinach, a fast growing vine native to Southeast Asia, cultivated in tropical countries. Its leaves, which are heart-shaped, are eaten. shape, pleasant aroma and somewhat slimy texture. Like vegetables, basella added to soups, used for frying, stewing, salads. For example, these leaves can be stewed with garlic and pepper or steamed with soy and ginger.

Bakaba - Amazonian Acai-like palm common in Brazil and western Colombia and patavu. The fruits of the palm tree are edible, they have a purple-yellow skin and yellowish-white pulp from which oil is pressed, used in cooking and cosmetology. The pulp of the bakaba fruit is also used to make wine, ice cream and sorbets. The oil pressed from these fruits is green in color and pleasant. aroma, and its physico-chemical properties are similar to olive oil.

Bakuri - Platonia wonderful, deciduous tree growing in tropical rainforests Amazonia - Brazil, parts of Colombia, Paraguay. The fruits of the tree are round or papaya-like oval fruit with thick yellow skin and white sticky pulp with many seeds. The pulp has a good sweet-sour taste and pleasant aroma. Bakuri flowers are pollinated by red-headed white-bellied parrots. from fruit make spices and drinks, from seeds - a remedy for the treatment of skin diseases, and wood is used by carpenters.

Borojo - tropical fruit of the rainforests of the Pacific Ocean of Panama, western Colombia and northwestern Ecuador, growing on bushes. Its name comes from the language Embera people and consists of two parts: boro - head, neho - fruit. ripened green-brown fruit can weigh up to one kilogram, and its pulp used for compotes, cocktails, alcoholic drinks, ice cream, jams and sweets. In addition, borojo is very popular in folk medicine and cosmetology. The fruit has a refreshing sour taste.

Hawthorn mexican - grows on small trees in Mexico and Guatemala, where it is called tehokote in the Nahuatl language. Small fruits look like hard yellow-orange apples with very pleasant aroma and bitter-sweet taste. Traditionally tekokote decorates Mexican altars prepared for the Day of the Dead and also used for a special kind of piñata, aguinaldo, along with tangerines and peanuts. Of these fruits are also prepared for Christmas fruit punch.

Brosimum - differently, milky tree, lechoso. baco. It is a woody plant of the Mulberry family that grows in Central and South America. It is valuable due to its milky juice, not toxic, unlike other plants of this family. Inhabitants of Colombia, Peru and Venezuela harvest it to replace cow's milk, although it has a viscous texture and balsamic aroma. Such vegetable milk is stored for a long time even in tropical climates, and when heated and mixed with water does not rolls up.

Gariroba (Campomanesia pubescens) is a wild shrub common in Brazil, Bolivia and Paraguay. It has edible rounded fruits that become yellow with juicy sweet flesh. The harvest of these fruits takes place in November. AT fresh, they are used in the production of jams, juices and sweet desserts, and in dried - for the preparation of alcoholic beverages. Gariroba is astringent and antidiarrheal effect, for this they make a tincture of leaves and dry fruits. In addition, baths with this tincture help get rid of muscle pain.

Gariroba (Syagrus oleracea) - Amazonian palm, common in the Atlantic forest Brazil, as well as in Paraguay and Bolivia. She is an elegant looking a tree with feathery leaves, and its name comes from the Tupi language and means "bitter person". Palm tree blooms in summer, and bears fruit from October to February. The greenish-yellow, elliptical fruit of the Gariroba is edible, as is the white a seed resembling a nut. The palm is valued for its core, which is called bitter. She is actually sweet and although her taste is really different from others palm species, is a delicacy, including in the culinary arts of the states of Goiás and Minas Gerais. With such a core, traditional pea pies, rice and salads.

Genipa american - a tall deciduous tree, found both wild and cultivated from Mexico to Argentina and the Caribbean. It is valued for fruits, which, however, are edible only when ripe. These fruits have oval shape and rather large, 9-14 cm in length. Their skin is thin and the pulp is fragrant with many small seeds. They can be eaten fresh or made jams, preserves, juices, popsicles, alcoholic drinks. Juice unripe fruit contains phenols, has a bactericidal and astringent effect. South American Indians use it for face painting, as under the action of oxygen oxidizes the juice and turns dark purple. By the tree good wood suitable for carpentry, and its bark and flowers also used in folk medicine.

Granadilla – her more called passion fruit. The fruit grows on evergreen tropical vines of the genus Passionflowers and common in hot regions of Central and South America, and parts of the Caribbean. Except fruits that have a slightly sour taste, beautiful fruits are highly valued in granadilla large flowers, as if consisting of lilac threads, so the plant is often grown as an ornamental. There are about 40 types of passion fruit that are used to make juices, jams and desserts. In Venezuela, the juice of the fruit is mixed with white rum to make guarapita cocktail.

Guabira - evergreen tropical flowering tree, endemic to the south of Brazil, the Amazonian part Bolivia, northern Argentina and Paraguay. Fruits from September to December, and its fruits are spherical yellow sweet berries. They are used mainly in medicine for problems of diarrhea, cystitis, urethritis. Berries locally suitable for making juices, sweets and homemade liqueurs.

Guava - collective name about 100 kinds of fruit plants of the Myrtle family, typical of the Caribbean and subtropics. Their fruits are round or pear-shaped, with a thin delicate peel, and the color the pulp, depending on the species, varies from creamy white to dark red. Aromatic fruits with a very delicate taste, thanks to which they are popular in cooking. They are eaten raw or cut into slices and served with sugar and cream as a dessert, and they used to make jellies, jams, juices and alcoholic beverages.

Jackfruit – tree, also called Indian breadfruit, originally from Indonesia, but cultivated in Brazil. It differs from the breadfruit of increased fragility of branches and that which gives the greatest fruits in the plant world - the length of its fruits can reach more than a meter, the diameter is more than 20 centimeters, and weight - more than 30 kilograms. The fibrous pulp of these fruits is edible and has a sweet and sour taste, comparable to a mixture of mango and orange, and in cooking, you can use both unripe jackfruit as a vegetable, and ripe for salads and desserts. Wood is used in carpentry for the production of furniture.

Jaboticaba Brazilian grape tree cultivated in the tropics as a fruit crop. It has black or maroon glossy drupes with juicy jelly-like light flesh up to four centimeters in size. These berries can be eaten fresh. or use to make jelly, marmalade, vinegar, juice drinks or wine. In addition, the bark of the tree and the narrowed skin of the fruit are good remedy for diarrhea.

Ikako - evergreen shrub of the American tropics, bearing fruit, also called the golden plum. The fruit is similar in color and shape to a peach, but smaller, and the seed resembles plum bone. Ikako has soft light flesh with a delicate taste, and its can be eaten in its natural form or as a jam with syrup, especially popular in Venezuela. Almibar marmalade is also prepared from it.

Kaimito - tropical fruit tree of the Sapotaceae family, which is called in the Rio de la Plata region aguay, in Brazil - abiu, and in Ecuador - cauje. kaimito trees grow quite high, 40-50 meters, and the fruits are oval, yellow-green, with large oval seeds. Their flesh is whitish, translucent, with mucous and very sticky texture. Among all types of boots, kaimito is the most highly valued. for softness and caramel aroma. It can be eaten fresh, pre-lubricated lip butter to prevent sticking, add to ice cream and yogurt. AT In Brazil, overripe caimito juice is used to relieve coughs and increase blood hemoglobin levels, as an astringent and antidiarrheal agent.

Canistel - fruits plants a plant that was cultivated in Mexico and north Central America, and is now being introduced into the horticulture of Colombia and Venezuela. Biological the name Pouteria campechiana comes from the Mexican city of Campeche, also these fruits are called drunk - borracho. The taste of their pulp is sweet and in texture comparable to boiled egg yolk. Kanistel is consumed fresh and in the form of jams and jams. It can be added to milk to make smoothies or purees, to dough for sweet pastries, custard or ice cream. Canistel wood used in construction.

Kapulin - small tree of the Rosaceae family, native to Mexico and Guatemala and common throughout throughout Central America. It is known that the Aztecs used its pods in their gastronomy, ate them both fresh and stewed. The Spaniards called the capulin cherries and mountain cherries for their resemblance to the fruits of the usual cherry tree. These fruits, 1-2 cm in diameter, have a thin skin of maroon, almost black, color, heavy berry aroma and sweet and sour taste. Right now in in Latin American countries, alcoholic drinks and jams are prepared from capulin, used as a filler for tamales or an ingredient in dairy desserts.

Carambola – distributed throughout the Caribbean and northern South America perennial tropical shrub, the fruits of which, when cut across, have the shape of a five-pointed star, due to which they are also called stellar fruits. Carambola pulp is juicy, slightly fibrous and sour. You can eat it both raw and cooked in various forms, for example, with acetic refueling. The consumption of these fruits is not recommended for people with chronic kidney diseases.

Cas - one of the types guava, growing mainly in Costa Rica and Colombia. The fruit has bitter-sour taste, which is why it is called bitter guava. Basically, cas used for the preparation of non-alcoholic beverages. In Costa Rica prefer to fill it with water, adding sugar, and sometimes milk. Sliced ​​from Kasa is great for fruit and vegetable salads.

Cashew - tropical culture, the distribution area of ​​\u200b\u200bwhich covers Brazil, part of Venezuela, Colombia and Peru. The Indian name is kahu. Cashews produce nut-like fruits that are used in cooking, cosmetology and medicine, and all parts are used, including including, and a large fleshy yellow stalk, although it has a strong sour and astringent taste. Jams, sweet canned food are prepared from this pseudo-fruit, jelly, wine and vinegar, but real fruits - nuts are more valued.

Quinoa - annual plant of the genus Mary, cultivated in South America in the highlands with poor soils and harsh climate, and the main producers are Peru and Bolivia. It is often referred to as quinoa or rice quinoa. Quinoa grains are very nutritious, have a slight nutty flavor and are superior in many respects traditional cereals, corn, rice and oats. Used in cooking energy drinks and traditional Andean gastronomy, which they prepare not only side dishes, but also make flour or leave the grain to ferment, receiving soft drinks.

Cupuaçu - Amazonian a tree of the genus Theobroma, cultivated in South America in the pre-Columbian era. Its fruits are similar to cocoa and can partly replace them, so sometimes they called white cocoa, since the pulp is white. In Bolivia, cupuaçu is used on an industrial scale to produce butter and liqueurs, but in general it serves for the preparation of drinks, cakes, jams, jellies and sweets. The oil is used in cooking, cosmetics and lubricants. materials. From the seed of the fruit, fat is isolated, which serves as an ingredient for cupulate - chocolate-like product.

Kuruba - tumbo, or banana granadilla, or the most delicate passionflower, common in Colombia, Venezuela, Bolivia, Ecuador and Peru. It is a tree-like vine, large fruits of which have an oblong shape with a thick pale yellow skin and orange-brown sweet and sour flesh. These fruits can be eaten fresh. form, eating out the pulp with a spoon, or prepare juices, refreshing drinks and wines, jellies, jams, desserts. Kuruba is often added to fruit salads.

Leopoldinia - palm tree species, common in the upper basins of the Rio Negro and Orinoco in Brazil, Venezuela and Colombia. They usually grow in large populations, called fibrils, in which local residents extract raw materials for weaving baskets, trays, dishes and vaz. With age, the brown leaves of leopoldinia begin to hang from the trunk, giving the impression of torn clothes - and it is they who serve as a source of material for handicraft. These leaves are also used as roofing material, and in palm fruits of a greenish-golden color with a whitish and slightly oily pulp.

Leucena light-headed is a plant species of the Legume family, evergreen shrub native to Central and South America. He easily reproduces and takes root in areas with tropical and subtropical climate, so it is now found in different parts of the world. Have leucene valuable are young shoots and immature pods that have a garlic taste, which the indigenous people of Mexico, Belize and Guatemala are used for cooking soups and side dishes. The green mass of plants also goes to feed livestock, and plantings bushes reinforce the slopes of the hills.

Lukuma - fruit a tree from the Sapotaceae family, which is cultivated in Peru, Chile, Bolivia, Mexico and Costa Rica. Fruits, rounded with an oblong conical apex, especially used in Peruvian and Chilean gastronomy for cooking desserts, ice cream, pastries and puddings. Rarely used fresh because of the specific aftertaste, and the fruit must be very ripe. From dried Turkish delights make canned food and sweet non-perishable flour.

Macuba - palm tree, having many names. In Yucatan it is called coyol, in Venezuela - coroso, in Paraguay - grugru. Wood is highly valued for its fibers. leaves, from which threads are spun for the manufacture of various household items, and fruits that smell like coconut. Macuba fruit oil is used in soap making, and the pulp is used fresh, fried, also made from it flour and liqueurs. An infusion of palm roots is used in diabetes.

Malay apple - fruit of one from trees of the Myrtaceae family. It is a pear-shaped fruit with a shiny reddish rind, watery texture and sweet rose scent. The tree comes from Malaysia, but common in Central and South America and on the islands Caribbean Sea. These fruits are eaten raw, although they are considered tasteless by many. Malay apples can also be stewed with cloves or other aromatic seasonings, such as hibiscus, and served with cream as a dessert. AT Puerto Rico makes red and white table wines from them.

Mangosteen - tree, common in Central America. Its fruits are not very large, they are covered thick, inedible skin of maroon color, inside of which is several segments of white flesh suitable for human consumption and having pleasant and delicate sweet and sour taste. Mangosteen is usually eaten fresh, and the best fruit. those with the largest number of segments are considered. Peel the fruit gently cut and remove like a lid, leaving the pulp in a beautiful natural bowl. It's better to eat with a fork.

Cassava - essential agricultural crop native to Latin America. The oldest evidence of cassava cultivation is from the second millennium BC. Now it is widespread in many countries of the world, where is very popular due to the ease of cultivation, high productivity and wide culinary use. This is a tuber, raw contains cyanide, so it is boiled, mashed to remove the toxic sap, and make good flour, fried in the form of chips - in every regional Latin American cuisine has dozens of cooking methods.

Matasano - white sapota, whose distribution area covers Mexico and Central America with the Antilles. A feature of the fruit is a hypnotic effect, described in the 16th century by the Spanish explorers and conquistadors. So, among the records it was noted that the Indians use matasano to heal ulcers, for intestinal pain in infants and inflammation, as a pain reliever. In cooking, matasano is prepared smoothies, salads, desserts with sugar and cream, added to ice cream and jams.

Mexican coriander - odorous bluehead, a perennial plant from the tropical countries of Central and South America, cultivated as a spice and used as a substitute cilantro and parsley with a richer taste. In Peru, it is most consumed Amazonian peoples, in Ecuador - Afro-Ecuadorians, in more northern countries - ethnic groups of Caribbean origin. In Panama, Mexican coriander is mixed with parsley, garlic, green onions and onions to get recado verde - seasoning for stews, soups and sauces. This plant is also used in folk medicine.

Mexican tea - mar ragweed, or epasotl in Mexico, payco and sacred grass in Colombia, perennial plant used as a medicinal plant by the Aztecs. Counts, that its homeland is Central America, but now it is distributed by invasive method in many countries in subtropical and temperate climate zones; also found in Russia as a weed. In Mexico, it is grown next to homes for subsequent use in the preparation of tamales, chileatole, quesadillas, escamole, broths and side dishes. The plant is used as an antispasmodic remedy for colds, amenorrhea, dysmenorrhea, asthma, intestinal parasites, but such use is dangerous by overdose - in Mexican tea contains monoterpenes and phenylpropanoids.

Melicoccus Spanish lime, a tropical fruit tree cultivated in Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador and Central America. Its fruits are drupes - juicy fruits with fragile green skin and slimy salmon or ivory flesh. There are white seeds inside. The fruit has a bitter-sweet taste. They can be eaten raw, although they have some laxative effect. Often they are made fruit sweet canned food, refreshing drinks. In addition, they are edible both seeds and Indians replace cassava with them in their cooking.

Mombin - "Mexican plum", cultivated in the Caribbean, Mexico, Central America, Peru, Brazil and Venezuela. In the Nahuatl language, this fruit is called jokote, which means sour fruit. In folk medicine of the peoples of the named area, mombin has the most wide application - for anemia, ulcers, gastrointestinal diseases, colds, kidney disease, headaches. The taste of fruits depends on the degree ripeness, and they are eaten fresh, but also sweet preserves, syrups, soft drinks and ice cream.

Medlar - decorative fruit shrub, which is also called loquat and nispero. His homeland is Asia, but it is grown in many places on our planet, including from Mexico to Argentina. Loquat fruits, yellow or orange, resemble apples in many aspects and are used to prepare fillings for pies, puddings, jams, fruit salads, marmalade and wine. This fruit can be eaten fresh.

Nance - evergreen a tree that produces small, round, yellow fruits with a strong aroma and sweet taste, leaving a slight bitter aftertaste. Nanse is native to Mexico, places of worship of the goddess Tonantzin, and from the Aztec language its name translated as mother. There are dozens of ways to cook in Mexico with this fruit - raw, salads, enchiladas, compotes, salted, soaked, infused with strong liquor. In costa rica from nanse they usually make liqueurs and wine, and in Panama they make desserts with sugar, corn starch and soft white cheese.

Naranjilla - beautiful subtropical shrub known by that name in Ecuador, Panama and Costa Rica, and like lulo in Mexico, Colombia, Venezuela and some others countries. The fruits are tomato-like with bright yellow, orange, or brown skin, and inside they are divided into four segments filled with yellow-green pulp. Their aroma is citrus, vaguely reminiscent of a mixture of rhubarb and lime. Naranjilla is used to make desserts and a wide range of drinks.

Oka - rich starchy tuber grown in the Andean highlands and known as good replacement for potatoes. Most of all it is cultivated in Peru, Bolivia and Argentina. The taste of oka is rich, sweetish-sour. Depending on the degree of readiness the texture may be crispy or crumbly. The peel contains oxalic acid, so the tubers are always well cleaned. Typical of Andean cuisine cooking oka with potatoes.

Prickly pear - plant from cactus family, which grows in North and South America. Household the use of prickly pear is widespread and can be traced from ancient times, especially in Mexican cultures, where it is called nopal. Cactus fruit - pear-shaped prickly berry, the color of which depends on the variety and may be reddish, orange, yellow or white. Young stalks of prickly pear are suitable for food - for salads, and fruits for desserts.

Pacaya - stunted palm of the genus Hamedorea (Chamaedorea tepejilote), found in the wild in Mexico, Guatemala and El Salvador, and also cultivated as an ornamental plant. It is undemanding to lighting and heating. During flowering, the plant produces small pleasantly smelling inflorescences from pale yellow to orange-red, and it is they that are used in the Mayan cuisine of the countries mentioned - they are dipped in batter and fried, added to salads and side dishes. Pacaya is called "mountain corn".

Passiflora blue is a tropical liana that grows in South America. Her flowers are very beautiful: large, about 10 cm in diameter, with whitish petals and a corolla of purple threads. The unusual shape of the flower and its parts in Christianity were associated with the biblical symbolism. The fruits are large yellow-orange berries, inside which lots of seeds. The therapeutic properties of these berries are recognized for various neurotic disorders.

Patava - palm tree, growing in South America from Panama to the borders of the Peruvian rainforest in very humid and rainy areas. In different countries, it has different names: maho, sekhe, milpesos, unamo, ungurahua. Bolivian city of Riberalta in the department of Beni is one of the leading manufacturers and exporters patava, and in the Venezuelan state of Bolivar, it is an indispensable part regional cuisine. Patava fruits have an oblong shape, 3-4 cm in diameter, purple-black skin and fleshy flesh, rich in oil, which is used in the medicine of the indigenous Amazonian peoples.

Peyote , also peyote, - cactus Lofofora Williams, common in the north-east of Mexico and in southern regions of Texas. He is known primarily for the content hallucinogenic substances, which is why it is forbidden to be grown as houseplant in many countries. The Indians of Mexico and the United States use peyote for the preparation of ritual drinks and revered as a deity. Since 2017 Lophophora Williams is a critically endangered species.

Pecan - Hazel pecan, walnut tree native to the USA and Mexico, but introduced into cultivation in Brazil and other countries in South America, as well as Europe and Asia. Its peeled fruits outwardly resemble a walnut, only more elongated. They are very oily contain a high concentration of minerals and vitamins, especially useful for people with heart disease. The taste of nuts is peculiar and pleasant, therefore they are often used in the manufacture of confectionery. mexican indians Pecan bark is also used as a drug for tuberculosis, fever and stomach disorders.

Pimenta – plant genus of the Myrtle family, of which Pimenta officinalis is best known, giving allspice. It is a perennial tree growing up to 30 meters in height, which comes from the humid and rainy regions of Central America. fruits of different types of pimento are actively used in Latin American national cuisines, for example, it is a characteristic ingredient of Caribbean gastronomy, and in Mexico they added to milk sauces, barbecue salsas, and sausage curry mixes. AT Guatemalan pimento is added not only to flavor food, but also to fruit canned food with cordia and melicoccus.

Pitaya - “fruit dragon", the collective name for the fruits of vine-shaped cacti growing in Mexico, Central and South America. There are two main types of fruits: red-skinned and with yellow. The flesh is usually white with small black seeds, but sometimes reddish. It has a pleasant aroma and sweet taste. Eating fresh pitaya cutting in half and using a spoon, and also used to make cocktails, ice cream, marmalades, jams, compotes, cakes and other sweets.

Pitanga - Surinamese cherry, a fruit tree that produces edible ribbed berries 2-4 cm in diameter. Their color varies as it matures from reddish to reddish and maroon. Cultivated in Colombia, Venezuela, Paraguay, Uruguay, Brazil, Bolivia, Argentina and Central America. Berries are eaten fresh or sprinkled with sugar to soften the bitter taste. Canned food is prepared with them, jellies, desserts. In the Argentine province of Corrientes, pitanga juice is produced aguardiente. You can also make wine and vinegar from the juice.

Pomeranian – tree of the genus Citrus with spherical fruits with a thick, uneven orange peel. Fruits are commonly used to extract essential oils and as a disguise. unpleasant tastes and odors of medicines and dietary supplements. AT cooking orange is used for making jams, liqueurs and soft drinks.

Puruma - Amazonian grapes, caimaron, corn, mapati, tanariba or uvilla, fruit tree 12-15 meters high, growing in the Amazonian rainforests of Bolivia, Brazil, Peru, Ecuador, Venezuela and Colombia. Local ethnic groups cultivated purum long before the arrival of the Spanish and Portuguese conquerors, but still wild varieties are found. Its fruits are 4 cm in diameter, juicy and sweet white pulp that envelops the hard seed. They can be eaten fresh or cooked various sweets, alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks.

Rambutan - fruit a tropical tree native to Southeast Asia that came to Latin America in the 20th century. It has taken root well in Mexico and Ecuador, where it is called achotillo, as well as in the countries of Central America under the names Chinese mammon and licha. Rambutan has oblong fruits 3-6 cm long and 3-4 cm in diameter with red skin covered with soft spines. flesh white, sweet and sour, enveloping one seed containing toxins.

Renealmia - genus of flowers plants, including more than a hundred species common in tropical areas America and Africa. In Latin America, especially in Mexico, leaves renealmia wrap tamals for a spicy and special flavor culinary products. The fruits of the plant are used in the preparation of yellow moles. or for kneading dough for corn tortillas.

Sapota - wood from Southern Mexico and tropical America, where he is called "mama" - transformation the words "mama" into the Taino language. The fruits are large berries up to 20 cm long, ovoid forms, with reddish-brown rough skin. The pulp of berries is sweet, fleshy, orange-red color. They are eaten raw, as well as ice cream, jam and jellies, smoothies, fruit bars. Some people think that the sapota is aphrodisiac.

Sirikote - Cordia twelve-starred, fruit tree growing in Central America, Mexico, Guatemala and Belize, in the Caribbean, also known as names tsirikote, zirikote, kupape. He has very beautiful orange-red flowers, so it is often used to decorate parks and gardens. Fruit light yellow, 3-5 cm in diameter, with one or two edible seeds. pulp shirikote has a sour taste, they are used to prepare various sweets, fruit preserves and jellies. Sirikote wood is also highly valued, from which make furniture and musical instruments.

Soursop – very valuable fruit tree of the tropics, which is the closest relative of the cherimoya. Common in the Caribbean and from Mexico to Argentina. The fruits of the tree are very large, and their weight can reach seven kilograms. As the skin matures becomes yellowish and covered with thorns, and under it hides a creamy white pulp with a pleasant sweet and sour taste, as if melting in the mouth. These fruits are eaten fresh or prepare desserts and a variety of sweets from them, low alcohol drinks and cocktails.

Tamarillo - family tree Nightshade, which gives fruits similar to tomatoes in appearance, due to which it called the tomato tree. The fruits are berries that ripen in clusters and have yellowish red skin. In Ecuador and Colombia, tamarillo is credited with medicinal properties when used against throat diseases and flu, and in Bolivia they believe to help with liver problems. In cooking, it is used to prepare different sauces, as well as desserts and pastries.

Tamarind - seeds of this trees were brought to Mexico and South America in the XVI century from Africa. Belongs to the legume family, so its fruits are pods up to 20 cm long, in the pulp of which numerous seeds are located. The pulp is edible and used as a spice: unripe green for spicy dishes, and ripe for desserts, snacks and drinks. In Mexico, tamarinds are used to make the most different sauces.

Tangelo - types citrus fruits native to Southeast Asia, may be a hybrid of mandarin and grapefruit or tangerine and pamelo. Tangelo fruits come with an easily removable orange or greenish rind, about the size of a man's fist. They are very juicy, have a sweet and sour and slightly spicy taste and little pulp, due to what they are used in the production of juices. In addition, the tangelo is beautiful goes well with poultry and meat and is an excellent ingredient for salads gas stations. In Latin America, it is grown in the Colombian region of Llanos, Meta department, and other areas with a climate suitable for citrus fruits.

Taro - Tahitian form of the name of a perennial plant Colocasia edible (ancient), common in Southeast Asia, Africa and other areas of the world with tropical and subtropical climate. To Latin America, the Caribbean, Panama, Colombia and Venezuela, it came along with African slaves. Value taro is an underground tuber that can grow up to 4 kg in weight. Depending on the variety, the flesh of the tubers can be white, cream, red, yellow or pink. Raw, they are inedible, cause a strong burning sensation in the mouth and problems with the gastrointestinal tract, so they are fried or boiled and served as an accompaniment to meat and vegetable dishes

Theobroma - small tropical jungle trees of Central and South America cultivated for cocoa production, although the genus includes about 20 different species, not only cocoa. The name comes from the Greek words meaning "food of the gods". The fruits are large ovoid or cylindrical, can be either smooth or ribbed. The most common product made from them is chocolate.

Tukuma – astrocarium prickly, palm tree with edible fruits, growing in the tropical countries of South America. The wood of this palm tree is used by artisans to produce earrings, leaf fibers hardened in salt water - for nets and strings. From oil is squeezed out of fruits, both from the pulp and from the seeds. It's believed that Eating these fruits helps control blood sugar levels. blood, and cholesterol.

Wakatai - annual plant from the genus of marigolds, originating from the Andes. It is common in Peru, Ecuador, Bolivia, Chile, Argentina and partly in Paraguay, and in each country it has their names: uakataya, chinchilla, kinchiue, chinchu, suiko. It is also called Peruvian black mint. Wakatai grows up to 50 cm in height, has small light flowers and dark green carved leaves with a strong smell, which, when carelessness can cause burns to agricultural workers. Leaves huacatai is added to the famous Andean dish pachamanca to give specific aroma, as well as in other potato, vegetable and nut dishes sauces.

Ulluko - annual plant with tubers rich in starch, which is cultivated and eaten in highlands of the Andes, in Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia. Ulluco can grow at altitudes up to 3800 meters above sea level. Tubers in shape resemble small potatoes with yellow skin covered with crimson and purple spots. When frying, they break up into a slimy porridge, but they can be boiled, at the same time they retain their shape and remain crispy, and the Andean peoples of them make traditional chuño. Ulluco leaves are also edible and are used in salads. or stew. The taste of cooked leaves is reminiscent of spinach.

Umari – tree, also called porakveiba, guakure, jure, teechi. Comes from the pool Amazon and cultivated in Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru. Boil fruits are ovoid fruits 5-10 cm long with a fairly large stone and thin shiny skin of yellow, orange, greenish and black. pulp fruit yellow, has an oily texture and a pleasant taste. Umari can be eaten fresh, and the indigenous Amazonian peoples eat these fruits with cassava flour farinha, cook rice and soft drinks with them. Roasted seeds too edible.

Umbu – imbu, The Brazilian plum is a tree native to the northeast of Brazil. It grows up to 6 meters in height and has tuberous roots that accumulate moisture and nutrients to survive the drought period. Umbu fruits are drupes with green or yellow skinned, very watery when ripe. These fruits are very valued by the natives of the arid regions. Juices, jams are made from umba, desserts with milk and sugar, the leaves are used in salads, and the bark is attributed medicinal properties.

Learn – learn amarelo, Amazonian fruit tree introduced in Brazil and Venezuela, especially in basins of the Amazon and steam rivers. It can grow up to 30 meters in height and have a trunk diameter of more than a meter. The bark of the tree is light gray, and the fruits are green-yellow, highly valued in the region. Uchi fruits are high in fatty acids. acids, and the bark is brewed as tea and this tincture is used in folk medicine as an anti-inflammatory agent for arthritis, rheumatism, diseases bladder, uterine tumors and infections. Drugs and nutritional supplements, containing uchi are sold in health food stores in powder form and capsules.

Fig-leaved pumpkin - liana from the Pumpkin family, cultivated in all countries of Latin America for its large fruits, seeds and young shoots, and in every country it has its own names: alcayota, coyote, lacayote, chiclayo, chilacayote etc. Flowers, shoots and immature fruits of this pumpkin are eaten as vegetables, in soups, stews and salads. Ripe fruits with a very pleasant aroma and fibrous texture, cooked with sugar, getting "angel hair", that is a type of jam in which vegetable fibers are felt well. The seeds are roasted and also eaten.

Physalis Peruvian - a shrub of the Solanaceae family, also known as the Peruvian cherry, uchuva, uvilla, uguaimanto, wushun and cape gooseberry. It comes from the Andean regions Peru, Chile, Bolivia, Ecuador, Colombia and Venezuela. physalis bush can grow up to one or two meters in height, and its bitter-sweet yellow fruits structure similar to small cherry tomatoes. They are eaten separately, in syrup, during fruit desserts and yoghurts, in salads, they also serve as a decorative element in the design of ice cream and cakes.

Jicama - grassy plant from the legume family, originating from Central America, but successfully introduced into the agriculture of China and Southeast Asia. This liana able to grow up to 4-5 meters, has a watery tuberous root, which is edible. The name comes from the Nahuatl language, but it's interesting that in Ecuador, another root vegetable, yacon, is called jicama, but real jicama may also be referred to as bearing and mexican turnip. The taste of the root crop is sweet, and can be eaten raw with salt, lemon and chili, or in salads, as well as in soups or stingy form. Residents of Mexico also prepare jicama juice.

Cyclantera - South American a plant from the gourd family, cultivated in the Amazon and other tropical and subtropical areas. It is an annual vine with antennae in leaf axils to cling to other plants or supports, growing up to 12 meters long. The fruits can be either dark green or white, their skin is covered with thorns, and the flesh is whitish, spongy, tastes like a cucumber and sweet pepper. Ripe fruits are eaten raw in salads, stuffed with ground beef. or canned tuna with other ingredients, as well as stew and bake.

Chayote - Mexican cucumber, puffed potatoes, chuchu, hyuiskile - a plant of the Pumpkin family, with known in the gastronomy of the Aztecs, Mayans, Indian tribes Caribbean coast. Now the main supplier of chayote is Costa Rica. It is a perennial crop with light green pear-shaped fruits 7 to 20 cm long and sweet white flesh. The fruits are used in cooking both raw and stewed, boiled, baked. Chayote roots can be cooked like potatoes.

Chaya - shrub, common in Mesoamerica. It is called spinach tree and chickaskill, and the botanical name of the species is Cnidoscolus aconitifolius. In cooking, he is very popular because its leaves can replace spinach and cabbage, and since ancient times times they were an indispensable ingredient of Mayan gastronomy. Tea was eaten in mixture with corn and pumpkin seeds, pre-boiled - raw leaves toxic, they contain hydrocyanic acid. Now on the Mexican land of the Maya with various tamals, cheeses and traditional medicines are prepared with these leaves.

Cherimoya - fruit tree of the genus Annona, originating from the Andean foothills of Colombia, Peru, Ecuador and Bolivia, resistant to slight cold. Over time, its cultivation spread to other American countries, and after the colonization of the continent Europeans came to the Mediterranean, Africa, Asia and Australia. He is appreciated for edible fruits that can be eaten fresh or prepared from them ice cream, fruit drinks, various sweets. Cherimoya seeds are toxic.

Chia is a plant of the species Spanish sage originating from Mexico, Guatemala and other countries of Central America, which can grow up to one meter in height. Traditionally used by the indigenous people for food, for this, its seeds are used, known for the highest concentration of omega-3 unsaturated fatty acids. Chia seeds do not need to be crushed, they are simply added to salads, stews, soups, smoothies, yogurts, but in Indian cooking there is pinole from ground dried seeds - a powdery sweet base for drinks and desserts.

Chipilin – types crotalaria, Central American plants from the legume family, growing up to three meters in height. They are known for their high content of iron, calcium and beta carotene. Chipilin leaves in El Salvador are added to soups, and in Mexico and In Guatemala they make tamals with them, mixing the green mass with chicken, pork and other ingredients. However, some species are toxic, and to Australia, for example, the import of chipilin is prohibited. On the other hand, in Native American folk medicine they treat insomnia, rheumatism, some wounds, and alcoholism.

Chontaduro or peach palm tree - a tree of the Amazonian jungle that gives edible fruits of yellow-orange colors called by the local Chonta people. They are one of the most nutritious fruits of the selva, and since pre-Columbian times used for the preparation of low-alcohol drinks. Also these fruits boiled in water with salt, lemon, vinegar and honey, but you can use them and raw, adding to fruit salads. There are ways to process fruit into flour and production of bakery products and noodles.

Shinus is a genus of trees, yielding fruits that, when dried, are used in cooking to give peppery taste. Of all the species, the most famous is the Peruvian pepper and its pink fruit, spice used to flavor drinks, syrups, fermented drinks. Native American peoples have used pink since ancient times. pepper as a medical remedy for the relief of dental and rheumatic more, with bronchitis and to protect against mosquitoes. The species is distributed in the south of Brazil, in Peru, Bolivia, Chile and Argentina, and invasively introduced to Africa and Europe.

Yucca – group of plants from the family Asparagus. Of the species of yucca, the most famous is filamentous yucca, the fibers of the leaves of which still added to denim for wear resistance, as well as yucca giant, common in Central America, is the national flower Salvador and a beautiful plant used for ornamental purposes. Less well known is the elephant yucca, whose inflorescence is in Central American is called isote and is cooked with egg and tomatoes.

Yacon - perennial herbaceous plant of the Astrov family comes from the Andean regions with warm and temperate climate, similar to sunflower and Jerusalem artichoke. It is grown because of the sweet and crunchy rhizome, which resembles an apple in texture and watermelon. It was well known in the Inca Empire, it was used during religious holidays and made a tincture from the leaves. Yacon is eaten raw and made juice from it, however, the sugars of this root crop are not absorbed in the body human, which is valuable in the diet of diabetics. In Ecuador, the plant is erroneously called jikama.

Yams - generalized the name of several plant species that produce large, edible tubers. grow up them in the tropics and subtropics around the world, but the leading producer of yams is Nigeria. In Latin America, most yams are cultivated in Cuba, in Colombia, Brazil and Venezuela it is white yam, Dioscorea trifida species.

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