Often considered a weed, the common dandelian can also be used as a medical herb and as food. Dandelion leaves can be collected from the wild but are also sometimes grown to be used as a leaf vegetable. Young leaves and unopened buds are used raw in salads. Older leaves are cooked.
Canary grass is a relatively unknown cereal which is grown mainly for birdseed. This plant which belongs to the grasses family (Poaceae) originates from the Mediterranean region.
Most canary grass is produced in Canada and Thailand.
Jack bean, is a legume which originates from Central America. The entire plant can be used as a fodder for animals. The beans are sometimes eaten but they are slightly toxic and should be boiled to remove the toxicity.
A (plant) species is called indigenous if it is originating or occurring naturally in a particular place. An indigenous species is also called a “native” species.
Farmer Field School (FFS) is a training approach. It is a season-long training activity for farmers that takes place in their ownfield. It is season-long so that it covers all the different developmental stages of the crop and their related management practices. The training process is always learner-centered, participatory and relying on an experiential learning
Farmer Field School Read More »
Shiitake mushroom is an edible mushroom which originates from East Asia. The first part of the name (shii) is the Japanese name for a tree. Shiitake mushrooms are grown on dead wood of this tree.
Açaí is a palm which is cultivated for its fruits. These Açaí berries are edible and often used to make fruit drinks. Also the Açaí palm heart is edible and can be used as a vegetable.
Tangerine is a variety of the Mandarin orange. There are many varieties of tangerine with different colors and taste. Some are called tangerine, others are called mandarins, and sometimes these names are mixed. Clementines are seedless tangerines.
The term “Neolithic founder crops” is used for the eight plant species that were first domesticated (about 7-10,000 years ago) by early farming communities in a region which is known as the Fertile Crescent in the Near East. Another term sometimes used is “Primary domesticates”. The eight crops are: Flax (or Linseed) Emmer wheat Einkorn
Neolithic founder crops Read More »
Centella, or Asiatic pennywort, is a medicinal herb, which is used in traditional African and traditional Chinese medicine. Some claim that it can cure or help relieve arthritis.
The blue agave is used in Mexico as the main ingredient of tequila. Tequila is a popular distilled beverage.
The Kudzu vine is a fast growing plant that originates from east and southeast Asia, where it is used for erosion prevention and soil improvement. Other uses include animal feed and it is used in traditional medicines. Fibers of the plant are known as ko-hemp and can be used to make clothing or paper.
Most olives are produced in countries surrounding the Mediterranean Sea where the orchards with their garbled trees are a typical part of the landscape. Olive trees are usually cultivated to produce olive oil, which is a high quality edible oil used for cooking and in salads.
Olive trees can be very old, sometimes several centuries.
Oat is a cereal that used to be the staple food for people in Scotland. In most other countries its main use is as a fodder for livestock. When oats are used for human consumption it is often in the form of oatmeal or rolled oats which are used to prepare oat porridge or oat cookies.
Rye is closely related to wheat and barley. It grows in temperate climates and is the most winter hardy of all cereals.
Rye is usually grown for its grain, which can be used to make dark (sometimes almost black) rye bread, but can also be used as a fodder crop.
Sorghum is an important cereal in relatively drier tropical regions. Usually it is grown for the grain, as a fodder crop or as a biofuel. Globally it is now the 5th important cereal after maize, rice, wheat and barley, but in Africa it is the second most important cereal after maize.
In the highlands of Ethiopia the main staple food grown is Tef or Teff, which is a very fine grass-like cereal. Tef flour is used to prepare ‘injera’ or ‘enjera’, which is a soft spongy bread that looks like a pancake. In a few other countries tef is grown to produce hay as a fodder crop.
Wheat is worldwide the third most-important cereal after maize and rice, but it is the most important cereal of the temperate regions. It has been cultivated domestically for at least 11,000 years. Wheat flour has many uses, but its main use is to make bread, a staple food for many people around the world.
The genus Sorghum includes several species. Sorghum bicolor is grown as a cereal crop while other species are used as fodder crops. Sorghum spp are grown throughout the drier tropics.
Olericulture is the science of vegetable growing. It deals with the cultivation of herbaceous (non-woody) plants for their edible parts which are used as food.
The Oyster mushroom is an edible mushroom species which was first cultivated in Germany during World War I. Nowadays it is used worldwide. It can be collected from the wild or it can be cultivated commercially on straw and other media.
The taste of cempedak fruits is similar to that of jackfruit and breadfruit, which are related fruit species.
African eggplant (Solanum macrocarpon) is closely related to the eggplant (Solanum melongena).
It is a tropical perennial plant which originates from Africa and is now also cultivated in the Caribbean, South America, and Southeast Asia.
Cumin is a plant in the Apiaceae family, which makes it a relative of carrots and parsley.
Cumin seeds are used as a spice either whole or ground to a powder. It is used in the cuisines of various cultures.
Mustard greens is a type of mustard plant (in the cabbage family) of which the leaves, seeds and stem are edible. The leaves have a pungent taste and are used as greens. Seeds are used to produce mustard oil.
The term “Fruit” usually refers to a structure of a plant containing the seeds. In the World Crops Database, the “Fruits” category refers only to fruits that are fleshy and are usually eaten raw (such as bananas, apples and mangoes). The category does not include vegetable fruits (e.g. beans, peas) or cereals.
Whenever you eat Miracle fruit followed by food with a sour taste, you will find that the sour food suddenly tastes sweet.
The name Miracle fruit is also used for some other plant species which also can change the perceived sweetness of food.
The Asian pear originates from China, Japan and Korea but is now also cultivated outside Asia.
The Asian pear (or Nashi pear) is sometimes called 'Apple pear', but it is not a cross between apples and pears, as this name suggests. It is a pear that rather looks like an apple.
Cantaloupe is one of the varieties in the species Cucumus melo. Cantaloupes are melons with orange flesh.
Fenugreek seeds are used to prepare pickles and curry powders. Fenugreek is also used by lactating women to increase the supply of milk.
Key lime is a citrus fruit. It has globose fruit with a diameter of 2.5 to 5 cm. When left to ripe on the tree the fruits turn yellow, but usually they are picked when still green.
The fruits have a strong and unique flavor and are used as an ingredient for Key lime pie.
Horseradish is grown for its root. The roots have not much aroma until they are cut or grated. Then because of certain enzymes, a chemical is produced which has a very pungent effect, similar to wasabi. After exposure to air it soon loses its pungency.
Sichian pepper is a spice. It has a flavor that is not hot or sharp like black pepper or chili peppers. Instead it creates a numbness on the tongue and lips, with a tingling, almost electrical sensation.
Teak is a tropical hardwood tree, cultivated for its valuable timber. The wood is very durable and resistant to termites. It is used for furniture, exterior construction, carving, boat building and other purposes.
Celery is a widely used vegetable. it is usually grown for its crisp leaf stalks. The leaves have a strong flavor and are used to flavor soups and stews, or as a dried herb.
The groundnut, or peanut, is not a nut, but a legume. It belongs to the 'bean' family.
Groundnuts originate from South America and were already cultivated in Peru thousands of years ago.
The flowers self-pollinate and then the stalk at the base of the ovary elongates and grows downward to bury the fruits in the ground. This explains their name.
Sisal is an agave which is grown as a fiber crop. The fibers can be used to make ropes and mats.
Sisal originates from Mexico. It is closely related to Henequen, which is another agave species grown for its fibers.
Leek is a vegetable that is a close relative of onion, garlic, elephant garlic and kurrat. The 'stem' or 'stalk' of leek is actually a bundle of leaf sheaths, which makes it a leaf vegetable.
Finger millet is a cereal grown mainly in drier regions of Africa and Asia. Seeds are used to make flour which can be used to make bread, porridge or pancakes.
In some regions finger millet is used for human consumption as a staple food. Seeds are also used as animal feed.
The Common mushroom or White mushroom or Button mushroom is probably the most commonly cultivated mushroom in the world. It is known with many different names, including Champignon mushroom. The name 'champignon' is the French word for 'mushroom'.
Guayabilla or Sundrop is a rather rare fruit tree originating from South America.
The fruits have an shiny orange color and sour tasting flesh.
The Tangelo or Honeybell is a Citrus fruit. It is a hybrid of tangerine and pomelo or grapefruit.
The fruits are a bit bigger than an orange and are very juicy. They taste a bit like tangerine.
Pond apple is a tropical fruit tree, related to Soursop and Cherimoya.
The tree grows in swamps and is tolerant of saline water. It cannot grow in dry soil.
Avocado originates from Southern Mexico and Central America. It is a very nutritious fruit with a fatty flavor and a creamy texture. Avocado is often used in salads and can be regarded as a vegetable.
Snake gourd is a tropical or subtropical vine, which is cultivated for its fruit. The fruit, which resembles a snake, is used as a vegetable.
Other names for snake gourd include serpent gourd, chichinga and padwal. The snake gourd is a common vegetable in south and south east Asia.
Thai long pepper is a vine in the pepper family (Piperaceae) and therefore related to black pepper (P. nigrum)and betel leaves (P. betle). It is native to South and Southeast Asia.
The fruits are used fresh or dried to give flavor to food. In Bangladesh the stems and roots are used as a spice which is cooked with mutton or in other meat and fish dishes.
White jute (Corchorus capsularis) is an annual plant which produces long stems with fibers that are used to make ropes. It originates from India and grows in tropical and subtropical climates.
White jute is close related to another jute species called Tossa jute (Corchorus olitorius).
