Bush Medicine 102

No matter how appetizing something looks, always ask before you bite.
It could make you really sick.

Some of these items can make you sick, possibly kill you, if they're eaten at the wrong time of year or not prepared properly.

Some also have curative properties, commonly known as bush medicine.

Ackee: One of the national dishes of Jamaica (served with salt fish). Imported apparently from the South Seas , perhaps even by Capt. Bligh himself who also introduced other important foodstuffs, the tree produces leaves and greenish-white flowers. The fruit is the real prize--but to be eaten only when it is red ripe and the fruit is split open. Ackee that is unripe (or overripe) can be poisonous, even lethal. Perhaps it's for this reason that ackee isn't eaten much outside of Jamaica.

Arrowroot: Once utilized to help heal wounds from Carib arrows, hence its name. A very starchy plant, arrowroot has been used as a poison antidote, for starching clothes, in face powders and in glues. It is also quite edible, one of the more digestible foods around, generally used to thicken soups and sauces.

Avocado: Also grown in warmer regions of the U.S. , this native of Central America is used in salads, as an entree, or even in a mousse. It is supposed to have blood-sugar regulating properties helpful to hypoglycemics. On some islands the leaves are used in a tea to treat high blood pressure. Both round and pear-shaped, the green skin is thick and warty.

Banana: Related to the fig (and called figs on some islands), bananas originated in India and Malaysia . A large herbaceous plant, bananas trees can grow over 20 high. The dark purple flower that hangs the stem is a remarkable sight. You'll often see bananas covered in plastic bags to prevent insects from discoloring the skins. The insects do not harm the fruit, but export crops have to be blemish-free. Bananas with brown spots are often left to rot.

Breadfruit: Brought from the South Pacific into the Caribbean around 1793 by the infamous Capt. Bligh, it was intended as food for slaves, who didn't like it. Now a Caribbean staple, breadfruit is loaded with carbohydrates and vitamins A,B and C. The large green spherical fruit has a kind of pimply skin. It can be made into pie, bread or puddings or served boiled like potatoes as a side dish.

Cashews: The fruit looks like a small red oblong apple. It's used for stewing, fermented into wine or consumed as a vegetable. The more famous (and expensive) nut grows at the end of the apple. However, it is the kernel inside the nut you want: the shell oozes a liquid that can cause skin irritation and even death.

Callaloo: The young green leaves of the dasheen plant (see below) are made into an excellent soup called callaloo. Do try this. Prepared properly, it can be exceptional.

Cassava: The root has been an important staple since the days of the Amerindians. However, it is also another of those items that must be cooked properly to remove prussic acid or it, too, can be lethal. Carib Indians supposedly ate cassava raw to avoid slavery. Its most important use is in the making of cassareep to create pepper pot, a kind of stew whose stock can be used for years.

Christophene: A gourd imported from Mexico , it's eaten raw or cooked, typically to accompany a main dish. It is very watery.

Cocoa: Responsible for the dread addiction among those known as "chocoholics." Originally grown by Indians in South and Central America, the 10-inch pods turn from green to reddish brown when ripe. The pods have to be broken open and the cocoa beans extracted and dried. When not sprinkled with sugar, the beans taste surprisingly bitter.     

Coconut Palm: Used to supply drinking water (chop off the top of a green coconut nut with a machete and enjoy the 'milk,' actually a sweet water). Dried coconut is of course used in cooking and in making soap. Coconut oil is sometimes called tropical oil or palm oil on food packages.

Custard or Sugar Apple: The deliciously sweet fruit is a lumpy reddish brown, almost the shape of a blunt-ended pinecone.   

Dasheen: The underground roots are loaded with starch, like potatoes. They must be cooked/boiled to remove a bitter taste.

Ginger: From Southeast Asia , the root is ground and used in flavoring, particularly cakes, syrup and drinks. A teaspoon of ginger (mix it with some liquid) helps prevent/reduce motion sickness and it won't make you sleepy like some commercial seasick remedies.

Grapefruit: A popular juice or eaten in half at breakfast, today's grapefruit appears to be a hybrid between the orange and something called a shaddock, a fruit brought into the Caribbean from the South Pacific by a sailing captain named Shaddock. No one liked the shaddocks because they were too bitter. However, they grew so well they spread throughout the islands. Somehow, probably through creating a hybrid, the fruit became a lot sweeter. Grapefruits with lumpy skins tend to be quite sour and may be part of the original shaddock strain.

Guava: Apparently brought to the Caribbean by the Arawaks, the tree grows to more than 20 feet. The pear-shaped fruit is only about 2 inches long. Eaten raw or to make jellies, a tea from the tree bark is said to help bouts of diarrhea.

Jackfruit: Related to the breadfruit and somewhat resembling it, except the jackfruit grows close to the tree on short stalks. A member of the fig family, jackfruit also grows big--as much as 40 pounds. Its many seeds can be eaten raw or roasted like chestnuts.

Mammee Apple: The rough, oval brown fruit grows on an evergreen that's believed native to the region. The small fruit are eaten raw (peeled first), stewed or made into jams and preserves.

Mango: One of the most common and favorite fruits throughout the Caribbean . The kidney-shaped fruit (pink or yellow when ripe) grows on tall trees that reach roof-top high. Usually eaten raw, it's also made into mango pie, mango ice cream and mango mousse.

Naseberry or Sapodilla: This oval fruit with a reddish-brown skin has a sweet-tasting pulp used for custards and ice cream. The tree sap produces chicle gum, used in making chewing gum.

Nutmeg: The principal export of Grenada, the tree grows to a massive 40 feet. The flowers produce a fruit looking much like a peach with a nut inside. The skin of the nut provides mace; the nut itself is the nutmeg. Nutmeg is either ground into powder or crushed into oil. It is sometimes used in small amounts as a medicine, said to help prevent strokes. However, taken in large quantities, too much nutmeg is said to be poisonous.

Okra/Lady's Finger/Bamee:The 6-inch pods, shaped like a woman's finger, are used as a vegetable and to prepare coo-coo, a sweet corn dish. Medicinally, it's good for the eyes and inflammations of the reproductive system. Often served in the U.S. in a can and referred to as "slimy okra."

 Passion Fruit: This sounds like an aphrodisiac but the name seems to come from the fruit's purple color. Cut in half, the mushy, seed-filled pulp looks disgusting but tastes quite good. The pulp is used in making ice cream and passion fruit drinks. The skin is used in salads.

Papaya/pawpaw: A melon that grows on a tree, well off the ground and close to the trunk. Often eaten with a bit of fresh lime squeezed over it, Columbus called this delicious fruit the "fruit of angels." Papaya is a prime ingredient in Adolph's meat tenderizer; wrapping meat in papaya leaves will achieve the same effect. Pawpaw is supposed to help relieve hypertension; the latex of the leaves, stem and roots is used for treating boils, ring worm and warts.

Pigeon Peas: Brought from either Africa or India , pigeon peas mixed with rice (with or without curry) is a favorite in many parts of the Caribbean . The peas grow on a shrub that reaches up to 9 feet high. The pods vary from light green to dark brown.

Pineapple: Named for its resemblance to the pine cone, it is native to the Caribbean . Some pineapple species, particularly at altitude, produce only colorful flowers and no fruit.

Plantain: A cousin to the sweeter, yellow banana, plantains don't ripen in the same manner and they taste starchier. When ripe, they are often cut in slices, fried and sprinkled with sugar for a sweet dessert. It's sometimes used in casseroles.

Seagrape: The plants are usually found most often near the coastline, seeming to enjoy a healthy dose of sea and salt. The green fruits do grow in grape-like clusters, eventually turning a ripe purple. Still very sour, seagrapes are most often mixed with sugar and made into jelly, sometimes even into a soup.

Soursop: A fast-growing tree, the spiny green fruit is oval shaped. The fruit is sizable, growing 6-8 inches, and the inside has the thickness of a custard. It is most often made into ice cream or preserves. It's considered a sedative for children.

Star Apple: The extremely tall trees (up to 50 feet) provide wonderful shade. The mildly sweet fruit is purplish and about the size of an apple. The name comes from the pattern revealed when the fruit is cut open: a starburst effect of seeds in a gelatinous flesh. Far better than it sounds.

Sugar Cane: At one time this member of the grass family was the most important crop of the Caribbean. The stems are crushed to produce the sugar. It can also be made into molasses and rum. You may want to sample the raw cane and compare it to the refined sugar most of us use. The raw is far sweeter and tastier. Sugar cane is the main ingredient of rum, which differs remarkably from island to island.

Yams: Growing on a vine sometimes up to 6-8 feet high, the yam tuber is particularly starchy and may be served boiled, baked and fried. A particular variety, called drug yams, are used in making oral contraceptives.

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