Life Gives You Lemons? Pickle it!

Someone has rightly said, “It’s the little things in life which matter the most”. Surprised? An example of this is the jar of pickle which you find on your dining table every day. Ever wondered the story behind it? Threading back and intertwined with the history of the nation which is now called India, pickling began a staggering 4000 years ago in our country itself.

Over the centuries food items used to be pickled in order to keep them from spoiling, long before refrigerators and ice boxes came into the picture. Imagine going on a long journey without food outlets and canned items, or if you were on a ship and won’t see land for months altogether? How would you keep food fresh and edible then? Our ancestors came up with an interesting solution to this- by immersing it in salt and oil, preventing its oxidation and therefore food items would remain fresh for months rather than a few days.

Related: Just Juice it - Health Benefits of Juicing

Nowadays pickles are created by immersing fresh fruits andvegetables in an acidic liquid or saltwater brine until they are no longer considered raw or vulnerable to spoilage. In addition to being an integral part of every Indian household, pickles have been famous in colder regions like Ukrain, Poland, Lithuania and Russia especially among the Jewish community who preferred the pickles for their longevity as well as the sharp flavor they provide against the monotony of bread and potato diet of these colder countries. From these countries, pickle began its long exodus to the golden land of America along with the Jewish refugees and immigrants.

Pickle has gone around the world and yet the love it receives in India is unparalleled. A proper Indian meal can never be complete with the homely achar to spice up the humble dal chawal (rice and pulses) and Chole Bhature would not be the same without gajar ka achar! Not only gajar, we derive great pleasure and pride in making different types of pickles using different fruits and vegetables and even more variety of techniques used to make them! The variety is so diverse that it becomes difficult to believe that the sweet Chunda mango pickle of Gujarat is the same as the spicy avakkaya pickle made in Andhra Pradesh. As the country of its inception, India is unrivalled in the quality of its pickles and several are exported to countries such as United States, Europe, and Japan.

With new varieties coming up every day, making a choice can be difficult. Moreover, the hectic life of a metro city leaves no time to prepare it at home. Fortunately technology has an answer to this dilemma as well! You can now order pickles online from several reputed websites like FoodFeasta.com and choose among a wide variety of hygienically prepared pickles, all of which can be delivered to your home at the click of a button!

Just Juice it - Health Benefits of Juicing

In the perpetual din and clamor of our daily lives nutrition often takes a back seat and to keep up with the rising demands of your body, special measures need to be taken. One of the ways that the minerals and nutrients of the body can be replenished in a healthy and tasty manner is by juicing it. Though it is no substitute for eating an actual fruit, it is way healthier than an energy drink or eating other supplements.

One of the foremost reasons why people don’t eat vegetables is that they find them unappetizing and thus they refrain from eating them. So in case you are one of those people who detest the very smell of veggies and for whom eating them is a challenge, we have just the right solution for you! You can juice the vegetables and fruits which you don’t normally eat. You can even look up various recipes online which can help you to churn the veggies and fruits according to your own taste.

Some of the dieticians even say that vitamins and minerals are better absorbed from juice when compared to raw fruits. While some of you may be shocked at this, let’s look at it practically. According to Vancouver-based registered dietitian Vesanto Melina, co-author of raw-food nutrition guidebook Becoming Raw, “As fruits and vegetables are juiced, the liquids are separated from the fibre, resulting in a concentrated blend of flavour and colour, as well as phytochemicals (protective compounds) and minerals that are better absorbed from juice than from food that is raw but not
juiced.”

Related: Life Gives You Lemons? Pickle it!

Furthermore, there are some juices which have mineral calcium in them. This, as you can guess is very useful in fortifying your bones against osteoporosis and even helping you control your blood pressure in addition to lowering the risk of cardiovascular diseases. Orange juice also contains potassium, magnesium and of course vitamin C. In case you are wondering where to get it from, you can order JustPressed 100%pure juices online from FoodFeasta.com. In addition to a guarantee of purity, FoodFeasta delivers the products right to your home, saving you hours worth of hassle and exertion.

Most brands add more sugar to their juices in order to make them tastier yet this could have a reverse effect on your health. Therefore while purchasing juice, make sure it is 100% pure and does not have any added sodium or sugar. JustPressed juice are a safe choice in this regard since not only do they have zero added sugar and cholesterol, an entire day’s requirement of minerals and vitamins are present in a single pack. The juices, especially 100% pure orange, have the additional benefit of aiding in joint flexibility and helping to maintain healthy hair among hundreds of other beneficial effects.

To sum it up, a glass of juice is a natural as well as a tasty way to replenish your body’s reserves of minerals and vitamins. So when are you beginning?

A Nutty Tale – Why People Told Nuts are Nutritional Powerhouse for Health?

In a nutshell, we’re all nuts about nuts! I mean seriously! Anybody would have to be a nut to not like nuts! Pun aside; it is universally acknowledged that nuts are nature’s way of telling us that the best things come in small packets. Where else can you find so much energy and nutrients in a mere handful!?

The question which arises now is what exactly are nuts and how are they different from dry fruits? Botanically, most of the nuts we know as nuts are not exactly nuts. So on a technical level, almonds, cashews and peanuts do not strictly fall under the category of nuts. For the sake of avoiding confusion and ambiguity, we’ll treat them as nuts all the same. Dryfruits are different since unlike nuts, they are not naturally dry but their water content is evaporated or drastically reduced so that they appear to be dry. This was the earliest method used by our ancestors for food preservation, and continues to be a great way for storing food items for emergencies.

If we are talking about dry fruits, it would be highly unusual if we didn't talk about raisins. Raisins are basically grapes which have been dried. If you wish to gain weight in a healthy way or keep your eyes healthy, raisins can help you a lot. In addition to being used in a variety of cooking recipes around the world, raisins are also vital ingredients in high energy food supplements. Raisins are also rich in calcium and Oleanolic Acid, which prevents growth of bacteria and keeps teeth healthy and strong.

Speaking of calcium, almond is the leader with the highest amount of calcium present in it among all the nuts. In addition to that, it’s got fiber and vitamin E, an antioxidant that helps fight dangerous inflammation and possibly health conditions such as lung cancer and age-related cognitive decline. Due to their multiple benefits, almonds are very popular among nut eaters.

To wrap up the list, we’d mention one other nut which has immense number of benefits. Walnut is a treasure trove of rare and healthy amino acids and vitamins, which are not usually found in nature. Due to these super healthy and rare constituents, walnuts have several unique properties. One of the most prominent among them is drastically reducing the risk of a fatal heart attack. Frequent consumption of walnut lowers the risk of death. It also has a host of antioxidants which are crucial if you plan to age gracefully.

If we sum it all up, we find that nuts help you to reduce weight, live longer, appear younger and fill the stomach as well! So there isn’t any reason not to eat nuts unless you’re allergic to them! With such a lot of goodness packed into them, the only concern which remains is the purity. There is a simple solution to this dilemma- buy them online from trusted sources. Nowadays websites like FoodFeasta.com sell dry fruits and nuts online from trusted producers and deliver right at your doorstep! Go healthy! Go nuts!

Food Reference Guide: 5 Mouthwatering North Indian Desserts

As sweet the people of North India are, their sweets are even sweeter! While the main course of food unlike other Indian regions is rarely sweet, the desserts are widely and deeply loved here. Since there are sweet shops to be found at almost every street, satisfying the urges of your sweet tooth is never a problem as long as you are in North India. We present before you our favorite 5 sweets and desserts, which you cannot afford to miss if you are in north India.

The first one is the dessert which many people will remember with fond memories as their mother’s special dish. Kheer is a dessert which is as simple to make as it is tasty. Prepared without any hassle, kheer is a mouthwatering dish which can even be prepared using some leftover rice, sugar and milk. Kheer is also considered to be the ancestor of the European Rice Pudding. Apart from being a dessert, Kheer is also prepared on almost all festivals and is quite popular.

Soan Papadi is a flaky sweet which if prepared by an expert, melts in your mouth to give off a delicious flavor. Also known by others names like Sohan Papdi and Patisa, this sweet can be found at almost every north Indian Sweet shop. Large scale manufacturers have lately redefined the texture and taste of Sohan Papdi to give it an exotic and delicate flavor, yet the plain old variant also remains quite popular with the general populace.

“Mathura ke pede” a phrase in itself, is an indicator of just how famous the pedas made in Mathura are. If someone has to go to Mathura for any reason, they instructed by their neighbours and friends to bring along Pedas while returning. They are used extensively in religious ceremonies which have attached an aesthetic value to these delicious sweets. For the people unfamiliar with it, Pedas are basically thick, semi soft solid made using khoa, sugar and traditional flavorings, including cardamom seeds, pistachio nuts and saffron.

Halva, rather being a particular dish, is more of an umbrella term for several different appearing dishes. The name is derived from Arabic and basically means sweet or dessert. Since we are specifically talking about North India, some varieties which are famous here are the solid Sohan Halwa, Suji (Semolina) Halwa and even Gajar Halwa which is made using carrots. While the new varieties continue to thrive, for those who still crave for the age old recipes, Halwas can be bought online through websites like FoodFeasta.com which bring you Halwas directly from shops which have been making them for decades and centuries.

Last we have our very own Indian ice cream! Yes it’s none other than the Kulfi! The name itself provokes nostalgic memories of a street vendor with a bell attached to its cart, making his rounds in the summers. From the kitchens of the Mughal Empire to every street in North India, Kulfi has been showered with love every step of the way.

That’s all for now! We’re anxious to know which Indian dessert made you fall in love with it!

Top 5 Ways to Make Your Life Partner Feel More Happy and Exotic

Happiness multiplies when shared and who best to share your happiness with, than your life partner? Each of us tries their best to make people around us happy and yet we fail time and again when we get stuck in our day to day routines. Monotony often kills the spark of excitement and romance. So here we present before you (wait for it... Extended drum roll) 5 ways to keep your life partner happy and leading a better, more successful and contented life.

Gold – Gold would be rather a surprise debutante on this list as most people would be expecting something clichéd like roses. We know that it’s quite expensive but that is not all which is there to it. A finely made gold jewellery can make most girls go weak in the knees and swoon right into your arms. Even girls who are not attracted to material things will appreciate beauty and it is universally acknowledged that gold is one of the most beautiful things around!

Chocolates: Now this is indeed a clichéd thing but that does not in any way undermine its importance or its effect. Anybody who has eaten chocolate in anger will testify that nothing evaporates a bad mood like chocolate! Be it apology, casual surprise, or just another way to remind your partner of your love, chocolates never miss a trick! It could be dairy milk or high end chocolates like Neeta Mehta’s, chocolates always elevate the mood. While the former can be bought from the nearest general store, 

Clothes- A shabbily dressed date is everyone’s nightmare, therefore importance of good clothes cannot be stressed enough. Not only should you dress well, you could also gift clothes to your partners. Of course, you have to keep their choices and preferences in mind, but clothes are excellent gift items if you pick the right ones!

Visits and Sweets- The reason for putting these two together is that in India visits are associated with sweets to the extent that some families actually take offense if a guest comes empty handed. You would be curious as to how does this figure into the list of ways to make your life partner happy. Actually it’s quite simple when you come to think of it. It is mandatory that you take sweets along with you whenever you visit someone, but there is no rule against taking some sweets home along with you at the end of a long day. A small amount of sweets can go a long way in sweetening up your life! In this day and age, everything’s connected through internet so why not use a website like FoodFeasta.com to buy specialties from around India and have them delivered to your house in your absence! This could result in a very warm welcome when you get home!

It’s the little joys which light up a life. Try these and let us know how they worked! 

Evolution of Chocolate – A Short But Sweet History of Chocolate & Their Origin

A flavor which drives the world crazy, chocolate hails the land of Mesoamerica as the region of its origin. Since time immemorial, chocolate has been held in high regard by humans. The last Mesoamerican civilization of Aztecs loved it to such an extent that Cacao seeds were used as currency! Since then, people around the world have turned to chocolate to cure sickness, appease gods, show love, buy rabbits, fete holidays, survive fasts, ward off scorpions and sustain warriors. And all the while, the number of chocolate lovers, or Chocolateers, has only grown with the passage of time. Chocolate enthusiasts have dedicated novels, movies and entire festivals to the delicious flavor of chocolate.  The chocolate craze can be estimated from the example of a town in Central Sulawesi in Indonesia, where cacao farmers have built a statue that is nearly 20 feet high, simply a pair of hands holding a cacao pod.

Despite not being the place of origin, Africa has overtaken the Americas as the largest producer of chocolate, responsible for around two thirds of the world’s production. The chocolate which ends up in a shiny and expensive package often begins its life inside a fruit, called a pod, on a tree in the tropics, primarily in remote areas of West Africa, Southeast Asia and Central and South America. The process includes separating the seeds from the pod and fermenting them. After being dried, they are shipped to factories where they are processed into a paste known as chocolate liquor. After more pressing, rolling, mixing with sugar and other ingredients, and heating and cooling, the final product yields delicious chocolate.

The making of chocolate is in itself a vast industry, employing around 40 to 50 million people, who collectively produce 3.8 million tons of cocoa beans per year. The astonishing fact is that despite its extremely large size, it is still growing. The global production is climbing at 2% per year and still it has not been able to catch up with the demand, which has steadily climbed at 3% per year. In India alone, the sale crossed 10,000 crore in 2014. Adjusting to the changing demands of the country, the manufacturing and delivery of packaged chocolates has undergone a vast change. An example is Nita Mehta, a celebrity chef who manufactures her own brand of chocolate and which can be easily bought online through websites like FoodFeasta.com.

Nearly everyone has been scolded by their mother during childhood for eating too much chocolate and yet chocolate has been used throughout history to treat a variety of ailments, most commonly to help thin patients gain weight, to stimulate the nervous systems of feeble people, to calm those who are hyperactive, or to improve digestion and kidney function. A modern proof of the positive effect of chocolate on health can be seen through the example of the Kuna Indians of the Panama, who drink five or more cups of chocolate each day. Studies have shown considerably low incidence of heart disease and cancer. With such a lot of benefits of chocolate added to its magical flavor, it does not remain a mystery as to why so many people are crazy for chocolate.