By Johnny Coomansingh
Where it came from, I cannot say. Who planted it? I had no clue. I saw the little plant growing adjacent to a mature moringa (Moringa oleifera) tree that I planted a couple years before, so I left it there. I surmised that it was a West Indian Cherry (Malpighia emaginata) tree, otherwise known as Barbados Cherry or Acerola cherry. Although the moringa tree was valuable, I had to cut it back because it was getting too big for the space. This allowed the little tree to increase in size. My assessment was right! Indeed, it was a West Indian Cherry tree. I was overjoyed. The moringa tree was eventually erased, and the cherry tree took its place.
After tending the little plant with extreme care, a couple years passed, and the cherry tree began to bloom. To my delight, a few fruits appeared. Today, the tree is always in fruit. Simultaneously, this cherry tree exhibits flowers, green immature fruit and fully ripened fruit. With just five or six fruits, the West Indian Cherry is well recognised as having the potential to provide the daily requirement for vitamin C.
Apart from vitamin C, West Indian cherries also provide vitamin A, thiamine, riboflavin and niacin. Lauren Manaker, MS., RDN., RD., in Health, (www.health.com/acerola-benefits) presented four health benefits of the fruit which include the support of immune health, reduction of inflammation, support of skin health and support of digestion. Just as I did, I’d suggest that every Caribbean household should seek to raise one of these trees in their backyard.
Fat Pork (Chrysobalanus icaco), also known as cocoplum or icaco is a little red fruit that we all enjoyed. As children, we even ate the kernels of the seeds. In a little space at the back of our house where we grow some lemon grass, chadon-beni (culantro), ginger, and tulsi, I saw two little plants. This time, they were Fat Pork seedlings. Nonchalantly, I potted both of them. I thought that maybe someone would want a Fat Pork plant or two. Not long after I gave away the two plants, one of which went to our next-door neighbour, who immediately planted my gift. Soon after, the tree gave us fruits.
There are two varieties of Fat Poke: the red variety and the black variety. I saw the black variety growing in abundance in Florida. From the website Guyana.com, Fat Pork or the Guyanese ‘Fat Poke’ is acclaimed to have several beneficial properties: Improves vision, builds membrane, fights cancer, protects against heart attack, improves skin, and promotes healthy bones.
Little did we know that the lowly Fat Pork was so valuable in contributing to our health and well-being.
Coming home from primary school on Adventist Street in Sangre Grande, Trinidad, we would sometimes chant as we left the schoolyard: “School over, donkey tun over,” but were always excited to collect a few Tamarind (Tamarindus indicus) pods. There was a huge tree that grew not far from the school. Those pods were quite sour, but we sucked the ‘tambran’ anyway.
We had no idea about the health benefits of the ‘insignificant’ tamarind. Tamarind was also used to make the sugary, peppered little ‘tambran balls’ that I bought, one for one cent in those early days. Instead of tambran balls, I regularly eat ‘Picarindo,’ a candy made with tamarind pulp, salt, sugar and chilli powder (see photo). Tamarind is also used in culinary preparations, including chutneys, sauces, jams, drinks, and amchars. ‘Tambran sauce,’ a concoction of water, tamarind pulp, sugar, salt, hot pepper and chadon beni (culantro) is quite tasty on ‘pulourie,’ a savoury, deep-fried snack made from a batter of ground split peas, flour, and spices.
The article, ‘Health Benefits of Tamarind’ published in WebMD reviewed by Kathleen M. Zelman, RD., LD., MPH., on (www.webmd.com/diet/health-benefits-tamarind) highlighted that Tamarind can enhance an individual’s health. The article provided these salient facts:
“People use tamarind in traditional medicine, but its therapeutic uses need more exploration. Tamarind pulp contains a variety of nutrients that can boost your health.
Tissue Health: Tamarind contains significant amounts of all the essential amino acids except tryptophan. It meets the standards of the World Health Organization (WHO) for an ideal protein for the other amino acids.
Cancer Risk Reduction: Antioxidants can prevent free radicals from damaging cell DNA. Scientists believe that many cancers begin with harm to DNA. Phytochemicals found in plants have antioxidant qualities. Tamarind is rich in phytochemicals, including beta-carotene.
Brain Health: The entire range of B vitamins is essential for good health. They are especially necessary for the proper functioning of the brain and nervous system. Tamarind is rich in B vitamins, especially thiamine and folate.
Bone Health: People who get enough magnesium in their diets have better bone density than those who are deficient. Many people, especially teens and those over 70, do not get adequate magnesium. Tamarind is a rich source of magnesium. It also contains more calcium than many plant foods.” Tamarind is also rich in potassium and iron. So let’s not underestimate tamarind.
Every time I go to the beach, especially on the north coast of Trinidad, I always look for ripe Sea grapes. Sea grapes (Coccoloba uvifera) is a little oval to spherical fruit resembling a grape. It is purplish in color when ripe and has a semi-sweet grape-like flavour. On Quora, the ‘American question-and-answer website,’ Ajay Pandey indicated: “The nutritional value of Sea Grapes is thought to be similar to other purple grapes, being rich in copper, iron, potassium and manganese. They are also a good source of vitamins A, B, C, K and beta carotene.”
Because it proliferates near to the sea, it’s possible that the Sea Grape incorporates iodine, which could aid in thyroid health, and ultimately, the prevention of goiter. In areas of Mexico, Sea Grape juice helps to treat digestive problems as well as many other diseases. This plant is also known as manzana and kiiche.
As a little boy, one of my habits when I came into contact with a Tropical Almond (Terminalia catappa) tree was to pound open the seeds with a stone and eat the kernels. I also ate the sweetish outer flesh of the fully ripe fruit. Almond trees could pop up anywhere in Trinidad and Tobago (T&T) but they flourish on the northern coastline of Trinidad.
Most of the time when I visit the beach, I would see the shells of the seeds left there by people who would have harvested the delicious kernels. The shade from the Sun under an almond tree is a bonus, especially at the beach. However, an almond tree is more than meets the eye. The secret benefits of the fruits of the almond tree is amazing. Blessing Okpala in the article: ‘17 Awesome Benefits of the Tropical Almond’ published in the Global Foodbook (2016) reported:
“Both the roots, stems, bark, shoots, leaves and fruits of medicinal plants play an integral part in tackling diseases. Interestingly, the edible fruits from some of these plants are both nutritionally, medicinally and pharmaceutically valuable to humanity. One of such important but yet underutilized medicinal plants is the Tropical Almond.
Nutritionally, the kernel of the seed contains a rich source of protein and amino acids such as leucine, phenylalanine, isoleucine, histidine, valine, tryptophan, threonine, methionine, lysine and tyrosine. In terms of phytochemical compounds, the tree contains steroids, triterpenes, carbohydrates, triterpenoid saponins, alkaloids, polyphenols, flavonoids, tannins and glycosides.”
Blessing Okpala, pinpointed several benefits of the tropical almond. She highlighted that the tropical almond is edible. The leaf has antibacterial and antifungal properties. Flavonoids found in the plant presents with anti-ulcer activity; the study shows that the kernel of the seeds also possess aphrodisiac properties.
The fruit has anti-diabetic potential. It is also anti-inflammatory; findings also suggest that tropical almond has anti-aging potential. Leaf extracts proved to contain stronger antimicrobial activity, and analgesic properties. It is antinociceptive. Antinociceptive is the process of blocking the detection of an injurious or painful stimulus by the sensory neurons.
Extracts from the tropical almond leaf is anti-oxidative, anti-fungal and demonstrate significant antihepatotoxic (anti-hepatitis) activity. It is also reported that this plant can be used for preparing cardiac stimulant, especially in India. In terms of its dermatological use, the leaves are used in folk medicine for treating skin diseases. Mechanically, the tree is a strong wood that is suitable for building/construction and boat-making.
Biodiesel generated from the oil of the tropical almond showed properties that are aligned with the recommended American standards (ASTM D 6751-07b) and European standards (EN 14214). Researchers support the use of crude tropical almond as raw feedstock for the production of biodiesel. Finally, the tropical almond could serve as a beautiful ornamental, especially for shade. Don’t ignore the tropical almond tree.
I can’t think of anyone who doesn’t relish a good juicy Caimite (Chrysophyllum caimito). The article: ‘Chrysophyllum cainito: A Tropical Fruit with Multiple Health Benefits,’ published by Doan HV, Le TP., in Evidence-Based Complementary Alternative Medicine. February 19, 2020, informed that caimite or ‘Star Apple’ is a tropical fruit tree with multiple benefits to human health. Note that caimite or ‘caimet’ possesses strong antioxidant properties:
“Extracts from the leaves, stem bark, fruits, peel, pulp, or seed of the Caimet tree are promising candidates in traditional medicine for curing diabetes and fighting against bacterial, fungal, and viral infections. C. cainito leaf extract alone or in a complex formula exhibits anti-inflammatory responses by reducing hypersensitivity, acts as inflammatory markers, and has antinociceptive effects. The leaf extract also increases wound healing speed and assists in regulating fat uptake. In addition, the fruit shows anticancer activity against osteosarcoma.
“This tree has many common names depending on its geographical location, such as golden leaf, West Indian star apple, caimito, star apple, cainito (English), kaimito (Filipino), caïmitier à feuilles d’or, caïmitier, caïmite franche, caïmite des jardins, caimite, bon caïmite, pomme surette, grand caïmite (French), Sino-Tibetan (nam2 nom) (Lao), sata apoen (Thai), or vú sũa (the Vietnamese literal translation: breast milk). C. cainito appears as an ornamental tree and produces edible fruits.” If caimite is available, eat it.
Sometimes we ignore what is good for us that is right around us. In my early childhood, many people would ‘reprimand’ me for filling my stomach with what they considered to be ‘rubbish.’ Foraging fruits was habitual. I enjoyed eating guava (Psidium guajava), pois doux or ‘padoo’ (Inga edulis), pomerac or ‘Malay Apple’ (Syzygium malaccense), and pommecythere or ‘June plum’(Spondias dulcis), and kashima or ‘sugar apple’ (Rollinia mucosa) to mention a few. There were many others, more ‘wild’ selections that I found in the semi-forested environment where I lived. Today, because of scientific research, some of these fruits are now labelled as superfruits. Could it be that such a ‘diet’ prevented a host of ailments and protected me from serious diseases?
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