Description of cocoons. Healing substances contained in the fruit. What is the beneficial effect on the body, possible harmful manifestations during its abuse. Cocoon recipes.
Harm and contraindications to the use of cocoons
Given the low popularity of the fruit due to the difficulty in transportation, the cocoon has not been studied enough, its effect on pregnant and lactating women, interaction with many medications, and possible side effects are unknown. Contraindications cocoons are extremely rare, but consume the fruit in moderation and with caution.
Consequences of cocoon abuse:
- Decrease in pressure … When eating large amounts of fruit pulp, a slight drop in blood pressure may occur. Healthy people are unlikely to pay attention to this, but hypotonic people can feel discomfort.
- Stomach upset … Cocoons have a delicate flesh, but a hard rind that must be chewed or removed thoroughly. If you eat a lot of fruit rich in difficult-to-digest fiber, you can pay with diarrhea, bloating, and abdominal pain.
An absolute contraindication to cocoon is allergy. If you suffer from individual intolerance to certain fruits, the cocoon should be treated with extreme caution. The fetus can become a strong allergen and bring it to the doctor's office.
There is unverified information that the cocoon can be dangerous to pets. Some people believe that the fruit from the Solanaceae family contains a substance that is poorly digested by cats and dogs, which can become poisonous for them. By itself, the pet is unlikely to want to taste this product, the main thing is not to force him to do this.
Cocoon recipes
The exotic fruit, which simultaneously resembles peach, avocado, tomato and sweet pepper with a sweet cherry flavor, is used in many traditional dishes. These include chilled or frozen desserts, sweet sauces, numerous juices and smoothies.
Cocoon recipes:
- Cocoon sauce … This type of side dish is prepared simply and without lengthy preparation. Several fruits are peeled and seeds, cut into cubes. Put the pulp of sweet pepper and chili pod in the same container, season with a pinch of salt, herbs to taste. The contents are transferred to a blender and processed until puree. If desired, the fruit and vegetable mixture can be fried in a pan, but mostly the sauce is consumed raw, along with meat, fish, bread cakes.
- Ice cream from cocoons … Peel and seed two fruits, cut into cubes. Peel the banana, cut it and knead it with a fork in mashed potatoes along with the orange berry. Add half a glass of heavy cream and the same amount of condensed milk to the container. Add a pinch of vanilla, sugar to taste. To make the dish even tastier, you can add coconut flakes or chocolate drops, sold in any supermarket, to the composition. When the ice cream mixture is ready, pour it into molds and put it in the freezer, keeping it until completely frozen.
- Smoothies from cocoons … To prepare this dish, we clean one orange fruit, cut it, put it in a large container. We also put carrot cubes, a handful of cashew nuts, a pitted peach, half a glass of crushed ice, a glass of whole milk there. Place all ingredients in a blender and beat well. Before serving, serve the drink with a fresh mint leaf.
- Cocoon baked goods … In places of historical growth, cocoons with sweet fruit make a dessert similar to the familiar pies. From 2 glasses of flour, a tablespoon of sugar, a teaspoon of salt, a tablespoon of vegetable oil, a glass of milk and one egg, make a tough dough, rolling it into a flat sheet and cutting into squares. Cocoons are placed in their center, sprinkled with sugar or sprinkled with honey, after which the edges of the "envelopes" are pinched. Such "pies" are baked at 180 degrees for about half an hour, or until they become ruddy on all sides.
- Cocoon curry … The recipe for vegetable stew from India became so popular that it spread even across South America. To make a sweet fruit curry, use: 5 large tablespoons of vegetable oil, 500 g chicken (fillet), 2 onions, 2 cocoons, 2 medium potatoes, 1 carrot, 3-4 tomatoes (or 2 rounded tablespoons of tomato paste), 300 ml curry, prepared according to the recipe below, 250 ml coconut milk, 250 g rice, a small slice of ginger, herbs (mustard, fenugreek, turmeric, others optional), 500 ml coconut milk, a couple of chili peppers. Boil the rice in a separate container, set it aside. Dice vegetables and meat, salt and pepper, fry in oil in a well-heated frying pan. After a few minutes, add the potatoes, after a couple more, pour in the coconut milk. We cover with a lid and leave to stew, at this time we proceed to create the sauce. For him, combine 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil, a pinch of mustard and fenugreek seeds in a pan, add 2 small chili peppers to them, a finely grated onion with a small piece of ginger. Add a teaspoon of turmeric, peeled tomatoes, bay leaves, a glass of coconut milk. Simmer for about 5 minutes, then combine with meat and vegetables. Leave on low heat for another 5 minutes, allowing the ingredients to combine. For serving, place the sauce on top of the boiled rice without stirring.
Interesting Cocoon Facts
The bright orange fruit is an integral part of traditional South American culture and is widely used in folk medicine and everyday meals. The Waorani Indians use the juice of the fruit in order to improve the color and health of hair, treat kidney and liver diseases, gain strength and be in good shape. Local residents of Peru, Brazil, Ecuador often eat cocoon not only as part of sweets, but also seasoning it with salt and pepper.
The closest relatives of cocoons growing in temperate latitudes are representatives of the Solanaceae family, such as tomato, potato, eggplant and tobacco. The average fruit size is about 8 centimeters in length and slightly less in width.
Some companies exporting fruit juice to European countries include it in their baby food. This is the best evidence of the benefits of cocoons, their safety and hypoallergenicity.
Watch the video about the cocoon:
Practically the only drawback of cocoons is its low availability, given the remoteness of the producing countries and the short shelf life. We can still enjoy the benefits of the fruit in juices and organic oils, sports and baby food, various dietary supplements and fillers. It is best to taste fresh cocoon right from the tree if you have the opportunity to visit the mountainous regions of the Peruvian Andes. It is good for skin and hair, cleansing the liver and kidneys, healthy digestion and strong bones. The bright fruit is low in calories and is allowed for diabetics, as well as for those who want to lose weight, but cannot give up sweets.
