Description of the delight plant. Beneficial substances contained in its fruits. What healing properties does it have, possible harmful manifestations when abused. Delight recipes.
Harm and contraindications to the use of lucuma
The benefits of lucuma are visible to the naked eye. At the same time, despite the mass of enthusiastic reviews about the "superfruit", it should be remembered that the exotic fruit has not been studied enough. Buying its powder, since it is difficult to get fresh fruits outside the territory of their growth, it is impossible to know exactly the concentration of certain substances and the correct dosage of the supplement. Many manufacturers of such products have not been certified with product safety checks. Therefore, you can use this fruit only at your own peril and risk.
The consequences of abuse of delight:
- Weight gain … Of course, this exotic fruit has a very attractive taste, so it is easy to overeat. Given the relatively high calorie content of lucuma, you can pay by adding extra pounds or disrupting the regularity of the diet. It should be remembered that the daily portion of lucuma is only 14 grams or 1-2 teaspoons.
- Stomach upset … Due to the high content of oils and fiber, Turkish delight has a noticeable laxative effect, which can lead to diarrhea, stomach pain, flatulence.
An absolute contraindication to Turkish delight is individual intolerance. Fruit allergy can also apply to her. If you suffer from hypersensitivity to certain foods, use caution when tasting new food delights.
When buying lucuma powder, its oil or fresh fruit, choose only trusted suppliers that have proven themselves based on many positive reviews. In some cases, there were attempts to sell low-quality goods produced in violation of the rules for growing plants, collecting and processing them. As a result, the final product was contaminated with chemicals and other toxic substances. Too low prices for Turkish delight should raise suspicion.
Turkish delight recipes
If you are fortunate enough to travel to Peru between January and April, you can enjoy the delicious taste of fresh lucuma, which is sold in abundance in any market. Numerous desserts with fruit pulp will also be sold there - juices, drinks, ice cream, pastries and so on.
Turkish delight recipes:
- Smoothie "Papaya, lime, carrot" … An excellent choice for strengthening immunity and getting a boost of energy! Let's put together the ingredients: 1 cup carrots, 85 g papaya, 1 peeled orange, half a glass of lime juice, a quarter cup of cashew nuts, a glass of water, a glass of crushed ice, a teaspoon of lucuma powder. Place all ingredients in a blender and mix well until smooth. Next, you should consume the vitamin cocktail immediately.
- Apple cheesecake … To prepare this dish, take: one large Granny Smith apple (cut into slices), 1 banana, 1 delight fruit or a teaspoon of its powder, two glasses of cottage cheese, sugar to taste, 150 g of any cookies, 5 eggs, 40 g butter, 2 tablespoons flour. Grind the cookies, mix with butter and put on the bottom of the mold. At a temperature of 180 degrees, we bake this mass for 10 minutes, then turn off the heat. Grind all fruits in a blender, add eggs, flour and cottage cheese, process well so that the mixture becomes "fluffy". Pour the contents on top of the biscuit cake and put in the oven for an hour (we put a pot of water under it). After turning off the heat, keep it in the oven for another 10-15 minutes so that the cheesecake does not fall off from the contrast of temperatures.
- Pudding with pineapple and chia seeds … Take: half a teaspoon of lucuma powder, 20 g of chia seeds, 250 ml of almond or coconut milk, 40 g of pineapple slices. Put all the ingredients in a blender, mix, pour into a separate container and leave in the refrigerator for at least an hour. When the chia seeds have swollen and jelly, the fruit pudding is ready to eat.
- Lucuma ice cream … Prepare 1 lucuma fruit, 200 g of bananas, 50 ml of condensed milk or heavy cream. Cut the fruit into slices and mash with a fork until puree. Mix well with the milk component, pour into molds and place in the freezer. When the “popsicle” is completely frozen, it is ready to use.
- Cocoa snack with fruit pieces … For preparation you will need: half a glass of cocoa butter (melted), the same amount of liquid honey, a pinch of vanilla extract, 2 teaspoons of lucuma powder, a few almonds, half a glass of goji berries, 5 dates, cut into pieces. Mix all the ingredients thoroughly. Line the baking dish with foil. We spread the mixture on paper, forming "snacks" of any shape. We put it in the refrigerator and wait for hardening, resulting in a useful and natural chocolate substitute with various useful fillers.
Interesting facts about Turkish delight
The tree of this fruit is very sensitive to temperature and only grows in hot and humid tropical climates. Even in sunny Florida and Hawaii, its cultivation has not been successful, which greatly complicates the transportation of the fruit to Europe and Asia.
Peru is the leading producer of lucuma; Bolivia and Costa Rica grow small amounts of fruit. In the neighboring countries, whose climate does not allow harvesting delight, the fruit is transported frozen. To spread it further, the fruit is processed into powder, whose shelf life ranges from several months to one year.
Lokuma is eaten raw, frozen, in the form of juices, milkshakes, desserts and some traditional dishes. At home, the fruit is called the "Gold of the Incas" for the bright, sunny color of the pulp and beneficial properties. For Peruvians, Turkish delight is a symbol of longevity and fertility. Even small children are allowed to eat it, considering it absolutely useful and conducive to good health. The popularity of lucuma is so great that about 26 settlements are named after it.
To determine if the fruit is ripe, pay attention to the uniformity of the color of its rind (normally it should be dark green) and the density of the pulp. Delicious lucuma is springy and hard, too soft texture suggests that the fruit has begun to deteriorate.
An adult lucuma tree begins to bear fruit only in the fifth year, but it can bear up to 500 fruits per season.
Watch a video about Turkish delight:
Lucuma was dubbed "superfruit" for a reason. It is not easy to get it fresh, but even the powder has a tangible effect on the human body. The fruit improves well-being and energizes, regulates sugar levels and blood pressure, protects the nervous system and organs of vision, and is a powerful antioxidant. Contraindications for lucuma are extremely limited, the main thing is to buy the product from a reliable manufacturer. Just one teaspoon of its powder a day is enough to be convinced of the miraculous effect of the fruit.