What is a product called Sikana scented or cassabanana. What useful properties does it contain. Can everyone eat it. What can be made from it. Here are just a few of the health benefits of the exotic cassabanan plant. But we are sure if this culture were more popular, scientists and doctors would discover even more beneficial effects on the body.
Harm and contraindications to the use of cassabanana
And here we must again return to the fact that cassabanana is an exotic plant and has not been fully studied. This means that the harm, as well as the benefit, can be judged only by studying the contraindications for the use of cultures related to the Sikane. As mentioned above, cassabanana is similar in composition to pumpkin, which in general has very few contraindications. This culture is prohibited, perhaps, only for people with serious gastrointestinal diseases, those on a strict diet, as well as for diabetics, since it contains a lot of sugars.
So, perhaps, if you have diseases of this kind, it is better to refuse the use of scented sicana. In addition, you should always be wary of allergies, there is a very real risk of individual intolerance to the components of an exotic fruit. That is why it is also better for pregnant, lactating and young children not to eat Sikan.
The fruits of cassabanana contain a small amount of hydrocyanic acid - a substance dangerous to the human body. That is why it is necessary to strictly dose the use of this product.
Sicana-scented recipes
The taste of cassabanana is quite unusual. The main feature is that as it ripens, it changes significantly. If the unripe fruit is neutral - it is somewhat reminiscent of a zucchini, then a ripe sikana is sweet and very aromatic, it looks like a pumpkin and a melon at the same time. These differences explain its use in cooking.
When it comes to unripe fruits, they are usually added to mashed potatoes, vegetable stews, or even stew separately with spices and herbs. But mature cassabanana is another matter, jams and preserves are made from it, added as a filling to baked goods. At the same time, fruits of any degree of ripeness can be consumed in their raw form.
In general, the use of scented sikana in recipes is a large field for experimentation. Unripe fruits can be treated like courgettes, ripe fruits like pumpkin. Thus, familiar dishes will acquire a new and interesting taste. Let's take a look at some interesting recipes:
- Creamy soup with scented sikana … Cut the potatoes into cubes (3 pieces) and the shikanu (1 small fruit), first peel and remove the seeds. Put vegetables in a saucepan, cover with water so that they are only slightly covered. Cook for 20-30 minutes. Meanwhile, grate the carrots (1 piece) and onions (1 piece), fry a little in oil and add to the potatoes and cassabanana. Cook for another 5-7 minutes. Remove the soup from heat, let cool slightly and beat with a blender. If it turns out to be thick, dilute with water or cream. Serve the soup with herbs, croutons, and sour cream.
- Vegetable stew … Chop the garlic (3-4 cloves), fry it in a pan for a couple of minutes in a large amount of vegetable oil. Add grated carrots (1 piece) and chopped onions (1 piece), simmer together for a couple of minutes. Chop the shicana (1 small fruit) and add to the skillet. Put dry rice on top (2 tablespoons). Simmer for 5-7 minutes without interfering, the rice should stay on top, otherwise it will stick to the pan and the dish will be spoiled. Add tomato paste or ketchup (2 tablespoons), mix thoroughly, add a little water and simmer under a closed lid until the rice is done.
- Stuffed shikana … Peel the cassabanana fruit (2 small) and cut into circles, remove the seeds from them. Mix the minced meat (400 grams) - you can take it from any meat you like - with your favorite spices, salt. Cut the onion into half rings (1 piece), grate the cheese on a coarse grater (200 grams). Put the circles on a baking sheet, put a little minced meat on top of each, then the onion, then the minced meat again. Next comes sour cream (a teaspoon per circle) and cheese (a generous pinch per circle). Bake the dish in the oven at 180 degrees for 40-50 minutes. Serve slightly cooled with fresh herbs.
- Cassabanana pie … Sift flour (400 grams) into a large bowl, season with salt to taste, add grated butter (200-250 grams). Rub the dough between your palms, you should get a homogeneous crumb. Add a beaten egg (1 piece), knead the dough, form a ball out of it, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for an hour. In the meantime, cut the shikana (900 grams) into small cubes, place in a heavy-bottomed saucepan and simmer until tender, you can add a little water as you cook, but there is already enough liquid in the fruit, so you may not need more. Beat the finished fruits with a blender, add eggs (2 pieces), sugar (200 grams), cream (200 ml) - the fatter the better, as well as cinnamon and vanilla to taste. Remove the dough, roll it out and place in a mold about 30 centimeters in diameter, bake at 190 degrees for 15 minutes. Take out the cake and pour the filling on top, bake for another 45-50 minutes at the same temperature. Please note that you can only cut the cake when it has cooled down, otherwise the shape may suffer.
- Pasta with mushrooms and shikana … Fry finely chopped mushrooms (200 grams) in vegetable oil until golden brown - the fire should be strong, add chopped garlic (4 cloves), reduce heat and simmer for a couple of minutes. Add chopped parsley (small bunch), remove from heat. In a saucepan with a deep bottom, melt the butter (50 grams), fry the diced sikanu (300 grams) on it for 5-7 minutes, then add salt and pepper to taste and pour in water or any broth (200 ml). Cook for 15-20 minutes, add water as needed. Add cheese (30 grams) - preferably parmesan, sour cream (100 grams), mushrooms with garlic, reduce heat to low and simmer everything together for another 10 minutes. Boil the pasta (500 grams), mix with the sauce and serve, sprinkling with cheese to taste on top.
If you have a favorite zucchini or pumpkin dish, try replacing it with shikana and see what happens. Most likely, the result will be excellent.
By the way, the fruits of cassabanans - ripe and not - can also be canned, either separately or as part of some vegetable mixes. And from ripe fruits, excellent juice is obtained, and the yield is large, since, we repeat, there is quite a lot of water in the composition of the sikan.
Interesting facts about kassabanan
Sicana fragrant is an ancient plant, its homeland is not known for certain, but it is assumed that it is Brazil.
Ripe fruits have a pronounced smell, and therefore the plant in South America is used to flavor rooms. In addition, it is believed that placing dried fruits in linen closets will repel moths.
In our climate, Sikana does not always have time to ripen during the warm period, however, if the fruits are removed and put in a warm place (room temperature will be fine for them), they will ripen safely. It is noteworthy that the exotic plant can be stored at room temperature for up to 9 months without loss of quality.
Ripe fruits have very rough skin; it is often possible to cut it only with a sharp knife, with considerable effort. Cassabana can be grown as an ornamental plant and has beautiful dark green split leaves and cute yellow and white flowers. Vines beautifully braid the fences, while the lashes grow very quickly, and they need a lot of space, if you do not give them enough space, the harvest can be ruined.
The vines of the plant are very powerful and tenacious, and therefore if you plant a shikana next to a tree, it will braid it so tightly that it will ruin it over time.
Watch a video about kassabanan:
Fragrant Sikana is a very interesting culture. The fruits have remarkable taste and are of great benefit. If you want something exotic and you have a summer cottage, try growing a cassabanana. But you are unlikely to be able to buy its fruits in our country, even the seeds are not easy to get.
