Description of the Brazilian plum: composition, calorie content and taste. Useful properties of an exotic fruit. Warnings from doctors regarding the possible harm from consuming umbu. Delicious food and interesting facts. The list of useful properties of plums can be continued for a long time. We have dwelt in detail only on the more compelling ones. However, do not forget that the harm of the Brazilian umbu plum is also known to modern medicine. Therefore, we certainly advise you to pay attention to the information below.
Contraindications and harm of tuberous mombin
Unfortunately, along with positive characteristics, the fetus also has negative ones. First of all, this applies to those who are not familiar with the sense of proportion. And here, even if you are absolutely healthy, gluttony can undermine your good health quite significantly.
The product is contraindicated for people with the following diseases:
- Diabetes … Since the components of plum are involved in the synthesis of insulin, you need to be very careful when eating it for those who suffer from diabetes. In this case, you need to keep the blood sugar level under constant control.
- Gastritis, stomach ulcer, ulcerative colitis … Mombin contains components that provoke the production of gastric juice, which can negatively affect the condition of the stomach. During an exacerbation, the use of fruit is categorically contraindicated. During the period of remission, it is allowed with caution and constant monitoring of well-being.
- Propensity for bowel problems … Brazilian plums can affect the health of the intestines in a variety of ways - both relax and strengthen it. Therefore, if you are prone to diarrhea or, conversely, constipation, refrain from eating the fruit.
- Calculi in the kidneys, bladder, or gallbladder … A mild choleretic and diuretic effect will help those who have clots or sand in the bladders and kidneys. But in the presence of stones, you can provoke their course, they can block the ducts. In this case, urgent surgical intervention is used.
- Food allergy … Any product that is foreign to us can cause deterioration of health in people suffering from food allergies. We are not genetically programmed to consume this fruit. A strong organism will cope and process it, a weak one will reject it.
But there are also such categories of people for whom it is better not to use plums, even if they do not have the diseases described above. These are pregnant and lactating women, as well as children. In babies, the digestive system is not yet ready for such experiments, and ladies can get an allergic reaction due to reduced immunity.
How the Brazilian plum is eaten
Since the fruit is not stored for a long time, it can be found quite rarely in our stores. An exception is the frozen or canned option. Therefore, when a person first encounters an umba on a journey, a completely natural question arises - how is the Brazilian plum eaten?
First of all, it is eaten raw as it has incredible taste and wonderful aroma. Sweet, fragrant, fleshy - a real treat for lovers of fresh fruits.
They also add plum to the first and second courses, garnish meat with it, enhance desserts, confitures, and drinks. Unripe fruits are pickled. It perfectly "tolerates" preservation, preserving not only excellent taste, but also useful properties. Ripe loose fruits with intact skin are chosen for food. It is better to remove it, and you also need to get the bone. The rest can be safely feasted on. Without a refrigerator, plums are stored for only a couple of days, in the refrigerator - up to a week. A fan in the vegetable compartment will help extend the shelf life up to 10 days. In frozen storage, shelf life is one year, in conservation - 2 years.
Umbu recipes
Most of the recipes with this fruit relate to traditional Brazilian cuisine. Here it is added to desserts and drinks, side dishes, soups, meat and fish dishes. We invite you to get acquainted with the most popular of them.
Brazilian plums give a very subtle flavor to the following dishes:
- Bean soup … In a cast iron or a frying pan with a thick bottom, save 400 g of ground beef in vegetable oil, 2 onions cut in half rings, 1 bell pepper chopped into cubes, 8 finely chopped garlic cloves, 1 celery stalk, one large diced carrot. When the meat and onions are golden brown, add 1, 5 teaspoons of cumin, a pinch of red hot pepper and 100 g of Brazilian plum pulp. Pour in 300 ml of beef broth, simmer for 30 minutes over low heat. Open a can of black canned beans, drain the liquid. Grind half the beans with a blender in mashed potatoes and send to the cast iron. Also add the second part to all ingredients. Stir, let it simmer for a couple of minutes, serve the soup hot with finely chopped herbs.
- Brazilian chicken … Take six chicken breasts, 150-200 g each. You will need boneless meat with skin. Rinse the breasts, dry with paper towels. Mix 60 g butter, 5 g grated ginger root, 1 chopped hot jalapeno pepper, 1 tablespoon thyme and 60 g Brazilian plum pulp. Use a knife to remove the chicken skin and stuff the bird. Secure the skin with toothpicks. Bake the chicken in an oven preheated to 180 degrees for 20-25 minutes. Serve hot with fresh vegetables.
- Hot pork steak … Prepare the steak marinating spice mixture. Take 1 teaspoon of minced garlic, 2 teaspoons of black pepper, a pinch of cayenne pepper, thyme, rosemary, basil leaves, onion powder, and salt. Grate the steaks with this mixture and leave to marinate for 1-2 hours. Send a can of canned corn without liquid to a hot skillet. Add to it 50 ml corn oil, 2 cloves of minced garlic, 100 g of onions, cut into half rings, peeled and coarsely chopped a few chili peppers, 5 diced large tomatoes, 2 chopped mangoes, 10 ml vinegar, 100 g Brazilian fruit quarters plums. Stir well, fry for 5 minutes. Place the salsa on a plate with the steaks fried over high heat.
- Spicy rice … Boil 300 g of long rice, discard on a sieve, rinse, cool. Take 2 large yellow bell peppers and cut into cubes. Peel and seed two large tomatoes, also cut into cubes. Puree about 50 g of Brazilian plum pulp and chop 50 g of shallots. Add all the ingredients to the rice. Season with a sauce of 80 ml of olive oil, lime juice, a tablespoon of wine vinegar, 3 cloves of garlic, passed through a press, a pinch of salt, black pepper, basil, thyme. Refrigerate the salad for 1 hour to marinate. Serve cold on lettuce leaves.
- Fruit and chocolate mousse … Heat 125 ml of low-fat cream in a saucepan with a thick bottom, melt 750 g of marshmallow, 80 g of milk chocolate in them. Simmer, add 50 ml of concentrated orange juice, remove from heat and cool. Whip 400 ml heavy cream, gently pour into the chilled chocolate-fruit mixture. Then dip 250 g of peeled Brazilian plum quarters into it. Arrange in bowls, chill in the refrigerator for 3 hours, serve.
The Brazilian plum is actively used for the preparation of alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks:
- Tropical paradise … Take 1 ripe mango and beat it in a blender with 50 g of Brazilian plum pulp. Add the juice of half a lime, 200 g of orange juice and 200 g of sparkling mineral water. Stir well, serve over ice.
- Milkshake … Peel 1 banana, cut and place in a blender. Add 500 ml milk, 50 g Brazilian plum pulp, a few sprigs of mint. Chop well, serve chilled.
- Brazilian beach … Mix 1 shot of vermouth, 2 shots of vodka, 3 shots of orange juice. Serve with crushed ice and garnish with half a Brazilian plum for a delicious cocktail.
Interesting facts about the Brazilian plum
Agriculture in the drylands of Brazil is based on corn, beans and umbu plums. The latter is the breadwinner for many of the local poor.
Since the skin of the fruit is very delicate, it is harvested exclusively by hand. The fruits are used in cooking, and the bark and leaves are used in medicine.
The uniqueness of this tree is that its roots are able to store up to 3 cubic meters of water per season. This is especially important in areas where there is no running water and the rivers dry up from severe drought. The tubers are dug up and extracted from them water for drinking people and livestock. The trees themselves do not suffer from this, it does not affect the harvest.
What the umbu looks like - look at the video:
We hope you enjoy our selected recipes with Brazilian plums of different dishes. But we think that having tasted the fruit once, you will not stop only on this list of dishes, but significantly expand their range, because the taste of plum is really incomparable.
