About Linden and Linden Tea Linden tea is a herbal tea made from the flowers, inner bark, or leaves of a linden tree—a tall, leafy deciduous tree that is common throughout the U.S., Asia, and Europe. The tree belongs to the genus Tilia, and the two most common species used for tea include the small-leafed…

What Are Collard Greens? What are collard greens? Collard greens, or collards, are loose-leafed plants that belong to the Brassica oleracea species and cruciferous family. There are many reported health benefits of collard greens, which may extend to your digestive system, heart health, bone health, and skin and hair health. Studies indicate the vegetable can…

About Echinacea and Echinacea Tea in Brief Echinacea (Echinacea purpurea) is a native North American coneflower discovered and used as medicine by the Great Plains Indian tribes more than 400 years ago. This herbal remedy has an attractive flower with pink, rose, and purple petals. Currently, echinacea can be found in tablets, capsules, tinctures, extracts,…

About Onions and Shallots When you’re following a recipe calling for shallots, it’s easy to just grab an onion from the pantry. Most kitchens have them lying around because of their commonality and versatility. But when it comes to getting the right flavor and texture, choosing onions vs. shallots can make a pretty big difference.…

For many years, people have used ground and whole cloves for traditional Indian medicine and cooking. For cooking, this popular spice is often found in stews, soups, sauces, meat marinades, and rice dishes. From a health perspective, it is often used for oral health, obesity, diabetes, and cancer. You may ask, “What spice can I…

Holding up the line at Chipotle is a national epidemic, which is a problem because all you want to do is get in and out ASAP. So, what’s the holdup? The puzzling dilemma of black beans vs. pinto beans: Which is healthier? Nutritionally speaking, you can’t go wrong with either. Both varieties of legume are…

What is loganberry? Loganberry (Rubus loganobaccus) is a berry that belongs to the rose family (Rosaceae). It is a combination of the red raspberry (Rubus idaeus) and the wild blackberry (Rubus ursinus). The loganberry fruit and plant looks more like a blackberry than a raspberry, although the color of the fruit is a dark red…

Boysenberry vs. blackberry. Both are amazing berry fruits that jam and pie connoisseurs greatly appreciate. They are similar in many ways, and actually belong to the same plant family—Rosaceae. At the same time, these berries have distinct differences that set them stand apart from one another. For instance, the blackberry is a small, genuine berry,…

A boysenberry (Rubus ursinus) is a bluish purple-colored, juicy, and large berry that is a cross among the loganberry, Pacific berry, American dewberry, common blackberry, and European raspberry. This tangy, tart berry can be enjoyed on its own or in sauces, jellies, jams, syrups, desserts, and smoothies. Boysenberry has a variety of potential health benefits.…

Ham is made from the hind leg of a hog. Fresh, uncured ham is an unpreserved leg of pork, whereas cured ham is processed ham that is preserved through wet or dry curing that may include smoking. The curing process may also include adding a combination of sugar, salt, and other flavors. The color of…