Palm hearts are the pith of the growing inner core or bud of many palm trees. Harvesting such ‘hearts’ effectively destroys the palm. It is usually eaten in salad, cold with a vinaigrette. The heart of the coconut palm is particularly favoured.
Palm oil is another of those problematic ingredients. A survey in 2008 showed that palm oil, sometimes labelled as 'vegetable oil', appeared in a stonking 40% of groceries, including bakery goods and mayonnaise, not to mention shampoo. Much palm oil comes from sustainable sources, but much of the sustainably produced oil is not even sold. Details can be found on the Palm Oil Buyers' Scorecard published by the WWF. This leaves the remnant coming from areas of risk to orangutangs and other wild life.
Curly kale. Collard greens which can grow up to 2m (6 ft) in height).
The Palmyra palm is the provenance of palm sugar, which is made by tapping the unopened male or female flower and boiling down the sap. It also produces a palm nut which, when they germinate, produce an edible embryo which is used as a vegetable. A friend of mine and I camped late one night in the desert at Palmyra. We woke at dawn and rose. Out of the rosy light and low mist there slowly emerged a conical hill with a castle perched on its top, like a sandcastle made by gods at play. And then a city; avenues of standing columns; the remains of palaces, theatres and more humble dwellings; plinths where statues of the populace had once stood; a great city once ruled over by Queen Zenobia who defied the Romans and won freedom for her city. Through this ghost of a great past, graceful Arabs walked or cycled to work, impervious to the overwhelming beauty of this place, making their way to the oasis of Palmyra palms.
Calamondon of calamansi lime. A citrus fruit found in the Philippines though it is actually a hybrid and not found in the wild. Sour, small and round, it is often described as a cross between a tangerine or mandarin orange and a kumquat. It looks rather like a tangerine and is used to flavor foods and drinks
