Turnip tops are the greens which grow from turnips, usually discarded but actually rather tasty and a good addition to soups.
Mango. The best varieties have a wonderfully perfumed and flavoured flesh, but lowlier varieties can be fibrous and dry. They are described as turpentine mangoes because of their flavour. The Alphonso mango is highly valued in India. In Sri Lanka dumpara mangoes, which are small and fibrous, are valued for their sweet honeyed juices. They have to be kneaded gently to soften the fibres, to allow the juices to be sucked out.
Black bean. Shiny, kidney-shaped beans with black skin, white meat and a slightly sweet flavour. They are used in feijoada and black bean stew.
Tuscany is an anglicised name for Toscana, a region of north western Italy. It comprises the provinces of Apuania, Arezzo, Pistoia, Lucca, Florence (Firenze), Pisa, Leghorn (Livorno), Siena and Grosseto. As it is a coastal region, its islands include Giglio and Elba. Other towns are Carrara and Massa. Wheat and olives are cultivated and great, unsalted breads abound. It is a major wine-producing region with some famous wines, often using Sangiovese grapes for red wines and Trebbiano, Chardonnay or Sauvignon for whites. A number of estates, particularly those in Chianto Classico, use other grapes. The region is particulary renowned for its olive oil. The cuisine includes wonderful bean soups.
