There must be many of us who when quite small were given a cut half of a pomegranate and a cocktail stick with which to spear and eat the jewel-like seed casings or arils. The fruit is a continuing source of fascination. Its history and cultivation, its many cultural, mythological and religious associations around the world, and its myriad culinary applications are all topics worthy of exploration. But for this piece let us focus on the pomegranate’s health-promoting properties, recognised since the time of the pharaohs, and these days giving rise to the attainment of super-food status. It turns out that the fruit that gave its name to a Great Spanish city (Granada), an island state in the Caribbean (Grenada), and a small hand-propelled bomb (grenade) is also rich in health-giving nutrients.

The juice and edible seeds of the pomegranate contain an abundance of vitamins A, C, E, iron and other important minerals which provide protection from a number of common ailments. But now a growing body of medical research and clinical trials suggests that a glass of pomegranate juice taken daily can reduce significantly the incidence of cardiovascular disease due to its high antioxidant content.  These are naturally occurring substances that protect us from damaging chemicals in the blood known as free radicals which react with cholesterol to form fatty deposits that speed up hardening of the arteries and lead to heart disease. Some studies have shown that the fruit’s juice slows down cholesterol oxidation by almost a half and that reduced arterial hardening is accompanied by improved blood vessel function and general heart health. In one study of hypertensive patients, pomegranate juice consumed daily over a two-week period was shown significantly to have reduced systolic blood pressure.

Set alongside the same volume of other acknowledged sources of antioxidants such as green tea and red wine, pomegranate juice appears to enjoy almost three times their antioxidant ability.

Consumption of the juice – and seeds – can also prevent the onset of viral infections and as a bonus benefit it seems that pomegranate extracts have antibacterial effects which inhibit dental plaque.

It has to be said that as a business proposition the manufacture of honey sucks. In a working life counted in weeks a worker makes only a teaspoonful of the stuff, and this only after putting in twelve hour days, seven days a week. Moreover, the production of one pound of honey involves about 50,000 worker air miles, the sort of distance you or I would clock up by going twice round the world. But made under these conditions by dedicated bees, honey is truly one of nature’s greatest miracles, treasured down the ages as a food and sweetening agent, and also for its healing properties.

The treatment of wounds using antibacterial properties of honey was widespread right up until the Second World War, but the introduction of penicillin and other antibiotics led to it being side-lined for this purpose. However, thanks to research carried out in New Zealand, this might be about to change. At the Honey Research Unit at the University of Waikato a specific honey with extraordinary healing powers has been identified. It is made from the flowers of the manuka bush.

The heightened medicinal qualities of manuka honey have been attributed to a naturally occurring active ingredient it contains and which so far has defied identification. For the time being it bears the name “unique manuka factor” or UMF.

Measured against the antibacterial efficacy of regular antiseptics such as phenol or carbolic, manuka honey registers amazing results. Its sphere of operation is very wide-ranging, working on bacteria, fungi, and protozoa, and so far no infectious organism has been found that it won’t tackle. Even the antibiotic resistant bacteria such as MRSA that have been troubling hospitals worldwide are within its remit.

Beyond the laboratory in clinical trials at the Waikato Hospital the honey has been used successfully to treat leg ulcers and pressure sores, and post-surgical healing has been accelerated, especially for patients suffering from diabetes. It has also demonstrated anti-inflammatory properties.

In another important area of application manuka honey has been used effectively in cancer cases to treat fungating wounds where cancer has erupted through the skin, and on dressings for skin damage arising from radiation treatment. Many patients benefitting from the treatment have previously tried more conventional approaches with less success.

Generally, patients have been happy to try the honey treatment, perhaps because many are instinctively well-disposed towards natural remedies, though some problems can occur when there is a lack of understanding about how it works.

Quite apart from the treatment of wounds, ulcers, acne and pimples, manuka honey is also conventionally beneficial in soothing sore throats and colds, and relieving indigestion. But there is, too, the question of taste. Although some may find it somewhat “medicinal” many will love its robust flavor on toast, in tea, or straight from the spoon.

In my last piece we talked about the restaurants of Washington’s Little Ethiopia community and this time I thought that I might continue the North African theme by turning my attention to Moroccan cuisine, great examples of which may be sampled in many excellent Moroccan restaurants located in the capital.

There are two particular cooking vessels that are associated with Morocco: the tagine and the perhaps less familiar tangia.

• A tagine is a two-piece earthenware pot that comprises a flat, round base and a large cone-shaped cover that sits within the lip of the base during cooking. The pot is designed to perform slow stewing on a stove top and the shape of the cover promotes the return of condensation to the base. The knob formed at the top of the cover enables it to be lifted during cooking so that progress can be observed and further ingredients or any extra braising liquid can be added. At the end of cooking the base unit is used to serve the dish. The less expensive cuts of lamb and chicken are ideal for slow simmering in a tagine and are often accompanied by seasonal local fruits and spices. Apricots, preserved lemons, cinnamon, cumin, saffron, and ginger are frequently used.

• On the other hand, a tangia is an urn-shaped clay pot that produces results similar to a tagine but only after long, slow, sealed cooking in an oven, the absence of which from traditional Moroccan homes meant that the pots would be taken to the local communal walk-in oven and left for many hours on hot coals to slow cook.

The following recipe for lamb tangia serves 6 and can be made successfully in a dutch oven and conventional cooker.

Ingredients:

• 4 lb Shoulder of lamb cut into 6 portions, excess fat removed
• 1 ½ Preserved lemons, peeled
• 2 Large onions, peeled and quartered
• 1 tbsp Cumin seeds, lightly pounded in a pestle and mortar
• 10 garlic cloves, peeled
• 1 tbsp Ground coriander seeds
• 1 Handful parsley
• 2 oz Butter
• 6 fl oz Water
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 450º F
2. In a food processor place the water, preserved lemon peel, garlic, onion, spices, herbs, salt and pepper and blend to a coarse sauce
3. Smear the butter over the base of a dutch oven, lay the meat in the pan, and pour over the sauce, mixing well
4. Cover the pan with double layers of wax paper and aluminum foil pressed in around the rim, then press on the lid to make a good seal
5. Place the pan in the middle of the oven, reduce the temperature to 275º F and cook for 5 hours
6. Serve with boiled potatoes or rice

If you love steak tartare you just have to try kitfo, an Ethiopian dish of freshly-ground lean beef served raw or medium rare, seasoned with a spiced chili powder called mitmitma and dressed with a herbed butter sauce or fresh cottage cheese known as ayb. The dish often comes in an authentic clay pot complete with a bone spoon to heighten the North African experience. Alternatively, treat yourself to tibs, another beef dish cooked with onions and a complex 20-spice mix called berbere. Or order up some doro wat, a dish of chicken in a rich red pepper sauce, generally regarded as the national dish of Ethiopia.

Ethiopian immigrants first settled in Washington’s Adams Morgan neighborhood during the 1970s but moved on as property prices and rents escalated to the then mostly abandoned U Street Corridor. The area, centered around the intersection with 9^th Street, now hosts the world’s biggest Ethiopian émigré community. Residents in what has become widely known as Little Ethiopia have infused the area with their culture, including stores and a cluster of restaurants that offer the more adventurous diner unique exotic dishes at affordable prices.

The number of restaurants in the U Street enclave is growing rapidly, boosted by the reputation for great food already garnered by such eateries as U Turn, Abiti, Etete, Queen Makeda, Axum, Dukem, and Sodere. The custom of community members helped to establish these businesses but the value menus soon started to attract students, and the exotic cuisine found favor with tourists. Now you may expect to find pretty much anyone eating in the area.

Before setting out for U Street, whet your appetite with this simple recipe for tibs.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb Lean steak cut into ½ ” cubes
• 1 Large onion, thinly sliced
• 1 Large green pepper, thinly sliced
• 2 tbsp Berbere spice mix (obtainable at international grocers or online)
• 50 ml Red wine

Method:

1. Marinate the meat for at least 2 hours or overnight in awaze sauce made from 1 tbsp berbere, 1 tbsp vegetable oil, and 20 ml red wine
2. Heat a medium skillet and sauté the onion in 2 tbsp oil until softened
3. Lower the heat and add the beef and green pepper, turning regularly until cooked through (about 10 minutes)
4. Season again with 1 tbsp berbere and the rest of the red wine and continue to sauté until the wine cooks out
5. Serve garnished with sprigs of rosemary and a side of awaze sauce