dimanche 12 août 2012

Le romazava

Plat traditionnel malgache à base de viande de bœuf et de brèdes mafana.

Pour 4 personnes :
15 ml d'huile végétale
1 kg de cubes de bœuf à ragoût (préférablement dans le jarret)
1 gousse d’ail haché
1 petit oignon émincé
3 à 4 lamelles fines de gingembre frais
1 tomate fraîche concassée
sel et poivre
500 g de brèdes mafana : feuilles de plantes vertes que l’on trouve dans certaines boutiques exotiques. Vous pouvez les remplacer par du cresson, fanes de radis, épinards en branches.

Dans un fait-tout, faites chauffer l’huile à feu vif, et faites-y revenir la viande coupée en cubes.
Ajoutez l’ail hachée, l’oignon émincé, le gingembre, puis la tomate concassée.
Salez et poivrez selon votre goût et recouvrez les cubes de viandes dans l’eau.
Faites bouillir un dizaine de minutes en écumant souvent, puis baissez le feu. Placez un couvercle et laissez mijoter de 3/4 d’heure à une heure.
Ajoutez les brèdes mafana que vous avez préalablement lavé et laissez cuire encore 20 à 25 minutes.

Servir avec du riz blanc. Le romazava, dont le goût spécifique est donné par les feuilles s'accompagne de piments et d'un rougail.


jeudi 10 mai 2012

The fragrance of ylang-ylang

The fragrance of ylang-ylang is rich and deep with notes of rubber and custard, and bright with hints of jasmine and neroli. The essential oil of the flower is obtained through steam distillation of the flowers and separated into different grades according to when the distillates are obtained. The main aromatic components of ylang-ylang oil are benzyl acetate, linalool, p-cresyl methyl ether, and methyl benzoate, responsible for its characteristic odor.

The essential oil of ylang-ylang is used in aromatherapy. It is believed to relieve high blood pressure, normalize sebum secretion for skin problems, and is considered to be an aphrodisiac.



mardi 7 février 2012

Bourbon vanilla , Nossy be

In the fifteenth century, Aztecs invading from the central highlands of Mexico conquered the Totonacs, and soon developed a taste for the vanilla pods. They named the fruit "tlilxochitl", or "black flower", after the matured fruit, which shrivels and turns black shortly after it is picked. Subjugated by the Aztecs, the Totonacs paid tribute by sending vanilla fruit to the Aztec capital, Tenochtitlan.

Until the mid-19th century, Mexico was the chief producer of vanilla. In 1819, however, French entrepreneurs shipped vanilla fruits to the islands of Réunion and Mauritius in hopes of producing vanilla there. After Edmond Albius discovered how to pollinate the flowers quickly by hand, the pods began to thrive. Soon, the tropical orchids were sent from Réunion Island to the Comoros Islands and Madagascar, along with instructions for pollinating them.

The majority of the world's vanilla is the V. planifolia variety, more commonly known as Bourbon vanilla (after the former name of Réunion, Île Bourbon) or Madagascar vanilla, which is produced in Madagascar and neighboring islands in the southwestern Indian Ocean, and in Indonesia.

Good vanilla will only come from good vines and through careful production methods. Commercial vanilla production can be performed under open field and "greenhouse" operations. Both production systems share the following similarities:

  • Plant height and number of years before producing the first grains.
  • Shade necessities.
  • Amount of organic matter needed.
  • A tree or frame to grow around (Bamboo, coconut or Erythrina lanceolata).
  • Labor intensity (pollination and harvest activities).