“I’ve read about black apples,” I said as we were served at our favorite restaurant. “But black carrots and black potatoes?”
“You’ll be pleasantly surprised,” the server replied.
My vision of black produce was of the kind long past the edible stage and well on the way to the compost pile. I poked at the small black potato. There was a red one next to it, as well as a few white, but the black one intrigued me.
The waiter chuckled softly. “I get asked that question all the time. No, they’re not bad. The black potato may be a little softer than the red or white, but they’re tasty.”
我又捅了捅盘子里的黑球。然后我把叉子转向放在传统橙色胡萝卜床上的那根黑色胡萝卜。我勇敢地接受了这个挑战，用叉子叉起土豆，把它放在盘子边上的一堆黄油里转了一圈，然后试了试，确保它不会太热，然后扑哧一声把它塞进嘴里。
And yes, I was pleasantly surprised.
I decided then and there to add some black produce to my garden plot. Later at home, some research introduced me to all kinds of black produce. From grapes andapplesto the potatoes and carrots I had just enjoyed, and black tomatoes I had yet to try. I was sure there were more and was intent on both growing and enjoying each and every one of these specialty varieties.
黑色食物作为一种新的食物时尚正受到人们的关注，而且它还有许多未被探索的益处。虽然，黑色水果和蔬菜的定义可能，应用得太松散了。这些种植在花园里或葡萄藤上的深色食物，很多实际上是深紫色的，或者像蓝莓一样，是深蓝色的。它们的颜色可能会把它们归类为真正的黑色农产品，也可能不会，但有一长串产品绝对是黑色的:黑莓、黑醋栗、黑樱桃(我最喜欢的夏季甜食)和黑李子(可以说可以归类为深紫色)。这些只是一些黑色的水果点心。
Until the appearance of the black potato and carrot on my dinner plate, I hadn’t considered black a common color for vegetables. I have enjoyed eggplant for years but considered the skin tone to be more of a deep purple than black. There’s even a black pepper (which again I would classify as dark purple and not black) as well as black tomatoes, radishes, and corn that are varying degrees of black and purple. There are also some lentils and grains that fit under the category: black rice and black sesame seeds, for examples.
So there is a growing interest in black-colored produce, and here are some options to add to your dinner plate and enjoy.
Black Potatoes
My exposure to black potatoes comes from cutting them open and finding a darkened core. It’s a type of potato rot, often called blackheart. The potato is decaying in the center, and even though you can cut away the blackened core and eat the remainder of the potato flesh, it’s not as savory as one would anticipate.
I was surprised to discover there are several varieties of black potatoes. Some varieties sport a deep purple hue of skin rather than black, while others have black or dark blue or purple veins that circumnavigate the flesh. There is the all blue potato (and yes, it’s called “all blue”) which is a deep blue both inside and out. The texture is dry, but it holds its shape when cooked. Most people enjoy this potato best when baked and covered with butter (or your preferred dairy or nondairy, spread). It keeps its blue color when baked.
Purple majesty is another dark-colored potato. Oblong in shape, the skin and flesh are a dark purple. This potato also maintains its color and shape when baked. High in antioxidants, it serves well in soups or salads, or roasted.
The most common and truly black potato is now considered a heritage potato: the Shetland Black (Solanum tuberosum). As you may well assume, the origin of this potato is the Shetland Islands, and it’s cultivated throughout the United Kingdom. The plants don’t produce large crops, so these potatoes are rarely found outside of the U.K. Medium-sized, and oval or kidney-shaped, these gems are nothing like other dark-colored vegetables. They may look strange, and have dark rings around the inside of the skin and throughout the flesh, but they taste pretty much like any other potato. I must confess I found the texture to be a little dry, almost like a flour paste.
There are varieties of black potatoes grown in other parts of the world as well. Many of them more dark purple than black. Among these varieties are the purple explosion, true black dark night, Russian blue, black woman, black prince (this one has a slightly nutty flavor), Chinese truffle, and purple Viking. The attraction to black potatoes has little to do with crop yield as most have small yields and produce a small potato tuber. However, many of these varieties demonstrate a tolerance to high temperatures and are resistant to the destructive Colorado potato beetle. Some show an immunity to common potato blights and can be stored for long periods of time.
Black Carrots
Did you know the U.K. has a carrot museum? It’s called the World Carrot Museum (http://www.carrotmuseum.co.uk/blackcarrot1.html)and it has everything you want to know about carrots, and more. So when researching the unique qualities of the black carrot, what better place to look?
我喜欢生的、新鲜的胡萝卜，最习惯种植(和吃)橙色的胡萝卜。有一种白色的胡萝卜，通常被称为防风草，但它不是我的最爱之一，也肯定不是那种生吃的(当然，我的看法，其他人可能会有不同)。黑色胡萝卜?我住的地方不长这种树。显然，黑胡萝卜在不同的国家有不同的名字(在印度被称为kaali gajar)，长期以来一直是花园和家庭烹饪的主要食物，尤其是在亚洲。显然，我们喜欢的橙色胡萝卜，是15世纪才出现的。
So what makes the black carrot special? Surprisingly, this carrot is quite sweet and sometimes has a slightly spicy aftertaste. Its dark color is a result of the high concentration of anthocyanin, while the orange carrot is higher in beta-carotene. Both colors of carrots have unique health benefits. Black carrots are particularly beneficial in lowering high blood cholesterol, and apparently, the risk of neurological diseases like Alzheimer’s. Unfortunately, black carrots don’t keep well once harvested and must be processed quickly. In Turkey, black carrots are popular in juice as well as in kanji or salgam, a traditional fermented beverage.
Like black potatoes, there are different varieties of black carrots including the Antonina, beta sweet, deep purple, and purple haze. High in fiber and good for treating various inflammatory diseases, the black carrot has many of the same benefits as the orange carrot. Another interesting use of black carrots is in food coloring. As a natural extract, it makes an excellent black color.
Black Tomatoes
I have a friend who refuses to eat any other tomato. She claims the black tomato is significantly less acidic, probably due to its intense sweetness and slightly salty flavor. Of the many varieties of black tomatoes, her favorite is the black beauty tomato — what a grand, dignified name, and how suitable for a heritage tomato.
But there are other, mostly heritage, tomatoes: Black cherry tomato, black icicle tomato, Cherokee purple, black krim, and black vernissage, to name a few.
我对黑番茄的主要体验是当我最喜欢的牛排番茄长了枯萎病时;一个令人讨厌的黑斑可以从番茄的任何地方开始，生长在番茄的周围和内部，直到没有任何可食用的东西。这种情况已经连续发生了好几年，但我发现，在番茄植株底部撒上蛋壳，其余的番茄仍然没有枯萎病(但不是黑色的)。我最近吃了我朋友做的黑番茄。她把它切碎，加到她的拌沙拉里。除了一些黑色的生菜，她的沙拉是一个五颜六色的展示和美味的款待。她说黑色的番茄也烤得很好，我想知道它在我每年制作的番茄汤里会怎么样。它肯定会改变颜色。
Like other varieties of tomato, the black tomato is high in fiber, and vitamins A and C. It’s also a good source of lycopene which is a natural preventive against cancer.
Growing Popularity With Black Produce &Foods
Naturally black due to the present of a plant pigment called anthocyanins, black fruits, vegetables, lentils, and grains are making headway in popularity, primarily for the major health benefits. The anthocyanins are helping lower the risk of heart disease and some cancers. Here are a few black-colored foods with significant health benefits:
Black sesame seeds
Slightly nutty and bitter with a higher antioxidant quality than their more common cousins. You can grind the black sesame seeds into a butter, called tahini, and use it instead of any buttery spread on toast, or anything you’d normally butter. In a stir fry, black sesame seeds add a bit of a tasty crunch.
Black mission figs
Sweet (though with less sugar than dates or raisins) and pasty-like jam as one would expect, providing a healthy dose of minerals that promote bone health.
Black garlic
I always considered myself a garlic connoisseur and yet, hadn’t realized there was a black variety that outshines the white. Good for the heart like all garlic, black garlic has a milder flavor that is more appealing to those who shy away from the more potent white bulbs. Use it in salad dressings or mix it with a buttery spread to make a tasty garlic bread. It works just as well in any of your favorite recipes.
Black rice
一种类似糙米的古老谷物，是素食蛋白的重要来源。它比大多数的都要硬，还有一点坚果的味道。用牛奶、水果、洋葱碎和蜂蜜煮熟的黑米是一顿健康丰盛的早餐，或者是经典米布丁的绝佳替代品。煮熟的黑米也可以加到沙拉中来增加颜色、风味和稍微有嚼劲的口感。
Black mushrooms
Shiitakes are good for boosting immunity; black trumpets are full of the energizing vitamin B12 (more than found in other types of mushrooms). With a savory flavor, black mushrooms are a tasty addition to any meat or poultry dish, and best when sautéed.
还有很多深紫色，深蓝色和黑色的水果和蔬菜，包括深紫色的花椰菜，深紫色的草本植物，以及深黑色的芦笋。
I was surprised to discover so many black fruits and vegetables on the market. I have to confess to a few favorites. I love black grapes, blackberries, deep purple plums, and dark green eggplant. I even enjoy dark, often black, lettuce to add variety to the color of my salad. But, while many of you would confess to enjoying black coffee beans (some might arguably describe these beans as dark brown and only because of the roasting process), my all-time favorite is cocoa beans (also often described as a dark brown). Yup! My favorite dark-colored food is the most important food on the planet: chocolate. And you got it, the darker the chocolate, the more I love it.
Leave a Reply