Multipurpose Monocultured Crop: Difference between revisions

* The miracle tree [[wikipedia:Moringa oleifera|(Moringa oleifera)]] is an awesome example of this. Originally from Southeast Asia, they are now used in many subtropical parts of the world to help combat malnutrition. Immature green pods of the tree are said to have a kind of green bean with a hint of asparagus taste, its seeds are roasted like peas or nuts, the flowers taste like mushrooms, and the roots can be shaved into a horseradish-like condiment.

** According to [http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2011/12/19/111219fa_fact_bilger?currentPage=all/ this] article: Moringas are among the world’s most nutritious plants. Their leaves can be eaten raw, cooked, or ground into baby formula. They contain four times the calcium of milk, three times the potassium of bananas, four times the Vitamin A of carrots, seven times the Vitamin C of oranges, and about half again the protein of soybeans. The seeds can be pressed for an unsaturated fat like olive oil or crushed into a powder that purifies water(!): its electrolytes attract impurities and precipitate them out of the fluid. Best of all, Moringas are fast-growing and extremely drought-tolerant.

** Then again, it's rare to encounter a culture that actually uses it for all these uses and has no other crops. In that light only corn can really count.

* After the work of [[w:George Washington Carver|George Washington Carver]], peanuts come close.

 

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