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Plantain is the common name for tropical herbaceous plants of the genus Musa. The fruit they produce is generally used for cooking, in contrast to the soft, sweet banana. There is a distinction between bananas and plantains based on its structure and genus/species. Bananas are almost always eaten raw, while plantains tend to be cooked or otherwise processed, and are used either when green or unripe (and therefore starchy) or overripe (and therefore sweet). Read more

Rice Oryza sativa is an annual cereal crop (grain) of utmost importance as a staple food for the world's population. You can help feed more hungry people by playing a FREE RICE game. Cooked rice can contain Bacillus cereus spores, which produce a toxin when left at 4–60 °C (39–140 °F). One of the toxins produced by Bacillus cereus is heat-resistant; reheating contaminated rice kills the bacteria, but does not destroy the toxin already present. Read more...

Yam is the common name of some species in the genus Dioscorea. This starchy tuberous plant is sometimes refered to as a vegetable; at times as sweet potatoes Read why it is so. Due to their abundance and vitality to life, most West African cultures celebrate yam in yam festivals. Yam tubers can grow up to 2.5 m (8.2 ft) in length and weigh up to 70 kg (154 lb) and 8cm to 16cm (3 to 6 inches) high.

Tomatoes are fruits and scientifically referred to as Solanum lycopersicum . Tomatoes are believed to benefit the heart, among other organs thanks to the carotene lycopene, one of the most powerful natural antioxidants. In some studies, lycopene, especially in cooked tomatoes, has been found to help prevent prostate cancer. Thought to be native to S. America, tomatoes have killed... read more...

Believe this? The Irish potato and the tomato are from the same family and genus. It is Solanum tuberosum whiles the tomato is Solanum lycopersicum. It is the world's fourth-largest food crop, following rice, wheat, and maize. So important that 2008 was the International year of the potato,just as unripe tomato and its leaves are poisonous, the potato also...read more. Also read about the Irish potato famine and it's results.

Physically at room temperature, oils are liquids whiles fats are solids. Oils are mostly consumed directly or used to prepare other foods. Corn oil is the commonest cooking oil and as with all oils, contain high energy levels. The purest and the best of the cooking oils... read more

Onions Allium cepa, like garlics, are members of the Allium family, and both are rich in sulphur-containing compounds that are responsible for their pungent odours and for many of their health-promoting effects. Like the all-mighty garlic, the benefits of onion in food extends to the provision of perfect health. Thought to have originated from Asia and the Mid-East,... Read more.

Chilli pepper is the fruit of plants from the genus Capsicum. Thought to have originated from the Americas, chemicals collectively called capsaicinoids are responsible for the hotness of peppers. Capsaicin in particular is the primary ingredient in the pepper spray used as an irritant weapon. The Naga Viper was the pepper world champion as of 2010, ... Read more about the tiny "tot" who took away this prestigious crown from the viper.

The garden egg (eggplant), aubergine, melongene, brinjal, or guinea squash is a plant of the family Solanaceae and genus Solanum. It's from the same family and genus as the tomato and potato. This fruit is only a different specie and is richest in nicotine than any other edible plant. Read more about the comparison between eggplant and cigarettes.

Prawns are crustaceans and there are 540 existing species, in seven families. They differ from other similar crustaceans such as shrimp by the branching form of the gills and by the fact that they do not brood their eggs, but release them directly into the water. Though prawns and shrimps belong to different sub-orders, these names are at time interchanged. In the United Kingdom, the word "prawn" is more common on menus than "shrimp"; while the opposite is the case in North America. Get some reading done...

Maize meal: Maize Zea mays known in many English-speaking countries as corn, is a grain domesticated by pre-historic America. Its main classification is vegetable, yet it is technically a fruit. Corn was originally the English term for any cereal crop and still referred to as that in culinary contexts whiles the term maize is usually used in academic setups. Read more... about this interesting stuff

The black-eyed pea Vigna unguiculata subsp. unguiculata is also called black-eyed bean is a subspecies of the cowpea Vigna unguiculata and grown around the world for its medium-sized, edible bean. Read more... Black-eyed pea is a legume; it adds nitrogen to the soil and has high nutritional value. They are an excellent source of calcium (211 mg in a 1 cup serving), folate (209mcg) and vitamin A (1,305 IU), among other nutrients.

Cocoyam can mean: Taro Colocasia esculenta or Malanga Xanthosoma spp. This image is the Taro: It is a common name for the corms and tubers of several plants in the family Araceae. Of these, Colocasia esculenta is the most widely cultivated. Taro is native to southeast Asia. It is a perennial, tropical plant primarily grown as a root vegetable for its edible starchy corm, and as a leaf vegetable and is considered a staple in African, Oceanic and Asian cultures. Read more...

Corned beef is a type of salt-cured beef products present in many beef-eating cultures and it most likely came about when people began preserving meat through salt-curing. Evidence of its legacy is apparent in numerous cultures, including Ancient Europe, and the Middle East. The word corn derives from Old English, which is used to describe any small hard particles or grains. In the case of "corned beef", the word refers to the coarse granular salts used to cure the beef. Read more...

If egg is over boiled, a greenish ring sometimes appears around the yolk due to the iron and sulphur compounds in the egg. The green ring does not affect the egg's taste though chilling the uncooked egg for a few minutes in cold water until it is completely cooled prevents the greenish "ring" from forming on the surface of the yolk. Cooking also increases the risk of atherosclerosis due to increased oxidization of the cholesterol contained in the egg yolk.Read more.....

Palm oil and palm kernel oil are edible plant oils derived from the fruits of palm trees. Palm oil is extracted from the pulp of the fruit of the oil palm Elaeis guineensis whiles palm kernel oil is derived from the kernel (seed) of the oil palm. Palm oil is naturally reddish in colour because it contains a high amount of alpha-carotene, beta-carotene and lycopene; the same nutrients that give tomatoes, carrots and other fruits and vegetables their rich colours. Read more about palm oil been characterised as mono unsaturated.