1. What IS Moringa?
Moringa is an edible tropical tree, known all over the world by many different names. It is called"The Miracle Tree" - with good reason, "The Horseradish Tree" - due to the taste of the leaves and its root, "The Drumstick Tree" - because of its pods. People eat its leaves, its flowers, seeds and pods, and its roots. WE CAUTION AGAINST EATING THE ROOTS!
2. Why do you caution against eating its roots?
We advise people NOT TO EAT the root of the Moringa Tree, because the root and the root bark contains some powerful toxins. Consumed in large enough quantities, one of the toxins can paralyze the nervous system, and cause death. No one seems to know how much is too much!
Despite this, many cultures continue to peel off the root bark, and eat the root. It tastes like horseradish. Horseradish is NOT deadly, so - buy horseradish at the store, or grow it, and leave the root of the Moringa tree alone! If you eat the root, the tree dies, and possibly, so do you!
3. What does Moringa taste like?
Raw Moringa leaves, have a slight "bite", reminiscent of watercress or radish. Both the Moringa Oleifera and the Moringa Stenopetala that we grow, have that "bite", but it is more pronounced in the Moringa Oleifera. When cooked, the "bite" goes away, and Moringa tastes like "pecany" spinach, at least to us! It only takes a few minutes to wilt and turn an intense green. Served up with a touch of butter, garlic, and salt, it is an epicurian delight!
4. What other parts of the tree are edible?
All of the Moringa tree is edible, however, WE DO NOT WANT our customers eating the root! See #2, above. Moringa flower blossoms and buds are also edible, but some say they should be cooked. Collect enough of them, and you will enjoy one of the most delectable "vegetables" imaginable! Take it easy, eating the Moringa flowers. We find them to be laxative, if more than about 1/4 cup is eaten at one time. Very young Moringa pods are excellent eating, when they are about the size of string beans. After that, they get "woody" and "stringy", and will require additional cooking time. Moringa seeds can be fried in a little oil - sometimes they "pop" just like popcorn. Add salt, and eat a few at a time, as they are intensely cleansing!
5. Have you noticed any difference in your body, since you started eating Moringa?
I certainly have, as have other members of my family! Everyone else says that eating Moringa gives them sustained energy, all day long. I have always had a LOT of energy, so I cannot testify to that, BUT - I HAVE noticed that my family's hair is growing by leaps and bounds, and slowly returning to its original color and texture. One of the members in the family has LOTS of new hair growing in areas where there SHOULD be hair - that he has not had for about 20 years! We also noticed that after we eat a good-sized serving of it, it appears to act as a vascodilator, because we can see our veins "pulsing", sort of like a "niacin flush". That is usually indicative of a cleansing of the veins and arteries. We have had customers tell us, that they have lost extra pounds, since they have been using Moringa, some no longer feel tired
and drained, several of them swear by it, for their diabetes. Google Moringa, and you can read all about how eating Moringa has changed people's lives.
6. Why should I eat Moringa?
Well, in this day of "instant everything", it is difficult to get raw, vital enzymes, vitamins, and minerals into your body. Moringa leaves contain INTENSE nutrition, and proportionately they pack more Vitamin C than citrus, more Vitamin A than spinach, and a whole lot more. They are one of the rare things that vegetarians can eat, that will supply all of the essential amino acids that your body needs, and a whole lot more that are considered to be non-essential to life. Adding Moringa to your diet is one way to insure a daily dose of intense nutrition, in an enjoyable-to-eat form.
7. Can I grow my OWN Moringa tree?
YES! There are some basic requirements, though. If you live in a part of the United States where the weather is tropical, or sub-tropical - you can grow Moringa successfully outdoors, year-round. If you live in an area with freezing temperatures in the winter, you will have to grow it outside in the summer, and indoors when it is cool. Moringa loves warmth and light, so you will have to place it somewhere in your home, where it will be warm. You will also need to put plant lights on it, as it is a sun-loving tree. You can plant it as an annual, and eat it all summer long, but you'll need quite a few seeds or seedlings to get a good supply of leaves. If you have access to a greenhouse, up north - you're set.
8. How tall can I expect my Moringa trees to get?
Well, now, that all depends on where you live, where you plant them, how you plant them, what soil you plant them in, what container you plant them in, and how much sunlight, heat, and water they receive. Moringa trees CAN grow to be as large as some oak trees, but we recommend that you prune them back often, and heavily. We like to maintain ours at a height of about 6 - 12 feet, so we can easily reap their abundant harvest. The more you pinch back their tops, and cut back the branches, the bushier they become, and the more leaves, flower blossoms, and buds they will produce. Leave some of the flowers on them, if you want to have pods.
9. How do you eat Moringa?
WE eat Moringa in lots of different ways. The leaves of Moringa can be eaten raw, right from the trees, or lightly sauteéd in olive oil, extra-virgin coconut oil, or butter. We add Moringa leaves to just about everything imaginable - pizza, salad, soup, meatloaf, scrambled eggs, quiche, chili, omelettes, dips - you name it! Moringa combines well with garlic, onions, mushrooms, meatless main dishes, chicken in any form, turkey dressing, Kashi, quinoa, amaranth, chia, rice, wild rice, potatoes, eggs, cheese, fish, black beans, hummus - the list is endless. If you want to add Moringa Leaf Powder to your diet, the way we like it the best is in guacamolé, dips, or salad dressing. Check the links on the "How-To" section to the right...>
10. I live where it is REALLY cold. How can I grow enough Moringa to eat?
If your weather really never warms up, you can still enjoy Moringa. It won't be quite as easy, but if you have a room in your home that is at least 70 degrees Fahrenheit, year-round, you can grow enough Moringa to eat its harvest.
You will have to keep plant lights on them, and keep the Moringas as warm as possible. To have enough leaves to eat, you will have to have at least 5 trees growing, that you keep at a managable 6 - 12 foot maximum height. If you diligently use an organic fertilizer, and provide enough warmth, water, and light - your Moringas will reward you with as many fresh leaves as you can possibly eat.
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