Candied olives

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Candied olives: A Taiwanese Speciality

March 18, 2016 by Exploretraveler.com 1 Comment

Candied olives: A Taiwanese Speciality

Candied olives are a Taiwanese delicacy. This specialty dates back to their Chinese culinary history. The Chinese love their olives. Chinese olive varieties are primarily cultivated for their quality in making jams and candy. They also make dried fruits and nuts. Unlike the Mediterranean, they are not known for making oil. They are preserved or cured in the same way as olives are in the western world. After the olives are preserved or cured, they are then candied and dried. Olives are often paired with goat cheeses, cured meats, and different varieties of seafood. They are commonly eaten with fresh herbs, such as garlic, rosemary, thyme, and cumin. Candied olives are eaten alone or as part of a desert. They even provide a healthy snack throughout the day!

The main difference between most Asian olive growers is whether a variety is suitable for fresh eating or only used for processing. Any of the many varieties can be used for candied olives. Candied olives are usually an acquired taste. Few children are born asking for olives. But in Asia, young children desire their favorite olive. They are considered a delicacy in Taiwan and most of Asia. They are a sweet treat! They are delicious! They are healthy!

What does history tell us about this humble fruit? Back in ancient time, the Olive tree held deep respect in all the ancient lands. During the time of Moses, the Israelites who would agree to work on the cultivation of the olive trees were exempted from serving in the military. Throughout classical literature, olives have always been a symbol that stood for goodness and purity. The ancient Israelites, not only used the oil of the olive for food, but they also burnt its oil in the Temple. Closer to modern times, we see the olive leaf used in the crown for the winning Olympic contestant.

In many countries a dinner is not complete without a bowl of olives on the table. Spain, Italy, Morocco, France, Lebanon, and Syria eat olives daily. Olives are very abundant, cheap,and almost everyone knows someone with an olive tree. They come in many varieties and colors. Some are pink, green, or black. In Morocco, almost every restaurant serves a bowl of olives with the meal. The only surprise is the variety and color that they may be!

The amazing olive tree is given credit for the overall health of the people who live in the Mediterranean region. They cook with the oil, that is so healthy and easy to use. They eat the freshly cured olives served on the table daily. They use the candied olives for desert. They use the leaves for many things, including medicinal purposes. The leaves of the olive tree are a lesser know usage, but are perhaps the most important of all. The olive leaf is a traditional medicinal herb known to be used clear back in ancient times. The therapeutic value of the olive leaf and it’s uses date back centuries. In Morocco, infusions are given to those suffering from Diabetes and those needing to lower the blood sugar quickly. This remedy has been written up in medical journals and is well documented.

Olives and the Olive Tree are considered to be antibacterial, antiviral and antifungal. They are used in the Mediterranean countries to cure infections inside the body. Eating olives is known also to help us burn body fat more efficiently. All forms of the olive is good. Have you had your daily olives today?

In Traditional Chinese medicine, all parts of the olive are used for medicinal purposes. Followers of traditional medicine like to use good quality olives in a variety of ways. They believe that the olive fruits are extremely useful as an anti-inflammatory and for their detox properties. Olives are also used to relieve sore throats, chronic coughs, and fever. Olives are easy to candy and can be used like candy when you have a sore throat or cough.

Throughout the East, olives are used for therapeutic purposes. They are often seen in regional folklore and many schools of traditional medicine. Eastern doctors have been known to use them to reduce blood sugar, cholesterol, and uric acid. Because the fruit is bitter, the oil is usually used cured or candied. It has also been used to treat diabetes, hypertension or high blood pressure, inflammation, diarrhea, respiratory and urinary tract infections. Other things olive oil is used for are stomach and intestinal diseases, asthma, hemorrhoids, rheumatism, as a laxative, and a mouth wash. While not much research has been done on Olive oil by Western scientists, much has been done in the East. World wide, those that use it attest to its healing qualities.

Because the olive is so bitter, people often use them as table olives, candied for a desert, or as Olive Oil. That is by far the most common way to use olives, with over 90% of the olive market going for the production of oil. For those of you who like to cook, an easy desert recipe is included below. I would suggest going to an olive bar and experimenting with different varieties of olives.

Following is a basic recipe for candied olives. The suggested variety is Kalamata olives. Try different varieties until you find the one you enjoy the most.

Candied Olives

1 cup pitted Kalamata Olives
2 cups water
2 cups sugar

Method
Place Kalamata olives in a medium pot, add 2 cups of water. Bring to a boil; cook 2 minutes, then strain the olives. Repeat the process 6 times, with a fresh two cups of water each time.

Now for the seventh round of cooking, place the olives in the pot. Add 1 quart water and 2 cups sugar. Bring to boil and cook 5 minutes. Turn off heat and let cool. Place in a container and let sit overnight in the sugar-water.

The next day, remove olives from water and place on a parchment-lined cookie sheet. Spread out, sprinkle sugar enough to cover each olive. Shake pan to coat olives evenly. Then place cookie sheet on the floor of the oven until dry and crispy. The heat from the pilot light will slowly dry the olives. (For those without a pilot light, you can dry on a cookie sheet in the sun on the table or outside. Just think outside the box, and you will surprise yourself with a new treat for the cold winter months.)

For those of you who are looking for something really special and unique, with a touch of sweetness, healthy, but not outrageous, how about satisfying your sweet tooth with Castelvetrano Olives? The following recipe is for those who can not spend a lot of time in the kitchen, but want something unique and pleasing to the taste buds.

Candied Olives

by Zomg • February 8, 2011 (found on food52.com)

Makes 1 cup
28 Castelvetrano Olives
1/4 cup cane sugar
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons cane sugar, to sprinkle
Preheat oven to 300. Pit and halve olives. Select olives that are firm and fresh-looking for best results.
Over medium-low heat combine olives, cane sugar, lemon juice, and water in a small saucepan. Stir vigorously until the sugar is fully dissolved. Note: Your results and cooking time will vary based on your stove and the thickness of your cookware. If the mixture looks over-active, remove the pan, set heating element to a lower temperature, and resume cooking.
Keep a watchful eye as the syrup begins to thicken. Once you can pass your spoon through the liquid and count 2 full seconds before it closes up afterward the olives are ready for finishing.
Carefully pour the olives and syrup onto a prepared baking tray. Spread evenly and sprinkle with remaining cane sugar. Bake for 30 minutes or until olives are firm and the syrup is thick.
Remove and let cool. These will keep in the fridge for a week…if they last that long!
So what do those do who have just made Awesome Candied Olives, only to find that they do not like them sweet? Yes, it is an acquired taste. Like many other things throughout Asia, you either love them or you hate them. Table olives are a delicious option, but eventually they too can get tiring. So give your taste buds a special treat. Following is an awesome olive spread for pizza and then top it with chopped garlic and basil. This pizza is the best of both worlds. It is quick, it is easy, and it is healthy.

BLACK OLIVE SAUCE ARAB STYLE

Ingredients

½ kilo fresh tomatoes, peeled and chopped

1 large onion, finely sliced

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

200 gr black olives, pitted and sliced

1 tbsp capers

1 tsp cayenne pepper

½ tsp chilli powder

½ tsp paprika

dash of Tabasco

olive oil

Method

Heat olive oil in a pan and add the onion. Fry until it is transparent then add the garlic.

Fry over a low heat for 5 mins.

Add all the other ingredients and stir well. It may need a little water, but not much. Bring to the boil then turn the heat down to very low and simmer for 20 mins.

Serve on pizza and top with garlic and fresh basil. If you like, add fresh chopped coriander leaves as a garnish. Why not serve Candied Olives for desert? One day you may wake up and find you can’t live without them.

It really is completely impossible to eat too many olives. Freshly cured olives, extra virgin olive oil and olive leaves are very much a part of the daily diet of the Mediterranean area. Medical research throughout the Western nations is showing that eating olives in any form is beneficial for good health. Many are finding that eating olives or olive oil can even help older woman prevent those dreaded wrinkles. Some scientists are now suggesting that it may slow the aging process, and that it may even help stop hot flushes in menopausal women. That in itself would be enough to help some learn to like candied olives. The nice thing about candied olives is that you can snack on them throughout the day. Then at lunch you can make an olive pizza, and for dinner why not have a large dinner salad with olive oil drizzled across the top. Garnish your salad with table olives. And while you watch TV, why not have some more of those delicious candied olives? Stay young, stay healthy……. the olive way!

Have you ever considered embarking on an olive adventure? Taiwan is a small island, but there are so many different cultures. Each family has their favorite family recipe. Even within the same ethnic group or tribe, each family has their own variation. Candied olive recipes are held close to the heart. Rarely will someone tell you the recipe, but they love to share the results. As you travel from the North to the South the style and recipes will change. You may even walk across the street and find your all time favorite.

Asians are very health conscious as a people, and you do not see as many treats dripping in sugar, as in the west. For this reason it should not be a major surprise to see the humble olive as the star on the desert table. Check out the many local buffets as you travel through the island, the you will see many different types of olives used to make these delicious treats. If at first they are not a favorite, don’t give up! One day you will find the perfect candied olive for your taste buds. Candied olives delicious! They are healthy and unique! Try them, you may love them!

For those who want to try the real thing—-we will see you in Taiwan! There is no perfect time to travel to Taiwan, the weather is nice year around. If you want to participate in a particular festival, then make your reservations far ahead. Those are the busy times. Especially things like New Years and The Dragon Boat races can make accommodations hardier to find. If traveling during these times, just think ahead and make those reservations early.

Whatever the season, enjoy your olive adventure, in Taiwan!

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A Fruit Tree Journey Through Taiwan

February 12, 2016 by Exploretraveler.com Leave a Comment

Season Of Sweet Baby Green Mangoes

Taiwan is a Taiwanese fruit lover’s paradise. This is an island of plentiful fresh fruit in season. Taiwan grows extraordinary and delicious fruits. These are some of the best in the world. Taiwan has a rich volcanic soil which is a farmers delight. The island is also so small, that all produce travel

There is always ms for short distances. The Taiwanese are privileged to enjoy some of the best bananas, and melons of all kinds. Here you can enjoy guavas and mangoes that are fresh in their season.more than enough fresh fruit in the Morning Market for all those who desire. Picked fresh off the tree, it left for the market just a few hours earlier. Everything is ready to eat and fresh. The most amazing thing you will see is bin after bin of fresh fruits and vegetables. Even the large supermarkets have fresh produce that the farmers brought early in the morning. This island is indeed a fruit lover’s paradise.

One of the many amazing fruits growing in this fruit lover’s paradise is the Baby Green Mangoes. These are so sweet to taste, they almost melt in your mouth. They are perhaps one of the sweetest mangoes in the world. Taiwan is famous for their juicy fruit that is served over a bed of ice. This island delicacy is a giant mound of frozen mango and ice covered with fresh mango. This is the perfect fresh drink on a hot tropical day. If you are guests at an island ceremony, it is not unusual to see a huge oversized mound of shaved ice with the fresh mango over the top. The Taiwanese love their frozen mango specialty. It is an island delight!

Fresh Persimmons

Fresh persimmons abound throughout the island. There are ample of this fresh fruit for all. There is nothing like a bowl of fresh persimmons for breakfast. Persimmon juice is fantastic. However, it is not the fresh persimmons that Taiwan is best known for, but the dried. The area of Hsinpu, with its many hills and very dry weather, together with a strong wind that arrives each fall, makes this area the dried persimmon capital of Taiwan. They have many persimmon trees and a super suitable condition for making dried persimmons naturally. The wind and the sun make this a perfect art of love.

What Is This Warty Strange Fruit?

Bitter Melon is a tropical and subtropical fruit. It is grown for it’s very bitter but edible and valuable fruit. This strange fruit has a very warty exterior and is oblong in shape, much like a cucumber. It is about the same size of a very large cucumber. It is perhaps the world’s most bitter tasting fruit. Regardless of its taste, it is often combined with other foods and is widely desired on the island and mainland China. Only in recent years, are other countries starting to discover the many benefits of this strange fruit.

Bitter Melon is an excellent weight-loss fruit. It is a major ingredient in many commercial weight loss products. With so many desiring to lose the added pounds, why not learn the art of cooking with this island powerhouse?

In Chinese Medicine, Bitter Melon has been used for centuries in the treatment of Type 2 Diabetes. It is favored throughout China for it’s a natural way to lower blood sugar levels. While not much research has been done in Western Countries, it is a safe fruit to use in your cooking.

A favorite way to use this amazing fruit is in stews, soups, and stir-fry dishes of many kinds. It also pairs nicely with curry, peanuts, and coconut. This is a basic curry recipe using coconut and bitter melon. I also like to add some raw peanuts:

Bitter Melon and Coconut Curry

INGREDIENTS:

Bitter gourd – 1 medium gourd
Mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp
Cumin seeds – 1/4 tsp
Dry red chillies – 2 (you can use more or less)
Curry leaves -1 sprig(Find in Asian or Indian Markets)
Onion – 1 medium sliced
Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp
Coriander powder – 1 tsp
Chili powder – 3/4 tsp (Use hot or mild, according to taste)
Green Chilies–2 (Use hot or mild)
Tomato– 1 chopped
Coconut — 1 Cup
Plain Yogurt–1 Tablespoon
Coconut Oil–2 Tablespoons
Salt to taste

DIRECTIONS:

Cut the bitter gourd lengthwise, remove the seeds, wash and slice them. Apply salt and yogurt and keep aside for 15 minutes. Heat oil in a pan and fry the bitter gourd pieces till golden brown. In the same oil, simmer mustard seeds and cumin seeds. Add dry red chillies and curry leaves. Then add onions and saute till they turn pink. Now add the spice powders and saute for a minute. Add tomatoes and green chillies. Saute till oil separates. Now add coconut milk and fried bitter gourd pieces. Mix well and heat through. Add more salt if needed. Switch off the flame before it boils. Serve over rice and sprinkle raw peanuts on top if desired.

(Basic recipe taken from saltandspice.org with my modifications and notes.)

Another way that is just catching on is adding it to your morning smoothies. Many things have even more nutrition when used in their raw state. Here is an excellent way to use it in your morning smoothie:

Bitter Melon Smoothie

INGREDIENTS:

½ – 1 small bitter melon
¼ pineapple
1 pear
2 celery sticks
1 lemon

DIRECTIONS:

Wash all produce well.
Remove the skin from the pineapple.
Cut the bitter melon in half longways, scoop out the seeds and white flesh with a spoon and juice the outer green of the bitter melon.
All all produce through juicer and enjoy!

SUBSTITUTIONS:

Bitter melon – cucumber, grapefruit, winter melon
Pineapple – apple, green melon
Pear – apple, orange
Celery – cucumber, zucchini, chard (silverbeet)
Lemon – grapefruit, lime

Servings: 1

(This recipe is found on the website: REBOOTWITHJOE.COM)

Taiwan’s Preserved Olives

Another unique delicacy is Taiwan’s preserved olives. These olives are candied. They are a very sweet and spicy dried fruit. Very fragrant and delicious! There is also a red spicy olive that tastes nothing like an olive. This candied olive has a crispy crunchy texture to it. It is slightly sweet with a mild spice flavor. The plain olive cannot be found here with these salty and sweet Taiwanese Delicacies.

There are many different Olive Trees grown in Taiwan. Some are best used fresh and others canned. Still, others can be dried for use in standard recipes latter. What is notable about the olives that are used for candied olives, is that any variety can be used.

The best way to do candied olives at home is to place 1 cup any kind of olive in 2 cups water. Bring the olives to a boil and cook 2 minutes and then strain. Repeat 6 times with fresh water each time. For the 7th time use 1 quart of water and 2 cups of sugar. Bring to a boil and cook for 5 minutes. Let the olives remain in the syrup overnight. In the morning, drain and roll each olive in sugar and place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Place in a sunny spot on the table to dry. (If you have a gas oven, you can dry in the oven. The pilot light is the perfect temperature.) They are finished when dry and crispy.

This is the perfect treat for a cold winter’s night in front of the fireplace. If you think outside the box, there are many Asian treats that you can make in your home. And of course, on your next trip to Taiwan, be sure to taste their candied fruit. The olives are the best!

Taiwan’s Superfruits

The Longan and Dragon Fruit has been used for thousands of years for good health throughout Asia. Today, the world over, we call them Super-fruits! What has been used throughout Asia for centuries is just now coming to the attention of Westerners. There is a whole world of fruits out there that most people have never heard of. Here are a couple of favorites.

Longan is a fruit that is slightly smaller than a Lychee. It has a brown skin which is smoother than the skin of the Lychee. The Logan and Lychee taste quite similar to one another. The Longan tastes wonderful and has been used for a tonic fruit for centuries in Asia. This delightful fruit when peeled is white. It has been considered an anti-aging fruit in Chinese Medicine for centuries. They also used it for various sexual disorders. Longan fruit has been used successfully by the Chinese for thousands of years medically. This small fruit contains a wealth of powerful antioxidants. It is also very low in calories. Many Taiwanese consider this the perfect fruit. When traveling in the countryside, you will often see several of these trees around their small country homes. The Longan Fruit is one of today’s superfruits!

Another one of the incredible superfruits of Taiwan is the Dragon Fruit. It is red on the outside with little horns all around. The most common color of the inside fruit is white with tiny black edible seeds. These are extremely good, but wait till you taste the yellow fruit with black seeds. Just when you think that this tasty fruit can get no better, you will taste a magenta one with the same black seeds. This is the king of the three different varieties. It is also the hardest to find.

These spectacular cactuses have a most amazing flower that mysteriously only blooms at night. If you can catch a glimpse with your flashlight, you will find them to be very beautiful. The bloom opens in the night and dies at the break of day.

A perfect breakfast plate in Taiwan may have a Dragon Fruit, a large Pomegranate, a green Orange, and a huge Persimmon. Taiwan is indeed the Kingdom of Fruit. As a tropical country, all the tropical fruits grow beautifully there. The center of the island has mountains that are near 4,000 feet, making it perfect for fruits that also grow in more temperate zones. There is nowhere else that has so many different types of fruit trees thriving naturally. Taiwan is a land of Superfruits. The Dragon Fruit is just another of the many fruits that grow and thrive on this small island.

The Papaya Tree

Our fruit tree journey cannot end without highlighting the Papaya Tree. Though there are so many more fruits that grow and thrive on the Island of Taiwan, the Papaya is a superstar. The Papaya Tree is perhaps one of the world’s favorite fruit trees.

The Taiwanese Papaya is actually a dwarf variety that grows to only around 7 feet or a little more. This is in comparison to the non-dwarf varieties that tour over the others, at around 15 feet. This papaya is red with the black edible seeds. The scent of this papaya is heavenly. This papaya is well liked by farmers, as it is easier to pick the fruit. There is less chance of crop damage when the fruit is lower to the ground. The Red Lady Papaya is a fast grower and a mega producer. When planted from seed, it will usually produce the second year.

These sweet and delicious fruits of the Red Lady Papaya Tree are smaller than the fruits from the larger trees. They also have a stronger fragrance and are sweeter to taste. They are giving Taiwan a higher yield, as they fruit more often. They are another one of the superfruits of Taiwan.

Our fruit tree journey through Taiwan has been amazing. There are very few places in the world where you can indulge yourself with so many different superfruits at the same time. Taiwan is indeed a fruit lover’s paradise.

So what is on your breakfast plate? I think small papaya, some fresh dates, a few figs, and a green orange sounds great. There is nothing like starting the day with a plate of garden fresh fruit. Some freshly baked bread with freshly made butter and tea will complete this perfect island treat.

Are you ready for a Taiwan fruit adventure? Anytime, is a good time, to begin your superfruit journey.

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Sanxiantai Dragon Bridge Taitung, Taiwan