Nothing is quite as satisfying in salad as a kiwi, that tart-sweet, fuzzy-skinned fruit from the faraway land of… wait for it… California. That’s right. More often than not, the exotic kiwifruit at your local SoCal market is grown in the San Joaquin...
The wild ancestor of the cherry tomato originated in the coastal regions of Peru and Ecuador. These tiny, berry-sized fruits were tough and adaptable. Over centuries, wild tomatoes were domesticated and cultivated across Central and South America. Spanish explorers...
The ginger plant (Zingiber officinale) has been cultivated in Southeast Asia for over 3,000 years. It was one of the first spices exported to Europe through trade, prized for its flavor and medicinal uses. Candied ginger was a popular sweet in Europe from the 13th to...
Garlic (Allium sativum) was first cultivated over 5,000 years ago in regions of modern-day Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. Ancient trade routes introduced it to the Mediterranean, Africa, and eventually the Americas. The ancient Egyptians believed it boosted...
The peace lily prefers Bach. The cactus craves heavy metal, the spider plant grooves on classic rock, and the Dieffenbachia digs Brubeck. We’re being facetious, of course. We know that plants respond to music, but we haven’t determined their playlists —...
Does the name evoke images of steamy tropical romance? It shouldn’t. “Passion” refers to the Passion of Christ. 17th-century Spanish missionaries in South America saw the flowers as symbols of the crucifixion and named the plant accordingly. Passion...
