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O N S TA D
“The time is ripe to celebrate food for the central role it plays in our lives. . . . Discover the

WHOLE
relationship between the foods we eat, the health of our bodies, and the clarity of our minds.”
—from the Introduction

Whole Foods Companion is the essential resource for today’s health-conscious cooks and lovers
of natural foods everywhere. Providing a wealth of information on natural and whole foods from
apricot to zucchini, this book includes the latest nutritional facts along with useful buying tips,
fascinating lore and legends, and traditional uses for hundreds of foods in six categories:

FOODS

Whole Foods
Fruits • Vegetables • Grains • Legumes • Nuts, Seeds, and Oils • Herbs, Spices, and Other Foods

COMPANION
Expand your knowledge of whole foods and make informed, inspired food choices with this
updated edition of Whole Foods Companion.
Dianne Onstad is actively involved in nutrition education and the promotion of organic whole
foods, with a special interest in living and raw foods.

“Wonderful . . . Whole Foods Companion is a valuable resource. It does make a difference what you
C O M P A N I O N
eat, and this book describes in detail the range of nourishing organic foods available to all of us.”
—Alice Waters, founder and owner, Chez Panisse Restaurant and Café
a guide for adventurous cooks, curious
“An interesting blend of botanical, culinary, and folk information.” shoppers, and lovers of natural foods
—Library Journal

CHELSEA GREEN
Chelsea Green Publishing
White River Junction, Vermont
802-295-6300 • www.chelseagreen.com

Cover illustration by Robin Wimbiscus

Cover design by Peter Holm, Sterling Hill Productions
D I A N N E O N S TA D
Whole Foods Final Pages 12/20/04 2:58 PM Page 64
FRUITS
Health Benefits
pH 3.70–4.00. The guava is beneficial for the skeletal and
lymphatic systems. It is known for its astringent and laxa-
tive properties.
Huckleberry
(Gaylussacia baccata)
Also Known As: Bilberry, Whortleberry, Hurtleberry
The botanical name Gaylussacia was given in honor of
Joseph L. Gay-Lussac, a French chemist and physicist;
baccata means “berry-producing.” The English name
huckleberry is believed a corruption of hurtleberry.
General Information
Huckleberries, a member of the heath family, are believed
to have been used for human consumption since prehis-
toric times, even perhaps twenty-five to thirty centuries
before Christ; this plant is reputedly one of the oldest
living plants on earth. A single plant found in western
Pennsylvania covers several square miles and is estimated
by botanists to be over thirteen thousand years old (older
than the oldest California redwood); it is one of the last
64
LORE AND LEGEND
Because huckleberries grew wild everywhere in
cold-weather climates, they readily became asso-
ciated by the 1700s with anything rural, tranquil,
untouched. From there it was hardly a stretch to
transform the meaning in the 1800s to “simple,”
“small,” or “insignificant.” Mark Twain used the
word huckleberry in that sense in A Connecticut
Yankee in King Arthur’s Court, referring to some
sharpie as “no huckleberry.” His Huckleberry
Finn, of course, represented the simple joys of
bucolic childhood.
surviving examples of the box huckleberry. Although the
huckleberry resembles the blueberry and the two plants
grow in the same regions, they are not actually related. The
dark blue to black fruit of the true huckleberry is distin-
guished by the ten bony nutlets (or seeds), while the seeds
of blueberries are so small as to be scarcely noticeable. The
red “huckleberry” of the Pacific Coast is more likely the red
whortleberry (Vaccinium parvifolium), related to both
cranberries and blueberries. All huckleberries are edible,
but some species are not very tasty. The garden huckle-
berry, which was developed by Luther Burbank, is closely
related to the tomato.
Buying Tips
Look for bright, clean berries with good uniform color.
Check the bottom of the container to make sure it has not
been stained from mushy or moldy fruit.
Culinary Uses
This round, shiny fruit is sweet and pleasantly flavored but
more “seedy” than blueberries. Huckleberries are most
often used in the preparation of sweets, preserves, and con-
fectionery (they make an excellent pie) and can be used
interchangeably with blueberries in many recipes.
Health Benefits
pH 3.38–3.43 (cooked). Eating fresh huckleberries has
been observed to regulate bowel action, stimulate appetite,
end intestinal putrefaction, and expel ascarids. The fresh
berries may require some individual experimentation,
Whole Foods Final Pages 12/20/04 2:58 PM Page 65
FRUITS
since they tend to produce diarrhea in some people while
stopping it in others. Huckleberries are especially helpful
in aiding the pancreas in digesting sugars and starches;
they have the advantage of passing through the stomach
without affecting it, then beginning to work in the small
intestine. The dried berries have been found to be valuable
in cases of edema. They are low in fat and high in fiber,
potassium, iron, phosphorus, sodium, calcium, vitamin B
complex, and vitamin C.
Ilama
(Annona diversifolia)
Annona means “year’s harvest” and is suggested by the
Haitian name anon, which is applied to one of the species;
diversifolia means “having leaves of two or more forms.”
The name ilama is derived, via Spanish, from the native
Mexican name illamatzapotl (which translates as zapote de
las viejas, or “old woman’s sapote”).
General Information
65
Culinary Uses
In green varieties, the flesh is white and sweet. Pink vari-
eties usually have pink-tinged flesh near the rind and
around the seeds and are somewhat tarter in flavor. The
flesh of both is somewhat fibrous but smooth and custardy,
with a quantity of hard, smooth, inedible seeds. Always
consumed raw, the flesh is served either in the half shell or
scooped out, chilled, and served with cream and sugar to
intensify the flavor.
Jaboticaba
(Myrciaria cauliflora)
The genus name Myrciaria is probably related to Myrtus,
the myrtle family. Cauliflora refers to the fact that the tree
develops flowers (flora) directly on the stem (caulis). The
word jaboticaba is said to have been derived from the Tupi
term jabotim, for “turtle,” and means “like turtle fat,” pre-
sumably referring to the fruit pulp.
General Information
Native to and widely cultivated in the region of Rio de
Janeiro, Brazil, this tree bears its fruits directly on its trunk,
main limbs, and branches. The trees were introduced into
California at Santa Barbara about 1904; a few were still
living in 1912, but by 1939 all had died. Those introduced
into Florida have done much better, and some still grow
there today. The fruits are round and about one inch in
diameter, bright green to maroon or purple in color, and
not unlike a grape but with a thicker skin.
Culinary Uses