SECRET OF PATAGONIA, El Calafate Fruit
The Secret of Patagonia is a regional industry devoted to the manufacture of products from raw materials such as regional Calafate. Carolina Cardenas says «We jam caulk, syrup or syrup caulk, caulk pickled, honey with caulk, fruity infusion of caulk, you leaf with calafates, sandwich cookies and wine jelly with calafates» explains proudly adding that increasingly it is becoming more difficult to collect caulking temporary because «the city is growing and the places where the fruit grows, are populating and are eliminated». In relation to processing, it notes that done manually because the fruit has a pit which hinders the use of equipment with which currently agribusiness.
Its benefits
It belongs to the family of the berries. Besides being antioxidant, it is considered a «super food» to the organism. Some of its benefits are:
- that hypocaloric
- RICO vitamin C; strengthens the immune system
- RICO in vitamin E, which helps our skin care
- yet powerful antioxidant
- great antiinflammatory
- antifúngico and antibacterial
El Calafate in Patagonia Argentina
Argentina is the fruit of caulk famous for sweets and liquor caulk.
Powerful antioxidant
The Clinic nutritionist UC San Carlos de Apoquindo Jacqueline Monroy explains that the caulk is natural antioxidant because it has:
- a high content of polyphenols that fight and protect the body from free radicals responsible for premature aging of cells. In turn, polyphenols have anti-inflammatory, regenerative and anti-cancer properties and help even prevent degenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s or Alzheimer’s disease.
- a high level of flavonoids, which reduce cholesterol, prevent cardiovascular disease, protect and care for the liver.
How to eat: As a result of small size, it is recommended to consume fresh, without any cooking or mashing so it will not lose its properties.
Medicinal herb
For the Mapuche medicine is an ancient medicinal plant. Teresa Cheupequil, Mapuche therapist explains that machis use this plant as antidiarrheal and stomach tonic, as well as being anti-inflammatory has great astringent and digestive properties.
The caulk is low-calorie. Also strengthens the immune system and is a powerful antioxidant.
El Calafate Legend
Ñires forests, beech and coihues start taking a characteristic tone, announcing the fall and giving the trees a multicolored range, from deep red through shades of golden to orange. This transformation has been repeated year after year, since ancient times.
In this landscape they lived tehuelches, original owners of the land, who when winter began to emigrate to walk north, where the cold was not so intense and hunting was not lacking.
In connection with these migrations, the Patagonian tradition conseva a legend. It is said that he once Koonex, the old medicine woman from a tribe of tehuelches, could not walk because his legs were old and tired out, but the march could not be stopped. So Koonex understood the natural law to meet the target. The women of the tribe made a hut with guanaco skins and gathered firewood and abundant food to let the old healer, saying goodbye to her with the singing of the family.
Koonex, back home, fixed her tired eyes in the distance, until the people of his tribe was lost after the edge of a plateau. She was left alone to die. All living beings away and began to feel like a heavy silence enveloping torpor.
The multicolor sky was dying slowly. They spent many suns and many moons, until the arrival of spring. Then outbreaks were born, they arrived swallows, plovers, chingolos cheerful, talkative parrots. Life back.
On hides Koonex awning, a flock of birds singing happily settled. Suddenly the voice of the old healer who, from inside the tent, scolding them for having left her alone during the long, harsh winter was heard.
A Chingolito after surprise, replied, «left because in autumn food becomes scarce during the winter also have no place to take shelter..» «I understand them,» said Koonex, «therefore, from today will have food in autumn and winter warm coat, I never stay alone» and then the old silent.
When a burst suddenly turned hides the awning, instead of Koonex a beautiful thorny bush, scented yellow flowers lay. By averaging the summer delicate flowers and fruit were made before the autumn began to mature taking a purple blue color exquisite flavor and high nutritional value. Since that day some birds did not migrate more and those who had left, upon hearing the news, returned to try the new fruit that were captivated.
Tehuelches also tested, adopting forever. They scattered seeds throughout the region and, thereafter, «who eats Calafate, always returns.»
