What Is Heart Of Palm (How Do We Eat It?!)
Discover > Texas Home Cooking > What Is Heart Of Palm (How Do We Eat It?!)
This week we are scouring the food aisles for unique-looking produce that may seem unfamiliar to us but are actually quite common for people of the region the produce is native of. One such special veggie is the Heart of Palm. Yep, that’s the name. So, what is heart of palm? Is heart of palm a vegetable?
What is Heart of Palm?
Is heart of palm a vegetable? Yes.
The heart of palm is a flavor-packed, nutritious and crunchy vegetable that is harvested from the center of the palm tree. The interesting fact about heart of palm is that it is found only in certain species of palm trees that are native to South and Central America. Coconut palm, Acai palm, Palmetto palm, and peach palm are some of the kinds from which Heart of the palm is harvested.
How is Heart of Palm Harvested ?
Only young palm trees are used to harvest this vegetable. The tree is cut down in the bark separated. This exposes layers of white fibers around the core. Once these fibers are removed, the remains the center of the core, which is called the heart, hence the name. Interestingly, it is also called, “swamp cabbage”, “lobster (What wine goes well with lobster?) of vegetables”, and also “burglar’s thigh”. (Although, I cannot think of any reason How this name sounds appropriate for something you eat).
What Does Heart of Palm Taste Like?
The texture of this vegetable can be described as meaty or something that resembles seafood. It is smooth, thick, and cylindrical in shape. The flesh of the heart of palm is creamy and tender and it tastes quite an umami. Some even find it chestnutty, and vegetal, depending on the heart of palm vegan recipe.
Is Heart of the Palm Really Good for Me?
Hearts of palm are very low in calories and very high in nutritional values. 3 1/2 ounce raw serving contains only 36 calories, up to 4 grams of protein and four grams of fiber. It is highly rich in copper, zinc, folate, and magnesium. Copper is one of the key elements alongside iron that enables the formation of red blood cells. A lesser known fact is that low copper levels are also associated with high cholesterol and high blood pressure, so a serving of heart of the palm is a great source of copper for people struggling with blood pressure and cholesterol.
The polyphenols present in this vegetable are anti-inflammatory in nature and also reduce oxidative damage to the body.
How Do I Prepare, Cook and Eat Heart of The Palm?
Mostly, you will find these in the canned goods section. It is either cut into cylinders or sliced into rings and stored in a brine bath. There is not much difference in texture and flavor between a raw, fresh, and canned one. The only thing you need to make sure of is that the ingredient list does not contain too many unknown ingredients, additives, or preservatives.
Cooking with Heart of The Palm
Due to its meaty texture, the heart of palm vegan recipe finds popularity in vegan cooking. Their delicate flavor makes them a perfect choice for salads. If you would like to think beyond salads, (and you should!), you can make it as a stir fry with other vegetables like onions, bell peppers, broccoli, and carrots.
It's velvety and rich flesh makes for some wonderful dips and purees. I personally love making them into a Taco filling by shredding the heart of palm and tossing it really homemade Taco sauce.
In traditional Brazilian style of cooking with it, is to make it as a filling for pie, with olives and boiled egg.
In vegan cooking, hearts of palm can be coach to mimic chopped crab (What wine goes well with crab?) or pulled pork. Faux crab cakes (What wine goes well with crab cakes?) made from the same are just as good as the real one and much easier to prepare!
Heart of palm is also very agreeable by followers of the Keto diet or the Paleo diet.
To summarize what is heart of palm, it is a vegetable that can be incorporated in several ways to appeal to vegans as well as meat eaters.
