My Ramóna- Superfood From the Mayan Rainforest

Tikal, Guatemala

The Maya brcadnut tree or Ramón (known to the laya as ixim-che-"corn  tree'' or

''substinence tree")  is a beautiful  rain forest tree  that can grow to more than  120  feet tall, and  today  may still be seen  towering over  the temples  and pyramids of Tikal and  Uaxactun.  In fact, they grow wild in the Mayan forest surrounding the Petén region of Guatemala.  The trees arc verdant homes for  toucans and  howler monkeys;  its seeds provide high-protein fodder  for wildlife.

The   Ramón nut  ( Brosimum alicastrum) is a  highly productive member of  the  genus  lontceae,  a family of evergreen  or deciduous trees and shrubs that  includes fig and  mulberry.  Ramón nuts are actually the seed of the ramón fruit.

The  Ramón nut differs  from its better  known  cousins in that  it is one of the  few trees  in  the  world  to pro­vide a seed that contains all   the essential amino acids necessary to make a complete protein. Nutritiously equivalent to the soybean, the ramón seed  is high in vitamins and  min­erals.  Ramón flour is very high in potassium, fiber and tryptophan, the amino acid that helps calm stress and anxiety. Fresh ramón seeds can be boiled like potatoes. The dry seed is roasted, ground into a flour and combined with corn for baking. They have zero fat and are gluten-free, making it a nutritious addition to gluten-free flours.  Ramón seeds do not contain tree allergens like almonds, walnuts and pecans.  Roasted ramón seeds taste very similar to coffee with some chocolate flavor notes.  Teeccino makes a Mayan blend that is very tasty!

While its nutritious properties are widely known throughout the region, until recently no clearly defined strategy existed for incorporating the nuts into the diets of Guatemala's rural and indigenous children, 49 percent of whom suffer from chronic malnutrition.  Thanks to Healthy Kids, Healthy Forests -- a program launched by the Rainforest Alliance, the Equilibrium Fund, the Guatemalan Ministry of Education, the Banco de Desarrollo Rural S. A., the National Forest Service of Guatemala, Alimentos Nutri-Naturales and the Association of Community Forestry Concessionaires of Petén -- communities throughout the reserve will now be able to capitalize on the nut's many benefits. The world's first ramón nut-based school lunch program, Healthy Kids, Healthy Forests is helping to feed more than 8,000 children from 46 rural communities, while providing jobs for women and offering a real incentive for forest conservation.  One of the woman's groups promoting the use of ramón nut in cooking and baking is Ix-canaan Women's Group. Here is the link to some really tasty recipes and the blog started by Project Ix-cannan's founder, Anne Lossing.  Roasted ramón nut flour has the consistency of a fine cornmeal and can be used as a substitute for a portion of wheat flour in recipes.  The molasses cookies I made the other day were very tasty and had a slightly grainy mouthfeel similar to some energy bars (Luna, and Cliff).  The other aspect of this is the high nutritional value and the support of the ramón nut as a sustainable food product from the ancient Maya.