What are ';hearts of palm';--I see them in recipes and in the grocery store. But what ARE they?

Are they part of a palm tree-certain kinds of palm trees? Can you use them like artichokes? What can we use them in and are they good for you?What are ';hearts of palm';--I see them in recipes and in the grocery store. But what ARE they?
The delicious tasting heart of palm is actually low in calories and fat and high in fiber:





Heart of palm (or “palmito”) comes from a perennial palm tree native to the humid tropics of America. For centuries it has been cultivated by indigenous communities in the Amazon Region, as a subsistence plant on small farms. However, in recent years it has aroused interest among farmers, industrialists and researchers from Central America to Brazil, mainly due to heart of palm’s multiple uses.





Palmito is the central part or heart of some wild varieties of palm trees that originated in the South American tropical jungle. These varieties have undergone a process of adaptation and become a farm species.





The main variety that has been domesticated is the botanical species Bactris gasipaes of the Palmaceae family, known in Ecuador as “chontaduro” and in Costa Rica as “pejibaye.”





Heart of palm is considered a very exotic gourmet product. It has a high fiber content and no cholesterol. It also has large amounts of iron and calcium. Heart of palm is soft, ivory-colored, firm in texture and delicate in flavor. It is typically used in salads or “ceviches” or even mixed in or fried for main dishes.





The heart of palm is growing daily in the variety of uses - the beauty of this gourmet vegetable is that is is so versatile.








Nutritional Content of Heart of Palm per 100 g of Utilizable Product


COMPOSITION AMOUNT


Moisture 91.70g Protein 4.10 g


Carbohydrates 2.60 g


Fats 0.60 g


Fiber 0.70 g


Ash 1.00 g


Calories 27.50 calories


Carotene 0.12 mg


Thiamin 0.04 mg


Riboflavin 0.12 mg


Niacin 0.79 mg


Ascorbic Acid 13 mg


Calcium 81 mg


Phosphorus 109 mg


Iron 1.50 mg





The company I work for had a party at the Taste of Texas the other day and I had some heart of palm on my salad from the salad bar. Basically you just open the can of this vegetable rinse and drain it and garnish salads with it. It is now also available fresh in some speciality markets.





Here is another recipe for you from renouned chef Wolfgang Puck:


Hearts of Palm Salad with Shaved Parma Ham





Serves 8





Preserved Lemon Vinaigrette:


1 tablespoon diced Preserved Lemon Peel (see ';Sauces and Dressings';)


1 teaspoon chopped fresh chives


1 teaspoon sugar


1/2 teaspoon salt


1/4 cup Champagne vinegar


2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil


Freshly ground black pepper





4 pounds fresh hearts of palm, outer husks removed, or 1 pound canned hearts of palm, drained


1/4 pound thinly shaved Parma ham


1 cup micro greens or small mixed baby salad greens


4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil


Salt


Freshly ground black pepper


4 teaspoons julienned Preserved Lemon Peel, recipe follows





For this Hawaiian-inspired first-course salad, you’ll find fresh hearts of palm in some well-stocked produce sections and specialty food stores. If not, substitute canned hearts of palm for this recipe from Spago Maui.





1. For the Preserved Lemon Vinaigrette, in a mixing bowl, stir together all the ingredients. Season to taste with a little more salt and some pepper. You should have about 1 cup of dressing. Cover and set aside.





2. If using fresh hearts of palm, you should have some bigger, thicker pieces and some smaller, thinner pieces. Put the bigger pieces in a nonreactive dish and cover them with 3/4 cup of the Preserved Lemon Vinaigrette. Cover with plastic wrap and marinate in the refrigerator for 2 hours.





3. Drain the marinated hearts of palm and wrap each piece in a piece of ham. After the pieces are wrapped, cut them crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick rings. Slice the smaller pieces into 1/4-inch thick rings and set aside.





4. Drape half of each serving plate with the remaining Parma ham.





5. In a mixing bowl, toss the mesclun with the sliced small hearts of palm and 4 teaspoons of extra-virgin olive oil and season to taste with salt and pepper. Mound some of the greens mixture in the center of each serving plate. Place the ham wrapped rounds around the salad. Drizzle the remaining Preserved Lemon Vinaigrette around each plate and garnish with the julienned Preserved Lemon Peel. Serve immediately.





Another recipe is:





Hearts of palm, avocado, and red onion salad with corriander dressing





In the West Indies, salads are rarely leafy; rather they are often based on avocado and onion. We added hearts of palm for an additional tropical touch.





Can be prepared in less that 45 minutes.





serving size





Serves 8.





For vinaigrette


1 small garlic clove


1/4 cup fresh coriander, washed and spun dry


3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice


1/2 teaspoon sugar


1/4 teaspoon salt


1/2 cup olive oil





For salad


a 14-ounce can hearts of palm, drained


4 California firm-ripe avocados


1 small red onion, sliced thin


Boston lettuce leaves (from about 2 heads)


preparation


Make vinaigrette:


In a blender purée garlic and coriander with lemon juice, sugar, and salt. With motor running add oil in a stream, blending until dressing is emulsified.





Make salad:


Cut hearts of palm and avocado into 3/4-inch cubes and in a large bowl with a rubber spatula gently toss with onion and vinaigrette until combined well.





Line 8 salad plates with lettuce leaves and mound avocado mixture on top.





Enjoy!What are ';hearts of palm';--I see them in recipes and in the grocery store. But what ARE they?
Hearts of palm are, literally, the heart of the sabal Palmetto, a tall, tough-barked graceful palm that is the state tree of Florida. Called ';swamp cabbage'; by native Floridians, it was long regarded as poor people's food--and was actively cut down as a source of food during the Depression, no mean task in the days before chain saws. It wasn't long, however, before its extreme tenderness and delicacy was noticed--and its name changed from ';swamp cabbage'; to ';millionaires' salad.'; It wasn't long after that, then, that Florida enacted a state law to protect it from the ravenous gourmets.


Hearts of palm, of course, has flourished for thousands of years throughout Central and South America. In fact, at the time Columbus arrived in the new world, the Carib Indians were taking full advantage of what they called the Pejibaye tree. They housed themselves with its bark; put a roof over their heads with the leaves; ate the nuts of the mature tree...and ate the center core of the young plants.





Today this young tree is grown, harvested, and canned as a cash crop throughout Central and South America, especially Brazil. It needs 150 inches of rainfall each year to flourish, and cannot endure freezing weather. It is harvested at the age of 12 months, when the plant is about 5 feet tall and has an outside perimeter of 4 inches. To read about and see the process unfold before your eyes, you might visit www.ifrance.com/itenez and select the language of your choice there.





Hearts of palm have no cholesterol; have excellent fiber content, hardly any fat content, and are low in calories


Salad:


1 15 ounce can hearts of palm, drained and diced, about 1 1/2 cups


1 16 ounce can pitted medium black olives, drained


10 ounces frozen peas


1/2 minced red onion


3 ripe tomatoes, cut into wedges


1/3 cup chopped parsley


Dressing:


1/3 cup red wine vinegar


1 teaspoon prepared yellow mustard


4 cloves garlic, passed through a press


1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper


1/2 virgin olive oil


8 ounces feta cheese, cubed


PREPARATION:


Combine the salad ingredients in a bowl.


In a separate bowl, combine all ingredients except the cheese and oil and mix. Blend in the oil and season to taste. Pour over the salad and refrigerate several hours before serving.


To serve, toss with the feta cheese and serve.


About 8 servings.