NAFI'S
Green market NYC
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Nafissatou: Posted on Friday, January 18, 2013 12:22 PM
 Let's Talk about Sunday's Green Flea market on Columbus avenue and 77th street in New York City!...Open every Sunday rain or shine from 10am to 6pm.  This is a must see for all New Yorkers and all who love NYC!.. This place is a perfect reflection of the city: Colorful, creative, strong, tough and warm all at once! there is no place like it !..Not just because I sell my products there, but because, this is a little planet of its own in the city full of amazing finds, from antiques to collectibles, AND wonderful people. I am so proud to be part of it!!!. You will find vintage and new clothes, gorgeous jewelry by talented designers. Art, craft and Interior design Items by amazing artists are guaranteed to delight you. NAFI'S Hot pepper Condiments, Sauces and Spicy foods of course:)..., but also other great foods from the world and warmth and Characters, of course. Not a dull moment there!!!. Even the cold weather does not manage to take us down.! There is also a large inside space with a lot of antiques and collectibles and some outdoor vendors set up inside when the weather is too bad. The large heated space there allows for more comfortable browsing when the weather is at its worst. Stop by Sunday and you will be inspired!..I PROMISE..
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Nafissatou Camara: Posted on Thursday, February 09, 2012 3:31 AM
PEANUTS and AFRICA  Groundnuts are
a staple food in many developing countries. Also called peanuts,
groundnuts are a protein rich tuber that grows well in semi-arid
regions. There are two main types of groundnuts: the
American groundnut(Arachis
hypogaea), and the African groundnut, the Bambara nut (Voandzeia
subterranea). Both are grown
in Western Africa as a protein source. Groundnuts also contain
sufficient quantities of carbohydrates and fats. After drying
and roasting the groundnut it can be used to make flour, soup,
porridge, and milk. Groundnuts are often grown by small farm holders
and is considered a woman's crop in Western Africa.
 Women are mobilized in agricultural groups, and their work has a tremendous impact on peanut production and ultimately their children, extended family and their income and their communities at large.. Groundnut
yields in Africa are traditionally low, due to a combination of:
unreliable rains, little technology available to small scale farmers,
pest and disease occurrence, poor seed variety, and increased
cultivation on marginal land. Political instability and non supportive
small farm policies have also negatively impacted ground nut production
in Western Africa. Because of these reasons, there has been an
increased demand for women support groups for home gardening and
farming projects.
The
history of the Bambara groundnut originated in West Africa, is
an extremely adaptable plant suited for hot, dry soils, and has
been known to resist pests & disease. Harvesting is similar
to the peanut. Why are they important? Peanuts nuts
provide a vital source of cash income and nutritious, high protein
food which could prevent child malnutrition.  Nutritional benefits:
Groundnut has many important nutrients and useful in the treatment
of hemophilia. Also, groundnuts can cure stomatitis, prevent diarrhea,
and beneficial for growing children, pregnant mothers & nursing
mothers.
 Women, economics, empowerment: The groundnut is considered a Women's crop in Africa. It was
originally grown by women to supplement their families diet with
protein. However, groundnut production can also be a way for women
to earn a cash income and participate in the economy. Consequently,
increasing Women's empowerment.Women
value groundnut harvests for many reasons, including: harvest
profits can send children to school, provides a high energy
and protein food source for their children, oil for cooking, and
high quality feed for cattle. Roasted or boiled peanuts are the snack of choice in most Sub Saharan African Countries. Different versions of peanut brittle are also extremely popular. Peanut butter is offered in all neighborhoods food markets set up in large mounts on wooden stalls, and its aroma is omnipresent.
Study on home gardening projects in Senegal found that
women were the more successful home gardeners than men. Income
received from garden harvests allowed women to spend more and
allowed them to better provide for their family's needs.
According to ICRSAT, 2001, the groundnut is mostly grown by poor
small holder farmers (mainly women). Groundnut production gives
an opportunity for these women to generate additional cash income
from oil. Given equal access to resources and human development
capital, women farmers can achieve yields equal or exceed those
of men.  Technology
adoption increased the workload of women farmers and expanded
the employment prospects of female laborers in developing countries.
Production technologies for groundnut farming created a positive
impact on yields and income and helped create an informal farmer-to-farmer
seed market
Groundnuts require a light sandy loam soil, and semi-arid conditions.
Optimal growing time is five months of warm weather, with an annual
rainfall of 20 to 40 inches or the equivalent in irrigation water.
Groundnut production is dependent on land preparation, seed extraction,
seeding, cultivation, harvesting, stripping and sun-drying. This
process is labor intensive which can affect the productivity and
quality of nuts produced. However, with the introduction of groundnut
projects and simple technologies production yields can be increased.
There are several start-up small scale groundnut programs available
on the web. Many of these programs include area-specific guidelines
of appropriate groundnut production techniques. The greater the support and participation of women in a community
project, the more successful a program will be.
 Within
5 years many new groundnut varieties will be introduced leading
to a significant increase in world-wide production. New varieties
are disease resistant and produce 50% more than traditional groundnuts
in Mali. The International Crops Research Institute for Semi-Arid
Tropics (ICRISAT) helps increase crop productivity and food security,
reduce poverty, and protect the environment in developing countries.
Special emphasis is placed on groundnut since it is particularly
important in the diet of the poor. The
Common Fund for Commodities with ICRISAT studied the germplasm
of the groundnut of Nigeria, Niger, Burkina Faso and Mali. Since
groundnut production is limited by diseases, viruses, and drought
the germplasm was screened for sources of resistance to these
constraints.  This is a delicious groundnut stew similar to the Western African version from Mali, Senegal, and the Ivory Coast.
 Peanuts grow well in southern Mali and adjacent regions of the Ivory
Coast, Burkina Faso, and Senegal. Peanut sauce, prepared with onions,
garlic, peanut butter/paste, and vegetables like carrots,
cabbage/cauliflower, can be vegetarian (the peanuts supplying ample
protein) or prepared with meat, usually chicken. Zambia/Malawi
Peanuts are a common ingredient of several types of relishes (dishes which accompany nshima)
eaten by the tribes in Malawi and in the eastern part of Zambia, and
these dishes are now common throughout both countries. In this area they
are always called groundnuts.
Although India and China are the world's largest producers of
peanuts, they account for a small part of international trade because
most of their production is consumed domestically as peanut oil.
Exports of peanuts from India and China are equivalent to less than 4%
of world trade. The major producers/exporters of peanuts are the United
States, Argentina, Sudan, Senegal, and Brazil. These five countries account for 71% of total world exports. In recent years, the United States has been the leading exporter of peanuts.   The major peanut importers are the European Union (EU), Canada, and Japan. These three areas account for 78% of the world's imports. Most of Canada's peanut butter is processed from Chinese peanuts. Two thirds of U.S. imports are roasted, unshelled peanuts. The major suppliers are Taiwan, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Mainland China, and Canada. The principal suppliers of shelled peanut imports are Argentina
and Canada. Imports of peanut butter from Argentina are in the form of a
paste and must be further processed. Other minor suppliers of peanut
butter include Malawi, China, India, and Singapore. The European Union is the largest consuming region in the world that
does not produce peanuts. All of its consumption is supplied by imports.
Consumption of peanuts in the EU is primarily as food, mostly as
roasted-in-shell peanuts and as shelled peanuts used in confectionery
and bakery products. The average annual U.S. imports of peanuts are less than 0.5% of U.S. consumption. Approximately 50% of all peanuts produced in the United States are grown within a 100 mi (160 km) radius of Dothan, Alabama.
Dothan is home to the National Peanut Festival established in 1938 and
held each fall to honor peanut growers and celebrate the harvest. Ninety percent of India's production is processed into peanut oil.
Only a nominal amount of hand-picked select-grade peanuts are exported.
India prohibits the importation of all oil seeds, including peanuts.
A Short Peanut History
The
peanut plant probably originated in Brazil or Peru, although no fossil records
exist to prove this. But for as long as people have been making pottery in South
America (3,500 years or so) they have been making jars shaped like peanuts and
decorated with peanuts. Graves of ancient Incas found along the dry western
coast of South America often contain jars filled with peanuts and left with
the dead to provide food in the afterlife.
Peanuts were grown as far north as Mexico by the time the Spanish began their
exploration of the New World. The explorers took peanuts back to Spain, where
they are still grown. From Spain, traders and explorers took peanuts to Africa
and Asia. In Africa the plant became common in the western tropical region.
The peanut was regarded by many Africans as one of several plants possessing
a soul. When Africans were brought to North America as slaves,
peanuts came with them. Slaves planted peanuts throughout the southern United
States (the word goober comes from the Congo name for peanuts - nguba). In the
1700's, peanuts, then called groundnuts or ground peas, were studied by botanists
and regarded as an excellent food for pigs. Records show that peanuts were grown
commercially in South Carolina around 1800 and used for oil, food and a substitute
for cocoa. However, until 1900 peanuts were not extensively grown, partially
because they were regarded as food for the poor, and because growing and harvesting
were slow and difficult until labor-saving equipment was invented around the
turn of the century.
 George Washington Carver (January 1864 – January 5, 1943), was an American scientist, botanist, educator, and inventor. The exact day and year of his birth are unknown; he is believed to have been born into slavery in Missouri in January 1864. Carver's reputation is based on his research into and promotion of alternative crops to cotton, such as peanuts, soybeans and sweet potatoes,
which also aided nutrition for farm families. He wanted poor farmers to
grow alternative crops both as a source of their own food and as a
source of other products to improve their quality of life. The most
popular of his 44 practical bulletins for farmers contained 105 food
recipes using peanuts. He also developed and promoted about 100 products made from peanuts that were useful for the house and farm, including cosmetics, dyes, paints, plastics, gasoline, and nitroglycerin. He received numerous honors for his work, including the Spingarn Medal of the NAACP.  During the Reconstruction-era South, monoculture of cotton depleted the soil in many areas. In the early 20th century, the boll weevil
destroyed much of the cotton crop, and planters and farm workers
suffered. Carver's work on peanuts was intended to provide an
alternative crop. He was recognized for his many achievements and talents. In 1941, Time magazine dubbed Carver a "Black Leonardo", a reference to the Renaissance Italian polymath, Leonardo da Vinci.
I love to remember my grand mother Nafissatou, making her own peanut butter on a thick long stone.  Crushing the grilled peanuts back and forth with a smaller, heavy stone.
She had removed the dried skins from the nuts by throwing them gracefully in the air all at once from a large hand woven tray. The wind then had taken them away with the same grace, leaving the nuts to fall back down to a joyous rhythm.. Her arms were still strong, stronger from the joy of sharing her precious traditions with the youngest Nafissatou, in the heat of the Dakar Sun.  Fresh peanut butter!..., its taste on her finger and the radiance of her smile on her beautiful face...As I rested my head on her lap, the perfume of her (also home made)traditional incense on her Boubou (Traditional garment), subtly mixed to the aroma of these fresh limes that she liked to press, were born some of my sweetest memories...
 Well!..You must use natural peanut butter in all your recipes, even try to make it yourself... stones or no stone:).... You will taste a world of difference!...I use Natural Peanut Butter only in my condiment, the best fresh ingredients and the love and respect for my Ancestors. Check the website recipes and try NAFI'S Condiments, you will escape to an exotic world that will enchant you!....
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Hot sauces, all natural Habaneros pepper condiment, Green market NYC, Peanut Hot Sauce, spicy condiments, Healthy foods, African traditions, Calabashes, Arthritis, Capsaicin, soups, Hand made peanut butter, Natural Peanut butter, senegalese food
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Nafissatou: Posted on Saturday, September 10, 2011 2:29 AM
Capsaicin is
the substance that makes Hot peppers, well HOT!..we already know it is
intense, delicious and exciting, now we learn that it is also good in
many ways for your body and your spirit. I just wanted to bring up some interesting facts and research infos about Capsaicin... No worries..I am not going to suggest you rub you painful knees with my condiments!...
 "It is common for people to
experience pleasurable and even euphoriant effects from ingesting
capsaicin.(Not just NAFI'S Hot Pepper Condiments!..)It is attributed to pain-stimulated release of endorphins a different mechanism from the local receptor overload that makes
capsaicin effective as a topical analgesic.
It may be used in low concentrations as a cream for the temporary relief of minor aches and pains
of muscles and
joints associated with arthritis simple backache, strains and sprains. The treatment typically involves the application of a topical anesthetic until the area is numb. Then the capsaicin is applied by a therapist wearing rubber
gloves and a face mask. The capsaicin remains on the skin until
the patient starts to feel the "heat", at which point it is
promptly removed. Capsaicin is also available in large bandages that can be applied to the back.
Capsaicin creams are used to treat psoriasis as an effective way to reduce itching and inflammation. According to animal and human studies, the oral intake of
capsaicin may increase the production of heat by the body for a short
time. Due to the effect on the carbohydrates breakdown after a meal, cayenne may also be used to regulate blood
sugar levels Further research is required to see if capsaicin
would be useful to treat obesity. by researchers in Toronto, Canada. Capsaicin was
injected subcutaneously in neonatal diabetes-prone NOD mice to
permanently remove a prominent subset of pancreatic sensory neurons,
which express the transient receptor potential vanilloid-1 (TRPV1)
protein. Insulin resistance and beta cell stress of prediabetic NOD
mice are prevented when TRPV1+ neurons are eliminated. In other
words, mice who were genetically predisposed to Type 1 diabetes were
prevented from developing Type 1 via removal of these neurons, which
are thought to attract pathogenic T-cells to attacking pancreatic
beta cells (i.e., the cause of Type 1 diabetes). cells by causing them to undergo apoptosis.The studies were performed on tumors formed by human prostate cancer cell cultures grown in mouse models, and showed tumors treated with capsaicin were
about one-fifth the size of the untreated tumors. There have been
several clinical studies conducted in Japan and China that showed
natural capsaicin directly inhibits the growth of leukemic cells. Another study carried out at the University
of Nottingham suggests capsaicin is able to trigger apoptosis in human lung
cancer cells as well. [48]Capsaicin is also the key ingredient in the experimental drug Adlea which is in Phase 2 trials as a long-acting analgesic to treat
post-surgical and osteoarthritis pain for weeks to months after a
single injection to the site of pain. More over, it reduces pain resulted rheumatoid
arthritis as well as joint or muscle pain from fibromyalgia or other causes. "
 I hope you enjoyed all this scientific talk...It is for your own good!.... Now you can just get to your delicious healthy sandwich with NAFI'S condiments, and feel really good about yourself!..Do not forget the market on Sundays "GREENFLEAMARKET" on Columbus avenue at 76th street in Manhattan.NYC free sample and tasting..
See you then!......:)
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Hot sauces, all natural Habaneros pepper condiment, Green market NYC, Mango/Tamarind Hot sauce, Peanut Hot Sauce, spicy condiments, Healthy foods, Turmeric, African traditions, Calabashes, Arthritis, Capsaicin
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Posted on Tuesday, September 06, 2011 11:21 PM
Hello,
Today I want to outline one of the many "good stuff"found in NAFI'S:Turmeric is one of the elements in my Hot Pepper Condiments, and I wanted to share with you some interesting facts about this amazing spice.
 Turmeric"Curcumin
is the active ingredient in the spice turmeric, which gives it its
yellow color. Curcumin is used a lot in Ayurvedic Medicine to treat
liver and digestive disorders.Long known for its anti-inflammatory
properties, recent research has revealed that turmeric is a natural
wonder, proving beneficial in the treatment of many different health
conditions from cancer to Alzheimer's disease.
Here are 20 reasons to add turmeric to your diet:
1. It is a natural antiseptic and antibacterial agent, useful in
disinfecting cuts and burns.
2. When combined with cauliflower, it has shown to prevent
prostate cancer and stop the growth of existing prostate cancer. 3. Prevented breast cancer from spreading to the lungs in mice. 4. May prevent melanoma and cause existing melanoma cells to
commit suicide. 5. Reduces the risk of childhood leukemia. 6. Is a natural liver detoxifier. 7. May prevent and slow the progression of Alzheimer's disease by
removing amyloyd plaque buildup in the brain. 8. May prevent metastases from occurring in many different forms
of cancer. 9. It is a potent natural anti-inflammatory that works as well as
many anti-inflammatory drugs but without the side effects. 10. Has shown promise in slowing the progression of multiple
sclerosis in mice. 11. Is a natural painkiller and cox-2 inhibitor. 12. May aid in fat metabolism and help in weight management. 13. Has long been used in Chinese medicine as a treatment for
depression. 14. Because of its anti-inflammatory properties, it is a natural
treatment for arthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. 15. Boosts the effects of chemo drug paclitaxel and reduces its
side effects.
16. Promising studies are underway on the effects of turmeric on
pancreatic cancer.
17. Studies are ongoing in the positive effects of turmeric on
multiple myeloma. 18. Has been shown to stop the growth of new blood vessels in
tumors. 19. Speeds up wound healing and assists in remodeling of damaged
skin. 20. May help in the treatment of psoriasis and other inflammatory
skin conditions."
I always take pride in using fresh and carefully picked ingredients in the making of my sauces. Knowing that most of these ingredients have great nutritional value and or medicinal value in many cases is an important aspect of what I am trying to achieve. These are sacred traditions that I old dear, as a cook, as a Mom, and as a longtime caregiver.
If you are not a seasoned health food cook already, NAFI'S allows you to improve your health by discovering new ways of enjoying simple non processed foods. Vegetables become exciting, plain chicken. lettuce or boiled eggs get all "jazzed up"..Then you will go ahead and create your own recipes, embracing spices and flavors that you might not have dared using before!....NAFI'S is an exotic and exciting color to add to your "palette", if you are a great cook, a grill master or are learning to do both. It will make a hit out of your simplest sandwich or most "reasonable" salad too!
There is something for everyone in NAFI'S Hot pepper Condiments so don't be scared of the heat...Try it, you will be thrilled!...See you soon.
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Nafissatou: Posted on Sunday, September 04, 2011 7:55 PM
September 4th 2011 Hello,
Happy day at GreenFlea Market on Columbus avenue and 76th street in Manhattan....Hot an sticky weather but amazing response to the new flavors brought in for the first time: Mango/Tamarind and Peanut. Both were a hit and that made my day! Mango/Tamarindis a little sweet and does not feel quite as hot as the others, that is until.....it kicks in!....but still, it is "the sweet little sister" lets say. Peanut has a serious heat to it and a rich and unique Peanut and Tomatoe taste. Really interesting and a favorite of the Sahelian region of Africa where peanut sauces are tradition, where it served as a stew with various vegetables according to what is available in the area.
Share Just Happy to see old customers returning for more and new ones excited by NAFI'S Hot Pepper Condiments 5 flavors. It was a beautiful day among the usual circle of great vendors at GreenFlea Market with Judy and the team all really nice and helpful!....Tons of beautiful, unique and interesting fashion and jewelry antiques and art!..really fun and exciting! Come next Sunday and get a free sample of any flavor when you mention the website. I will add more recipes to the site this week and a few African culinary facts to the blog , so stay tuned and Thank you for stopping by:)
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