Zucchini is a vegetable crop that appeared in America and Mexico long before our era. Europe, on the other hand, got acquainted with this exotic plant only in the 16th century, but did not immediately accept it as a food product. For a long time, squash was planted exclusively as ornamental plants in gardens. Only 200 years later, the Italians were the first to dare to try the overseas guest and began to prepare various dishes from him.
Zucchini belongs to the pumpkin family and is a multi-colored oblong fruit. They are green, yellow, white and even striped. The size of a zucchini can reach at least a meter in length, but a fruit that is no more than 30 cm long is considered a standard specimen.
The most popular variety is "zucchini" - a cylindrical zucchini of dark green color. Very young fruits can be eaten raw.
Zucchini season is long enough. Starting in spring and ending in autumn, you can feast on the fruits of zucchini, which contain more than 90% water, 5% carbohydrates and 1% protein. This vegetable is classified as a diet food due to its incredibly low calorie content.
Zucchini can be safely called a treasure trove of vitamins, mineral salts and trace elements that are simply necessary for proper nutrition. In terms of nutritional value, these vegetables occupy the same row with cucumber, green lettuce and lettuce.
Zucchini are essential in the children's menu as well as in the adult. Especially in spring, when the supply of vitamins is depleted, a miracle vegetable should come to the aid of the body, from which you can prepare an unlimited number of various dishes, desserts and even jams.
Since the zucchini itself does not have its own bright taste, it goes very well and is complemented by any products, making the dishes bright and interesting. These vegetables can also be used for preparations (pickle, salt). Moreover, zucchini, no matter how they are prepared, remain healthy and tasty.
Zucchini is used in the treatment of many diseases. Here is the heart, joints, and kidneys. With the help of zucchini fruits, salts are removed from the body. It is also a good diuretic. In diseases of the stomach and liver, the vegetable acts as a product for dietary nutrition.
Zucchini is also used for the treatment of atherosclerosis, anemia, and as a means with a choleretic effect. Those who watch their weight can safely eat zucchini dishes, because they contain a minimum of calories. Consuming these vegetables on a regular basis can help ease allergy symptoms. With the help of fruits, arthritis can be cured. Zucchini seeds are a good remedy for worms.
The uniqueness of squash fruits lies in their hypoallergenicity, therefore, these vegetables can be used by almost everyone - children, pregnant women, the elderly.
The overseas vegetable and cosmetology did not pass by their attention. Zucchini masks perfectly smooth wrinkles, soften dry skin, help relieve redness and irritation, and even remove age spots. Vegetable juice works well as a tonic lotion.
If you add a little olive oil or essential oil to the pulp of the zucchini, you get an excellent hair mask that will improve their condition, preserve color and delay the appearance of gray hair. The use of fresh vegetables in home cosmetics helps to care for your skin with absolutely safe and natural products.
Zucchini retain all its useful properties almost all year round. To take full advantage of them, you first need to choose the right zucchini suitable for storage, and then store them in a dark and dry place.
