Racahout
Racahout is a traditional North African sweet and nourishing drink made primarily from acorn flour.
The preparation of Racahout involves mixing acorn flour with milk and sometimes sugar, resulting in a thick, creamy drink.
It is appreciated not only for its taste but also for its nutritional properties, including high fiber content and various vitamins and minerals.
The history of racahout is rooted in the culinary traditions of North Africa, particularly Algeria.
This drink, made primarily from acorn flour, has been a staple in the region for centuries due to the abundance of oak trees and the nutritional value of acorns.
Hereโs a closer look at the historical context and development of Racahout:
Ancient Origins: The use of acorns as a food source dates back to ancient times. Indigenous peoples in various parts of the world, including North Africa, recognized the nutritional benefits of acorns and developed methods to make them edible. The Berbers, indigenous to North Africa, likely used acorns extensively in their diet.
Culinary Tradition: Over time, the Berbers and other North African communities refined their use of acorns, creating a variety of recipes. Racahout emerged as a popular way to utilize acorn flour, particularly as a nourishing drink. It was often consumed by those needing extra energy, such as travelers and laborers.
Colonial Influence: During the French colonial period in Algeria (1830-1962), there was a significant exchange of culinary practices. The French settlers and administrators in Algeria might have adopted and adapted local recipes, contributing to the wider dissemination of Racahout. Some historical references suggest that French colonists developed a version of Racahout that gained popularity.
Cultural Significance: Racahout is more than just a drink; it is a symbol of the regionโs resourcefulness and connection to nature. The preparation and consumption of Racahout are tied to cultural practices and the seasonal cycles of acorn harvesting.
How to prepare Racahout at home with Acorn Coffee?
Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons of acorn coffee (finely ground),
- 2 cups of milk (or a non-dairy alternative, such as almond milk),
- 2 tablespoons of cornstarch (for thickening),
- 2 tablespoons of sugar (adjust to taste),
- 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract (optional),
- A pinch of salt.
Instructions:
Mix Dry Ingredients: In a small bowl, combine the Acorn Coffee, cornstarch, sugar, and a pinch of salt. Mix well to ensure there are no lumps.
Heat the Milk: In a saucepan, heat the milk over medium heat until it is warm but not boiling. Stir occasionally to prevent it from scorching.
Combine and Cook: Gradually whisk the dry mixture into the warm milk. Stir continuously to avoid lumps. Keep stirring until the mixture thickens and comes to a gentle boil.
Flavoring: Once the mixture has thickened, add the vanilla extract if using. Stir well to incorporate.
Serve: Pour the hot Racahout into cups and let it cool slightly before serving. The drink should have a smooth, creamy consistency.
Tips:
- Adjust Sweetness: You can adjust the amount of sugar based on your preference. Some might prefer a sweeter drink, while others may like it less sweet.
- Alternative Thickeners: If you prefer not to use cornstarch, you can use other thickeners like arrowroot powder or rice flour.
- Spices: For additional flavor, you can add a pinch of cinnamon or nutmeg to the dry mixture.
Irena
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Acorn Coffee and Acorn Flour, origin Slovenia, available now
The harvest season of the Slovenian acorn is every few years.
Such a season was last year in 2023.
Therefore, acorn coffee and acorn flour of Slovenian origin are now available.
Limited edition.
You can buy here ๐ Etsy.
Have a wonderful day ๐
Irena
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๐Merry Christmas ๐
We are counting down the days until CHRISTMAS ๐.
May your Christmas-New Year ๐ holidays be full of love, peace, and joy.
May they bring happiness and blessings into your life.
Spend them in the circle of family ๐จโ๐จโ๐งโ๐ฆ and friends.
Show them that you love them ๐๐ and make beautiful memories together ๐ธ
Have a wonderful day ๐
Irena
The Major Oak
Probably the most famous resident of Sherwood Forest (after Robin Hood of course), the iconic Major Oak is an ancient giant that absolutely cannot be missed.
The Major Oak is arguably the best known and certainly one of the most enormous oak trees in Britain, with a canopy spread of 28 meters, a trunk circumference of 11 meters, and an estimated weight of 23 tonnes.
Itโs unclear whether the Major Oak is one tree or multiple saplings that have fused together.
Thereโs one character we canโt ignore โ Robin Hood.
Legend has it that when the forest was home to this famous outlaw, Robin and his Merry Men used the Major Oak for shelter; camping beneath its branches and hiding inside its massive trunk.
Nowadays, the Major Oak provides a home and shelter to hundreds of living things: beetles, bats, fungi, squirrels, and spiders amongst much more!
Read more at https://www.visitsherwood.co.uk/explore-the-forest/the-major-oak/
Have a wonderful day ๐
Irena
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Summer - ice cream and ice cubes.
The recipe for Acorn Coffee Ice Cream is here.
The recipe for Ice cubes Acorn Coffee is here.
Have a wonderful day ๐
Irena
P.S. Thank you for reading ๐ If you liked the content and found it valuable, share it via social media.
What is balanophagy?
Balanophagyโthe practice of eating acorns.
Balanophagy the practice of eating acorns from the oak Quercus and Notholithocarpus, has played an important part in the diets of many cultures around the world.
In fact, the Roman natural philosopher, Pliny the Elder, regarded the sacred oak as the โtree which first produced food for mortal man.โ
Read more at https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/is-reintroducing-acorns-into-the-human-diet-a-nutty-idea/
Have a wonderful day ๐
Irena
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The biggest oak tree in Europe.
Where is the biggest oak tree in Europe?
"Uncle Google" offers several answers.
One of the answers is in Lithuania.
The king of Lithuanian forests, the largest and oldest in Lithuania, Stelmuลพฤ oak can be one to two thousand years old. It is one of the oldest trees in Europe.
It takes 8-9 people to make a living chain around its trunk, whose diameter at the base is as much as 13 meters.
In its lifetime, the tree has witnessed ancient Lithuanian dukes, Teutonic Knights, and Swedish soldiers, as well as Napoleon's army.
source: https://www.lithuania.travel/en/place/stelmuze-2
Another answer is in neighboring Austria.
In the region of Bad Blumau, which is best known for its thermal baths.
This 1,000-year-old oak, with its considerable girth of 8.75 meters, is widely considered to be the oldest oak in Europe.
It stands on a meadow surrounded by a forest. You will come across it on the hiking trails from Weinbergweg to Bierbaumberg.
You can relax in its shade or sit and reflect on the many, sometimes stormy, times this majestic tree has lived through.
Source: https://www.bad-blumau.com/en/region/ausflugsziele/1000-jaehrige-eiche/
The last answer is in Denmark.
And this oak is probably REALLY the oldest oak in Europe.
This tree is called "Kongeegen".
The oak, called Kongeegen (which translates to King's Oak), is the oldest oak in Europe and the most famous tree in Denmark, located in the Nordskov forest.
They say that the tree was already quite old during the reign of King Gorm the Old (916-958).
A scientific survey of the tree rings in 1965 indicated that the tree was at least 1,450 years old, but could be as old as 1,900 years.
Source: https://www.monumentaltrees.com/en/dnk/capitalregion/frederikssund/942_jaegersprisnordskov/1698/
Have a wonderful day ๐
Irena
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The hormonal state of your body.
The thyroid gland is a small gland located in the lower part of the neck, below the throat.
The thyroid gland secretes hormones* that regulate the body's metabolism, so improper functioning of the thyroid gland can cause many problems.
May 25th is World Thyroid Day.
You can read more about Thyroid HERE.
Some words about hormonal imbalance.
Hormonal imbalance in the body can be caused by several factors, including improper diet.
Among the most common types of food that can cause a bad hormonal state in the body are:
- Refined sugar and carbohydrates: A large amount of refined sugar and simple carbohydrates in the diet can cause an abnormal increase in insulin levels in the body, which can cause hormonal imbalance.
- Trans fats: Foods that contain trans fats, such as fast food, junk food, and processed foods, can cause inflammation in the body, which can affect hormone production.
- Caffeine: Caffeine can cause increased secretion of cortisol, the stress hormone, which can lead to hormonal imbalance.
- Dairy products: dairy products that are high in fat can affect the production of hormones in the body.
- Alcohol: excessive consumption of alcohol can cause hormonal imbalance, especially in women, as it can cause disturbances in the menstrual cycle.
However, it is important to know that diet is only one of the factors that can affect the hormonal state of the body.
In addition, hormones are very complex, so determining the causes of hormonal imbalance requires professional advice from a doctor.
Have a nice day ๐
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Soup with Acorn Flour.
Soup - preลพganka is a soup that warms us up and regulates digestion.
Preลพganka is a soup made by roasting and browning flour.
The preparation is quick and easy. We will need max. 10 minutes.
A very basic recipe contains fat, flour, water, salt, and eggs.
Of course, many variations of this soup have evolved from this.
Recipe for preลพganka๐ฅฃ with acorn flour ๐.
Ingredients:
โ half a spoonful of butter or vegetable oil,
โ spoon of wheat flour,
โ spoon of acorn flour,
โ cumin (ground and whole),
โ pinch of salt,
โ pinch of pepper
โ 2,5 dcl of water,
โ 1 (smaller) egg,
โ Parsley for sprinkling.
Preparation:
Melt the butter in a saucepan. Then sprinkle a spoonful of wheat flour and a spoonful of acorn flour, and roast/brown them on low heat while stirring. (But be careful not to burn itโผ)
Gradually pour in the water, stirring constantly to melt all the lumps. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and cumin (ground and whole), and cook the soup for a few minutes until it boils.
Beat the egg well in a cup and slowly cook it in the boiling soup while constantly stirring. Cook for another 1-2 minutes until the egg is scrambled, then remove the pot.
Beat the egg well in a cup and slowly cook it in the boiling soup while constantly stirring. Cook for another 1 - 2 minutes, until the egg is scrambled, then put the pot aside.
Serve the preลพganka on deep plates and sprinkle with a little chopped parsley.
Enjoy.
Have a wonderful day ๐
Irena
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Acorn Flour as a Source of Bioactive Compounds in Gluten-Free Bread
I came across a study with the title
Acorn Flour as a Source of Bioactive Compounds in Gluten-Free Bread
You can read the entire study/article here.
Short summary.
This study aimed to evaluate the use of acorn flour as a source of bioactive compounds and a naturally gluten-free ingredient for baking gluten-free bread.
The study used acorns of Holm oak (Quercus rotundifolia and Quercus ilex) and Cork oak ( Quercus suber).
The nutritional and functional properties of acorns are exceptional:
- rich in unsaturated fatty acids and fiber,
- vitamin E,
- chlorophylls,
- carotenoids,
- phenolic compounds and
- antioxidant properties.
Acorn flour can be considered a good source of bioactive compounds and antioxidants in gluten-free bread.
In terms of sensory properties, the addition of acorn flour had a positive effect on most parameters (texture, volume, color, and general quality), making the bread darker and more beautiful in appearance.
The study found that the 23% inclusion level of acorn flour was the most desirable in terms of sensory evaluation.
Therefore, the use of acorn flour provides nutrients and bioactive compounds that enable the enrichment of gluten-free bread and at the same time reveal attractive sensory properties.
It is interesting that by rediscovering the value of such an important ingredient in the past, we are moving towards innovation.
In addition, acorns are an underutilized resource that can be reintroduced into the food chain with multiple benefits.
Acorn Flour is available here.
Have a lovely Thursday ๐
Irena
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Acorn Face Oil
Last month's topic was Acorn Extract.
You can read more here.
You can check that there are already some acorn cosmetic products on the links below:
- https://coscorea.com/products/manyo-factory-zaodam-acorns-pore-care-toner-300ml
- https://acornoak.com.au/product/anti-inflammatory-cream/
- https://n8ivbeauty.com/products/starlight-regenerative-acorn-oil-serum
Of course, you can prepare your own oil version for face and body care at home.
Homemade Acorn Face Oil
Preparation:
- put 5 spoons of almond oil in a container/pan and heat it up a little.
- Then add half a spoonful of acorn coffee and heat on low heat for 30 minutes and occasionally stir the mixture.
- Cool the oil, *strain, and pour into a bottle.
*Acorn coffee grounds are used for facial peeling.
Have a lovely February day ๐
Irena
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Acorn Extract ๐ค๐คจโ
This week I found a document that confirms the positive effects of acorn - acorn extract for skin and hair care.
You can view the document here.
Acorn Extract acts as an astringent and healing agent.
Acorn Extract has antiseptic, antieczematous, and lenitive properties.
It helps to treat inflamed, damaged, irritated, and infected skin.
Acorn Extract combats sweating and is suitable for skin and oily hair care applications.
Acorn extract can be used in shampoos, conditioners, and body and face skin care.
If you are one of those who use the same ingredients in cosmetic products as in food, then prepare an Acorn Coffee tonic.
Preparation:
- brew acorn coffee according to the instructions (one small cup is enough),
- separate the liquid from the sediment,
- apply the liquid with a cotton ball to the face or other affected area (e.g. scalp), and let it absorb.
Keep the tonic in the fridge.
Have a nice January day ๐
Irena
P.S. Thank you for reading ๐ If you liked the content and if you find it valuable, share it via social media.
We are in a magicalโจDecember ๐๐
This is the month of decorating๐๐ , tempting smells๐ช๐ง , best wishes๐ค, toasting ๐พ๐ฅ, closure๐, ๐ beginnings ๐ and gift-giving ๐.
The advent decoration on my working table this year looks like this ๐.
My favorite advent wreath with acorn caps is still this one ๐
I can say that one of the best Christmas gifts is one that you can eat.
The exception is children and teenagers, they like different gifts.
If you agree with me, you can give cookies ๐ช that you made yourself in a decorated ๐ jar.
Here is my EVERGREEN recipe for Xmass Cookies with Acorn Flour.
(I use this recipe since 2017 and I love it ๐๐).
1. Ingredients:
- 140 g butter,
- 100g of muscovado sugar,
- 3 tablespoons of honey,
- 175g flour, 175g Acorn Flour,
- a spoonful of baking powder,
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon,
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger,
- pinch of salt,
- a pinch of pepper.
2. Preparation:
Put flour, Acorn Flour, baking powder, and spices - cinnamon, ginger, a pinch of salt, and a pinch of pepper in a bowl.Melt the butter in a pan, and add sugar and honey. Add this mixture to the ingredients in a bowl and knead a firm dough.
Place the dough in the cold for half an hour.
Then roll it out to a thickness of 4 to 5 mm on a floured surface or on baking paper and cut out the biscuits with a model and place them on the baking tray.
Bake the biscuits in a preheated oven at 180 ยฐ C for about 11 minutes.
Then wait for them to cool. If desired, decorate them with glaze, chocolate, etc.
xoxoxo๐ ๐ฝ๐๐
I wish you a magical โจ December.
Have a nice day ๐
Irena
P.S. Thank you for reading ๐ If you liked the content and if you find it valuable, share it via social media.
This is how I prepared bread with acorn flour 5๏ธโฃ years ago.
More than five 5๏ธโฃ years ago, I baked my first bread with acorn flour.
Look at the photo ๐๐.
I have been using the recipe for bread with acorn flour ever since, with some adjustments.
These are:
- instead of 5-grain flour, I use classic wheat flour,
- instead of homemade acorn flour, I use the same one that I sell, available HERE,
- and I use a smaller proportion of acorn flour because my children are not fans of "dark or black" bread.
Recipe for Bread with Acorn Flour
.
1. Ingredients:
- 200 g flour of 5 grains wheat, spelled, rye, barley, durum wheat in different proportions (if desired, use regular all-purpose flour),
- 100 g of acorn flour (prepared at home),
- 1.2 dag of yeast,
- approx. 2 dcl of water,
- little sugar
- spoon of olive oil.
2. Preparation:
- First, prepare the yeast. Crush the yeast in a bowl, and add a little lukewarm water, a pinch of sugar, and a spoonful of flour. Let it rise in a warm place.
- Sift the flour into a bowl, and make a well in the middle around which add salt.
- Pour the risen yeast into the well. Mix a little flour with a food processor and slowly pour in the lukewarm water, gradually incorporating the surrounding flour. If desired, add a spoonful of olive oil.
- When all the liquid has been combined with the flour, it is necessary to knead the dough with your hands for at least 10 minutes.
- When the dough is kneaded (in my case it was not as smooth and flexible as bread made from wheat flour), put it back in the bowl, cover it with a tea towel, and put it in a warm place.
- We wait for it to rise. Make sure that the dough has risen enough by pressing on it with your finger - if there is a visible indentation, the dough has risen enough.
- Mix it well again for approx. 3 min. Then the dough is placed in the mold (if desired, you can also cover the mold with baking paper). The dough should rise again. Heat the oven to 180ยฐC.
- When the dough increases its volume a second time, it is ready for baking. Brush it with lukewarm water and put it in the oven. Bake approx. 40 min. A general rule of the first 15 min. we don't open the oven at all, because it rises the most at this time. If we want a crispy crust, bake it for 10 min. before the end, anoint with water once more.
When the bread is baked, take it out of the mold (if you used baking paper, peel it off).
Wait for it to cool down.
Have a nice day ๐.
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Halloween Cookies with Acorn Flour
October 31st - Halloween is coming up, so I decided on "spooky" Halloween Cookies with Acorn Flour.
The recipe is very simple.
1. Ingredients:
โ
140 g of melted butter,
โ
90 g of (regular) flour,
โ
90 g of acorn flour,
โ
50 g of powdered sugar,
โ
grated peel of one orange,
โ
three tablespoons of orange juice.
2. Preparation:
1๏ธโฃ put sifted flour in a bowl, add powdered sugar, grated orange peel, three tablespoons of orange juice, and melted butter. Mix all the ingredients well and knead them into a dough.
2๏ธโฃ Wrap the dough in foil and let it rest for approx. 30 minutes in the refrigerator.
3๏ธโฃThe dough is then shaped into balls, flattened, placed on baking paper, and shaped.
4๏ธโฃBake in a preheated oven at 160ยฐC for 18 to 20 minutes, depending on the thickness of the cookies.
I wish you a pleasant sweetening.
Have a nice day ๐
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Quick "office" snack with Acorn Coffee in a glass.
It certainly happens that you don't have enough time for lunch.
But you have time for a snack.
Here is a suggestion for a quick "office" snack with Acorn Coffee in a glass.
1. Ingredients:
โ 6 teaspoons of wheat bran,
โ 6 teaspoons of wheat germ,
โ 3 teaspoons of crushed flax seeds
โ 1 teaspoon of acorn coffee
โ from 150ml to 180ml of hot water.
2. Preparation:
1๏ธโฃput all the dry ingredients in a jar.
2๏ธโฃ Boil water in a kettle, then pours over the ingredients in the glass.
3๏ธโฃ Wait for 3 to 5 minutes.
Because all the ingredients swell when they come into contact with water and the mixture becomes very thick, I suggest that you add a little more water to achieve the desired thickness.
Have a nice day ๐
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Acorn Pie ๐ฅง with Walnuts and Apples.
Here is a recipe for Acorn Pie with Walnuts and Apples.
1. Ingredients for the dough:
- 125 g of flour,
- 125 g of acorn flour,
- 125 g of butter,
- 115 g of sugar,
- 10g vanilla sugar,
- pinch of salt,
- 1 egg.
2. Ingredients for the filling:
- 280 g of walnuts,
- 50 g of butter,
- 125 g of sugar,
- 2 egg yolks,
- 2 egg whites,
- a little cinnamon
- grated rind of 1/2 lemon,
- 2 tablespoons of sour cream,
- approx. 4 apples.
3. Preparation:
Sift both flours, and add the butter cut into pieces, which are rubbed into the flour with your hands.
Make a hole in the middle of the mixture, add sugar, vanilla sugar, a pinch of salt, and a beaten egg. Then knead the dough.
When you are done let the dough rest for about an hour in a cold place.
In the meantime prepare the filling. In the bowl mix the butter, sugar, and egg yolks until foamy, then add cinnamon, lemon peel, sour cream, walnuts, and finally the egg white snow
Fill the dough with a walnut filling and place apples on top, which can be sprinkled with cinnamon if desired.
Bake in a heated oven at 200ยฐC approx. 20 minutes.
Cool and serve ๐ฅง๐.
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Tannins - help with sunburned ๐skin.
Acorns (and of course also acorn coffee) contain tannin.
Tannin has some positive effects on our skin.
The term tannin (from Old German, tanna being the Old High German word for oak or fir, as in tannenbaum) refers to the use of wood tannins from oak in the tanning of animal hides for leather.
Hence the word "tanning" means "tanning" for the treatment of leather.
In addition to tanning, there are some other useful tips.
The properties of tannin in skin care are:
- astringent: they have a narrowing and protective effect on the skin, so they reduce the appearance of pores,
- soothing: reduce redness and inflammation,
- photoprotective: tannin has significant anti-inflammatory effects on the skin response caused by UV rays or radiation (this is mainly related to sunburn), and
- anti-fungal.
How to get tannin in a usable form?
By preparing an acorn coffee tonic.
After cooking acorn coffee (one small cup is enough), first cool it and then separate the liquid from the sediment.
Then soak a cotton ball or cloth in the liquid and apply it to the affected area. Let it soak in.
Store acorn coffee tonic in the refrigerator.
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Keto diet with Acorn Flourโโ
On the link is an article titled your Keto Flour for Yards.
It is a homemade Acorn Flour in USA.
Let's look at the details below.
A keto diet is a low-carb, high-fat diet.
You eat foods that are rich in fats and proteins.
To put it simply, in a ketone diet you consume 5% carbohydrates, 15 to 25% protein, and 75% fat daily.
vir: https://vizita.si/zdravje/dieta/keto-dieta.html
A few years ago, I wrote that acorns can contain from 1.1% to 31.3% oil.
The fact is that there are more than 600 species of oak trees in the world, and thus also acorns, which differ from each other.
Acorns in our country Slovenia contain about 3-5% oil.
Therefore, Acorn Flour of Slovenian origin does not belong in the keto diet.
It is different, for some American varieties of acorns. Their acorns are much fattier, they can be compared to olive olives.
Have a nice day ๐
Irena
P.S. Thank you for reading ๐ If you liked the content and if you find it valuable, share it via social media.
A quick snack with acorn flour
This time I have prepared a snack (bread), for which we need just 30min.
Here is a recipe for a quick snack with acorn flour.
1. Ingredients:
(for 10-12 pieces)
- 1 cup flour,
- 1/2 cup Acorn Flour,
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder,
- 1/3 teaspoon baking soda,
- 1/2 teaspoon salt,
- 3 tablespoons softened butter,
- 6 tablespoons milk.
2. Preparation:
Sift flour into a bowl, along with acorn flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
Add butter and rub it into the flour with your hands, then add more milk and knead the dough.
Knead it well on a floured surface.
Roll out the dough to 1 cm and cut it into triangles.
Place the pieces on baking paper and bake in a preheated oven at 220 ยฐ C for about 10 minutes.
Wait for them to cool down.
The snacks are crispy and have a very pleasant tasting.
Have a nice day ๐
Irena
P.S. Thank you for reading ๐ If you liked the content and if you find it valuable, share it via social media.