RAMON NUTS  Brosimum alicastrum "Mayan Breadnut"   Ramon, Capomo, or Ixemche was a staple crop of the Maya, being widely planted throughout their civilization. This tree and its close relatives make up to 20% of the natural forests of the tropical and subtropical Americas, from Mexico to Brazil and throughout the Caribbean. Listed as one of the most underutilized tropical crops in the world today by the National Academy of Sciences. Ramon nuts are highly nutritious being an excellent source of protein (12-13%), fiber, calcium, vitamin C, several B vitamins, phosphorous and iron. Amino acid contents of the nuts is more complete than many other staple foods including eggs, milk, wheat, and corn. In addition to its supreme value as a food, a tea of the nuts is used medicinally to tonify the liver, relieve allergies, and calm the nerves. The nuts were traditionally eaten raw, sometimes mixed with honey, often boiled like potatoes, or ground into a flour and blended with corn to make tortillas. Roasted and ground Ramon makes a superior caffeine free coffee substitute, excellent for those wanting a healthy yet tasty alternative. About 1/2 - 1 tablespoon per cup, prepared just like coffee. Because they have no oil, they are one of the healthier foods to be eaten roasted. Contemporary uses include grinding them in a coffee grinder to a fine meal used as a nutritious flour substitute for breads, cookies, and other baked goods. This meal/flour is an excellent protein powder for smoothies and blends perfectly with nutmilks. Rehydrating the dried nuts in water for 8-10 hours softens them nicely to eat straight or add to any dish. A real joy when blended with honey, raw Cacao, cinnamon and vanilla. Ramon nut trees are now threatened throughout much of their former range because of short sighted land conversion to cattle pasture and monoculture crops. Integrating these valuable nutritious nuts into our diets can help directly support the preservation of the rainforest ecosystems in which they grow by creating a sustainable economic incentive to stop the felling of the trees. The nuts we offer are harvested in an ecologically sustainable manner in Central America.

Wildcrafted, whole raw Guatemalan Ramon nuts 100gm