What are the best store bought foods?
- Thread starter JaySparks
- Start date
For who? A hermann? Endive, escarole, dandelion, mustard greens, turnip greens, - I think Chris has listed some different types of food in his care sheet. It's pinned at the top of our Hermanni section.
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I'm feeding pancakes, Asian forest tortoises, hingebacks, Egyptians, forstens, radiated, flat tails.
What are you feeding?
What are you feeding?
I feed lambs lettuce, romain lettuce and belgian endive
Belgian endive
Description/Taste
Belgian endive is shaped like a torpedo and grows to about six inches in length. It has tender white leaves with either yellow or red-colored leaf edges. The leaves offer a soft texture and delicate crunch with a pleasantly bitter flavor.
Seasons/Availability
Belgian endive is available year-round with a peak season in the winter months.
Current Facts
Belgian endive and endive are both in the chicory genus. However, Belgian endive is botanically known as part of Chichorium intybus and is grown from chicory roots in a dark environment, while endive is botanically known as Cichorium endive and grown in the fields as a green curly lettuce. Belgian endive is also known as Witloof chicory (Flemish for ‘white leaf’) and in Belgium by the nickname, white gold.
Nutritional Value
Belgian endive is a source of thiamin, potassium, calcium, magnesium, vitamins B6 and C, as well as folate and copper. It also contains intybin which is not only responsible for the bitter taste of the leaves but is also known to be an appetite stimulant and a digestive aid. When consumed in large amounts Belgian endive can also act as a diuretic and laxative.
Applications
While Belgian endive is commonly used raw in recipes it is also versatile in cooked preparations. Roast whole or halved endive with olive oil until softened and serve as a side dish with grated cheese. Grill endive halves and add to cooked grains or serve atop pizza. Add chopped or halved to tarts, quiche, soups, stews and stir-fries. When raw it can be chopped and used in a salad or individual leaves can be stuffed with other complimentary ingredients as a canapé. Braising Belgian endive in butter will slightly mellow the bitterness of the vegetable. The bitter flavor of Belgian endive pairs well with onion, pear, apple, cranberries, herbs such as basil and thyme, walnuts, pecans, butter, cream based sauces, olive oil, bacon lardons, prosciutto, lamb, poultry and gorgonzola, manchengo, blue and feta cheeses. Endive will keep refrigerated for one to two weeks.
Ethnic/Cultural Info
In the United States Belgian endive is considered to be a gourmet and expensive vegetable and typically used raw in salads or as an appetizer consisting of individually stuffed leaves. In its native France and in the Netherlands Belgian endive is an inexpensive, commonly consumed winter and spring vegetable and used most often in hot preparations and on occasion raw in salads. There are several classic French dishes that call for Belgian endive such as endive au gratin and braised endives.
Geography/History
Modern cultivation of Belgian endive was first discovered in the 1830's by Jan Lammers a Belgian chicory farmer, who stored the roots in his cellar for drying to use as a coffee substitute. However, after several months, he found the roots had sprouted small white leaves, which he tasted and found tender, moist, and pleasingly bitter. It took another few decades to commercially cultivate this 'witloof'. The chicory is grown from seeds, the roots are harvested, and taken indoors to grow again in a dark environment, using a labor-intensive growing technique called "blanching" to produce the Belgium endive. Commercially grown Belgian endive is exported mainly from western Europe with Belgium contributing the largest share.
Smart ars
Sulcata, mostly grazes daily on brumuda hay, winter rye grass and cactus pads. Mazuri, Endive, dandelion, turnip greens maybe once or twice a week.
If you can't find dark, leafy greens, find a feed store that sells horse and cattle feed and ask if you can pick up some of the leavings around the bottom of their grass hay stack. The larger sulcatas take readily to grass hay.
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I spell it like this 'smart A$$' and the TFO overloads seem to miss it. Maybe it's because I'm A $$ person?
None the less if someone can't take a few seconds to ask a cogent question I find it's okay for me to make humor of it. They certainly got answers, so I hardly interrupted the information flow. And now you and I are having a fun conversation. Win-Win.
Well, I hate to be a smart A $$, but if you had paid attention to the title of the thread you would have realized they were asking about food.
And off topic of this thread: @Will - could you put up red and green leaf lettuce in your thread about food nutrition please (sorry, I can't remember the title of it to link for you)
Good call, @Yvonne G as those are really pretty good choices but rarely mentioned. 3:1 cal/phos ratio, high in vit A and vit C. Like most greens, you still need more fiber somewhere else.
Hayes Johnson
Member
In the winter I feed my Russian tortoise organic kale and cactus pads from the grocery store. If you are ever in the store and see cactus pads, you should buy some. Make sure to get all the spines out and chop it up real small.
I know that you are an experienced member AND a biologist, but I feel very strongly that pancakes are bad for both tortoises and turtles. I cannot reference a study offhand, but I respectfully suggest that you do further research and reevaluate your decision to serve pancakes. If you decide to continue including them on the menu, make sure to only use real butter and all natural syrup heated to precisely 103F.
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Boy-o-boy that was risky poking me with a sharp smart A$$ stick. Best laugh of the day, thanks.I know that you are an experienced member AND a biologist, but I feel very strongly that pancakes are bad for both tortoises and turtles. I cannot reference a study offhand, but I respectfully suggest that you do further research and reevaluate your decision to serve pancakes. If you decide to continue including them on the menu, make sure to only use real butter and all natural syrup heated to precisely 103F.
You can scrape the spines off but you don’t need to cut it up real small. Russians can eat it just fine not cut up.
It takes a little longer to eat whole but that’s a good thing; it gives them something to do!
