ZAMBIA: Pure Zambian Honey Banned By South Africa

But Zambia protests the ban as procedures and regulations have not been followed.

The Zambian High Commission in Pretoria, South Africa has protested the fresh ban imposed on export of Zambian honey to South Africa.

In a letter written to South African authorities, Zambia’s High Commissioner to South Africa, His Excellency Mr. Emmanuel Mwamba stated that he had learnt with regret that South Africa has restricted market access for Zambia’s pure honey with immediate effect.

He said that this was because a consignment allegedly from Zambia was found to be contaminated with a disease called American Foulbrood(Paenibacillus larvae).

But Mr. Mwamba has stated that the ban was done outside procedures and trade regulations.

He said the proecedure to impose the ban were breached and no official letter has been written to competent authorities in Zambia as required by trade protocals.

He also stated that no official results of the analysis and copy of import airway bill were provided for Zambia to authenticate and verify the source of such a consignment.

He said it was difficult to establish whether the matter was a misconduct of traders who sometimes mix various imports of honey products from other countries.

Mr. Mwamba has urged the authorities in South Africa to immediately reverse the ban on importation of pure honey until the laid down procedures and verification were done between experts from both countries.

He said if Zambian honey were subjected to irradiation as being proposed, it would lose its treasured and intrinsic value which ranks it as pure, organic, and natural and a factor which gives it a choice presence on the market.

He said Zambia exports its pure honey to other markets such as the European Union where stringent regulations exist and if such a disease was detected it would not have had that market access to the EU.

South Africa has restricted market of Zambian pure honey.

In a letter written to South African importers of pure Zambian honey, the authorities stated that audit samples from a consignment from a farm called Musonda Chitalu and Forest Fruite, detected paenibacillus larvae(American Foulbrood).

The letter to South African importers states that to this effect, all consignments from Zambia should be subjected to irradiation and all imports permits allowing pure honey from Zambia have since been withdrawn.

But Mr. Mwamba stated that during earlier effort to lift the ban on pure honey market access to South Africa, extensive work was done to demonstrate that Zambia did not have such a disease present in its honey.

He said the pure honey export trade to South Africa was now booming which went in a long way to reduce trade deficit and trade imbalance between the two countries.

He said the recent development negated such positive strides.

He has called on the South African authorites at the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries in South Africa to engage with their counterparts from Zambia to urgently resolve this regretable development.


Tourism Observer

CONSERVATION: Keep Bees Alive

267 species of bee live in the UK – one of the most recognised is the social honey bee which lives in colonies led by a queen bee who is supported by worker bees and drone bees.

In the past 5 years the bee population has decreased by a third. In the UK alone, 35 bee species are currently under threat of extinction and all bee species are facing serious threats to their survival.

Building works for houses/offices have destroyed bees’ natural habits – 97% of our vital grasslands and hedgerows have been lost in the past 60 years.

Increased use of pesticides, results in paralysis and eventual death.

Insects that would have kept parasite numbers under control are killed off by pesticides, allowing harmful parasites to flourish and bees under the influence of pesticides are less resistant to the harmful varroa mite – a parasite which can wipe out bee colonies.

Bees perform in the region of 80 percent of all pollination worldwide. A lone bee can pollinate a whopping 5,000 plants each day.

It is estimated that 30% of the world crops and 90% of the wild plants, need a pollinating insect like a bee to thrive.

One third of the food you eat is pollinated by bees, and if fresh fruit and veg doesn’t appeal to you think of the bi-products, avocado flowers are pollinated by honey bees, when the bees are gone that’s no guacamole with your nachos or fajitas.

Wind naturally pollinates Tomato flowers but is helped along tremendously by the bumblebee, bumblebee pollinated yields are larger both in size and quantity.

If tomato supplies dry up with the loss of the bumblebee, where’s the sauce coming from for your pizza base or bolognese sauce?

Scientists estimate that it would cost over £1.8 billion every single year to manually pollinate UK crops by hand. And that’s just the UK! Think of the cost implications on your favourite foods if artificial pollination has to take place!

Consider the knock on effects on animals, especially herbivores. many animals, including Safari Zoo Giraffes, consume alfalfa (AKA Lucerne), alfalfa is pollinated by bees.

Cotton plants depend on bees, their loss impacts the fashion industry and mass production of natural fabrics.

Canola is used to produce biofuel, the plants depend on bee pollination, the loss of bees reduces access to biofuel, increasing dependency on fossil fuels and adding further pressure on an environment which is already stretched to breaking point.

HABITATS – REPLACE THE HABITATS HUMANS HAVE STOLEN IN YOUR OWN GARDENS, PATIOS AND YARDS. BEE BOXES AND BUG HOTELS CAN BE PURCHASED BUT THEY CAN ALSO BE MADE FROM UNWANTED HOUSEHOLD ITEMS AND RECYCLED MATERIALS.

FOOD SOURCES – OFFER BEES AN ALTERNATIVE TO THE NASTY PESTICIDE LADEN CROPS BY PLANTING FLOWERS FROM THE RHS PERFECT POLLINATORS LIST TO ATTRACT OUR BUZZY FRIENDS. AND DON’T WEED YOUR GARDENS, BEES LOVE A GOOD DANDELION AND IN EARLY SPRING, WEEDS ARE OFTEN THE ONLY SOURCE OF FOOD FOR. BEES.

GIVE THEM A DRINK! AT THIS TIME OF YEAR, YOU MAY SEE A BEE CRAWLING, LOOKING LIKE HE IS STRUGGLING AND ON THE VERGE OF DEATH. THEY ARE NOT, THEY ARE JUST TIRED!


HELP REVIVE THEM BY MIXING TWO TABLESPOONS OF WHITE, GRANULATED SUGAR WITH ONE TABLESPOON OF WATER, AND PLACING THE MIX ON A PLATE OR SPOON AND ALLOWING THEM TO DRINK. THEY’LL BE BACK ON THEIR WINGS IN NO TIME!

AVOID THE USE OF PESTICIDES, FUNGICIDES OR HERBICIDES ON PLANTS OR IN YOUR GARDEN. CHECK ANY PLANTS YOU BUY ARE NOT PRE-TREATED WITH NEONICS PESTICIDES!


Tourism Observer

PREPARE: Pork Stroganoff

READY IN: 1hr 30mins

SERVES: 4

INGREDIENTS Nutrition

- 1 1⁄2 Kgs pork tenderloin, sliced into 1/4 inch strips

- 1 l Kg white button mushrooms, sliced

- 1 medium white onion, sliced thin

- 1 medium red onion, sliced thin

- 1 tablespoon whole grain mustard

- 1 cup dry white wine

- 1⁄2 cup heavy cream

- 1⁄2 cup creme fraiche

- 2 tablespoons butter

- 2 tablespoons oil

- salt and black pepper, to taste

OPTIONAL MARINADE

- 3 tablespoons lemon juice (optional)

- 1 tablespoon lime juice (optional)

- 1 tablespoon honey (optional)

- 2 teaspoons dry mustard (optional)

DIRECTIONS

Optional Marinade:

- In a shallow non metal dish, mix together lemon juice, lime juice, honey, and dry mustard. Add pork strips and mix to coat. Cover and refrigerate 1-8 hours.

- Remove pork and discard remaining marinade.

- Melt the butter and oil in heavy frying pan.

- Add onions and cook to soften for 3 - 4 minutes.

- Remove the onions with a slotted spoon to a small bowl.

- Increase pan heat to medium high, when hot add pork, stirring continuously until browned.

- If the pork seems too crowded in your frying pan,you can fry the pork in 2 batches and just add it back to the pan when done browning.

- Add mushrooms, onions, mustard, and wine. Bring to a vigorous simmer.

- Add the creme fraiche and season with a little salt and freshly ground black pepper.

- Bring to vigorous simmer and cook until reduced to a creamy consistancy.

- Remove from heat and stir in heavy cream.

- Serve over a bed of rice, noodles, chapatti, matooke (plantains) or ugali.



Tourism Observer

PREPARE: Pineapple With Honeycomb Or Honey, Good For The Diabetic

Pax: 4 servings

Size: 2/3cup pineapple mixture and 1 teaspoon honeycomb or honey

Grams Per Serving: 29

Ingredients

- 1 medium pineapple (about 3 pounds)

-1 tablespoon butter

- 1/2 cup torn fresh mint

- 1/4 teaspoon coarse sea salt

- 4 teaspoons honeycomb or honey

Directions

- Peel pineapple; core and cut into 1-inch cubes. In a large skillet, melt butter over medium heat.

- Add pineapple; cook over medium-high heat about 10 minutes or until pineapple is caramelized, gently turning pineapple cubes with tongs to caramelize evenly.

- In a large bowl, combine caramelized pineapple, fresh mint, and sea salt; toss to mix well.

- To serve, top with honeycomb or drizzle with honey.

Nutrition Facts Per Serving:

Servings Per Recipe: 4

PER SERVING: 136 cal., 3 g total fat (2 g sat. fat), 8 mg chol., 121 mg sodium, 29 g carb. (3 g fiber, 23 g sugars), 1 g pro.

Fat (d.e): 0.5; Other Carb (d.e): 1; Fruit (d.e): 1;



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PREPARE: Oven Glazed Chicken Wings

24 Servings • 15 Min. Prep Time • 45 Min. Cook Time


Ingredients

- 1 100% Vegetable juice

- 2 Tbsp. honey

- 2 Tbsp. soy sauce

- 1 tsp. ground ginger

- 12 chicken wings (about 2 lb.)

Directions:

1. Stir the vegetable juice, honey, soy sauce and ginger in a large bowl.

2. Cut the tips off the wings and discard or save for another use.

Cut the wings in half at the joints to make 24 pieces.

Add the wings to the juice mixture and toss to coat.

Place the chicken mixture in a foil-lined shallow baking pan.

3. Bake at 400°F. for 45 min. or until glazed and the chicken is cooked through, turning and brushing with the sauce during the last 15 min. of baking time.

Nutrition:

Calories: 58; Total Fat: 3g; Saturated Fat: 1g; Cholesterol: 14mg; Total Carbs: 2g; Fiber: 0g; Protein: 5g; Sodium: 120mg;

Serve And Enjoy Your Meal



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PREPARE: Honey Garlic Drumsticks

24 Servings • 50 Min. Cook Time


Ingredients

- 24 chicken drumsticks

- 1 tsp. salt

- 1/2 tsp. black pepper

- 1 c. honey

- 1/4 c. chopped garlic

- 2 Tbsp. hot pepper sauce

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Place drumsticks on 2 rimmed baking sheets and season with salt and pepper.

2. Bake 30 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine honey, garlic, and hot pepper sauce. Baste drumsticks with sauce occasionally during baking time. (Drain off excess liquid before basting.)

4. Bake 20 to 25 additional minutes, or until no pink remains and juices run clear.

Serve And Enjoy Your Meal



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PREPARE: Honey-Garlic Slow Cooker Chicken Thighs

I have used it often. It's easy and uses pantry staples. Always a hit with adults and kids. Serve with basmati rice or quinoa and steamed or roasted vegetables.

Ingredients

4 skinless, boneless chicken thighs

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/2 cup ketchup

1/3 cup honey

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon dried basil

Add all ingredients to list


Directions

Preparation 10 minutes

Cook 6 hours

Ready In 6 hours 10 minutes

Lay chicken thighs into the bottom of a 4-quart slow cooker.

Whisk soy sauce, ketchup, honey, garlic, and basil together in a bowl; pour over the chicken.

Cook on Low for 6 hours.

Aluminum foil can be used to keep food moist, cook it evenly, and make clean-up easier.

Prepare Roast Yams

Yams grown in New Zealand originate from the South American Andes where they are known as oca.

The sweet tubers are small, often about the size of a thumb, are pink-orange in colour and have a slightly shiny and ribbed surface. Other sweeter, slightly smaller varieties, coloured yellow, apricot and golden are available.

New Zealand yams are different from the tropical yams grown in other cultures. In America, and therefore in American recipe books, the vegetables known as ‘yams’ are in fact sweet potatoes similar to Beauregard kumara.
What to look for

Firm yams with a bright colour and no blemishes.
Availability

April, May, June, July, August, September, October.
Store

Refrigerate in plastic bags.
How to prepare

Yams do not need to be peeled. Scrub if necessary and remove any blemishes.
Ways to eat

Yams are eaten cooked and in this form the carotenoids are more available. Boiling or steaming minimises their oxalate levels. Serve whole or mashed. Use sliced in stir fries. The natural sweetness of yams is enhanced with ginger, orange or sweet and sour sauces.
Cooking Methods

Bake, braise, boil, steam, microwave, roast, stir fry, stew.

Yams are one of the highest vegetable sources of carbohydrate and energy (kilojoules). They are a good source of folate and also a source of vitamin A (from beta-carotene) and vitamin B6 plus contain potassium at levels of dietary significance. Their yellow orange coloured flesh indicates the presence of carotenoids (yellow orange coloured yams) and anthocyanins (red skins and specks in the flesh). While not as high as carrots, yams are a good source of beta-carotene.
Retailing

Pre-pack in plastic bags. Customers may not know how to use yams or earth gems, so use the QR code on labels.

Store at 0-2ºC with a relative humidity of 90-100%.

Purchase yams and earth gems with the New Zealand GAP logo.
Ulluco

In their native South America and have only been commercially available in New Zealand since 2003. The brightly coloured tubers range from yellow to magenta, pink, and even candy striped. They are very small in size, about 2-3 cm in diameter. Their waxy skins are shiny and colourful and is thin and soft and needs no peeling. The white to lemon-yellow flesh has a smooth, silky texture with a nutty taste, similar to beetroot.

Ulluco have a crisp texture, which remains even when cooked. They can be boiled, steamed, microwaved or baked. They hold their colour after cooking and look attractive on the plate.

A mean feast of roast yams, seasoned with honey and garlic then roasted in olive oil. They make a lovely accompaniment to any meal and are so easy to make.

Ingredients

Serves: 4

- 500g yams

- 1/4 cup olive oil

- garlic salt, to taste

- honey, to taste

Directions

Preparation:2min › Cook:30min › Ready in:32min

- Preheat oven to 190 degrees C.

- In a small roasting pan, drizzle yams with olive oil.

- Sprinkle over garlic salt then drizzle over a generous amount of honey.

- Roast for about 30 minutes.

Yams

New Zealand yams are usually only available in New Zealand and South America.

They are sometimes known as oca and are a small vegetable with the flavour of a lemony parsnip.

Caramelized Baked Chicken Legs/Wings

Delicious! Yummy caramelized legs, kids love these! So quick and easy and no marinating required. Just prepare the sauce, pour over the chicken and pop in the oven! I actually like this with wings better ;-) VERY IMPORTANT TO LEAVE IT IN THE OVEN UNTIL IT HAS CARAMELIZED TO AVOID DISAPPOINTMENT. Thank You.

Ingredients Nutrition
Servings 6-8 Units

2 1⁄2 lbs chicken legs
1 2⁄3 tablespoons olive oil (to help it stop sticking to the pan)
1⁄2 cup soy sauce
1 2⁄3 tablespoons ketchup
3⁄4 cup honey
2 -3 garlic cloves, minced
salt and pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit or 180 degrees Celsius.
Place chicken in a 9x13 inch baking dish. Mix together the oil, soy sauce, ketchup, honey, garlic, salt and pepper.
Pour over the chicken.
Bake in preheated oven for one hour, or until sauce is caramelized.
Could also use wings or pork ribs.

Chicken In Orange Sauce

This is one of those dishes that makes you feel quite pleased with yourself. Fast, easy, healthy, and more delicious than Chinese takeout – a series of winning propositions. You can prep pretty much all the ingredients ahead of time, making this a fantastic last-minute weeknight dinner.

The sweetness in the sauce makes this a dish that normally picky eaters will lean into. There’s plenty of sauce, too, which you’ll be happy about as you spoon it over hot rice or quinoa.

When you are feeding a group with one or more vegetarians in the mix, this kind of recipe makes life so much easier. Essentially you sauté up some chicken in one pan, some tofu in another, then divide up the simple sauce between the two.

Serve this meal with:

Clean & Spicy Asian Greens
Rice or quinoa

Chicken in Orange Sauce

Serves 6

3 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
3/4 cup orange juice, preferably fresh
1/3 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce, or 1/4 cup regular soy sauce plus 2 tablespoons water
3 tablespoons rice vinegar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon finely minced peeled fresh ginger
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breasts or thighs, cut into 3/4-inch pieces (see Recipe Notes below for a tofu alternative)
Kosher or coarse salt
2 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil
4 scallions, white and light green parts, sliced
Hot cooked rice (brown or white) or quinoa, for serving

Toasted sesame seeds, for serving (optional)

Whisk together the garlic, honey, orange zest and juice, soy sauce, rice vinegar, cornstarch, ginger, and pepper in a small bowl. Set the sauce aside.

Season the chicken lightly with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a very large skillet or a wok over high heat. Add the chicken and sauté until it starts to turn white, 3 minutes. Add the sauce and scallions and cook until 
the sauce thickens and the chicken is cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes more.
Serve over hot rice or quinoa, with the sesame seeds sprinkled over if desired.
Recipe Notes

Tofu in orange sauce: Replace the chicken with 2 pounds extra-firm tofu, blotted dry and cut into 3/4-inch cubes. To get the tofu nicely browned, in Step 2, heat the oil in the skillet over high heat, and when very hot, add the cubes, which should sizzle and sear (watch for splattering). Cook the tofu, not moving it for at least 3 minutes, so it has a chance to brown on the bottom. Flip the cubes using a thin metal spatula (knowing some cubes will break) and continue to cook to brown the bottoms, 3 minutes more. Add the sauce and scallions and continue with the recipe.
If you want to make the dish half chicken and half tofu, use a pound of each, sauté them separately in two large skillets with a tablespoon of oil in each, and divide the sauce and scallions evenly between the pans. The cooking times are the same.
What the kids can do: Zest the orange and juice it (if you are using fresh juice). Kids of the right age can cut up the chicken (younger ones can tackle the tofu) with an age-appropriate knife.
Make ahead: The chicken or tofu can be cut up a couple of days ahead of time, and the sauce can be combined a couple of days ahead, and refrigerated, too.