Sycamore
Sycamore (lat. Ficus sycomorus) is one of the varieties of ficus with edible fruits.
Description
Sycamore is the oldest fruit crop — Egypt is considered its homeland. This pretty evergreen tree resembles an oak in its strength and size. Sycamore has a magnificent spreading crown and very hard wood and grows up to forty meters in height. And on the thick branches extending from its powerful trunks there are numerous stolons — fruitful branches, somewhat reminiscent of grape bunches.
Sycamore fruits are orange-pink figs reaching 25 — 50 mm in diameter.
By the way, sometimes sycamore is also called a water glider (in fact, this tree belongs to the Elm family) and sycamore.
Where does it grow
Most often, sycamore can be found in Western Asia, East Africa, as well as in Cyprus and Jordan — it has long been cultivated there for its beautiful edible fruits.
Application
Sycamore is widely consumed as food, and it is equally good both fresh and processed. These miniature berries make excellent jams, preserves, etc. They also extract juice that later turns into jelly.
Sycamore fruits are rich in pectin, which helps remove decay products, excess water and “bad” cholesterol from the body. Vitamin B in these miraculous berries has a beneficial effect on the nervous system — this property helps get rid of fatigue, stress and insomnia. And ascorbic acid strengthens and strengthens the immune system, helping the human body resist the effects of all kinds of infections and viruses. Sycamore also helps greatly with chest pain or tachycardia. It is no less widely used to treat venous insufficiency and hypertension, as well as to get rid of various stomach problems and anemia.
The potassium contained in sycamore fruits helps improve the functioning of the cardiovascular system and thereby significantly reduce the risk of stroke or heart attack. Potassium also relaxes and dilates blood vessels. In addition, sycamore fruits also contain fatty acids necessary for normalizing the activity of the brain, nervous system, heart and the entire body as a whole.
Another important property of sycamore is its ability to dissolve blood clots and reduce blood clotting. This effect is ensured due to the content of an enzyme called ficin in sycamore. So these berries will serve well for people prone to thrombosis. Ficin also helps cure whooping cough, asthma, bronchitis and cough. In addition, these beneficial fruits also have a laxative and diuretic effect.
Interesting facts about sycamore
Sycamore is mentioned quite often in the Bible. True, in its synodal translation it is called a fig tree — it was on this tree that Zacchaeus, who was looking out for Jesus Christ, sat. And in accordance with the ancient Coptic legend, the holy family fleeing to Egypt took refuge under this tree. In addition, the cult of the ancient Egyptian goddess Hathor was associated with it.
Sycamore is depicted on the coat of arms of the city of Holon, and in the Middle East this tree is considered sacred. It was under the sycamore tree that Ra once cut off the head of the harmful serpent Apep, overtaking him in the form of a red cat. And the wood of this tree was used to make the floor in the palace of Pharaoh Amenemhat I.
The sycamore tree is also mentioned in Twin Peaks, the famous TV series by David Lynch: a ring of twelve sycamore trees marks the entrance to the Black Lodge. Paulo Coelho did not ignore this tree in his book “The Alchemist” — in this work, a sycamore tree grew on the site of the sacristy, and Santiago, the main character, found treasures under its roots.
