Grapes are a favorite easy finger fruit which is liked and loved by one and all. They are super easy to eat and its mixed taste of sourness and sweetness tempt everyone to have it.
The more you eat, the more you like it. It’s like an addiction. Once you start eating it; your hands do not know how to stop. No need to peel or cut, just wash and eat it. So easy to have it.
Grapes like any other fruits are full of minerals and vitamins. They grow in bunches on grape vines in vineyards or sometimes alone also.
Mainly seen in two colours in market i.e. green or purple but they come in many different colours like red, green, golden, purple, and pink, black and white too.
Grapes are classified as berries and they grow on vines that can be 15 to 20 m in length. There are 8000 varieties of grapes and 60 species of it are available in the whole world.
Having grape is great fun. It is very easy to carry it in lunch boxes and tiffin’s that’s why it is the favourite fruit of children.
The different colors of grape attract the kids most. They can be added in salads, sandwiches or any other food.
It can be used for garnishing and dressing various dishes. Kids like it most when chilled grapes are served with melted chocolate.
Its colours and flavors in a smoothie appeal to kids in a very attractive manner. Its juice is a perfect substitution for any carbonated drinks.
It is healthy too. No other fruit can beat its taste in custard. The sweet-jelly like flesh inside encompassed with a thin sweet covering is very unique.
They are commercially grown in several cities as they are used to produce wine, juices, jelly or jams. Grapes can be of seedless and having seeds variety.
The seeds can be easily taken out by machines. About 71% of total grape production is used to produce wine in the whole world.
In 21st century the red grape have been awarded with the commercial status a ‘super fruit’. United States and other countries used red grapes as a raw material for making the best quality of wine in the world.
The increase in the demand of wine across the world pushes the demand of grape for production also.
It has given an economical boost to the country also. Several industries and setups have been set up which provide employment to various people for fermenting grapes for wine.
The leaves of grapes are also edible and are used to make dolmades.
Varieties of Grapes
Raisin is a dried grape. A currant is a dried Zante grape. A sultana was originally a grape of Turkish origin but now the north- American grapes are treated chemically to resemble to traditional sultana.
Sometimes the currants are misunderstood to be related to black currant and red currant. But in reality they are totally different and unrelated to grapes.
Health benefits of Grapes
Grapes have high water content which keeps the body hydrated and help in regulating the bowel movement of our body.- Grapes have anti-inflammatory properties. Thus it reduces the advances of allergies like watery eyes and running nose in the body.
- Vitamin C is very important for kids. It is extremely necessary for the growth of tissues.
- Grape have potassium too. Potassium is needed for the working of sodium properly. When both come together, they help in maintaining and monitoring healthy blood pressure and reduce the risk of kidney stones also.
- Apart from potassium, vitamin C is also a rich source of calcium. Calcium as we all know is necessary for the growth of bones and teeth of our kids.
- Many scientists believe that red wine offers many health benefits if taken in a considerable amount. Something in the grapes helps to lower the blood-cholesterol in the body. This helps in preventing blockage in the arteries and reduces the risk of heart stroke too.
- All types of grapes offer benefits. Grape shin also have very many nutrients which when fermented to make red wine adds nutrients to it also.
- Grapes also increase the level of Nitric acid in the blood which prevents blood-clotting and minimizes the risk of heart attack.
The oldest grapevine is in America which is 100 years old Scuppernong vine in North Carolina. Grapes work as a laxative so; they should be eaten in a very controlled manner.
There is a huge demand of grapes in the world as they are used for wine-making. Therefore the grapes growing industry is the largest food based industry in the world.
In India many varieties of grapes are found like Black, Kandhar, Muskat, Alexandri,
Thompson seedless etc. we Indians also used too much of grapes. So to meet our demands we import grapes from Pakistan, Australia, and United states etc.
Grape grow well in dry climate with short winters and moderate rainfall. Frosts is harmful for the grapes.
It is a summer crop in the North India. Two crops- one from March- April and second from August- September are grown in the peninsular region of India.
Grapes are also cropped commercially for making grape juice. Grape juices are used as sweetener for canned fruits. It is the best alternative of artificial sweetener as it is 100% natural and ‘with no added sugar’.
Although grapes are rich in vitamins, calcium and potassium. It adds a decent amount of calorie count in our body. So we need to keep monitoring the intake of grapes. Excess of anything can be dangerous.
Conclusion
Grapes are an excellent source of glucose and fructose that’s why they are sweet, delicious and juicy. The energy we get from grapes lasts longer as they are a direct source of carbohydrates.
Our body digests carbohydrates slowly. It has various vitamins and minerals plus it also has anti-oxidant properties which make it fit to eat.
The best part of grapes is that it is loved by one and all. This fruit has actually crossed all the barriers of religions and castes and has seeped into all cultures.
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