Arizona’s culinary landscape is just as vibrant and varied as its stunning desert vistas. Blending rich Native American ...

Farm manager Yadi Wang with a handful of mesquite pods picked from a tree near the farmhouse. The mesquite pods are dried and ground into a gluten-free, nutrient-dense flour. (Photo credit: Samuel ...

Mesquite was supposed to be a source of nourishment for animals in drylands—and eat it they have, but not with the intended consequences. The pods are extremely sweet and stick to animals’ teeth.

Summer is the harvest time for mesquite pods. This highly nutritional and tasty food is very abundant and can be safely stored for a long time making it a terrific survival food.

The manual harvesting of the pods creates employment opportunities for more than 1,000 workers in the poverty-stricken Northern Cape, where only 36% of the population is employed.

These offerings from Texas taquerias achieve that balance while also incorporating local ingredients, such as pecans and mesquite pods, and ancient techniques, such as nixtamalization.

Mesquite pods also contain significant percentages of carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins and minerals and have approximately twice the sugar content of sugar beets and sugar cane.

Mesquite pods also contain significant percentages of carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins and minerals and have approximately twice the sugar content of sugar beets and sugar cane.

Recently, mesquite pods and flour ground from the pods have gained popularity as a superfood. But beyond its unique flavour, mesquite boasts a surprising number of potential health benefits.

On the banks of the Orange River in the small town of Prieska, there is a product being harvested that could change the health and daily coffee habits of the world.