Cornel (lat. Cornus) is a tree or shrub of the cornel family, there are about 50 different species. A small deciduous tree with red sweet and sour berries, cultivated in ancient times. Legends say that the dogwood grew when the founder of Rome, Romulus, stuck his spear into the ground, which became the trunk of a dogwood tree.
But the observations of archaeologists indicate that dogwood trees were born much earlier – about 5000 years ago. The plant is a long-liver; trees can live for about 250 years.
Cornel is widely distributed in Asia, the Near and Far East, India, China, southern Europe, the Caucasus and Transcaucasia. The plant blooms in spring, and begins to bear fruit in late autumn, after the first frost. The culture is valuable not only for its tasty and healthy berries, but also for its wood. The material from the dogwood is very durable, in ancient times it was used to make weapons – spears and shields. The timber hunt has greatly reduced its world’s forests.
Composition of goats
The composition of dogwood is standard for most berries, in terms of the set of basic nutrients: carbohydrates and natural sugars, some vegetable protein are present here. The bright red color is explained by the high content of carotene – vitamin A. The composition contains many antioxidants, the main of which is ascorbic acid, which neutralizes the harmful effects of free radicals and rejuvenates the body.
Also, dogwood berries contain vitamin PP, phosphorus, zinc, iron, dietary fiber, tannins – kakhetins, anthocyanins and flavonols.
Useful Properties
Dogwood has long been used for medicinal purposes. Due to its high content of vitamin C and tannins, it has rare anti-inflammatory and strengthening properties. For the preparation of medicinal infusions and decoctions, not only berries are used, but also the leaves and bark of dogwood trees.
Such decoctions help with colds, fevers, bronchitis, pneumonia, diseases of the nasopharynx and oral cavity. Fresh dogwood berries are a hematopoietic product that normalizes hemoglobin levels and has a preventive and therapeutic effect in case of anemia. The presence of pectin helps to cleanse the body and remove waste products, as well as uric acid. Cornel is very beneficial for the kidneys and urinary tract.
In cooking, dogwood is used mainly for making jams, compotes and sauces. The ancient Greeks used berries as a snack – they salted and ate them like olives. Cornel is very popular in Caucasian cuisine – it is added to baked goods, to meat, soups, salads and marinades, dried and used as a seasoning.
