Homiclub

Homiclub — Urban gardening, one pot at a time

Growing

The Tiny Wasp Under Your Beet Leaves Just Got Hemingway's Name

Researchers surveying sugar beet fields in Xinjiang named a newly described wasp after Ernest Hemingway — then found it preys not on the crop's pest, but on the wasp that controls the pest. The same four-link chain plays out in home gardens, which is why a light hand with the sprayer matters.

Homiclub EditorsAug 294 min read
Health

Same Sweetness, Less Satisfying: Why Fructose Doesn't Fill You Up

Nutrition labels list fructose and glucose together as "sugars," but new research suggests the brain treats them differently. Here's why whole fruit from your garden is still a better choice than a sugary drink.

Homiclub EditorsOct 93 min read
Dongui Bogam

Taro, Through the Eyes of the Donguibogam

The Donguibogam, Korea's seventeenth-century medical compendium, called taro toxic raw and nourishing cooked, good for the gut, the skin, and anyone recovering their strength. Here's what the old text says, how it lines up with what we know today, and how to handle the corms safely in your own kitchen.

Homiclub EditorsSep 85 min read
Dongui Bogam

Okra: Health Through the Eyes of the Donguibogam

Okra reached Korea too late to appear in the Donguibogam, so instead of inventing an old remedy for it, we look at the plant the way the old texts looked at vegetables — and find that its slick mucilage lines up neatly with what modern nutrition says about soluble fiber.

Homiclub EditorsSep 24 min read
Dongui Bogam

Minari and Health Through the Eyes of the Donguibogam

Minari, the fragrant water dropwort of the Korean spring table, gets a detailed entry in the Donguibogam, Korea's 17th-century medical classic. Here's what that old text said about it and how it compares with modern nutrition.

Homiclub EditorsSep 214 min read
Cooking

Where Does Asafoetida Go? Pairing It with Beans, Lentils, and Cumin

Asafoetida, known in India as hing, has long replaced onions and garlic in Indian vegetarian kitchens. Here's how to bloom it in oil and pair it with cumin, turmeric, and the beans from your garden.

Oct 194 min read
Health

Is the Basil in That Health Study the Same as the Basil in Your Pot?

Many claims about basil's health benefits rest on studies of holy basil extract, not the sweet basil growing on your balcony. Here's how to tell the two apart in research, what's actually known about sweet basil leaves, and how to eat them to get the most out of them.

Oct 195 min read
Health

The Microbes Inside Pepper Roots That Help Fight Disease

Why does one pepper plant succumb to bacterial spot while its neighbor thrives? New research points to a bacterium living inside the plant that both suppresses the pathogen and primes the pepper's natural defenses.

Oct 194 min read
Health

Drying Fall Squash? 60°C Kept the Most of Its Orange Pigments

A study that dried small moranga squash at four temperatures found that 60°C preserved the most carotenoids, the pigments behind that deep orange flesh. Here's how to use the finding with your own fall harvest.

Oct 184 min read
Growing

Why Your Steamed Corn Needs a Handful of Beans

Corn is easy to grow and generous at harvest, but on its own it leaves gaps in your diet. Here's how the ancient Maya filled them, and how you can do the same with the corn from your garden.

Oct 183 min read
Health

Same Spearmint, Different Scent: Here's Why

A study that grew spearmint from eight Iranian regions in one field found striking differences in yield, essential oil, leaf compounds, and even chromosome number. Here's what that means for the mint on your balcony.

Oct 183 min read
In Season

Bloated After Every Meal? What Your Herb Garden Can Do

If even a small meal leaves you bloated and gassy, small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) may be the reason. Here's what the condition is and how garden herbs like mint and oregano can support medical care.

Oct 183 min read
Health

Is Garlic Good for Your Blood Pressure? The Studies Were Testing Supplements

Garlic's reputation for heart health comes mostly from trials of supplements and standardized extracts, not the cloves in your stir-fry. Here's what the research does and doesn't show, and why mincing your garlic matters more than you might think.

Oct 175 min read
Health

Sesame's Health Benefits: What We Can Say So Far

Trials of sesamin supplements have hinted at lower cholesterol and blood pressure, but those results don't carry over to a sprinkle of seeds. Here's what sesame reliably does, and how to make the most of it in your kitchen.

Oct 174 min read