Superfoods from super close by
Local superfoods are true all-rounders. Kale, flaxseed, currants and co. not only impress as nutrient powerhouses that can easily keep up with exotics from the other side of the world. Regional vegetables and fruits protect the environment and climate. After all, they don't travel halfway around the world to end up on our plates.
We grow a large portion of our superfoods, such as the spirulina algae, ourselves. Raw materials that we source from other European countries are labelled accordingly. The processing is in our hands. This allows us to meet the highest quality standards and deliver fresh products.
Why powder and capsules?
Many of our superfoods come in powder or capsule form. A major advantage here is their year-round availability! Kale, for example, is harvested in the winter months and traditionally served fresh. As a powder or capsule, however, this superfood can also be consumed out of season. With our natural products, you can supply your body with important nutrients in between – especially when things need to go quickly in a stressful everyday life.
Here you get an overview of Lüttge superfoods and what they can do.
Spirulina Algae – The Power of the Super Algae
The microalgae spirulina is one of the oldest living creatures on our planet. The blue-green algae has existed on Earth for over 3.5 million years. It originally comes from tropical regions in Southeast Asia, Central America or Africa. There, it has been part of people's diet for several hundred years. Although it performs photosynthesis, it does not belong to plants but to the family of cyanobacteria. The tiny algae owes its name to its spiral shape.
Agri Nova has succeeded in cultivating spirulina in Germany. We process it into fine algae powder and crumbs that fit perfectly into muesli or salads. In fact, spirulina can be used in a variety of ways in the kitchen and goes well with both sweet treats and savory dishes.
Our special cultivation, harvesting and drying process preserves the ingredients in the algae powder. And they are impressive:
· _High protein content with numerous essential amino acids
· _Polyunsaturated fatty acids such as gamma-linolenic acid and linoleic acid
· _High content of plant-based iron
· _Numerous vitamins and important dietary fiber
Kale – The King of Cabbage
In northern Germany, kale is traditionally served in the winter months. And that means hearty home cooking with potatoes, pinkel sausage and Kasseler (smoked pork loin).
Meanwhile, kale has become a trendy vegetable and is valued worldwide for its nutrients and positive properties.
Our kale is grown in Lower Saxony at the Cordes farm. The seeds come from our own breeding. After harvesting, the young leaf shoots are gently dried and ground into powder.
What's in it:
· _High content of lutein and zeaxanthin (carotenoids)
· _Potassium
· _Vitamins (Vitamin K, Vitamin C, Vitamin A (Beta-Carotene)
· _Calcium
Wild Cabbage – The Wild Origin
In the early 1990s, our senior manager Rudolf Cordes began cross-breeding various cabbage varieties in his horticultural business in Lower Saxony. The goal was a cabbage cross with the highest possible content of glucosinolates, also known as mustard oils.
Through lengthy backcrosses, Brassica varieties with a high wild-type character were created. Our wild cabbage Brassica No. 2 is a cross between broccoli, kale, and Brussels sprouts. Visually, this primordial plant resembles kale.
We process exclusively the sprouts of this variety. And that's what matters: sprouts have the highest content of glucosinolates. After harvesting, they are gently dried and ground. About 3g of powder contains as much glucosinolate as 300-400g of raw broccoli. That's 0.80-0.90 mg of sulforaphane (subject to natural fluctuations).
But what exactly are glucosinolates and sulforaphane?
Glucosinolates (mustard oils or mustard glycosides) are secondary plant compounds. They are predominantly found in plants of the crucifer family (Brassicaceae). In the body, glucosinolates are converted into sulforaphane, among other things.
The glucosinolate content in wild forms can exceed the content in cultivated varieties by a factor of 1000. Cooking or heating cabbage vegetables leads to a significant loss of glucosinolates (35-60%), which is why the vegetables should ideally be consumed raw.
Due to its high content of mustard oils, the powder has a typical cabbage aroma: a spicy-sweet pungency. This makes it also suitable for seasoning and refining various dishes.
Raspberry nut - The underestimated potential with valuable ellagic acid
Raspberry nuts are the small seeds of the raspberry that give the fruit its wavy texture. Strictly speaking, a raspberry is not a berry, but an aggregate fruit. A single raspberry consists of many small drupelets, each with its own kernel. This explains why raspberries contain so many seeds. And that's exactly what we want to get at! To do this, we separate the raspberry nuts from the pulp. The small seeds are then gently dried and ground.
In addition to valuable ellagic acid, Lüttge raspberry nut boasts a high content of dietary fiber and polyunsaturated fatty acids.
If you use fresh or frozen raspberries in the kitchen, you should try to avoid deseeding them. Because all the power is in the small seeds.
Flaxseed – Emerging from Obscurity
Compared to chia seeds, the trendy superfood from Asia, flaxseeds often still lead a shadowy existence in this country. Unjustly so: the seeds of the flax plant, and especially their husk, contain valuable ingredients for a balanced diet. They are also among the native superfoods.
The flax plant, also known as common flax or linseed, is one of humanity's oldest cultivated and medicinal plants. It was already cultivated 5000 years ago and is particularly widespread in Europe and Eurasia. Until the 18th century, it was the most important textile raw material.
As a medicinal plant, flax has been known since antiquity – and still is today: in 2005, flax was named the medicinal plant of the year.
This is what makes flaxseed so healthy:
· _Rich in fiber
· _High protein content
· _Source of unsaturated fatty acids such as omega-3 and omega-6
· _Many vitamins and minerals, e.g., vitamin E, C, A, K, magnesium, and iron
Flaxseed is available in two forms. You can consume whole seeds or crushed flaxseeds. Crushed seeds are coarsely ground, so their shell has already been broken. This makes it easier for your body to access the valuable ingredients. Whether crushed or whole: flaxseeds should always be consumed with plenty of liquid.
Buckwheat kernels – The trendy pseudocereal
What's on the label is what's inside? Not with buckwheat – and that's one of its big advantages. Because buckwheat is a pseudocereal that can be used similarly to grains. This makes it popular with people with gluten intolerance, also known as celiac disease. But it's not just those who eat gluten-free and are looking for a substitute for wheat flour who should reach for buckwheat (flour).
What used to be considered "poor people's food" has over time become a trendy food. Because the ingredients of buckwheat are impressive. Especially a look at vitamins and minerals is worthwhile – and this is where the difference to grain becomes apparent.
What's in it:
· _High-quality protein (10g protein/100g buckwheat)
· _Balanced mineral mix of magnesium, potassium, and iron
· _Plenty of vitamins A, B, E, and K
· _High lysine content
· _Also: rich in silicic acid, beta-carotene, folic acid, zinc, and fluoride
Buckwheat kernels are available peeled and unpeeled. Unpeeled kernels should be washed with hot water, as the shell contains a dye that, in extreme cases, increases the skin's light sensitivity. Children should ideally avoid unpeeled kernels altogether.
For our toppings, we use roasted buckwheat kernels with their unmistakable nutty taste.
Hemp Seeds – Small All-rounders
Hemp seeds have been gaining popularity for several years, especially in vegan or vegetarian cuisine, where these small all-rounders are in high demand. No wonder, given their impressively high protein content, comparable to that of peanuts or almonds. On top of that, the small seeds of fiber hemp are rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids like Omega-3 and Omega-6.
What's in them:
· _Plant-based protein
· _Polyunsaturated fatty acids like Omega-3 and Omega-6
· _B vitamins (B1, B2), vitamin E
· _Plenty of fiber
· _Trace elements (e.g., calcium, magnesium, iron, and potassium)
The seeds, by the way, come from industrial or fiber hemp. Only this type may be used for food and contains only a vanishingly small amount of THC – the substance that causes the intoxicating effect in Indian hemp. Fiber hemp began its triumphal march in Europe in the 1990s. Meanwhile, there are numerous products containing industrial hemp, including clothing, hemp oils, and beverages. A true all-rounder, indeed.
For our toppings, we use roasted hemp seeds, which have an unmistakable nutty taste.
