Despite their name, pine nuts are not nuts at all, but the edible seeds of pine trees. Their rich and earthy taste has been prized by foodies since the Stone Age. Today, pine nuts are popular in Latino, Mediterranean, Native American, and Asian cultures.  They are known by many names including pignon, pignolia, pignoli, pinolos, pinhao, and pignole. The Tuscan word for pine nut is Pinocchio—although the belief that your nose will grow if you lie after eating them is, hopefully, just a myth. In terms of nutrition, pine nuts contain fiber, thiamine, vitamin B₁ and protein—up to 35% of their mass is pure protein!

In ancient Greek and Roman times pine nuts were commonly preserved in honey, creating a sweet and nutritious treat that remains popular to this day.  Their characteristic taste also matches perfectly with coffee—in the Southwest, the enticing aroma of piñon (pine nut) coffee is enough to beckon the sleepiest dreamer out of bed.  Try your Mojamix with pine nuts, a dollop of honey, and a strong, fresh cup of coffee for a breakfast that’s rich, nourishing, and delicious.  But keep it honest afterward (just to be on the safe side).

More than just a kid’s rhyme, mulberries have been famous since ancient times when they braved the long trek across the Silk Road.  These sweet berries will not only make your taste buds happy, but they also pack an amazing nutritional punch.  They’re loaded with iron, vitamin C, and reservatrol, a powerful antioxidant for heart health and combating cancer.  

An important folk remedy in Chinese medicine, mulberries are reputed to have a wide variety of health benefits. It should be noted that many of these benefits have not been scientifically verified but are traditionalremedies that have developed in countries where mulberries have been eaten for centuries.

Life Extension
Because of their resveratrol content, mulberries may be a tool in one’s life extension arsenal, as resveratrol has shown in several studies to extend the life of mice.

Blood Tonic
In Chinese medicine, mulberries are considered a blood tonic, meaning that they cleanse the blood and increase its production, strengthening the entire system.

Kidney Strengthener
In Chinese medicine, mulberries are believed to strengthen the kidneys.

Liver Cleanser
In Chinese medicine, mulberries are believed to be effective in cleansing the liver.

Better Hearing and Vision
In China, tea made with mulberry paste is believed to strengthen one’s hearing and vision.

Anemia Treatment
Because they are quite high in iron, mulberries are a great food to use in the treatment of anemia.

Cold and Flu Treatment
In Turkey, mulberry molasses is used as a treatment for colds and flu. Their effectiveness in this way may be due to their high vitamin C content.

Premature Gray Hair Remedy
In several countries, mulberries are considered an effective remedy for prematurely gray hair.

Proof enough for ya?  Toss a few mulberries in your next batch of Mojamix and see if you don’t agree–their taste is just as impressive as their health benefits!

The Totonaco people of the Vera Cruz region in Mexico were the first to cultivate vanilla, which they believed to be a gift from the gods. Their mythology told of a pair of fallen lovers, whose sacred blood marked the spot where a vigorous vine and beautiful flowers grew to fill the air with the aroma of true love and beauty. 

The Aztecs, who learned about vanilla from the Totonaco, called it tlixochitl, “black flower”.  Tlixochitl was served with cacao, ground corn, and honey in the drink of the Gods, aka the original hot chocolate! When Cortes came to the New World, he drank this brew and was suitably impressed. Had the Aztec not mistaken him for a god, who knows when Europe would have learned about vanilla? 

They did, however, and Cortes took vanilla back to Spain. The word “vanilla” comes from the Spanish word for “vagina” (see—they knew it was sexy!) It quickly caught on all over Europe. The sexy French loved it, although it took them three hundred years to figure out how to cultivate it successfully!

Today we build on their success with our French Vanilla Almond Granola base.  It’s lots of things, (especially delicious!) but definitely NOT boring. Try it for yourself and revel in the magnificent and mysterious taste of vanilla!

Despite having a name that sounds, well, an awful lot like wheat, buckwheat doesn’t have much in common with it.  The name ‘buckwheat’ or ‘beech wheat’ comes from its triangular seeds, which look like the much larger seeds of the beech tree, and the fact that it is used like wheat. It’s neither a grass nor a grain. Instead, the part we eat is  the fruit of a shrub related to rhubarb and sorrel.  It has made its way into the diets of some of the major cultures on earth, from Romania to Brittany to Japan, since at least 4000 BCE. 

Buckwheat is a terrifically healthy food. It’s an excellent plant source of easily digestive protein and contains all eight essential amino acids. Buckwheat is also high in fiber (a big bonus for celiacs), B vitamins and, according to a USDA study, keeps glucose levels in check better than other carbohydrates — which is great news for celiacs who also have diabetes.

In traditional farming, buckwheat has held the important role of a rotational crop—planting buckwheat in the spring enriched the nutrients in the soil, preparing it to grow summer corn or fall wheat. The shrub grows quickly, creating a ground canopy that chokes out weeds. Today buckwheat is making a comeback on the land and on the public’s palate, as more farmers switch from chemical fertilizers back to natural methods of enriching the land.   We at Mojamix say, “Three cheers for buckwheat!”   Because we’re big fans of doing it Mother Earth-style.

from Pen T’sao Kang Mu

Yeah, we know.  Hemp.  Trendy, trippy—but also, as it turns out, tasty, timeless, and terrifically nutritious.  Apart from the other oh-so-fabulous benefits people receive from hemp plants, the seeds have been an ancient and nutritionally complete part of human diets for at least four millennia in China, Egypt, Persia, and elsewhere.

There’s not enough THC in hempseeds to get you high—just enough nutrition to keep you healthy.  With a pleasant, nutty taste similar to sunflower seeds, hemp seeds contain all the essential amino acids and the essential fatty acids that humans need to survive and thrive.  Along with a sky-high level of protein and fiber, hemp seed is rich in antioxidants, such as vitamin E, and minerals, including magnesium, iron and zinc.

Load up your mix with 2-3 portions of hemp seeds to intensify your daily nutrition, and enjoy! 

Walnuts are the oldest tree food enjoyed by humanity, dating back to 7000 BCE.  Originating in ancient Persia, they spread throughout the world to enjoy popularity everywhere.   Nutritionally, walnuts are a fabulous source of omega-3 fatty acids. Walnuts are considered a herb in traditional Chinese medicine and are used to condition the kidney and intestines and strengthen the backs and knees.    They are even used as an offering to Mother Goddess Vaisnay Devi and as a celebratory food for the holiday of  Diwali.

The walnut first came to our fabulous home state of California in the late 1700s and grew until the present state of affairs:  California walnuts account for 99 percent of the walnuts sold in the US and two-thirds of walnuts in the world.  The walnuts you’ll find in our Mojamix are the cream of that crop.  Enjoy!

Compared to other grains, quinoa is higher in calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, iron, potassium, copper, zinc, and manganese than wheat, corn, or barley. With a hearty protein content of up to 18%, quinoa is a great choice for vegans and vegetarians. Quinoa is easily digested for optimal absorbtion of nutrients. It is gluten-free and safe for those with gluten intolerance, including people on a celiac diet. because of all these characteristics, quinoa is being considered as a crop for NASA’s CELLS (Controlled Ecological Life Support System) project for long-duration manned spaceflights.

Did you catch that? Quinoa is FOOD FOR ASTRONAUTS. So obviously, we couldn’t resist making it a choice for a Mojamix cereal base. For all you protein lovers, gluten intolerators, and star jumpers among us.

Think of it this way:  ordering Mojamix online with your kids offers you the opportunity to learn about nutrition facts (feel free to play with our calculator at will); the history of your favorite berries, nuts, and grains; logical sequencing, and practical math applications.  Maybe they can earn a little extra credit while they’re at it. And don’t forget–this homework is delicious!

So don’t hesitate to slip a bag of Mojamix into your kid’s backpack–you can even pick a  a personalized quote on the packaging for an extra lunchtime surprise.  “Happy Thursday, Davey.  Mom loves ya.  And don’t even think of throwing that spitball.”