Marigold Petals Dry Yellow Suppliers and Manufacturers

Cashew nuts are actually seeds that adhere to the bottom of the cashew apple, the fruit of the cashew tree, which is native to the coastal areas of northeastern Brazil. Cashew apples, while not known in the U.S., are regarded as delicacies in Brazil and the Caribbean. The seed we know as the kidney-shaped cashew "nut" is delicate in flavor and firm, but slightly spongy, in texture. Cashew nuts are actually seeds that adhere to the bottom of the cashew apple, the fruit of the cashew tree, which is native to the coastal areas of northeastern Brazil. Cashew apples, while not known in the U.S., are regarded as delicacies in Brazil and the Caribbean. The seed we know as the kidney-shaped cashew "nut" is delicate in flavor and firm, but slightly spongy, in texture.

Peanuts are popularly used as seed oil in India. They are easily available round the year and almost everywhere in India. They are easily available round the year and almost everywhere in India. Peanuts are also taken as snacks in many households especially in India. In reality, peanuts are actually legumes. But since they have all the properties of nuts like almonds, cashew nuts, etc., these are also included in the family of nuts. Groundnut/Peanuts are known as Moongphali in India. India is one of the largest producers of groundnuts in the world. The special variety peanut of this area (Saurastra, Gujarat) is world famous in its flavor, taste and aroma. Raw Groundnut valued for its protein contents, which is of high biological value. Groundnut contains more protein then meat, two and half more than eggs and more than any other vegetable food. It also contains phosphorous, thiamin and niacin that help in building resistance against all infections, such as Hepatitis and tuberculosis. We can offer Groundnut/Peanuts Peanuts Long Type (Bold Type): Long/Bold Type 38-42, 40-50, 50-60, 60-70, 70-80, and Crushing Grade Quality Counts/Ounce Peanut Round Type (Java Type): Round Type(Java Type) 40-50, 50-60, 50-60, 60-70, 70-80, 80-90, 90-100, 140-160 Counts/Ounce Jute Bags Packing: - We shall be able to provide in 5Kg, 10 kg, 15 Kg, 25 kg and 50 Kg jute bags packing. Vacuum Packing: - For special requirements for our buyers, we can provide the cargoes in 10 kg, 12.5 kg and 25 kg vacuum packed PP bags

Raisin is the product prepared from the sound dried grapes of the varieties conforming to the characteristics of Vitis vinifera L. processed in an appropriate manner into a form of marketable raisin with or without coating with suitable optional ingredients. We can offer various types of Raisins SULTANAS are mainly used in the traditional cakes, breads and biscuits. CURRANTS are used for baking hot cross buns and cooking. MUSCAT used especially in fruitcakes. DARK RAISINS are most popular for cooking, baking, salads and desserts. GOLDEN RAISINS used wherever a light colored raisin is desirable. Popular for fruitcakes and confections. Golden Yellow / Dark Raisin/ Bakery (Malayar) Raisin/Mixed Raisin/Green Raisin/Sultana Raisin/ Brown Raisin

The Cashew tree (Anacardium Occidentale) is a tropical evergreen native to the Americas but is now widely cultivated in Asia and Africa. Cashew in its natural form is a soft, white, meaty kernel contained within the hard shells of kidney shaped, raw cashew nuts. Cashew is consumed all over the world as a snack or used as a food ingredient. Every year, the world eats more than 600,000 metric tons of cashew. And fortunately, it’s a very healthy food. Cashew nuts are among the most nutritious nuts in the world. Cashew Nuts are low in fat, have zero cholesterol, are high in protein, and include a large amount of important vitamins and minerals. Every single cashew nut comes from its own cashew apple, which are grown on cashew trees and thrive in tropical climates. The nuts are then collected, dried, shelled, peeled, graded, and roasted.

The nutrients in dried plums vitamin B6, calcium, and magnesium, to name a few help make melatonin, the hormone that regulates sleep. Use prunes as a whole-grain toast topping, mix them into trail mix, or eat them on their own about 30 minutes before bedtime.

We are supplier of Yellow Corn. Yellow corn grade 2, GMO Test weight - min. 70 kgs per hl Foreign matter - max. 3% Moisture - max. 13% Other grains - max. 2% Broken - max. 3% Damaged - max. 3% Aflatoxin - max. 20 ppb Admixture - max. 2% Fresh Crop We Have Yellow Corn From Brazil, Ukraine, Argentina And USA. Quantity Depend on buyer request. Payment term, SBLC, LC AT sight and 30/70/ ICPO AND BCL

Nowadays growing worldwide interest to flax seeds as a useful foodstuff. Flax seeds are rich in proteins, fats, gluten and dietary fiber. Each of these components contributes to a healthy human nutrition. Flax seeds can be added to homemade cakes, used for yoghurts, cereals and salads. Flax seeds contain plentiful number of components that can help to protect the human body from cardiovascular, cancer and other diseases. The main active substances contained in flax seed are: proteins, polysaccharides; vegetable fibers (lignans); polyunsaturated fatty acid (a-linolenic and others), vitamins A, B, E, F. Flax seeds Colour: brown Origin: Ukraine Purity: 98-99.9% Moisture - 8% max Our company deals with direct manufacturers /wholesalers of flax seed, which is grown and processed in the agrarian farms of Ukraine and Russia.

Green pea is used in cookery (in fresh, canned and frozen condition) as well as yellow dried pea. Soups puree, salads, garnishes to various meat dishes are made of it, and also it is used for dish decoration. We can offer high quality yellow and green pea, from leading Ukrainian manufacturers. Our product is not infected with pea beetle and has a high gustatory index. Packing – 50 kg Net bags Green peas with following quality parameters: Moisture 14%max Broken 2% max Admixture 0.5% max Packing details: 25kg & 50kg PP bags or Bulk packing

Name : Red Millets Crop : New crop, Shape : Round shape Origin : Ukraine Packing : PP woven bag of 25 kg each or 50kg each oras per customers requirement Delivery Time : Within 7-14 days after the deposit Quantity : About 22mt per 20 feet FCL Memo : We also can supply yellow millet market as you required. Description: Humidity: max 14% Foreign matter: max 2% Grain impurities: max 2% Products are accompanied with: Certificate of origin Certificate of quality (Ukrainian) Phytosanitary certificate Any other expertise or certificates per customer requirement Minimum Order: 21-22 MT

Black Pepper Oleoresin Botanical: Piper nigrum Family: N.O. Piperaceae Hindi Name: Gol Mirch General Description: The best Pepper of commerce comes from Malabar. Pepper is mentioned by Roman writers in the fifth century. The plant can attain a height of 20 or more feet, but for commercial purposes it is restricted to 12 feet. The plant is propagated by cuttings and grown at the base of trees with a rough, prickly bark to support them. Between three or four years after planting they commence fruiting and their productiveness ends about the fifteenth year. The berries are collected as soon as they turn red and before they are quite ripe; they are then dried in the sun. Geographical Sources: Black pepper is native to Malabar, a region in the Western Coast of South India; part of the union state Kerala. It is also grown in Malaysia and Indonesia since about that time when it was found in the Malabar Coast. In the last decades of the 20th century, pepper production increased dramatically as new plantations were founded in Thailand, Vietnam, China and Sri Lanka. The most important producers are India and Indonesia, which together account for about 50% of the whole production volume History/Region of Origin: In South India wild, and in Cochin-China; also cultivated in East and West Indies, Malay Peninsula, Malay Archipelago, Siam, Malabar, etc. Varieties -> in trade, the pepper grades are identified by their origin. In India -> The most important Indian grades are Malabar and Tellicherry (Thalassery). The Malabar grade is regular black pepper with a slightly greenish hue, while Tellicherry is a special product. Both Indian black peppers, but especially the Telicherry grade, are very aromatic and pungent. In the past, Malabar pepper was also traded under names like Goa or Aleppi. Cochin is the pepper trade center in India. In South East Asia, the most reputated proveniences for black pepper are Sarawak in Malaysia and Lampong from Sumatra/Indonesia. Both produce small-fruited black pepper that takes on a greyish colour during storage; both have a less-developed aroma, but Lampong pepper is pretty hot. Sarawak pepper is mild and often described fruity. Description: Oleoresin Black Pepper is the natural extract of dried tender berries of Piper Nigrum Linn of family Piperaceae. Manufacturing Process: It is obtained by the solvent extraction of Black Pepper and the solvent traces are removed by distilling it in vacua at controlled temperature. Physical Appearance: It is a yellowish brown viscous liquid with pungent slightly biting aroma of Black Pepper.

Capsicum Oleoresin is prepared by extracting the crushed capsicum (Capsicum Annum Linn) with volatile solvents by percolation method. It contains the pungent principles, capsicin not less that 8 percent. It also contains the red colouring matter called Capsanthin. This product is a powerful irritant and a carminative, which is also used as a counter irritant in lumbago and neuralgia. It can also be used to treat stomach ache that involves poorly functioning stomach muscles and as an antibacterial agents. Extraction of oleoresin capsicum from peppers involves finely ground capsicum, from which capsaicin is extracted in an organic solvent such as ethanol. The solvent is then evaporated, and the remaining wax like resin is the oleoresin capsicum. An emulsifier such as propylene glycol is used to suspend the OC in water, and pressurized to make it aerosol in pepper spray. The high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method is used to measure the amount of capsaicin within pepper sprays. Scoville Heat Units (SHU) are used to measure the concentration or "heat" of pepper spray. A synthetic analogue of capsaicin, pelargonic acid vanillylamide (desmethyldihydrocapsaicin), is used in another version of pepper spray known as PAVA spray which is used in the United Kingdom. Another synthetic counterpart of pepper spray, pelargonic acid morpholide, was developed and is widely used in Russia. Its effectiveness compared to natural pepper spray is unclear. Pepper spray typically comes in canisters, which are often small enough to be carried or concealed in a pocket or purse. Pepper spray can also be bought concealed in items such as rings. There are also pepper spray projectiles available, which can be fired from a paintball gun. It has been used for years against demonstrators. Derived from chilli peppers, oleoresin capsicum is the active ingredient in pepper spray and in some topical pain relievers.

Ginger root Botanical name: Zingiber officinale Linn. Family: Zingiberaceae. Ginger oil and oleoresins are the volatile oil derived by steam distillation of ginger and oleoresin. It is obtained by percolating the powdered rhizomes of Ginger, Zingiber officinale with volatile solvents. Ginger contains 1-2 percent of volatile oil, 5-8 percent of pungent acrid oleoresin and starch. Zingiberene is the chief constituent in the oil of ginger. Oil is employed for flavoring all kinds of food products and confectionary and finds limited use in perfumery. Oleoresin, commercially called Gingerin contains pungent principles viz. gingerol and shogaol apart from the volatile oil of ginger and is used as an aromatic, carminative, stomachic and as a stimulant. Oleoresin from ginger is obtained conventionally by extraction of dried powdered ginger with organic solvents like ethyl acetate, ethanol or acetone. Commercial dried ginger yields 3.5-10.0 per cent oleoresin. Ginger oleoresin is a dark brown viscous liquid responsible for the flavour and pungency of the spice. Ginger of commerce or `Adrak` is the dried underground stem or rhizome of the plant, which constitutes one of the five most important major spices of India, standing third or fourth, competing with chillies, depending upon fluctuations in world market prices, world market demand and supply position. Ginger, like cinnamon, clove and pepper, is one of the most important and oldest spices. It consists of the prepared and sun dried rhizomes known in trade as `hands` and `races` which are either with the outer brownish cortical layers (coated or unscraped), or with outer peel or coating partially or completely removed. Ginger requires a warm and humid climate. It is cultivated from sea level to an altitude of 1500 meters, either under heavy rainfall conditions of 150 to 300 cm or under irrigation. The crop can thrive well in sandy or clayey loam or lateritic soils. The composition of dry ginger is given below: Dry Ginger rootMoisture:6.9 % Protein:8.6 % Fat:6.4 % Fiber:5.9 % Carbohydrates:66.5 % Ash:5.7 % Calcium:0.1 % Phosphorous:.15 % Iron:0.011 % Sodium:0.03 % Potassium:1.4 % Vitamin A:175 I.U./100 g Vitamin B1:0.05 mg/100 g Vitamin B2:0.13 mg/100 g Niacin:1.9 mg/100 g Vitamin C:12.0 mg/100 g Calorific value:380 calories/100 g. Ginger Oleoresin is obtained by extraction of powdered dried ginger with suitable solvents like alcohol, acetone etc. Unlike volatile oil, it contains both the volatile oil and the non-volatile pungent principles for which ginger is so highly esteemed. Concentration of the acetone extract under vacuum and on complete removal of even traces of the solvent used, yields the so called oleoresin of ginger. Ginger oleoresin is manufactured on a commercial scale in India and abroad and is in great demand by the various food industries.

The Jalapeno is variously named in Mexico as huachinango and chile gordo. The cuaresmeno closely resembles the Jalapeno. The seeds of a cuaresmeno have the heat of a Jalapeno, but the flesh has a mild flavor close to a green bell pepper. As of 1999, 5,500 acres (22 km2) in the United States were dedicated to the cultivation of Jalapeno s. Most Jalapeno s are produced in southern New Mexico and western Texas. Jalapeno s are a pod type of Capsicum. The growing period is 70–80 days. When mature, the plant stands two and a half to three feet tall. Typically a plant produces twenty-five to thirty-five pods. During a growing period, a plant will be picked multiple times. As the growing season ends, Jalapeno s start to turn red. Once picked, individual peppers ripen to red of their own accord. The peppers can be eaten green or red. Jalapenos have 2,500 - 8,000 Scoville heat units. Compared to other chillies, the Jalapeno has a heat level that varies from mild to hot depending on cultivation and preparation. The heat, caused by capsaicin and related compounds, is concentrated in the veins (placenta) surrounding the seeds, which are called picante. Handling fresh Jalapeno s may cause skin irritation. Some handlers wear latex or vinyl gloves while cutting, skinning, or seeding Jalapeno s. When preparing Jalapeno s, hands should not come in contact with the eyes as this leads to burning and redness. Jalapeno is of Nahuatl and Spanish origin. The Spanish suffix -eno signifies that the noun originates in the place modified by the suffix, similar to the English - (i) an. The Jalapeno is named after the Mexican town of Xalapa (also spelled Jalapa). Xalapa is itself of Nahuatl derivation, formed from roots xal-li "sand" and a-pan "water place." A Jalapeno plant with pods. The purple strips on the stem are anthocyanin, due to the growth under blue-green spectrum fluorescent lighting. Five Jalapeno peppers. - A chipotle is a smoked, ripe Jalapeno. - Jalapeno jelly can be prepared using jellying methods. - Jalapeno peppers are often muddled and served in mixed drinks. - Texas Toothpicks are Jalapeno s and onions shaved into straws, lightly breaded, and deep fried. - Jalapeno Poppers, also called Armadillo eggs, are an appetizer; Jalapeno s are stuffed with cheese, usually cheddar or cream cheese, breaded and deep fried.

Juniperus communis Fam: Cupressaceae Juniper is widely distributed throughout the northern hemisphere and its birthplace is obscure. It is found in Europe, North Africa, North America and northern Asia. The main commercial producers are Hungary and southern Europe, especially Italy. The berries were known to Greek, Roman and early Arab physicians as a medicinal fruit and are mentioned in the Bible. In the Renaissance, they were recommended against snake bite, and plague and pestilence. Because of its air-cleansing piney fragrance, the foliage was used as a strewing herb to freshen stale air and the Swiss burned the berries with heating fuel in winter to sanitize stale air. Gin, the alcoholic drink that gets its unique flavour from juniper berries, is named from an adaptation of the Dutch word for juniper, "geneva". Spice Description Initially hard and pale green, juniper berries ripen to blue-black, become fleshy and contain three sticky, hard, brown seeds. When dried, the berries remain soft but if broken open one will find the pith surrounding the seeds is easily crumbled. Bouquet: Fragrant and flowery, combining the aromas of gin and turpentine. Flavour:Aromatic, bittersweet and piny. Hotness Scale: 1 Preparation and Storage Juniper berries are at their best when they are still moist and soft to the touch, squashing fairly easily between one's fingers. It is possible to make a purée from juniper berries or to extract the flavour and aroma by macerating them in hot water, but as all parts are edible and the texture is agreeable, it is usually just as well to use the entire fruit, split or crushed. The berries are quite powerful, one heaped teaspoon of crushed fruits serving for a dish for four people. Store in a cool place in an airtight container. Culinary Uses Juniper berries perform a quite unique role, by contributing as much to the character of food through their 'freshening' ability, as they do by way of their specific taste profile. As well as flavouring a dish, juniper cuts the gaminess of game, reduces the fatty effect of duck and pork and perks up a bread stuffing. The strong hearty flavour of juniper goes well with strong meats, such as game. Pork chops, roast leg of lamb, veal, rabbit, venison and wild boar are all enlivened with a hint of juniper. Juniper berries blend well with other herbs and spices, especially thyme, sage, oregano, marjoram, bay leaves, allspice and onions and garlic. One application I am particularly fond of is in a simple chicken casserole, It can effectively be added to wine marinades for meats, and is used with coriander in smoking meat. It seasons pâtés and sauces and in Sweden. Goulash and Sauerkraut often feature a juniper taste, as do some home-pickled meats like salt beef, salt pork and ham. Generally juniper can well be used in any dish requiring alcohol. Fruit dishes, such as apple tart and pickled peaches, also harmonize with this flavour.

Lovage-, Levisticum officinale, is a perennial herb that looks like parsley and is in the parsley, or Apiaceae, family, like anise, dill, caraway, cumin, and fennel. Lovage is native to mountainous areas of southern Europe and Asia Minor. It is sometimes called sea parsley. Lovage (Levisticum officinale) is a plant, the leaves and seeds or fruit of which are used to flavor food, especially in South European cuisine. It is a tall (3 to 9 ft) perennial that vaguely resembles its cousin celery in appearance and in flavor. Lovage also sometimes gets referred to as smallage, but this is more properly used for celery. Herb (Levisticum officinale) of the parsley family, native to southern Europe. It is cultivated for its stalks and foliage, which are used for tea, as a vegetable, and to flavour foods. Its rhizomes are used as a carminative, and the seeds are used for flavouring desserts. Oil obtained from the flowers is used in perfumery. The French call lovage céleri bâtard, "false celery," because of its strong resemblance to that plant. Lovage has been used since Greek and Roman times for everything from a seasoning, to a curative for maladies ranging from indigestion to freckles, to a love potion. It grows up to 7 feet high and has large, dark green, celerylike leaves. The flavor of the pale stalks is that of very strong celery. The leaves, seeds and stalks can be used (in small amounts because of their potent flavor) in salads, stews and other dishes such as fowl and game. The stalks can be cooked as a vegetable. Dried lovage leaves and chopped or powdered stalks can be found in natural food stores and gourmet markets. The seeds are commonly called celery seed. Lovage is also called smallage and smellage. lovage, tall perennial herb (Levisticum officinale) of the family Umbelliferae (parsley family), native to the mountains of S Europe and cultivated elsewhere. Its aromatic fruits are used in soups and as a flavoring for confectionery and for some liqueurs. An aromatic oil extracted from the roots has been used medicinally and also for flavoring. The edible leaves are usually used like celery. Lovage is classified in the division Magnoliophyta, class Magnoliopsida, order Apiales, family Umbelliferae.

Mace Botanical: Myristica fragrans Family: N.O. Myristicaceae Hindi Name: Mace - Javitri General Description: Nutmeg, spice consisting of the seed of the Myristica fragrans, a tropical, dioecious evergreen tree native to the Moluccas or Spice Islands of Indonesia. Geographical Sources The nutmeg tree, Myristica fragrans, is indigenous to the Moluccas in Indonesia but has been successfully grown in other Asian countries and in the Caribbean, namely Grenada. Banda Islands, Malayan Archipelago, Molucca Islands, and cultivated in Sumatra, French Guiana Composition -> Nutmeg and mace contain 7 to 14 percent essential oil, the principal components of which are pinene, camphene, and dipentene. Nutmeg on expression yields about 24 to 30 percent fixed oil called nutmeg butter, or oil of mace. Dried kernel of the seed. Varieties -> Whole nutmegs are grouped under three broad quality classifications: 1. Sound: nutmegs which are mainly used for grinding and to a lesser extent for oleoresin extraction. High quality or sound whole nutmegs are traded in grades which refer to their size in numbers of nutmegs per pound: 80s, 110s and 130s (110 to 287 nuts per kg), or 'ABCD' which is an assortment of various sizes. 2. Substandard: nutmegs which are used for grinding, oleoresin extraction and essential oil distillation. Substandard nutmegs are traded as 'sound, shrivelled' which in general have a higher volatile oil content than mature sound nutmegs and are used for grinding, oleoresin extraction and oil distillation; and 'BWP' (broken, wormy and punky) which are mainly used for grinding as volatile oil content generally does not exceed 8%. 3. Distilling: poor quality nutmegs used for essential oil distillation.Distilling grades of nutmegs are of poorer quality: 'BIA' or 'ETEZ' with a volatile oil content of 8% to 10%; and 'BSL' or 'AZWI' which has less shell material and a volatile oil content of 12% to 13%. Method of Processing -> When fully mature it splits in two, exposing a crimson-coloured aril, the mace, surrounding a single shiny, brown seed, the nutmeg. The pulp of the fruit may be eaten locally. After collection, the aril-enveloped nutmegs are conveyed to curing areas where the mace is removed, flattened out, and dried. The nutmegs are dried gradually in the sun and turned twice daily over a period of six to eight weeks. During this time the nutmeg shrinks away from its hard seed coat until the kernels rattle in their shells when shaken. The shell is then broken with a wooden truncheon and the nutmegs are picked out. Dried nutmegs are grayish-brown ovals with furrowed surfaces. Large ones may be about 1.2 inches long and 0.8 inch in diameter. Taste and Aroma: Nutmeg has a characteristic, pleasant fragrance and slightly warm taste

Sweet marjoram: Origanum (O) hortensis (orMajoranahortensis). Potmarjoram: O.onites Wildmajoram: O.vulgare. Syrian majoram is called zatar Family: Labiatae or Lamiaceae (mint family). In Europe, marjoram was a traditional symbol of youth and romantic love. Used by Romans as an aphrodisiac, it was used to cast love spells and was worn at weddings as a sign of happiness during the middle Ages. Greeks who wore marjoram wreaths at weddings called it “joy of the mountains.” It was used to brew beer before hops was discovered, and flavored a wine called hippocras. A cousin of the oregano family, marjoram originated in Mediterranean regions and is now a commonly used spice in many parts of Europe. Called zatar in the Middle east and often mistaken for oregano, it is also a popular spicing in Eastern Europe. Origin and Varieties Marjoram is indigenous to northern Africa and southwest Asia. It is cultivated around the Mediterranean, in England, Central and Eastern Europe, South America, the United States, and India. Description Marjoram leaf is used fresh, as whole or chopped, and dried whole or broken, and ground. The flowering tops and seeds, which are not as strong as the leaves, are also used as flavorings. Sweet marjoram is a small and oval-shaped leaf. It is light green with a greyish tint. Marjoram is fresh, spicy, bitter, and slightly pungent with camphor like notes. It has the fragrant herbaceous and delicate, sweet aroma of thyme and sweet basil. Pot marjoram is bitter and less sweet. Chemical Components Sweet marjoram has 0.3% to 1% essential oil, mostly monoterpenes. It is yellowish to dark greenish brown in color. It mainly consists of cis-sabinene hydrate (8% to 40%), -terpinene (10%), a-terpinene (7.6%), linalyl acetate (2.2%), terpinen 4-ol (18% to 48%), myrcene (1.0%), linalool (9% to 39%), -cymene (3.2%), caryophyllene (2.6%), and a-terpineol (7.6%). Its flavor varies widely depending on its origins. The Indian and Turkish sweet marjorams have more d-linalool, caryophyllene, carvacrol, and eugenol. Its oleoresin is dark green, and 2.5 lb. are equivalent to 100 lb. of freshly ground marjoram. Marjoram contains calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, vitamin A, vitamin C, and niacin. Culinary uses of Marjoram Marjoram is typically used in European cooking and is added to fish sauces, clam chowder, butter-based sauces, salads, tomato-based sauces, vinegar, mushroom sauces, and eggplant. In Germany, marjoram is called the “sausage herb” and is used with thyme and other spices in different types of sausages. It is usually added at the end of cooking to retain its delicate flavor or as a garnish. It goes well with vegetables including cabbages, potatoes, and beans. The seeds are used to flavor confectionary and meat products.

Nutmeg Myristica fragrans Fam: Myristicaceae The nutmeg tree is a large evergreen native to the Moluccas (the Spice Islands) and is now cultivated in the West Indies. It produces two spices — mace and nutmeg. Nutmeg is the seed kernel inside the fruit and mace is the lacy covering (aril) on the kernel. The Arabs were the exclusive importers of the spice to Europe up until 1512, when Vasco de Gama reached the Moloccas and claimed the islands for Portugal. To preserve their new monopoly, the Portuguese (and from 1602, the Dutch) restricted the trees to the islands of Banda and Amboina. The Dutch were especially cautious, since the part of the fruit used as a spice is also the seed, so that anyone with the spice could propagate it. To protect against this, the Dutch bathed the seeds in lime, which would prevent them from growing. This plan was thwarted however, by fruit pigeons who carried the fruit to other islands, before it was harvested, scattering the seeds. The Dutch sent out search and destroy crews to control the spread and when there was an abundant harvest, they even burned nutmeg to keep its supply under control. Despite these precautions, the French, led by Pierre Poivre (Peter Piper) smuggled nutmeg seeds and clove seedlings to start a plantation on the island of Mauritius, off the east coast of Africa, near Madagascar. In 1796 the British took over the Moloccas and spread the cultivation to other East Indian islands and then to the Caribbean. Nutmeg was so successful in Grenada it now calls itself the Nutmeg Island, designing its flag in the green, yellow and red colours of nutmeg and including a graphic image of nutmeg in one corner. Spice Description The nutmeg seed is encased in a mottled yellow, edible fruit, the approximate size and shape of a small peach. The fruit splits in half to reveal a net-like, bright red covering over the seed. This is the aril which is collected, dried and sold as mace. Under the aril is a dark shiny nut-like pit, and inside that is the oval shaped seed which is the nutmeg. Nutmegs are usually sold without the mace or hard shell. They are oval, about 25 mm (1 in) in length, lightly wrinkled and dark brown on the outside, lighter brown on the inside. Nutmeg is sold whole or ground, and is labeled as ‘East Indian’ or ‘West Indian’ indicating its source. Whole nutmeg may be coated with lime to protect against insects and fungus, though this practice is giving way to other forms of fumigation. Bouquet:sweet, aromatic and nutty Flavour : Nutty , warm and slightly sweet Hotness Scale: 1