Cardamom is considered to be the â??Queenâ?? of Spices. One of the most exotic and highly prized spices, Indian green cardamom or small cardamom has a history as old as human civilization. The dried fruit of herbaceous perennial, green cardamom is grown mainly in Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, on the shady slopes of the Western Ghats in India. Warm humid climate, loamy soil rich in organic matter, distributed rainfall and special cultivation and processing methods all combine to make Indian green cardamom truly unique in aroma, flavor, size and color tempting parrot-green. It can be described as slightly sweet, floral, and spicy with citric elements. Large black cardamom or badi elaichi has a strong, unique taste, with an intensely aromatic fragrance. Indian large black cardamom is considered to be of premium quality. Black Cardamom plants grow wild in parts of the monsoon forests of the Western Ghats in southern India. This area has become to be known as the Cardamom Hills.
The chickpeas or chick pea is a legume of the family Fabaceae, subfamily Faboideae. Its different types are variously known as gram, or Bengal gram
Cloves are the unopened pink flower buds of the evergreen clove tree. The buds are picked by hand when they are pink and dried until they turn brown in color. Cloves are about 1/2-inch long and 1/4-inch in diameter and with their tapered stem, they resemble tiny nails. In fact, their English name is actually derived from the Latin word clavus, which means nail. Although cloves have a very hard exterior, their flesh features an oily compound that is essential to their nutritional and flavor profile. Cloves have a warm, sweet and aromatic taste that evokes the sultry tropical climates where they are grown.
Coconut oil, or copra oil, is an edible oil extracted from the kernel or meat of mature coconuts harvested from the coconut palm (Cocos nucifera). It has various applications. Because of its high saturated fat content, it is slow to oxidize and, thus, resistant to rancidification, lasting up to six months at 24 °C (75 °F) without spoiling. "Refined, bleached, and deodorized" (RBD) oil is usually made from copra, dried coconut kernel, which is pressed in a heated hydraulic press to extract the oil. This yields practically all the oil present, amounting to more than 60% of the dry weight of the coconut. This "crude" coconut oil is not suitable for consumption because it contains contaminants and must be refined with further heating and filtering. Another method for extraction of coconut oil involves the enzymatic action of alpha-amylase, polygalacturonases, and proteases on diluted coconut paste. Unlike virgin coconut oil, refined coconut oil has no coconut taste or aroma. RBD oil is used for home cooking, commercial food processing, and cosmetic, industrial, and pharmaceutical purposes.
Coriander is the seed of Coriandrum sativum, a plant in the parsley family. Coriander seeds are globular and almost round, brown to yellow red, and 1/5 inch in diameter with alternating straight and wavy ridges. Coriander seeds when crushed have a lemony citrus flavor and are nutty, spicy and orange-flavored.
Cumin is a flowering plant in the family Apiaceae, native from the east Mediterranean to India. Cumin is a seed spice well known for its medicinal properties in India and many other Asian countries. Cumin is grown mainly in hot climatic conditions. India is the largest producer and consumer of Cumin in the world. Indian output is currently estimated to be around 200,000 ton per year. Gujarat and Rajasthan are the major production centres of this spice in the country. In India, Cumin is sown in October-November and harvested in February. Fresh crop generally reaches the market during March. Cumin has mainly available in two types â?? black and white.
Ginger is an herb that grows mainly in Asia is used as a spice in cooking. It is also known for its therapeutic qualities. Zingiber officinale, is a perennial creeping plant, with thick tuberous rhizome, producing an erect stem 1-3 ft tall. Ginger is an underground stem (rhizome) that can be used fresh, powdered, dried, or in the form of oil or juice. It has a fiery and pungent flavor. Ginger has several medicinal uses, commonly known for its effectiveness as a digestive aid. Dry Ginger has wide applicability in food supplements, food flavouring and in pharmaceutical formulations. NUGC special, NUGC good are the special Indian dry ginger products.
Fenugreek is constituted by dried mature seeds of Trigonella foenum-graecum L. The seeds are smooth, oblong to rhomboidal in outline, with a deep, oblique furrow on one side, yellow to yellowish-brown in colour, the size and shape being characteristic of the type and variety. The seeds shall not be black or green. Botanical Name : Trigonella Foenum-Graecum L Other Names : Methi, Menthulu, Uluva The aroma or flavour of fenugreek seeds shall be characteristic of fenugreek. The material shall be free from foreign taste and aroma or flavour as well as from any musty odour. It shall be free from added colouring matter. The flavour of ground (powdered) fenugreek shall be farinaceous and very bitter. Ground (powdered) fenugreek shall be free from rancidity.
The mung bean (Vigna radiata), alternatively known as the moong bean, green gram, or mung Sanskrit म�द�� / mudga, is a plant species in the legume family.
Red gram is an important pulse crop in India. It is also known as Pigeonpea or Arhar or Tur. Red gram is mainly cultivated and consumed in developing countries of the world. This crop is widely grown in India. India is the largest producer and consumer of Red gram in the world.
Black gram originated in India, where it has been in cultivation from ancient times and is one of the most highly prized pulses of India and Pakistan. The coastal Andhra region in Andhra Pradesh is famous for black gram after paddy. The Guntur District ranks first in Andhra Pradesh for the production of black gram. Black gram has also been introduced to other tropical areas mainly by Indian immigrants.
Macrotyloma uniflorum is one of the lesser known beans. The whole seeds of horse gram are generally used as cattle feed. However, it is consumed as a whole seed, as sprouts, or as whole meal in India, popular especially in southern Indian states
We offer alpinia galanga. Alpinia galanga. Different trade names are kolinjan, dumpurashtram, perarathai, galangal roots.
Alpinia galanga is also known as kolinjan in india. It is associated to the zingiberacease family. The rhizome of greater galangal is used to treat variety of diseases in traditional medicine system. It is used to treat cough, bronchial catarrh, ache, lumbago, rheumatic pains, chest pain, and diabetes, improve appetite, liver, kidney disease etc. In ayurveda, kulanjan is known for its bitter, heating, pungent stomachic properties and used for improving digestion and appetite, taste, voice, vata roga (arthritis, gout, rheumatism etc.) treatment. It is a digestive tonic that promotes appetite and relieves flatulence. The paste of whole plant with honey is used to decrease urine production and also to treat whooping cough.
Maize or Indian corn is a stout annual plant cultiÂvated for the grains during the rainy season. It forms a staple food in some parts of India. Roots are of fibrous adventitious type. PriÂmary root aborts after germination, and is replaced by fibrous advenÂtitious ones from the base of stem. Stems are stout, solid with distinct nodes and internodes. Leaves are simple with entire margin, quite large, linear in shape and arranged alternately. The arrangeÂment is distichous or 2-ranked. They have sheathing leaf-base surrounding a part of internode above. Membranous ligule is present at the junction of base and blade. Venation is parallel. All the organs have rough surface due to impregnation of silica. Inflorescences are of two types, viz. terminal staminate compound raceme or panicle and axillary pistillate spadix. Male inflorescence consists of many spikelets. The spikelets occur in pairsâ??the lower one is sessile and the upper one is stalked. Each spikelet is two-flowered. They have four glumes.
Mustard is an annual herb cultivated as oil seed crop or as vegetable or as fodder, of which, 3 species are known for its condiment value. They are pale yellow or white mustard (Brassica hirta), brown mustard (Brassica juncea) and black mustard (Brassica nigra). The leaves of the plant are alternate, long, bristly branched, petiolate, hairy on both sides. Flowers are small, yellow with 4petals, cruciform. Seeds are 1.5-3mm
Rice bran oil is the oil extracted from the hard outer brown layer of rice after chaff (rice husk). It is notable for its high smoke point of 232 °C (450 °F) and its mild flavor, making it suitable for high-temperature cooking methods such as stir frying and deep frying. It is popular as a cooking oil in several Asian countries, including Bangladesh, Japan, India and China.
Black Pepper is one of the most valuable Spices of Indian Origin. Pepper plant is a perennial climber with dark green leaves and spikes of white flowers. Black pepper comes from the whole fruit picked just before they are ripe. A smooth woody vine that can grow up to 33 feet in hot and humid tropical climates. They begin to bear small white clustered flowers after 3 to 4 years and develop into berries known as peppercorns. Among the Worldâ??s total production of Black Peppers, India contributes around 25-30% of its total production. It is grown mainly in the monsoon forests of South India such as Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. The harvesting season is from December to March, and marketing season February to May.
Unpolished Rice is a partly refined rice, hulled and deprived of its germ but retaining some bran.
Matta rice is a variety of brown rice known for its coarseness and health benefits. It is cultivated in State of Kerala in India and used for a variety of dishes in India and Sri Lanka.
Navara rice is one of the many types of rice found in India, and is a unique grain plant in the Oryza group. Its origin is said to be somewhere in Kerala, where it is regarded as endemic. In 2007â??09, geographical indication status was granted. (Typically, such classification indicates an assurance of quality and distinctiveness which is primarily derived from a defined geographical region.) There seems to have been about a hundred varieties of rice but only about 20 types are said to be existing. Navara is one of the 20. The rice is often powdered and then mixed with milk and taken in the form of a cereal. Navara also has religious significance and is sometimes used in temples for ceremonies.
Sesame Seeds as one of the oldest oilseed crops in the world, sesame seeds that were the cultivated type originated in India. Sesame has existed for as long as 4000 years. Today, India remains the largest producer of sesame seeds. The seeds have wonderful benefits like reducing cholesterol and chances of diabetes, keeping digestion in check, and one of the compounds of sesame seeds, sesimol, protects DNA from getting damaged during chemotherapy.
Turmeric (Curcuma longa) is a rhizomatous herbaceous perennial plant of the ginger family. It is native to southwest India, requiring temperatures between 20 and 30 °C (68 and 86 °F) and a considerable amount of annual rainfall to thrive. Turmeric has a spicy, warm and bitter flavor and a mild fragrance slightly reminiscent of orange and ginger. Turmeric comes from the root of the Curcuma longa plant and has a tough brown skin and a deep orange flesh. After harvest, the rhizomes are cleaned, boiled, dried and polished. Turmeric is closely related to ginger and is sometimes called Indian saffron due to its brilliant yellow color (caused by the curcumin present in it). The propagation of turmeric is by rhizomes. Turmeric is characterized with a fragrant, peppery aroma. It is slightly bitter in taste with a musky flavor. Parts Used : Rhizome (Finger), Tubers / Bulb India is the vast producer and exporter of Turmeric Fingers and powder.
Chilly is the dried ripe fruit of the genus Capsicum. Capsicum annuum is an annual sub â??shrub, the flowers of which are borne singly and fruits usually pendent, which provide red peppers, cayenne, paprika and chilies and sweet pepper (bell pepper) a mild form with large inflated fruits. India is the greatest consumer and largest producer of Chilly in the world. Around 90% of Indiaâ??s production is consumed within the country. India exports around 80000 â?? 100000 tons of chilies a year. India exports chilies in the form of dried chilies, Chili powder, picked chilies and Chilly oleoresin. Indian Chilly is mainly exported to Sri Lanka, USA, Canada, UK, Germany, Bangladesh, the Central Asia and the Far East.
Asafoetida powder, also known as Hing, is a crucial ingredient in Indian cooking. Derived from a species of giant fennel, asafoetida has a unique smell and flavour. Asafoetida is the dried latex (gum oleoresin) exuded from the living underground rhizome or tap root of several species of Ferula (three of which grow in India), which is a perennial herb (1 to 1.5 mtr. high). Asafoetida is a hard resinous gum, grayish-white when fresh, darkening with age to yellow, red and eventually brown. It is sold in blocks or pieces as a gum and more frequently as a fine yellow powder, sometimes crystalline or granulated.
Nutmeg is derived from the latin word nux musca-tus, meaning musky nut. It is the dried seed kernel of the fruit. Nutmeg is used as condiment particularly in sweet foods. The spice in the ground form is mainly used in the food processing industry especially as a standard seasoning in many Dutch dishes. Nutmeg oleoresin is used in the preparation of meat products, soups, sauces, baked foods, confectionaries, puddings, seasoning of meat and vegetable etc. Nutmeg oil is used in cosmetics and toiletries.
Mace spice is a dried, outer aril, enveloping firmly around the nutmeg kernel. Nutmeg kernel and mace arils indeed are two separate spice products of same nutmeg fruit. However, mace characteristically compose higher concentration of certain essential oils and features refined yet intense aroma than nutmeg.
Curcuma caesia, black turmeric or black zedoary is a perennial herb with bluish-black rhizome The rhizome of black turmeric has a high economic importance owing to its putative medicinal properties. The cultivation and harvest practices are similar to that of common turmeric which is used in recipes. In the fields, the rhizomes are washed thoroughly and are placed in a wide mouthed cauldron. The water is poured in the cauldron such that the rhizomes are completely covered. The cauldron is covered with a lid, and the rhizomes are boiled for about 30 minutes until foam oozes out with a strong odour. The rhizomes are taken out when the water is reduced to one-third of the original and they are soft and their inner portion has turned from blue to dark or pale brown. The rhizomes are then dried in hot sun for10 to 15 days until hardened. These dried rhizomes are then packed for marketing.
The ripe fruit of tamarind tree is used as a condiment. It is a moderate size to large, evergreen tree, up to 24 mtr in high and 7 mtr in girth. Bark is brown or dark gray, longitudinally and horizontally fissured. Leaves are paripinnate up to 15 cm long, leaflets are 10-20 pairs, oblong, 8-30 mm. Flowers are small, yellowish with pink stripes, pods are 7.5-20 cm long, 2.5 cm broad, 1 cm thick, more or less constricted between seeds, slightly curved, brownish coloured. Seeds are 3-12 oblong compressed, 1.5 cm, dark brown shining. Endocarp is light brownish, sweetish or acidic, edible pulp, traversed by branched ligneous strands. The outer cover of the pod is fragile and easily separable.
Black Tea is plucked from the plant called Camellia Sinensis and then CTC tea is made using the "Crush Tear and Curl" (CTC) method. CTC tea is commonly produced in Assam and Kerala. CTC is a method of processing black tea in which the leaves are passed through a series of cylindrical rollers with hundred of sharp teeth that crush, tear and curl the tea into small. hard pellets. Fluroide is present in the tea and its good for teeth, protects from cavities as well as fight decay in teeth. Drinking CTC tea hydrates the body moisturise the skin, fends of stress, balances the hormone level. It can help reduce stroke risks, as it balances the cholesterol level. Moreover the astringency of tea helps balance oily fatty components of rich food items.
Wheat (species of Triticum) is a cereal grain that people can eat. It is a kind of grass whose fruit is a "head of wheat" with edible seeds. It was first grown in the Levant, a region of the Near East. Now it is cultivated worldwide. World trade in wheat is greater than for all other crops combined. Globally, wheat is the leading source of vegetable protein in human food. It has a higher protein content than other major cereals such as maize (corn) or rice. In terms of total production, it is second to rice as the main human food crop Wheat was a key factor enabling the emergence of city-based societies at the start of civilization. It was one of the first crops that could be easily cultivated on a large scale, and its seeds could be stored for long periods in a dry climate. Wheat grain is a staple food used to make flour for leavened, flat and steamed breads, biscuits, cookies, cakes, breakfast cereal, pasta, noodles, couscous.
