The areca nut is the seed of the areca palm (Areca catechu) known in Indonesia as Pinang, which grows in much of the tropical Pacific, Asia, and parts of east Africa. It is commonly referred to as betel nut, as it is often chewed wrapped in betel leaves (paan). The name areca origin from Malayalam adakka, during the 18th century Dutch and Portuguese sailors took to Europe.
The habit has many harmful effects on health. The International Agency for Research on Cancer concluded that chewing areca nut is carcinogenic to humans after reviewing the published medical research. Various compounds present in the nut, most importantly arecoline, contribute to histologic changes in the oral mucosa. As with chewing tobacco, its use is discouraged by preventive efforts.
We manufacture and supply canned Tuna witht the following spes
Size: 185gr per can
1 Carton = 48 cans
Price per carton: USD 41.9
Prices are FOB Surabaya Port - Indonesia
Payment Terms:
50% down payment
30% when products ready
20% ready to ship
A tuna is a saltwater finfish that belongs to the tribe Thunnini, a sub-grouping of the mackerel family (Scombridae) which together with the tunas, also includes the bonitos, mackerels, and Spanish mackerels. Thunnini comprises fifteen species across five genera, the sizes of which vary greatly, ranging from the bullet tuna (max. length: 50 cm (1.6 ft), weight: 1.8 kg (4 lb)) up to the Atlantic bluefin tuna (max. length: 4.6 m (15 ft), weight: 684 kg (1,508 lb). The bluefin averages 2 m (6.6 ft), and is believed to live for up to 50 years.
Their circulatory and respiratory systems are unique among fish, enabling them to maintain a body temperature higher than that of the surrounding water. An active and agile predator, the tuna has a sleek, streamlined body, and is among the fastest-swimming pelagic fish the yellowfin tuna, for example, is capable of speeds of up to 75 km/h (47 mph). Found in warm seas, it is extensively fished commercially and is popular as a game fish. As a result of over-fishing, stocks of some tuna species such as the Southern bluefin tuna have been reduced dangerously close to the point of extinction.
We supplies the following Canned Sardine / Mackerel from Indonesia
Size: 185gr per can
1 Carton = 48 cans
Price per carton: USD 41.9
Prices are FOB Surabaya Port - Indonesia
Certificates:
Factory: HACCP, GMP, Halal, ISO
Product: BPOM, FDA, Halal, Kosher at your account
Payment Terms:
50% down payment
30% when products ready
20% ready to ship
GoodMama Edamame is a ready to eat premium snack, packed in 400gr.
Soybean first found in Asia 3,500 years ago. There are two varieties i.e. white soybean (Glycine max) which is mostly used as the basic ingredients of tofu, tempe, crackers, soybean milk, etc., and black soybean (Glycine soja) that is usually used for ketchup.
Edamame is healthy nutritious vegetable snack. It is tasty in sweet nutty flavor. Edamame is classified as grain soybean species, Glycine max with larger seed, sweeter flavor, smoother texture and better digestibility.
The United States Department of Agriculture states that edamame beans are â??edible fresh soybean and well known as nutritious snackâ??.
Edamame and soybeans kinds are rich in nutrition which contain carbohydrates, protein, dietary fiber, omega-3 fatty acid and micro-nutrients, particularly folic acid, manganese and vitamin K. Edamame beans also contain higher level of abscission acid, sucrose and protein than other kind of soybean. It might also contain carotids.
Bariball Agriculture grow and manufacture frozen IQF edamame in a aluminium packaging of 400gr each with the following specification
Number of pods per 500gr: max 170pods
No pod with one bean (no single bean)
Original flavor of edamame
Typical/standard edamame green color
Similar/standard size of pods
Brix >= 9, (Salt Long Blanching Salinity 0.8-1,2)
No worm in pod
No stain/rust
No broken pod
Standard immaturity (not over)
Dark L=22mm, P=2mm, dark spot 1 per pod, and max 2 per pod 500gr
Inferiority rate max 5%
Sweet Casava is fermented casava, a traditional products from Jember, East Java. It is known as tape or tapai. Tapay. is hygienically processed from premium yellow casava
Cinnamon, and its relative cassia, have long been prized for both flavor and medicine. Romans used cinnamon to make their strong, bitter wine palatable, Greeks to season meat and vegetable dishes, Arabs in tea, and nearly everyone in baked goods. English nobility hoarded to delicate Ceylon cinnamon to flavor breads and puddings.
Fragrant cinnamon spice is one of the highly prized spices that has been in use since biblical times for its medicinal and culinary properties. This delightfully exotic, sweet-flavored spice stick is traditionally obtained from the outer brown bark of Cinnamomum trees, which when dried, rolls into a tubular form known commercially as quill.
The cinnamon plant is a small, evergreen bushy tree belonging to the family of Lauraceae or laurel within the genus; Cinnamomum. This novel spice is native to Sri Lankan island but also found in many other countries such as Myanmar, Bangladesh, India, China, and Indonesia.
Varieties of the cinnamon tree exist; however, Sri Lankan variety is regarded as true cinnamon and scientifically named as Cinnamonum verum. Traditionally, the inner bark is bruised with a brass rod, peeled and long incisions are made in the bark. It is then rolled by hand and allowed to dry in the sunlight.
It is the bark of the tree from where aromatic essential oil (makes up 0.5% to 1% of its composition) is extracted. Usually, the oil is processed by roughly pounding the bark, macerating it in seawater, and then quickly distilling the whole. The oil features golden-yellow color, with the characteristic odor of cinnamon and a very hot aromatic taste. The pungent taste and scent in cinnamon spice are due to compound cinnamic aldehyde and cinnamaldehyde in the oil.
Cassia, also known as chinese cinnamon, is a different member of Lauraceae family and named as Cinnamomum cassia. Cassia is coarser, more spicy, and pungent but less fragrant than cinnamon. It is usually substituted for the cinnamon in savory dishes.
The cashew tree (Anacardium occidentale) is a tropical evergreen tree that produces the cashew nut and the cashew apple. It can grow as high as 14 metres (46 ft), but the dwarf cashew, growing up to 6 metres (20 ft), has proved more profitable, with earlier maturity and higher yields.
The cashew nut is served as a snack or used in recipes, like other nuts, although it is actually a seed. The cashew apple is a fruit, whose pulp can be processed into a sweet, astringent fruit drink or distilled into liqueur.
The shell of the cashew nut yields derivatives that can be used in many applications from lubricants to paints, and other parts of the tree have traditionally been used for snake-bites and other folk remedies.
Cloves are one of the highly prized spices, widely recognized all over the world for their medicinal and culinary qualities. They are the flower buds from evergreen rain-forest tree native to Indonesia.
Botanically, the spice belongs to the family of Myrtaceae of the genus; Sygyzium, and scientifically named as Sygizium aromaticum.
The flower buds are initially pale in color, gradually turn to green, and, finally develop into bright-red clove buds by the time of harvesting. Buds are generally picked up when they reach 1.5-2 cm in length.
Structurally, each bud consists of long calyx; terminating in four spreading sepals, and four unopened petals, which form a small ball (dome) at the center. The sweet aroma of cloves is due to eugenol, an essential oil in them.
The Coconut tree (Cocos nucifera) is a member of the family Arecaceae (palm family). It is the only accepted species in the genus Cocos. The term Coconut can refer to the entire coconut palm, the seed, or the fruit, which, botanically, is a drupe, not a nut. The spelling cocoanut is an archaic form of the word. The term is derived from 16th-century Portuguese and Spanish coco, meaning head or skull, from the three indentations on the coconut shell that resemble facial features.
The coconut is known for its great versatility as seen in the many uses of its different parts and found throughout the tropics and subtropics. Coconuts are part of the daily diets of many people. Coconuts are different from any other fruits because they contain a large quantity of water and when immature they are known as tender-nuts or jelly-nuts and may be harvested for drinking. When mature, they still contain some water and can be used as seednuts or processed to give oil from the kernel, charcoal from the hard shell and coir from the fibrous husk.
The endosperm is initially in its nuclear phase suspended within the coconut water. As development continues, cellular layers of endosperm deposit along the walls of the coconut, becoming the edible coconut flesh. When dried, the coconut flesh is called copra. The oil and milk derived from it are commonly used in cooking and frying; coconut oil is also widely used in soaps and cosmetics. The clear liquid coconut water within is potable. The husks and leaves can be used as material to make a variety of products for furnishing and decorating. It also has cultural and religious significance in many societies that use it.
The Coconut tree (Cocos nucifera) is a member of the family Arecaceae (palm family). It is the only accepted species in the genus Cocos. The term Coconut can refer to the entire coconut palm, the seed, or the fruit, which, botanically, is a drupe, not a nut. The spelling cocoanut is an archaic form of the word. The term is derived from 16th-century Portuguese and Spanish coco, meaning head or skull, from the three indentations on the coconut shell that resemble facial features.
The coconut is known for its great versatility as seen in the many uses of its different parts and found throughout the tropics and subtropics. Coconuts are part of the daily diets of many people. Coconuts are different from any other fruits because they contain a large quantity of water and when immature they are known as tender-nuts or jelly-nuts and may be harvested for drinking. When mature, they still contain some water and can be used as seednuts or processed to give oil from the kernel, charcoal from the hard shell and coir from the fibrous husk.
The endosperm is initially in its nuclear phase suspended within the coconut water. As development continues, cellular layers of endosperm deposit along the walls of the coconut, becoming the edible coconut flesh. When dried, the coconut flesh is called copra. The oil and milk derived from it are commonly used in cooking and frying; coconut oil is also widely used in soaps and cosmetics. The clear liquid coconut water within is potable. The husks and leaves can be used as material to make a variety of products for furnishing and decorating. It also has cultural and religious significance in many societies that use it.
The Coconut tree (Cocos nucifera) is a member of the family Arecaceae (palm family). It is the only accepted species in the genus Cocos. The term Coconut can refer to the entire coconut palm, the seed, or the fruit, which, botanically, is a drupe, not a nut. The spelling cocoanut is an archaic form of the word. The term is derived from 16th-century Portuguese and Spanish coco, meaning head or skull, from the three indentations on the coconut shell that resemble facial features.
The coconut is known for its great versatility as seen in the many uses of its different parts and found throughout the tropics and subtropics. Coconuts are part of the daily diets of many people. Coconuts are different from any other fruits because they contain a large quantity of water and when immature they are known as tender-nuts or jelly-nuts and may be harvested for drinking. When mature, they still contain some water and can be used as seednuts or processed to give oil from the kernel, charcoal from the hard shell and coir from the fibrous husk.
The endosperm is initially in its nuclear phase suspended within the coconut water. As development continues, cellular layers of endosperm deposit along the walls of the coconut, becoming the edible coconut â??fleshâ??. When dried, the coconut flesh is called copra. The oil and milk derived from it are commonly used in cooking and frying; coconut oil is also widely used in soaps and cosmetics. The clear liquid coconut water within is potable. The husks and leaves can be used as material to make a variety of products for furnishing and decorating. It also has cultural and religious significance in many societies that use it.
The Coconut tree (Cocos nucifera) is a member of the family Arecaceae (palm family). It is the only accepted species in the genus Cocos. The term Coconut can refer to the entire coconut palm, the seed, or the fruit, which, botanically, is a drupe, not a nut. The spelling cocoanut is an archaic form of the word. The term is derived from 16th-century Portuguese and Spanish coco, meaning head or skull, from the three indentations on the coconut shell that resemble facial features.
The coconut is known for its great versatility as seen in the many uses of its different parts and found throughout the tropics and subtropics. Coconuts are part of the daily diets of many people. Coconuts are different from any other fruits because they contain a large quantity of water and when immature they are known as tender-nuts or jelly-nuts and may be harvested for drinking. When mature, they still contain some water and can be used as seednuts or processed to give oil from the kernel, charcoal from the hard shell and coir from the fibrous husk.
The endosperm is initially in its nuclear phase suspended within the coconut water. As development continues, cellular layers of endosperm deposit along the walls of the coconut, becoming the edible coconut flesh. When dried, the coconut flesh is called copra. The oil and milk derived from it are commonly used in cooking and frying; coconut oil is also widely used in soaps and cosmetics. The clear liquid coconut water within is potable. The husks and leaves can be used as material to make a variety of products for furnishing and decorating. It also has cultural and religious significance in many societies that use it.
Indonesian Superfood Tempe (Tempeh, Fermented Soy Bean).
Specification Grade A:
1. Non Blanch FRESH Frozen
2. Packaging per 100, 200, 300 grms.
3. 10 kgs per carton, 2200 ctn per containers.
Specification Grade A+:
1. Blanch Frozen
2. Packaging per 100, 200, 300 grms.
3. 10 kgs per carton, 2200 ctn per containers.
Cabbage (Brassica oleracea or variants) is a leafy green or purple biennial plant, grown as an annual vegetable crop for its dense-leaved heads. Closely related to other cole crops, such as broccoli, cauliflower, and brussels sprouts, it descends from B. oleracea var. oleracea, a wild field cabbage.
Cabbage heads generally range from 0.5 to 4 kilograms (1 to 9 lb), and can be green, purple and white. Smooth-leafed firm-headed green cabbages are the most common, with smooth-leafed red and crinkle-leafed savoy cabbages of both colors seen more rarely. It is a multi-layered vegetable. Under conditions of long sunlit days such as are found at high northern latitudes in summer, cabbages can grow much larger. Some records are discussed at the end of the history section.
Chickens are the most common type of poultry in the world, and were some of the first domesticated animals. They are a major world wide source of eggs and meat called chicken. It is prepared as food in a wide variety of ways, varying by region and culture. The prevalence of chickens is due to their being almost completely edible, and the ease of raising them. In developed countries, chickens are usually subject to intensive farming methods.
White Ginger
Red Ginger
Indonesia
Fresh Jackfruit
Rich in vitamin A and fiber, green beans are a nutritious addition to a diet.
Green beans, also known as string beans, snap beans in the northeastern and western United States, or ejotes in Mexico, are the unripe fruit of various cultivars of the common bean. Green bean cultivars have been selected especially for the flashiness, flavor, or sweetness of their pods.
Our products range from fresh to frozen fish covering for whole and fillets of the Snapper, King Snapper, Red Snapper, Parrotfish, Barramundi, Grouper, Emperor, crab, lobster and many more.
Grade: AAA or on request
Type: Frozen
Treatment: CO Frozen
Cut:
Centercut: 5.4$ / lbs
Steak: 5.4$ / lbs
Saku: 5.6$ / lbs
Prices are FOB Surabaya Port - Indonesia
Cutting specification:
Centercut: 3 - 8 lbs
Tuna Steak: 4 - 6 oz
Tuna Saku: 6 - 16 oz
Certificates:
Factory: HACCP, GMP, Halal, ISO
Product: BPOM, FDA, Halal, Kosher at your account
Shipping calculation:
20ft: 18,000 lbs
40ft: 36,000 lbs
Payment Terms:
50% down payment
30% when products ready
20% ready to ship
Requirements:
Buyer rep should be in here during the process
Various sizes available
Frozen milkfish from Indonesia
Composition of
Size 500gm = 15%
Size 1-2kg = 65%
Size 2kgup = 20%
Any size from Indonesia waters
Non GMO sweet corn frozen hand pick kernels dan cob, brix 11%. Bulk packaging in 20kg per cartoon. Your own branding is also available.
The mango is a juicy stone fruit belonging to the genus Mangifera, consisting of numerous tropical fruiting trees, cultivated mostly for edible fruit. The majority of these species are found in nature as wild mangoes. They all belong to the flowering plant family Anacardiaceae. The mango is native to South and Southeast Asia, from where it has been distributed worldwide to become one of the most cultivated fruits in the tropics. The center of diversity of the Mangifera genus is in India.
While other Mangifera species (e.g. horse mango, M. foetida) are also grown on a more localized basis, Mangifera indica the common mango or Indian mango is the only mango tree commonly cultivated in many tropical and subtropical regions. It originated in Indian subcontinent (present day India and Pakistan) and Burma.
Mangoes are generally sweet, although the taste and texture of the flesh varies across cultivars; some have a soft, pulpy texture similar to an overripe plum, while others are firmer, like a cantaloupe or avocado, and some may have a fibrous texture. The skin of unripe, pickled, or cooked mango can be consumed, but has the potential to cause contact dermatitis of the lips, gingiva, or tongue in susceptible people.
Nutmeg
Indonesia has historically played an important role as a supplier of black and white pepper to the international market. Since the late 16th century, when de Houtman and Van Nect started trading in pepper, and the early 17th century when the Dutch established pepper plantations in Java and Sumatra, Indonesia has been a major contributor to world trade in pepper. Today, Lampung Black and Muntok White pepper are respected names in the pepper trade.
Pepper in Indonesia is a smallholder crop, with average farm size of less than a hectare. An estimated 190,000 hectares of pepper are cultivated, mainly in Lampung and Bangka, with some areas in South Sumatra, Kalimantan and Sulawesi becoming important recently. In Lampung black pepper is produced, while in Bangka, because of suitable conditions, the entire production is of white pepper. In Kalimantan and Sulawesi almost 70% of production is black and the remaining white. Lampung and Bangka are main sources recording exports, while pepper from Kalimantan and Sulawesi are channeled to nearby local markets as well as to neighboring countries.
Indonesia has historically played an important role as a supplier of black and white pepper to the international market. Since the late 16th century, when de Houtman and Van Nect started trading in pepper, and the early 17th century when the Dutch established pepper plantations in Java and Sumatra, Indonesia has been a major contributor to world trade in pepper. Today, Lampung Black and Muntok White pepper are respected names in the pepper trade.
Pepper in Indonesia is a smallholder crop, with average farm size of less than a hectare. An estimated 190,000 hectares of pepper are cultivated, mainly in Lampung and Bangka, with some areas in South Sumatra, Kalimantan and Sulawesi becoming important recently. In Lampung black pepper is produced, while in Bangka, because of suitable conditions, the entire production is of white pepper. In Kalimantan and Sulawesi almost 70% of production is black and the remaining white. Lampung and Bangka are main sources recording exports, while pepper from Kalimantan and Sulawesi are channeled to nearby local markets as well as to neighboring countries.
Indonesia has historically played an important role as a supplier of black and white pepper to the international market. Since the late 16th century, when de Houtman and Van Nect started trading in pepper, and the early 17th century when the Dutch established pepper plantations in Java and Sumatra, Indonesia has been a major contributor to world trade in pepper. Today, Lampung Black and Muntok White pepper are respected names in the pepper trade.
Pepper in Indonesia is a smallholder crop, with average farm size of less than a hectare. An estimated 190,000 hectares of pepper are cultivated, mainly in Lampung and Bangka, with some areas in South Sumatra, Kalimantan and Sulawesi becoming important recently. In Lampung black pepper is produced, while in Bangka, because of suitable conditions, the entire production is of white pepper. In Kalimantan and Sulawesi almost 70% of production is black and the remaining white. Lampung and Bangka are main sources recording exports, while pepper from Kalimantan and Sulawesi are channeled to nearby local markets as well as to neighboring countries.
Javanese Comet's Tails or kemukas as they are known locally are a wonderful rarity among the world of Piper (true pepper) family. Known to the west since medieval times as Piper cubeba or Cubebs, this pepper has a wonderful fresh aroma of pepper, pine and lemons.This Peppercorn is harvested by hand and then sun dried before being sold. On the tongue, Comet's Tail peppercorns exhibit a distinctly cooling menthol feeling offset by the peppery heat & a bright citrus-like sweetness.
Cubeb fruit is generally harvested before ripe and then dried. Cubeb often sold in the form of dried fruit that still has the stem, so it is often referred to as pepper caudate (tailed pepper). Cubeb seeds are white, hard and greasy.
Balinese Long Pepper or Javanese Long Pepper is a flowering vine in the family Piperaceae, cultivated for its fruit, which is usually dried and used as a spice and seasoning. The fruit of Piper retrofractum is similar in appearance and taste to that of the Long Pepper (P. longum).
On the palate, this pepper is earthy and sweet but also has a definite heat. Once crushed, it releases a lovely floral fragrance. Bali Long Pepper can be used like any conventional pepper but it can also be used like a bay leaf in soups and/or braises.
MericaMama is a Muntok white pepper powder, packed in 1gr per sachet.
Indonesia has historically played an important role as a supplier of black and white pepper to the international market. Since the late 16th century, when de Houtman and Van Nect started trading in pepper, and the early 17th century when the Dutch established pepper plantations in Java and Sumatra, Indonesia has been a major contributor to world trade in pepper. Today, Lampung Black and Muntok White pepper are respected names in the pepper trade.
Pepper in Indonesia is a smallholder crop, with average farm size of less than a hectare. An estimated 190,000 hectares of pepper are cultivated, mainly in Lampung and Bangka, with some areas in South Sumatra, Kalimantan and Sulawesi becoming important recently. In Lampung black pepper is produced, while in Bangka, because of suitable conditions, the entire production is of white pepper. In Kalimantan and Sulawesi almost 70% of production is black and the remaining white. Lampung and Bangka are main sources recording exports, while pepper from Kalimantan and Sulawesi are channeled to nearby local markets as well as to neighboring countries.
Various Indonesian soups and sauces available in frozen plastic bags.
The pineapple (Ananas comosus) is a tropical plant with edible multiple fruit consisting of coalesced berries,[ and the most economically significant plant in the Bromeliaceae family. Pineapples may be cultivated from a crown cutting of the fruit, possibly flowering in 20-24 months and fruiting in the following six months. Pineapple does not ripen significantly post-harvest.
Pineapples can be consumed fresh, cooked, juiced, and preserved, and are found in a wide array of cuisines. In addition to consumption, the pineapple leaves are used to produce the textile fiber pia in the Philippines, commonly used as the material for the men's Barong Tagalog and women's Baro't saya formal wear in the country. The fiber is also used as a component for wallpaper and other furnishings.
The flesh and juice of the pineapple are used in cuisines around the world. In many tropical countries, pineapple is prepared, and sold on roadsides as a snack. It is sold whole, or in halves with a stick inserted. Whole, cored slices with a cherry in the middle are a common garnish on hams in the West. Chunks of pineapple are used in desserts such as fruit salad, as well as in some savory dishes, including pizza toppings and a grilled ring on a hamburger.[14][15] Crushed pineapple is used in yogurt, jam, sweets, and ice cream. The juice of the pineapple is served as a beverage, and is also as a main ingredient in such cocktails as the pia colada.
Nutrition
Raw pineapple is an excellent source of manganese (76% daily value (DV) in a one US cup serving) and vitamin C (131% DV per cup serving). Mainly from its stem, pineapple contains a proteolytic enzyme, bromelain, which breaks down protein. If having sufficient bromelain content, raw pineapple juice may be used as a meat marinade and tenderizer. Pineapple enzymes can interfere with the preparation of some foods, such as jelly and other gelatin-based desserts, but would be destroyed during cooking and canning. The quantity of bromelain in the fruit is probably not significant, being mostly in the inedible stalk. Furthermore, an ingested enzyme like bromelain is unlikely to survive intact the proteolytic processes of digestion.
Chickens are the most common type of poultry in the world, and were some of the first domesticated animals. They are a major world wide source of eggs and meat called chicken. It is prepared as food in a wide variety of ways, varying by region and culture. The prevalence of chickens is due to their being almost completely edible, and the ease of raising them. In developed countries, chickens are usually subject to intensive farming methods.
Mixed nuts, perfect for your afternoon snacks.
Dialium indum, the velvet tamarind, is a tall, tropical, fruit-bearing tree. It belongs to the Leguminosae family, and has small, typically grape-sized edible fruits with brown hard inedible shells.
Fruit flavor similar to acid , which is derived the English name. In Thailand , it is called Luk Yee or Yee, and in Malaysia and Indonesia ordinary people calling the name Keranji.
The fruit is used as snack foods like candy in Thailand, often dried, sugar coated and spiced with chili. Dried fruit has a powder texture, and taste of orange. Black in color taste sweet like chocolate candy so much cultivated by local communities (West Kalimantan and East Kalimantan).
In Indonesia there are at least two varieties for sale in local markets . Both have the same skin thin brittle black , and looks natural like fruits driest . One of the smaller species is about one inch = 25mm in length and has a light reddish-brown powder packed around a single seed, with a small air space inside the shell. This powder tastes sweet and sour candies like sweet tarts, and thus closest to the acid.
In Indonesia this tree flowering from November to December and fruiting ready to harvest between the months from January to April every 3 years.
The fruit acid is widely used as an acid food in Kalimantan. In Jakarta , the acid used is often sold in schools as a child snacks . Fruit shape of a marble, the color of his skin if it brooded colored black with brownish fles . Seasam sour but not sour Java. But also sweet, people used to call western Borneo Kranji Madu (honey kranji). Taste of fruit acids such as chocolate and honey, very delicious.
Kranji acid is also useful to kill the bad cholesterol in the body, by eating 3 eggs a day kranji acid .
Turmeric is native to Indonesia and southern India, where it has been harvested for more than 5,000 years. It has served an important role in many traditional cultures throughout the East, including being a revered member of the Ayurvedic pharmacopeia. While Arab traders introduced it into Europe in the 13th century, it has only recently become popular in Western cultures. Much of its recent popularity is owed to the recent research that has highlighted its therapeutic properties. The leading commercial producers of turmeric include India, Indonesia, China, the Philippines, Taiwan, Haiti and Jamaica.
Turmeric was traditionally called Indian saffron since its deep yellow-orange color is similar to that of the prized saffron. It has been used throughout history as a condiment, healing remedy and textile dye.
Turmeric comes from the root of the Curcuma longa plant and has a tough brown skin and a deep orange flesh. This herb has a very interesting taste and aroma. Its flavor is peppery, warm and bitter while its fragrance is mild yet slightly reminiscent of orange and ginger, to which it is related.
Pleasantly fragrant rich vanilla beans are the pods or fruits obtained from a tropical climbing orchid. Mayans used them to flavor chocolate drink centuries before Spanish first set their foot in Mexico in 1520. This highly prized bean is native to tropical rain forest of Central America and only recently spread to other tropical-regions by Spanish explorers. Botanically the plant is a perennial herbaceous climbing vine belonging to the family of Orchidaceae, in the genus: vanilla. Scientific name:Vanilla planifolia.
The vanilla plant has unique growth characteristics. It requires supporting tree or pole to grow in height. A matured vine bears deep trumpet-shaped flowers. The flowers open only for one day and are naturally pollinated either by the Melipona bee or long beaked humming birds. However, in cultivation, they are hand-pollinated and now grown commercially in Madagascar, Indonesia, India, Puerto Rica and West Indies. There exist three main cultivars of vanilla. Among them, Vanilla planifolia is the most sought-after bean worldwide.
The other species include Vanilla pompona and Vanilla tahitiensis (grown in Polynesian islands), although the vanillin content of these species is inferior to Vanilla planifolia. Unripe vanilla pods are harvested when they are 5-8 inches long and turn light yellow. They are then blanched briefly in boiling water, sweated and dried under sun over a period of weeks until they turn dark-brown and wrinkled. White crystalline efflorescence which is vanillin, the main essence of vanilla, appears inside in some of the superior quality pods.
