Curcumin Extract
The Portuguese brought capsicum from Brazil to India during the year 1584 Chillies became popular in the whole of Asia rapidly and native Asians started cultivating this crop as well The south Asian climate suited this crop and since its introduction in the 16 century has been increasingly cultivated in south Asia
India is the largest producer and consumer of chillies proving that we Indians do love our red chillies
Red chillies are grown over 792000 hectares of land in the states of Andhra Pradesh Karnataka Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra
Around 1376000 million tons of red chillies are produced in India every year Of these chillies 70 are consumed domestically while Chilly Pepper exporter in India exports the left 30
Red chillies are a great source of vitamins flavonoids phenolics carotenoids and alkaloids which play a vital role in human health
If you are a home cook who likes to experiment with flavors from across India then stocking up on these dry ared chilly varieties is something you absolutely need to do
It is commonly known as the ghost pepper and is grown only in Assam Manipur Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh
In 2007 it was certified as the Hottest Chilly in the World by the Guinness Book of World Records It is used in cooking and fermented food like pickles dry fish and pork
As their name suggests, Kashmiri Red Chilly are mainly grown in Jammu and Kashmir, some parts of Himachal Pradesh and even in some places such as Goa.
Kashmiri red chillies or Kashmiri mirchi or Kashmiri mirch and locally named as marchwagan is daily used spice with a unique blend of medium hot quality red pepper to flavour any beautiful vibrant famous dishes.
Spices are soul of any dish and we cannot imagine spicy, colourful dishes without it. Due to aromatic property of these chillies the food gets less pungent than other chillies having the vibrant and rich red colour to flavor the various cuisines worldwide.
Credited for giving Andhra food its fiery edge, Guntur chillies are hot to handle yet you find yourself going back for more doses.
Originating from the Guntur district of Andhra Pradesh, Guntur Sannam has a thick red skin with high pungency. It is used in the preparation of various local delicacies to develop colour as well as flavour.
Native to Maharashtra, Lavangi chilli is considered a medium-hot chilli but it has an intense flavour. It even adds a unique aroma to the dishes cooked using this. It has a SHU of about 30,000-50,000.
Turmeric, a plant in the ginger family, is native to Southeast Asia and is grown commercially in that region, primarily in India. Curcumin is the main active ingredient in turmeric. It has powerful anti-inflammatory effects and is a very strong antioxidant.
Historically, turmeric was used in Ayurveda and other traditional Indian medical systems, as well as Eastern Asian medical systems such as traditional Chinese medicine. In India, it was traditionally used for disorders of the skin, upper respiratory tract, joints, and digestive system.
Uses of Turmeric:
1. Culinary - Turmeric in the powdered form is used as a spice in a number of various dishes across the planet.
2. Dye - The golden yellow colour of turmeric is used as a dye.
3. Indicator - It is used as a chemical indicator to test for acidity and alkalinity.
Cultivated in the alluvial valleys of Lakadong in Jaintia Hills, Meghalaya Lakadong turmeric is said to be 3 times more potent than the regular turmeric.
The entire farming is traditional and no chemical fertilizer or pesticides are used. In fact the black alluvial soil is so fertile that there's no need for fertilizer. As the rains set in, it's only a matter of a month when the seeds start to sprout. As it requires sufficient rainfall, through the monsoon months the Lakadong grows its stems into green, long, and tall sharp leaves. In December, the rhizomes are carefully dug out, cleaned with fresh water and sun dried to produce Lakadong.
It contains an approx. curcumin % of 7 to 12%
Sangli located in the western part of Maharashtra is considered to be the largest and most important trading center for turmeric in AsiaPopularly known as the Saffron City Sangli has been cultivating its worldfamous turmeric since the 1900s
It is said that large quantities of Sangli turmeric used to be exported through the Rajapur harbor port and also became famous as Rajapuri turmeric A historical and progressive auction system was established in 1910 which helped Sangli turmeric gain international recognition
The unique colour and aroma of Sangli turmeric is derived from the physical characteristics of the black soil and most importantly from their ingenious underground storage system commonly known as Peve which has been in use for more than a century
Sangli turmeric has a Curcumin content percentage of 345 which is very high and lends it an earthy slightly bitter a little hot peppery flavour and a mustardy fragrance This deep saffron coloured turmeric received the Geographical Indication Tag GI in 2018
Southern parts of India produce the most amount of turmeric in India. Some of the famous varieties are Alleppey(Kerela), Madras(Tamil Nadu), Erode(Tamil Nadu), etc.
The approx. curcumin content for the all the above mentioned variety is between 2 to 5%.
