spices

Cumin Seeds

The dried fruit of a small herbaceous plant with Botanical name CuminumCyminum L. It has a intensely strong flavor much similar to Caraway and is used worldwide in foods, beverages, liquor and in medicines for efficient digestive. The spice is of particular value in the blending of Indian curry powder.

Indian Cumin grows abundantly in the mild, equable climate of Gujarat and Rajasthan. It is exported as whole, in powdered form and as essential oils. It finds its market in North & South America, Japan, European Nation, Singapore and Africa. Indian Cumin Seeds is favoured compared to other Origins for its quality and flavour.

Coriender Seeds

Coriender is the dried ripe fruit of an annual Herb with Botanical name CoriandrumSativam L with several branches and serrated leaves. This fragrant spice is known for its medicinal properties and used as a condiments in curries; as fresh leaves for garnishing of curries, and in chutney as an appetiser.

It is also used in several beverages, liquors and perfumes. The Indian variety with the wide range of qualities is preferred in many different International Markets like USA, the UK, Malaysia, Singapore, Sri Lanka and Middle East. The qualities available are XO, Super XO, Bold, Parrot Green, Single Washed and Double washed, Split etc. Besides coriander as such, India also exports its powder and essential oil.

Fennel Seeds

Fennel Seeds are the dried fruit of the plant with Botanical name Foenculumvulgare miller. The dried ripe fruit of aromatic, herbaceous plant, fennel grows well in most mild climates. This spice is known for its medicinal uses like good for vision, antidote for poison, good for digestion and also used as mouth freshner. The pleasingly warm, sweet smell and the clean appearance are clear indications of how well Indian fennel retains its exclusive quality even after drying.

India exports substantial quantities of Fennel to USA, Singapore, UK, UAE, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, Brazil and Japan in a variety of forms including seed, powder and volatile oils

Fenugreek Seeds

Fenugreek is one of the earliest known spice of the plant with Botanical name TrigonellaFoenum-graecum L. It is used in food, medicine and an embalming agent. Fenugreek is a ripe, dried fruit of a quick-growing annual leguminous herb and has a strong, pleasant and quite peculiar odour similar to that of maple. The spice is exported in its whole and powdered forms as well as in the form of extracted oil which is extensively used in perfumery.

The major importers of Indian fenugreek are Saudi Arabia, Japan, Malaysia, USA, UK, Singapore and Sri Lanka.

Pepper

Indigenous to India, pepper, rightly called the King of Spices, is one of the oldest and best-known spices in the world. India has always reigned supreme in the production and export of this most exotic and sought-after spice. Easily the finest in quality anywhere, Indian pepper is grown in the monsoon forests along the Malabar coast in South India.

Here, a combination of natural advantages and organic techniques produces bigger, better-shaped, more aromatic and flavoured berries. Two of the most celebrated trade varieties of Indian black pepper are ‘Malabar Garbled’ and ‘Tellichery Extra Bold’. India also offers Green Pepper in several processed forms – frozen, dehydrated, freeze-dried and packed in brine. Pepper is a perennial climber requiring the support of live or dead stands.

Black Pepper is the dried mature berries of Piper Nigrum grown in South India, garbled, dark brown to dark black in colour nearly globular, with a wrinkled surface. Light berry contents to be tested by floatation method in alcohol or methylated spirit of 0.80 to 0.82 specific gravity at room temperature (around 25°C).

Ajwain Seeds

Ajwain is an aromatic spice closely resembling thyme in flavour. Also known as Bishop’s weed, it imparts a specific aroma and taste to a wide variety of foods. Ajwain also has excellent preservative and medicinal properties. It is dried ripe fruits of the plant botanically known as trachyspermumammi (Linn)

Traditionally, India has been one of the most important sources of Ajwain seed. The main producing states are Rajasthan and Gujarat.

Chilli

Chilli is the dried fruit of an annual sub-herb. It is also called as capsicum, paprika, sweet pepper, red pepper, pimento, cayenne pepper etc depending upon the manner in which it is prepared and used.Chilli comes in a wide range of shapes, sizes, color and degrees of pungency. Some varieties of chilli are highly pungent, medium pungent, others flavorsome but not pungent.

Chilli is grown in several parts of the world as a ’round – the- year crop’. India is the foremost producer and exporter of chilli.The highly pungent “Sannam” & the mildly pungent ‘mundu’ chilies are internationally popular varieties. India also offers ‘gospureachlli’. Chillies come as whole, with or without stalks & with clipped stalks and fresh and dried capsicum and as powder, oils and oleoresins.

Byadgichilli grown in Dharwad district of Karnataka and Tomato chillies in Warangal, Andhra Pradesh have high colour value. Chilli forms an indispensable culinary spice in several parts of the world. It is also used in beverages and in the preparation of medicines.

Dill Seed

Dill is the dried fruit of an annual herb of the parsley family. The fruit is oval in shape, green at first and later turning into dark grey. Once the seeds are fully developed yet green, the crop is harvested, threshed and the seeds dried. The dried seed is oval in shape, about 0.4 cm long, ridged, with two capsules each containing a seed. Dill has a distinctive but caraway-like flavour.

Dill is a winter crop. It requires well drained, sandy soil and plenty of sunlight and is cultivated along the sub tropical and temperate regions of North India. The quality is enhanced by the adoption of organic cultivation.Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan are the major states producing Indian dill.

Indian dill finds extensive use in foods, beverages and medicines. Its essential oil constitute an important flavouring for the pickle industry.

Turmeric

Turmeric, the dried rhizome of a herbaceous perennial, is indigenous to Southeast Asia. The primary rhizomes, round in shape are called ‘bulbs’, while the thin, long secondary rhizomes are ‘fingers’. 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.

Turmeric is characterized with a fragrant, peppery aroma. It is slightly bitter in taste with a musky flavor.

Indian is the largest producer of Turmeric and accounts for 90% of world production. The well-accepted grades of Indian turmeric are ‘Alleppey finger’, from (Kerala), ‘Madras finger’ and ‘Erode finger’ from Tamil Nadu, Rajapore and Sangli turmeric from Maharashtra and Nizamabad bulb from Andhra Pradesh. Turmeric is also exported in powder form and asoleoresins.

Turmeric is used as a food flavor and also finds use in the preparation of liquors, dyestuffs, medicines, cosmetics and toiletries. It is used as natural colorant. The curcumin present in turmeric imparts its distinctive yellow color. In beauty care,it finds use as an antiseptic and an antitanning. It prevents and cures pigmentation, making skin translucent and glowing. It cools and smoothes the skin and also helps in protecting the skin from water allergy. It is used to purify blood.

Celery Seeds

Celery is the dried fruit of a perenniel, herbaceous plant, usually 60 to 180 cm high, with white flowers in compound umbels. The leaves are coursely toothed and segmented. When the umbels dry, the crop is harvested and threshed. The fruit is made up of two united carpels each containing a seed. Celery seeds are very small about 1.3 mm in length. In appearance, they are brown ovoid and ridged. The celery seed has a pleasingly crisp texture and subtle flavor and has a slightly bitter taste.

The celery stalk and leaves have an odour distinctly different from that of the seed.India produces abundant quantities of high quality celery seeds due to congenial climatic and soil conditions. Celery is available under the two grades special and good. Besides the commercial grades, its essential oils are also available in the world market.

Celery seeds are widely used as a food flavourant and in beverages. They are used in medicines and in perfumery

Mustard Seeds

Mustard is an erect, multi branched herbaceous plant. There are mainly three varieties – black, white and brown mustard. Indian mustard substitutes the black variety. The pods of white mustard plant are rough and filled with yellowish seeds. The black mustard pods are cylindrical, and smaller, globular dark borwn seeds. Indian mustard seeds are small, spherical and reddish brown. The pods are harvested before they open up and shatter. Propogation is by seeds.

Mustard has a sharp, irritating odour and a pungent taste. India is a major producer of mustard.Mustard seeds form a part of a large number of cuisine. White mustard is mixed with the black variety, and ground into powder to form the base of condiment or made mustard for table use.

Indian mustard is an efficient substitute for the black variety. It is known for its appetising flavor and preservative value. Cracking Mustard in oil is very well the starting point of many Indian dishes. Mustard is used with potato, celery, and leek soups, grilled meat, salad dressings, marinades, fish, eggs and in many more cuisines. It is also used in beverages, liquors, and medicines.

Ginger

Ginger has been cultivated in India both as a fresh vegetable & also marketed as a dried spice. Ginger is the underground rhizome of a plant with Lanceolote leaves and spikes of yellow flowers, borne on stems. Dried ginger is obtained by peeling off the outer skin of the rhizome and drying in the sun after cleaning. Bleached ginger is obtained by coating the dried ginger with a solution of lime. The uncoated variety is called ‘unbleached ginger’. Propagation of ginger is by portions of rhizome with one or two buds.

Ginger is grown throughout India. India is the worlds no 1 producer and has a share of about 35% of the total world production also it produces the finest quality of Ginger in world. Indian dry ginger is in two varieties, ‘Cochin ginger (NUGC), and ‘Calicut ginger'(NUGK).

Ginger is pungent, hot , penetrating and slightly biting. Ginger is used as a tastemaker, flavourant and an appetizer. Every form of ginger- fresh, dried, pickled, preserved in syrup, powdered, crystalloid has been used. It adds a clean, fresh bite to seafood’s, picks up flavor of blend foods, and cuts the fat of rich meat.

It is used as an ingredient in curry powder, cakes, and cookies etc. Ginger has medicinal values and is widely used as a digestive aid and to relieve seasickness, nausea and diarrhea. It is also used for lowering cholesterol, reducing arthritis pain & preventing stomach ulcers. Ginger tea is a pleasant drink, improves circulation, eases travel sickness.

Large Cardamom

Large Cardamom is also referred to as ‘black cardamom’. Large Cardamom is the dried fruit of a perennial herbaceous plant. The fresh fruits are hand picked when mature, dried and cured. The fruit is almost the size of a nutmeg. The dark, red brown capsules contain several seeds in each cell, held together by a viscid, sugary pulp. Propagation is by seeds or portions of rhizomes.

Large cardamom is valued for its camphorous, pungent taste and peculiar flavor and aroma. It is used in rice and meat dishes, beverages and sweets and forms a less expensive substitute for Small cardamom. It is also used in the preparation of medicines.

Cardamom

Cardamom is the dried fruit of a herbaceous perennial of Botanical name ElettariacardamomumMaton. It is sweet in taste and highly aromatic. Indian cardamom is available in International market under the grades ‘Alleppey Green Extra Bold’ (AGEB), ‘Alleppey Green Bold’ (AGB), ‘Alleppey Green Superior’ (AGS). Cardamom is a precious ingredient in food preparations, bakery products and beverages. It is also used in the preparation of medicines as well as perfumes and cosmetics. India is an exporter to Middle East, Japan and Russia

Nutmeg

This spice was introduced into India at end of the 19th century by the British. Nutmeg is a spreading, evergreen tree. It is a unisexual tree and is quite unique in that it bears two distinctive products – Nutmeg, which is the kernel of the seed, and Mace, which is the dried aril that surrounds the single seed within the fruit. The color is grayish brown, the furrows sometimes white because of lining.

Nutmeg has a warm, sweet and aromatic flavor.Well grown in moist, fertile soil like that of Kerala. The major producer of nutmeg and mace is Kerala. The rest of the production is from Karnataka.

Nutmeg and mace are used in soups and in egg, fish chicken, cheese, root vegetable dishes. They are also used in bakery items like biscuits, cookies, puddings, pastries, fruit salads, milk drinks etc. The oily forms of nutmeg and mace are used in meat seasonings, soft drinks and pharmaceuticals which includes cough mixtures.

Tamarind

Tamarind is a spice indispensable in most Indian kitchen. It is the fruit of a tropical tree. The dried tamarind is obtained after removing the rind from the mature, ripe and dried fruit of Tamarindusindica. The pulp obtained is well dried and compressed into cakes.

Seedless tamarind comes under two varieties – Light red to tinged brown color tamarind of special grade and Black color or mixed color variety of special grade

Tamarind is characterized by a sour and slightly sweet flavor. This spice is available in the form of pulp and juice concentrates. These go into the preparation of cool drink and seafood and sauces. Tamarind forms an important part of the Indian cuisine.