Spices of Kerala
Cardamom
Cardamom or Elettaria Cardamomum Maton, rightly called as Queen of Spices is one of the most exotic and highly prizCardamom plant - Spices Keralaed spices. Indian cardamom has a history as old as human civilization. The dried fruit of a herbaceous perennial, cardamom is grown mainly in Kerala on the shady slopes of the western Ghats.
Warm humid climate, loamy soil rich in organic matter, distributed rainfall and special cultivation and processing methods all combine to make Indian cardamom truly unique in aroma, flavor, size and color tempting parrot-green. Indian cardamom is offered to the international markets in different grades: 'Alleppey Green Extra Bold', 'Alleppey Green Bold' and 'Alleppey Green Superior'are names that register instant appeal worldwide. Cardamom oil is a precious ingredient in food preparations, perfumery, health foods medicines and beverages. India, a traditional exporter of cardamom to the Middle East countries where it goes mostly into the preparation of 'Gahwa' - a strong cardamom - coffee concoction without which no day is complete or no hospitality hearty for an Arab. Indian cardamom enjoys a premium preference in the Middle East, by Japanese and Russians who relish it for its distinct enriching properties. This Queen of Spices is from the High Ranges of Kerala.
Aroma and flavour
The cardamom seeds have a warm, slightly pungent and highly aromatic flavour. They are popular seasoning in Oriental dishes, particularly curries and in Scandinavian pasteries. In Middle East countries it is used mostly in the preparation of 'Gahwa', a strong cardamom-coffee concoction.
Medicinal and other use
The cardamom oil is a precious ingredient in food preparations, perfumery, health foods, medicine and beverages. A good portion is consumed for chewing or as a masticatory item. In medicine, it is used as powerful aromatic, stimulant, carminative, stomachic and diuretic, but rarely used alone. It also checks nausea and vomiting, helps in combating digestive ailments. Herbal lores on this spice suggest it can be used to freshen your breath and support smooth digestion.
Ginger
Ginger (Zinngiber Officianale Rosc), is one of the earliest Oriental spices known in Europe, ginger has beenspices kerala spices india cultivated in India both as a fresh vegetable and marketed as a dried spice since time immemorial. The fresh, dried or powdered rhizome of a slender, perennial herb, Indian ginger has been acclaimed worldwide for its characteristic taste, flavor & texture.
Ginger has always meant many things to many people. A taste- maker. A flavorant. An appetizer. A drug. Though grown all over India, the finest quality ginger comes from Kerala endowed as it is with a congenial climate and a rich earthy soil. Indian dry ginger is known in the world market as 'Cochin Ginger' & 'Calicut Ginger'. India offers ginger in a variety of forms; oils, oleoresins, fresh ginger in brine, pickles, candies and syrups. It also comes in garbled/ungarbled, bleached/unbleached and powder forms. India has a predominant position in ginger production and export.
Aroma and flavour
Raw turmeric rhizomes have to be cured for both colour and aroma. For this, the fingers and bulbs are boiled separately in water for 30 to 45 minutes until the rhizomes are soft. This procedure gets rid of the ‘raw’ colour, reduces drying time, gelatinises the starch and gives the turmeric a more uniform colour. Water is then drained and the turmeric sun dried for 10-15 days until they become dry and hard. For imparting orange yellow colour, the rhizomes are boiled in lime water or sodium bicarbonate solution. The dried produce is cleaned and polished mechanically in a drum rotated by hand or by power.
Turmeric oleoresin is obtained by solvent extraction of the ground spice. It is orange-red in colour and consists of colouring matter, volatile oil, fatty oils and bitter principles. The volatile oil gives the turmeric its characteristic flavour. The important quality attributes of turmeric are size, physical form, colour, curcumin content, maturity, weight or bulk density, length and thickness, intensity of colour of the core and aroma.
Medicinal and other use
Traditionally Turmeric is being used in Indian System of medicine. It has several medicinal properties like stomachic, carnivative, tonic, blood purifier, vermicide and antiseptic. The active constituent of turmeric, curcumin, has been shown to have a wide range of therapeutic effects. Because it is a strong antioxidant, it protects against free radical damage. Curcumin has also been shown to have a marked anti-inflammatory effect. It accomplishes this by reducing histamine levels and possibly by increasing production of natural cortisone by the adrenal glands. Curcumin also protects the liver from a number of toxic compounds. It has also been shown to reduce platelets from clumping together, which improves circulation and helps protect against atherosclerosis. There are numerous studies showing cancer-preventing effect of curcumin; which may be due to its powerful antioxidant activity in the body. Anticancer properties of turmeric are recently reported.
Turmeric has a major role in Cosmetics also. It is an inexpensive and indigeneous beauty aid. Considerable quantities of turmeric are converted as ‘kumkum’ used for tilak by Indians. Smearing with turmeric paste cleans skin and beautifies it. Its antiseptic and healing properties prevent and cure pimples.
Cinnamon
The spice is light brown in colour and has a delicately fragrant aroma and warm, sweet flavour. Cinnamon was once more valuable than gold. In Egypt it was sought for embalming and witchcraft; in medieval Europe for religious rites and as a flavouring.
Later it was the most profitable spice in the Dutch East India Company trade. In modern times, cinnamon is used to flavour a variety of foods, from confections to curries; in Europe and the United States it is especially popular in bakery goods. The Sri Lanka cultivator harvests his main crop in the wet season, cutting the shoots close to the ground. In processing, the shoots are first scraped with a semicircular blade, then rubbed with a brass rod to loosen the bark, which is split with a knife and peeled. The peels are telescoped one into another forming a quill about 107 cm (42 inches) long and filled with trimmings of the same quality bark to maintain the cylindrical shape. After four or five days of drying, the quills are rolled on a board to tighten the filling and then placed in subdued sunlight for further drying. Finally, they are bleached with sulfur dioxide and sorted into grades. Cinnamon contains from 0.5 to 1 percent essential oil, the principal component of which is cinnamic aldehyde. The oil is distilled from the fragments for use in food, liqueur, perfume, and drugs. The aldehyde can also be synthesized.
Aroma and flavour
Cinnamon contains from 0.5 to 1 present essential oil, the principal component of which is cinnamic aldehyde (about 60%). Other components are eugenol, eugenol acetate, and small amounts of aldehydes, ketones, alcohols, esters and terpenes. The oil is distilled from fragments for use in food, liqueur, perfume and drugs. The aldehyde can also be synthesized. Cinnamon leaf oil is unique in that it contains eugenol as its major constituent (70-90%).
Medicinal and Other use
Now a days, Cinnamon is used to flavour a variety of foods, from confections to curries; in Europe and the USA it is especially popular in bakery goods. The stick cinnamon is added whole to casseroles, rice dishes, mulled wines and punches, and to syrups for poaching fruit. The chips are also used in tea infusions or spiced cider blends. Ground cinnamon is used in baked goods like cakes, pasteries and biscuits. Cinnamon leaf oil is used in processed meats, condiments and also in bakery items. Oil from the bark is used in the manufacture of perfume. The cinnamic aldehyde and/or eugenol present are both antifungal agents. Cinnamon is a stimulant, astringent and carminative, used as an antidote for diarrhoea and stomach upsets.
Nutmeg
History reveals the use of nutmeg in the first century AD. Nutmeg is the hard kernel of the seed of an evergreen tree, native to Moluccas. Mace is the lacy growth known as the aril, surrounds the seed. Nutmeg had long been used in India, unknown to ancient civilization of the west.
The spice became popular in the kitchen when the Portuguese developed trade in Spice Island, in 16th century. Nutmeg became important as medicine and spice and by the 18th century, people carried nutmeg as a personal belonging. Cultivation of this species is only possible in warm humid climates with temperatures not less than 55°F. These spices are similar in aroma and taste, but mace is more refined. These are used in both savory and sweet dishes. Nutmeg has a warm flavor and affinity for rich foods. In Italy, it is used for filling pastas. In India these are used mainly in Moghul dishes. Arabs add it to Mutton and Lamb. Europeans use it extensively in sweet and savory dishes. Dutch recipes include nutmeg as a seasoning agent. In Indonesia, flesh of the fruit is used to make sweet meat.
Medicinal Value: It is used to relieve bronchial disorders, rheumatism and flatulence as treatment for digestive, liver and skin complaints. It is also used in perfumery, soaps and shampoos.
Clove
Small, reddish-brown flower bud of the tropical evergreen tree Syzygium aromaticum (sometimes Eugenia caryophyllata) of the family Myrtaceae, important in the earliest spice trade and believed indigenous to the Moluccas, or Spice Islands, of Indonesia.
Strong of aroma and hot and pungent in taste, cloves are used to flavour many foods, particularly meats and bakery products; in Europe and the United States. As early as 200 BC, envoys from Java to the Han-dynasty court of China brought cloves that were customarily held in the mouth to perfume the breath during audiences with the emperor. During the late Middle Ages, cloves were used in Europe to preserve, flavour, and garnish food. Clove cultivation was almost entirely confined to Indonesia, and in the early 17th century the Dutch eradicated cloves on all islands except Amboina and Ternate in order to create scarcity and sustain high prices. In the latter half of the 18th century the French smuggled cloves from the East Indies to Indian Ocean islands and the New World, breaking the Dutch monopoly.
The clove tree is an evergeen that grows to about 25 to 40 feet (8 to 12 m) in height. Its gland-dotted leavesspices kerala spices india are small, simple, and opposite. The trees are usually propagated from seeds that are planted in shaded areas. Flowering begins about the fifth year; a tree may annually yield up to 75 pounds (34 kg) of dried buds. The buds are hand-picked in late summer and again in winter and are then sun-dried. The island of Zanzibar, which is part of Tanzania, is the world's largest producer of cloves. Madagascar and Indonesia are smaller producers.
Cloves vary in length from about 1/2 to 3/4 inch (13 to 19 mm). They contain 14 to 20 percent essential oil, the principal component of which is the aromatic oil eugenol. Cloves are strongly pungent owing to eugenol, which is extracted by distillation to yield oil of cloves. This oil is used to prepare microscopic slides for viewing and is also a local anesthetic for toothaches. Eugenol is used in germicides, perfumes, and mouthwashes, in the synthesis of vanillin, and as a sweetener or intensifier.
History
Until modern times, cloves grew only on a few islands in the Maluku Islands (Historically called the Spice Islands), including Bacan, Makian, Moti, Ternate, and Tidore. Nevertheless, they found their way west to the Middle East and Europe well before the time of Christ. Archeologists found cloves within a ceramic vessel in Syria along with evidence dating the find to within a few years of 1721 BC.
Cloves were traded by Arabs during the Middle Ages in the profitable Indian Ocean trade. In the late 15th century, Portugal took over the Indian Ocean trade, including cloves, due to the Treaty of Tordesillas with Spain and a separate treaty with the sultan of Ternate. The Portuguese brought large quantities of cloves to Europe, mainly from the Maluku Islands. Clove was then one of the most valuable spices, a kg costing around 7 g of gold.
Pepper
Indigenous to India, pepper, rightly called the King of Spices, is one of the oldest and best-known spices in thePepper - Spices Keralaworld. India has always reigned supreme in the production and export of this most exotic and sought-after spice.
Indian pepper had a profound influence on the European economy of the Middle Ages. Many western countries owed their prosperity to this spice which fetched them a very high price. 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 flavor-full 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 standards.
Coffee
Although Brazil commands the Top Spot for Coffee globally, India has been a major player in this commodity.
India Monsoon Malabarspices kerala spices india Monsoon Malabar is a unique coffee grown at 1,000 to 2,000 meters above sea level.
It is a significantly larger arabica bean named for the region and its rainy season which contributes to the beans' higher moisture content. To create a "monsooned" crop, the green coffee is warehoused in an open structure protected from rain while moist tropical air blows through the storage area. In a 2 to 3 month period, the beans absorb moisture, losing a degree of natural acidity and at roast time, a richer yet mellower beverage results. The Malabar Coast: the Arabian Ocean: the West facing slopes of India’s Ghat Mountains: these things supply ideal coffee growing conditions to the region centered in Karnakata (formerly Mysore). A mineral-rich volcanic soil, suitable altitudes, good rainfall and temperature variations make for the winning team that coffee needs here. Shade growth and one-thousand meter altitude means longer growing periods and slow ripening. The coffee cherry, as a result, is richer in taste and higher in sugar content.
Tea
High in the Himalayan "Blue" Mountains tea pickers are hard at work . They pluck only young and the most flavorful leaves. The best Assam teas are grown in high altitudes with clouds comforting the tea plant and moisturizing it's leaves. Although tea plants flourish in tropical climate cool mountain air and shade from clouds produce the highest quality teas.
At this point tea is purchspices kerala spices indiaased by brokers, packaged and labeled with various brand names. Single estate teas (unblended) are gaining popularity and becoming the teas of choice among tea connoisseurs. Some of the tea estates are producing organic teas. This means that there are no chemical pesticides or fertilizers used in growing the tea. Estates in Darjeeling, India produce teas known as "Darjeeling Teas" also called" Champagne Teas "with aroma resembling Muskat grapes. Tastes vary from malty / complex to bright / simple.
Curry Leaf
Curry leaf tree is a small deciduous tree. Most Indian cuisine cannot do without the subtle flavouring of this highly aromatic leafy spice. Curry leaf grows profusely throughout mainland. It is commonly found in forests as a gregarious undergrowth along the foot of the Himalayas, from the
Ravi to Sikkim and Assam, besides Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Kerala, Karnataka, Orissa and Andhra Pradesh.
The trees are also now maintained in homestead gardens, as in Kerala, or on leaf farms as in Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Orissa. The western world is fast taking enthusiastically to Indian curry leaf, especially those who prefer their food to be tangy without being too hot.
Indigenous to India, galanga shows exuberant growth and fine health along the eastern Himalayas and in south-west India. India exports several varieties of galanga in different forms. However, its volatile oil attracts more international interest because of its high medicinal value.
Cashew
The specifications below follow the specifications of the Cashew Export Promotion Council of India. Our products are normally ffered by importers to their customers as the commodity grade entioned, with the suffix "Top quality Indian Shipper", or "Group Shipper".
We have a consistent record of not taking liberties with subjective interpretations and tolerances and a control system to ensure that we surpass expectations of fair average quality (FAQ). We also work our production schedules around our shipping schedules to deliver on time.
Turmeric
The dried rhizome of a herbaceous plant, turmeric is closely related to ginger. The spice is also sometimes called 'Indian saffron' thanks to its brilliant yellow colour. Indian turmeric has been known to the world since ancient times.
Several unique properties of Indian turmeric make it the ideal choice as a food flavour, an effective ingredient in medicines and cosmetics, and as a natural colourant. With its rich curcumin content, which imparts the distinctive yellow colour, and other inherent qualities, Indian turmeric is considered the best in the world. India is today the largest exporter of turmeric to discerning countries like the Middle East, the UK, USA and Japan. India also exports turmeric in powder form and as oleoresin.
Vanilla
Vanilla is a climbing orchid cultivated for its pleasant flavour. It is one of the few contributions of the westernspices kerala spices india hemisphere to the world of spices. Over 50 species described, only three are important species as
sources of natural vanillin, whichare Vanilla planifollia Andrews, Vanilla pompona Shiede and Vanilla tahitensis J.W. Moore.
These, Vanilla planifollia is the most preferred and commercially cultivated. Pods (beans) are subjected to curing process to produce the spices kerala spices india characteristic aroma. The substance chiefly responsible for the unique fragrance and flavour of the vanilla bean is vanillin(C8 H8 03).
Among the food flavors, vanilla has a prime position. Vanilla essence is largely used in foods in the preparation of ice creams, chocolates, bakery products, puddings, pharmaceuticals, liquors and perfumes. Vanilla is the second most expensive spice traded in the world market.
The vanilla flavour industry was based on the processed beans of the vanilla plants. With the advent of chemical technology to produce vanillin/ ethyl vanillin, these synthetic substitutes have taken over the use of vanilla beans. However, natural vanillin is still the most preferred food flavor.
Koova (Arrowroot)
Koova, commonly called arrowroot is a group of ginger like plants with sizes ranging from less than two feet to six feet and color from white to dark purple. The underground stem of the plant is the usable part, which yields flour. The rhizome is also eaten boiled. Flouring is necessary for better preservation and for making different culinary items like biscuits.
The cultivation of this crop is largely on decline in the state.
Medicinal use
It has medicinal properties and is used in curing disorders to stomach.
Tamarind
The fruit of a tropical tree, tamarind is an indispensable spice in most south Indian kitchens. Today, India is the only producer of tamarind on a commercial scale. A large part of India's production of tamarind is exported to West
Asia, Europe and America, where it is used in such food specialties like Worcestershire sauce. This spice also comes in the forms of pulp and juice concentrates which mainly go into the preparation of cool drinks, sea foods and a range of sophisticated cuisine.
Tamarindus (Tamarindus indica) is an evergreen tree, of the pea family native to tropical Africa. It is widely cultivated in other regions as an ornamental and for its edible fruit. The word tamarind literally means ‘date of India’. Tamarind, a native of East Africa, is now grown extensively in India, South East Asia and the West Indies.
Medicinal and other use
Tamarind is a good laxative and an antiseptic. It is used for tummy upsets and for the treatment of ulcers. Over-ripe fruits can be used to clean copper and brass.
Chilly
Chilly is the universal spice of India. Chilly is nature's wonder. Its fruit appears in different sizes, shapes and colour. The fruit size of some varieties is more than hundred times that of others. The shape may be elongated or round and distal pointed, blunt or sucked in. Corrugated, leathery or smooth maybe the touch on outer skin. It may look like a bird's eye or a small orange fruit. Colour varies from blue, green, orange, red, yellow, violet, cream white to near black rich in vitamins A and C.
Chilly has two important commercial qualities. If some varieties are famous for red colour because of the pigment capsanthin, others are known for biting pungency attributed by capsaicin. India is the only country rich in many varieties with different quality factors.
Aroma and flavour
The pungency for the red peppers and the colour value for the paprikas are the most important parameters. Hot peppers, used as relishes, pickled or ground into a fine powder for use as spices, derive their pungency from the compound capsaicin (8-methyl-N-vanillyl-6-enamide), a substance characterized by acrid and burning taste, that is located in the internal partitions of the fruit. First isolated in 1876, capsaicin stimulates gastric secretions and, if used in excess, causes inflammation. It is a tasteless, odourless white crystalline substance. Its level varies widely in capsicum peppers, from less than 0.05% in the mildly pungent types to as high as 1.3% in the hottest chillies. The pungency level is usually represented in Scoville heat values. Pungency levels vary in the same variety, by geographical region, and in maturity levels. Volatile oil content is low in all capscicums. The pigment responsible for the colour in paprikas is capxanthin, a carotenoid. Other carotenoids present are capsorubin, zeaxanthin, lutein, kryptoxanthin and alpha and beta-carotene. The pigment content increases as the fruit ripens and continues after maturity.The extractable colour of parika is usually expressed in ASTA colour value or in Colour Units, which are 40 times the ASTA colour.
Other use
Chilli pepper is used primarily in the manufacture of chilli powders. Cayenne pepper is a very fine ground powder from the C.frutescens variety. It is widely used as a seasoning and it is also added to some curries. Chilli powder of chili pepper is the dried ground product of the milder peppers. It is a blended product of different chilies to get the exact flavour profile and colour desired. Chilli peppers are often caramelized to get a burnt flavour note and a surface browned colour. Common heat values for chilli peppers are mild, about 100 Scoville heat units. Tabasco sauce or chilli sauce is a North American seasoning made from extremely hot Tabasco or cone chillies, which are mixed with vinegar and then matured in white oak casks for several years. It is widely used in small quantities as a general seasoning. Chilli is also used as a paste and in crushed form in several dishes.
Cultivation
Pepper plants are treated as tender summer annuals outside their native habitat. They are propagated by planting seed directly in the field or by transplanting seedlings started in green houses or hotbeds after 6-10 weeks. Green chillies are immature fruits and red chillies have been allowed to ripen for a further 4 weeks
Cardamom or Elettaria Cardamomum Maton, rightly called as Queen of Spices is one of the most exotic and highly prizCardamom plant - Spices Keralaed spices. Indian cardamom has a history as old as human civilization. The dried fruit of a herbaceous perennial, cardamom is grown mainly in Kerala on the shady slopes of the western Ghats.
Warm humid climate, loamy soil rich in organic matter, distributed rainfall and special cultivation and processing methods all combine to make Indian cardamom truly unique in aroma, flavor, size and color tempting parrot-green. Indian cardamom is offered to the international markets in different grades: 'Alleppey Green Extra Bold', 'Alleppey Green Bold' and 'Alleppey Green Superior'are names that register instant appeal worldwide. Cardamom oil is a precious ingredient in food preparations, perfumery, health foods medicines and beverages. India, a traditional exporter of cardamom to the Middle East countries where it goes mostly into the preparation of 'Gahwa' - a strong cardamom - coffee concoction without which no day is complete or no hospitality hearty for an Arab. Indian cardamom enjoys a premium preference in the Middle East, by Japanese and Russians who relish it for its distinct enriching properties. This Queen of Spices is from the High Ranges of Kerala.
Aroma and flavour
The cardamom seeds have a warm, slightly pungent and highly aromatic flavour. They are popular seasoning in Oriental dishes, particularly curries and in Scandinavian pasteries. In Middle East countries it is used mostly in the preparation of 'Gahwa', a strong cardamom-coffee concoction.
Medicinal and other use
The cardamom oil is a precious ingredient in food preparations, perfumery, health foods, medicine and beverages. A good portion is consumed for chewing or as a masticatory item. In medicine, it is used as powerful aromatic, stimulant, carminative, stomachic and diuretic, but rarely used alone. It also checks nausea and vomiting, helps in combating digestive ailments. Herbal lores on this spice suggest it can be used to freshen your breath and support smooth digestion.
Ginger
Ginger (Zinngiber Officianale Rosc), is one of the earliest Oriental spices known in Europe, ginger has beenspices kerala spices india cultivated in India both as a fresh vegetable and marketed as a dried spice since time immemorial. The fresh, dried or powdered rhizome of a slender, perennial herb, Indian ginger has been acclaimed worldwide for its characteristic taste, flavor & texture.
Ginger has always meant many things to many people. A taste- maker. A flavorant. An appetizer. A drug. Though grown all over India, the finest quality ginger comes from Kerala endowed as it is with a congenial climate and a rich earthy soil. Indian dry ginger is known in the world market as 'Cochin Ginger' & 'Calicut Ginger'. India offers ginger in a variety of forms; oils, oleoresins, fresh ginger in brine, pickles, candies and syrups. It also comes in garbled/ungarbled, bleached/unbleached and powder forms. India has a predominant position in ginger production and export.
Aroma and flavour
Raw turmeric rhizomes have to be cured for both colour and aroma. For this, the fingers and bulbs are boiled separately in water for 30 to 45 minutes until the rhizomes are soft. This procedure gets rid of the ‘raw’ colour, reduces drying time, gelatinises the starch and gives the turmeric a more uniform colour. Water is then drained and the turmeric sun dried for 10-15 days until they become dry and hard. For imparting orange yellow colour, the rhizomes are boiled in lime water or sodium bicarbonate solution. The dried produce is cleaned and polished mechanically in a drum rotated by hand or by power.
Turmeric oleoresin is obtained by solvent extraction of the ground spice. It is orange-red in colour and consists of colouring matter, volatile oil, fatty oils and bitter principles. The volatile oil gives the turmeric its characteristic flavour. The important quality attributes of turmeric are size, physical form, colour, curcumin content, maturity, weight or bulk density, length and thickness, intensity of colour of the core and aroma.
Medicinal and other use
Traditionally Turmeric is being used in Indian System of medicine. It has several medicinal properties like stomachic, carnivative, tonic, blood purifier, vermicide and antiseptic. The active constituent of turmeric, curcumin, has been shown to have a wide range of therapeutic effects. Because it is a strong antioxidant, it protects against free radical damage. Curcumin has also been shown to have a marked anti-inflammatory effect. It accomplishes this by reducing histamine levels and possibly by increasing production of natural cortisone by the adrenal glands. Curcumin also protects the liver from a number of toxic compounds. It has also been shown to reduce platelets from clumping together, which improves circulation and helps protect against atherosclerosis. There are numerous studies showing cancer-preventing effect of curcumin; which may be due to its powerful antioxidant activity in the body. Anticancer properties of turmeric are recently reported.
Turmeric has a major role in Cosmetics also. It is an inexpensive and indigeneous beauty aid. Considerable quantities of turmeric are converted as ‘kumkum’ used for tilak by Indians. Smearing with turmeric paste cleans skin and beautifies it. Its antiseptic and healing properties prevent and cure pimples.
Cinnamon
The spice is light brown in colour and has a delicately fragrant aroma and warm, sweet flavour. Cinnamon was once more valuable than gold. In Egypt it was sought for embalming and witchcraft; in medieval Europe for religious rites and as a flavouring.
Later it was the most profitable spice in the Dutch East India Company trade. In modern times, cinnamon is used to flavour a variety of foods, from confections to curries; in Europe and the United States it is especially popular in bakery goods. The Sri Lanka cultivator harvests his main crop in the wet season, cutting the shoots close to the ground. In processing, the shoots are first scraped with a semicircular blade, then rubbed with a brass rod to loosen the bark, which is split with a knife and peeled. The peels are telescoped one into another forming a quill about 107 cm (42 inches) long and filled with trimmings of the same quality bark to maintain the cylindrical shape. After four or five days of drying, the quills are rolled on a board to tighten the filling and then placed in subdued sunlight for further drying. Finally, they are bleached with sulfur dioxide and sorted into grades. Cinnamon contains from 0.5 to 1 percent essential oil, the principal component of which is cinnamic aldehyde. The oil is distilled from the fragments for use in food, liqueur, perfume, and drugs. The aldehyde can also be synthesized.
Aroma and flavour
Cinnamon contains from 0.5 to 1 present essential oil, the principal component of which is cinnamic aldehyde (about 60%). Other components are eugenol, eugenol acetate, and small amounts of aldehydes, ketones, alcohols, esters and terpenes. The oil is distilled from fragments for use in food, liqueur, perfume and drugs. The aldehyde can also be synthesized. Cinnamon leaf oil is unique in that it contains eugenol as its major constituent (70-90%).
Medicinal and Other use
Now a days, Cinnamon is used to flavour a variety of foods, from confections to curries; in Europe and the USA it is especially popular in bakery goods. The stick cinnamon is added whole to casseroles, rice dishes, mulled wines and punches, and to syrups for poaching fruit. The chips are also used in tea infusions or spiced cider blends. Ground cinnamon is used in baked goods like cakes, pasteries and biscuits. Cinnamon leaf oil is used in processed meats, condiments and also in bakery items. Oil from the bark is used in the manufacture of perfume. The cinnamic aldehyde and/or eugenol present are both antifungal agents. Cinnamon is a stimulant, astringent and carminative, used as an antidote for diarrhoea and stomach upsets.
Nutmeg
History reveals the use of nutmeg in the first century AD. Nutmeg is the hard kernel of the seed of an evergreen tree, native to Moluccas. Mace is the lacy growth known as the aril, surrounds the seed. Nutmeg had long been used in India, unknown to ancient civilization of the west.
The spice became popular in the kitchen when the Portuguese developed trade in Spice Island, in 16th century. Nutmeg became important as medicine and spice and by the 18th century, people carried nutmeg as a personal belonging. Cultivation of this species is only possible in warm humid climates with temperatures not less than 55°F. These spices are similar in aroma and taste, but mace is more refined. These are used in both savory and sweet dishes. Nutmeg has a warm flavor and affinity for rich foods. In Italy, it is used for filling pastas. In India these are used mainly in Moghul dishes. Arabs add it to Mutton and Lamb. Europeans use it extensively in sweet and savory dishes. Dutch recipes include nutmeg as a seasoning agent. In Indonesia, flesh of the fruit is used to make sweet meat.
Medicinal Value: It is used to relieve bronchial disorders, rheumatism and flatulence as treatment for digestive, liver and skin complaints. It is also used in perfumery, soaps and shampoos.
Clove
Small, reddish-brown flower bud of the tropical evergreen tree Syzygium aromaticum (sometimes Eugenia caryophyllata) of the family Myrtaceae, important in the earliest spice trade and believed indigenous to the Moluccas, or Spice Islands, of Indonesia.
Strong of aroma and hot and pungent in taste, cloves are used to flavour many foods, particularly meats and bakery products; in Europe and the United States. As early as 200 BC, envoys from Java to the Han-dynasty court of China brought cloves that were customarily held in the mouth to perfume the breath during audiences with the emperor. During the late Middle Ages, cloves were used in Europe to preserve, flavour, and garnish food. Clove cultivation was almost entirely confined to Indonesia, and in the early 17th century the Dutch eradicated cloves on all islands except Amboina and Ternate in order to create scarcity and sustain high prices. In the latter half of the 18th century the French smuggled cloves from the East Indies to Indian Ocean islands and the New World, breaking the Dutch monopoly.
The clove tree is an evergeen that grows to about 25 to 40 feet (8 to 12 m) in height. Its gland-dotted leavesspices kerala spices india are small, simple, and opposite. The trees are usually propagated from seeds that are planted in shaded areas. Flowering begins about the fifth year; a tree may annually yield up to 75 pounds (34 kg) of dried buds. The buds are hand-picked in late summer and again in winter and are then sun-dried. The island of Zanzibar, which is part of Tanzania, is the world's largest producer of cloves. Madagascar and Indonesia are smaller producers.
Cloves vary in length from about 1/2 to 3/4 inch (13 to 19 mm). They contain 14 to 20 percent essential oil, the principal component of which is the aromatic oil eugenol. Cloves are strongly pungent owing to eugenol, which is extracted by distillation to yield oil of cloves. This oil is used to prepare microscopic slides for viewing and is also a local anesthetic for toothaches. Eugenol is used in germicides, perfumes, and mouthwashes, in the synthesis of vanillin, and as a sweetener or intensifier.
History
Until modern times, cloves grew only on a few islands in the Maluku Islands (Historically called the Spice Islands), including Bacan, Makian, Moti, Ternate, and Tidore. Nevertheless, they found their way west to the Middle East and Europe well before the time of Christ. Archeologists found cloves within a ceramic vessel in Syria along with evidence dating the find to within a few years of 1721 BC.
Cloves were traded by Arabs during the Middle Ages in the profitable Indian Ocean trade. In the late 15th century, Portugal took over the Indian Ocean trade, including cloves, due to the Treaty of Tordesillas with Spain and a separate treaty with the sultan of Ternate. The Portuguese brought large quantities of cloves to Europe, mainly from the Maluku Islands. Clove was then one of the most valuable spices, a kg costing around 7 g of gold.
Pepper
Indigenous to India, pepper, rightly called the King of Spices, is one of the oldest and best-known spices in thePepper - Spices Keralaworld. India has always reigned supreme in the production and export of this most exotic and sought-after spice.
Indian pepper had a profound influence on the European economy of the Middle Ages. Many western countries owed their prosperity to this spice which fetched them a very high price. 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 flavor-full 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 standards.
Coffee
Although Brazil commands the Top Spot for Coffee globally, India has been a major player in this commodity.
India Monsoon Malabarspices kerala spices india Monsoon Malabar is a unique coffee grown at 1,000 to 2,000 meters above sea level.
It is a significantly larger arabica bean named for the region and its rainy season which contributes to the beans' higher moisture content. To create a "monsooned" crop, the green coffee is warehoused in an open structure protected from rain while moist tropical air blows through the storage area. In a 2 to 3 month period, the beans absorb moisture, losing a degree of natural acidity and at roast time, a richer yet mellower beverage results. The Malabar Coast: the Arabian Ocean: the West facing slopes of India’s Ghat Mountains: these things supply ideal coffee growing conditions to the region centered in Karnakata (formerly Mysore). A mineral-rich volcanic soil, suitable altitudes, good rainfall and temperature variations make for the winning team that coffee needs here. Shade growth and one-thousand meter altitude means longer growing periods and slow ripening. The coffee cherry, as a result, is richer in taste and higher in sugar content.
Tea
High in the Himalayan "Blue" Mountains tea pickers are hard at work . They pluck only young and the most flavorful leaves. The best Assam teas are grown in high altitudes with clouds comforting the tea plant and moisturizing it's leaves. Although tea plants flourish in tropical climate cool mountain air and shade from clouds produce the highest quality teas.
At this point tea is purchspices kerala spices indiaased by brokers, packaged and labeled with various brand names. Single estate teas (unblended) are gaining popularity and becoming the teas of choice among tea connoisseurs. Some of the tea estates are producing organic teas. This means that there are no chemical pesticides or fertilizers used in growing the tea. Estates in Darjeeling, India produce teas known as "Darjeeling Teas" also called" Champagne Teas "with aroma resembling Muskat grapes. Tastes vary from malty / complex to bright / simple.
Curry Leaf
Curry leaf tree is a small deciduous tree. Most Indian cuisine cannot do without the subtle flavouring of this highly aromatic leafy spice. Curry leaf grows profusely throughout mainland. It is commonly found in forests as a gregarious undergrowth along the foot of the Himalayas, from the
Ravi to Sikkim and Assam, besides Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Kerala, Karnataka, Orissa and Andhra Pradesh.
The trees are also now maintained in homestead gardens, as in Kerala, or on leaf farms as in Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Orissa. The western world is fast taking enthusiastically to Indian curry leaf, especially those who prefer their food to be tangy without being too hot.
Indigenous to India, galanga shows exuberant growth and fine health along the eastern Himalayas and in south-west India. India exports several varieties of galanga in different forms. However, its volatile oil attracts more international interest because of its high medicinal value.
Cashew
The specifications below follow the specifications of the Cashew Export Promotion Council of India. Our products are normally ffered by importers to their customers as the commodity grade entioned, with the suffix "Top quality Indian Shipper", or "Group Shipper".
We have a consistent record of not taking liberties with subjective interpretations and tolerances and a control system to ensure that we surpass expectations of fair average quality (FAQ). We also work our production schedules around our shipping schedules to deliver on time.
Turmeric
The dried rhizome of a herbaceous plant, turmeric is closely related to ginger. The spice is also sometimes called 'Indian saffron' thanks to its brilliant yellow colour. Indian turmeric has been known to the world since ancient times.
Several unique properties of Indian turmeric make it the ideal choice as a food flavour, an effective ingredient in medicines and cosmetics, and as a natural colourant. With its rich curcumin content, which imparts the distinctive yellow colour, and other inherent qualities, Indian turmeric is considered the best in the world. India is today the largest exporter of turmeric to discerning countries like the Middle East, the UK, USA and Japan. India also exports turmeric in powder form and as oleoresin.
Vanilla
Vanilla is a climbing orchid cultivated for its pleasant flavour. It is one of the few contributions of the westernspices kerala spices india hemisphere to the world of spices. Over 50 species described, only three are important species as
sources of natural vanillin, whichare Vanilla planifollia Andrews, Vanilla pompona Shiede and Vanilla tahitensis J.W. Moore.
These, Vanilla planifollia is the most preferred and commercially cultivated. Pods (beans) are subjected to curing process to produce the spices kerala spices india characteristic aroma. The substance chiefly responsible for the unique fragrance and flavour of the vanilla bean is vanillin(C8 H8 03).
Among the food flavors, vanilla has a prime position. Vanilla essence is largely used in foods in the preparation of ice creams, chocolates, bakery products, puddings, pharmaceuticals, liquors and perfumes. Vanilla is the second most expensive spice traded in the world market.
The vanilla flavour industry was based on the processed beans of the vanilla plants. With the advent of chemical technology to produce vanillin/ ethyl vanillin, these synthetic substitutes have taken over the use of vanilla beans. However, natural vanillin is still the most preferred food flavor.
Koova (Arrowroot)
Koova, commonly called arrowroot is a group of ginger like plants with sizes ranging from less than two feet to six feet and color from white to dark purple. The underground stem of the plant is the usable part, which yields flour. The rhizome is also eaten boiled. Flouring is necessary for better preservation and for making different culinary items like biscuits.
The cultivation of this crop is largely on decline in the state.
Medicinal use
It has medicinal properties and is used in curing disorders to stomach.
Tamarind
The fruit of a tropical tree, tamarind is an indispensable spice in most south Indian kitchens. Today, India is the only producer of tamarind on a commercial scale. A large part of India's production of tamarind is exported to West
Asia, Europe and America, where it is used in such food specialties like Worcestershire sauce. This spice also comes in the forms of pulp and juice concentrates which mainly go into the preparation of cool drinks, sea foods and a range of sophisticated cuisine.
Tamarindus (Tamarindus indica) is an evergreen tree, of the pea family native to tropical Africa. It is widely cultivated in other regions as an ornamental and for its edible fruit. The word tamarind literally means ‘date of India’. Tamarind, a native of East Africa, is now grown extensively in India, South East Asia and the West Indies.
Medicinal and other use
Tamarind is a good laxative and an antiseptic. It is used for tummy upsets and for the treatment of ulcers. Over-ripe fruits can be used to clean copper and brass.
Chilly
Chilly is the universal spice of India. Chilly is nature's wonder. Its fruit appears in different sizes, shapes and colour. The fruit size of some varieties is more than hundred times that of others. The shape may be elongated or round and distal pointed, blunt or sucked in. Corrugated, leathery or smooth maybe the touch on outer skin. It may look like a bird's eye or a small orange fruit. Colour varies from blue, green, orange, red, yellow, violet, cream white to near black rich in vitamins A and C.
Chilly has two important commercial qualities. If some varieties are famous for red colour because of the pigment capsanthin, others are known for biting pungency attributed by capsaicin. India is the only country rich in many varieties with different quality factors.
Aroma and flavour
The pungency for the red peppers and the colour value for the paprikas are the most important parameters. Hot peppers, used as relishes, pickled or ground into a fine powder for use as spices, derive their pungency from the compound capsaicin (8-methyl-N-vanillyl-6-enamide), a substance characterized by acrid and burning taste, that is located in the internal partitions of the fruit. First isolated in 1876, capsaicin stimulates gastric secretions and, if used in excess, causes inflammation. It is a tasteless, odourless white crystalline substance. Its level varies widely in capsicum peppers, from less than 0.05% in the mildly pungent types to as high as 1.3% in the hottest chillies. The pungency level is usually represented in Scoville heat values. Pungency levels vary in the same variety, by geographical region, and in maturity levels. Volatile oil content is low in all capscicums. The pigment responsible for the colour in paprikas is capxanthin, a carotenoid. Other carotenoids present are capsorubin, zeaxanthin, lutein, kryptoxanthin and alpha and beta-carotene. The pigment content increases as the fruit ripens and continues after maturity.The extractable colour of parika is usually expressed in ASTA colour value or in Colour Units, which are 40 times the ASTA colour.
Other use
Chilli pepper is used primarily in the manufacture of chilli powders. Cayenne pepper is a very fine ground powder from the C.frutescens variety. It is widely used as a seasoning and it is also added to some curries. Chilli powder of chili pepper is the dried ground product of the milder peppers. It is a blended product of different chilies to get the exact flavour profile and colour desired. Chilli peppers are often caramelized to get a burnt flavour note and a surface browned colour. Common heat values for chilli peppers are mild, about 100 Scoville heat units. Tabasco sauce or chilli sauce is a North American seasoning made from extremely hot Tabasco or cone chillies, which are mixed with vinegar and then matured in white oak casks for several years. It is widely used in small quantities as a general seasoning. Chilli is also used as a paste and in crushed form in several dishes.
Cultivation
Pepper plants are treated as tender summer annuals outside their native habitat. They are propagated by planting seed directly in the field or by transplanting seedlings started in green houses or hotbeds after 6-10 weeks. Green chillies are immature fruits and red chillies have been allowed to ripen for a further 4 weeks