Specialities

CARDAMOM

CARDAMOM, ELLETARIA CARDAMOMUM, IS AN HERBACEOUS PARENNIAL IN THE FAMILY ZINGIBERACEAE GROWN FOR FRUITS WHICH ARE USED AS A SPICE . CARDAMOM IS CLIMPING PLANT WITH BETWEEN 10 AND 20 LEAFY SHOOTS ARISING FROM THE RHIZOME. THE SHOOTS ARE ACTUALLY PSEUDOSTEMS COMPOSED OF OVERLAPPING LEAF SHEATHS. THERE ARE SEVERAL ADDITIONAL FLOWERING SHOOTS. THE LEAVES ARE LANCEOLATE AND DARK GREEN IN COLOUR.THE PLANT PRODUCING FLOWERS ON A LONG DROOPING PANNICLR AND A CAPSULE LIKE FRUIT WHICH IS TRIANGULAR IN CROSS SECTION AND INITIALLY PLATE GREEN OR YELLOW IN COLOUR BUT DRIES IN BRWN. THE FRUIT CONTAINS 15- 20 SMALL AROMATIC SEEDS. CARDAMOM CAN REACH A HEIGHT OF 5 M( 16.4 FT) AND HAS AN ECONOMIC LIFESPAN OF 10-15 YEARS. CARDAMOM MAY ALSO BE REFFERED TO AS GREEN CARDAMOM, BLACK CARDAMOM, BROWN CARDAMOM, RED CARDAMOM OR WHITE CARDAMOM AND ORIGINATE FROM SOUTHERN INDIA AND SRI LANKA.




Pepper

PEPPER FLOURISHES WELL IN HOT AND HUMID CLIMATE ALONG WITH GOOD RAIN. SOUTHERN INDIA AND VIETNAM FAVOURS PEPPER PRODUCTION VERY WELL. THIS IS THE REASON THAT 95% OF THE WORLD PEPPER GROWS IN THESE COUNTRIES. INDONESIA, MALAYSIA, BRAZIL, VIETNAM AND SRI LANKA ARE ALSO OTHER MAJOR PEPPER PRODUCING COUNTRIES. IN INDIA, KERALA IS THE HOME OF PEPPER PRODUCTION FOLLOWED BY KARNATAKA AND MAHARASHTRA. THE US AND EUROPEAN COUNTRIES DEMAND THE MAJOR SHARE OF PRODUCTION. PEPPER OR BLACK PEPPER IS THE DRIED UNRIPE FRUIT GROWN IN THE PLANT CALLED PIPER NIGRUM. IT'S PUNGENT SMELL, PEPPERY/HOT TASTE AND HEALTH FRIENDLY PROPERTIES MAKE PEPPER A FAVOURITE SPICE ALL OVER THE WORLD AND IT IS COMMONLYUSED IN ALL CUISINES.




Tea

TEA IS AN AROMATIC BEVERAGE PREPARED BY POURING HOT OR BOILING WATER OVER CURED OR FRESH LEAVES OF CAMELLIA SINENSIS, AN EVERGREEN SHRUB NATIVE TO CHINA AND EAST ASIA.[3] AFTER WATER, IT IS THE MOST WIDELY CONSUMED DRINK IN THE WORLD.[4] THERE ARE MANY DIFFERENT TYPES OF TEA; SOME, LIKE CHINESE GREENS AND DARJEELING, HAVE A COOLING, SLIGHTLY BITTER, AND ASTRINGENT FLAVOUR,[5] WHILE OTHERS HAVE VASTLY DIFFERENT PROFILES THAT INCLUDE SWEET, NUTTY, FLORAL, OR GRASSY NOTES. TEA HAS A STIMULATING EFFECT IN HUMANS PRIMARILY DUE TO ITS CAFFEINE CONTENT.[6] THE TEA PLANT ORIGINATED IN THE REGION ENCOMPASSING TODAY'S SOUTHWEST CHINA, TIBET, NORTH MYANMAR AND NORTHEAST INDIA, WHERE IT WAS USED AS A MEDICINAL DRINK BY VARIOUS ETHNIC GROUPS. AN EARLY CREDIBLE RECORD OF TEA DRINKING DATES TO THE 3RD CENTURY AD, IN A MEDICAL TEXT WRITTEN BY HUA TUO.[9] IT WAS POPULARISED AS A RECREATIONAL DRINK DURING THE CHINESE TANG DYNASTY, AND TEA DRINKING SPREAD TO OTHER EAST ASIAN COUNTRIES. PORTUGUESE PRIESTS AND MERCHANTS INTRODUCED IT TO EUROPE DURING THE 16TH CENTURY.[10] DURING THE 17TH CENTURY, DRINKING TEA BECAME FASHIONABLE AMONG THE ENGLISH, WHO STARTED TO PLANT TEA ON A LARGE SCALE IN INDIA.