Apple cider vinegar commonly known as cider vinegar or ACV is a type of vinegar made from cider or apple must and has a pale to medium amber color. Unpasteurized or organic ACV contains mother of vinegar, which has a cobweb-like appearance and can make the vinegar look slightly congealed. Apple cider vinegar is normally made by crushing apples and squeezing out the liquid. After that bacteria and yeast are added to the liquid to start the alcoholic fermentation process, and the sugars are turned into alcohol. In a second fermentation process, the alcohol is converted into vinegar by acetic…
Author: Sylvia
Elaeocarpus ganitrus commonly known as Rudraksha belongs to the Elaeocarpaceae family and grows in the Himalayan region. In Sanskrit Rudraksha means Rudra’s (Shiva’s) teardrop. It grows in the area from the Gangetic plain in the foothills of the Himalayas to Southeast Asia, Nepal, Indonesia, New Guinea to Australia, Guam, and Hawaii. It is a seed traditionally used for prayer beads in Hinduism. One Hindu myth says that once Lord Shiva opened his eyes after a long period yogic meditation and because of strong feelings he shed a tear. This single tear from Shiva’s eye grew into the Rudraksha tree. It…
Chrysopogon zizanioides, commonly known as vetiver, is a perennial grass that belongs to the Poaceae family, which is native to India. It is commonly known as Khus in Western and Northern India. Vetiver (Vetiveria zizanioides) which is derived from a Tamil word means “hatcheted up,” can normally grow up to 1.5 meters, and have tall stems and long, thin, and rigid leaves. Its flowers are brownish-purple. Vetiver hails from India but is extensively cultivated in the world’s tropical regions. Today it’s also widely produced in Haiti, Java, Japan, the Philippines, and Reunion. A fast-growing perennial can survive up to 50…
Butter us actually a solid dairy product which is made by whipping fresh or fermented cream or milk, to separate the butterfat from the buttermilk. It has special reference in the Ayurvedic medicines and known as “Navaneeta” in Sanskrit. Ayurveda uses butter both to maintain health and to treat diseases. Cows and buffalo are actually the most popular source of milk, but butter can be made from milk of other mammals like sheep, goats, camel etc. Salt such as dairy salt, flavorings and preservatives are occasionally added to butter. It is an excellent source of energy and calories, butter consists…
Eggs are a common food source and have been eaten by humans across the world for thousands of years. Eggs are reproductive shells laid by females of numerous species, including fish, reptiles, and, in terms of human nutrition, birds. While fish eggs are also consumed in a number of cultural dishes and national cuisines, bird eggs are the most commonly consumed variety of eggs by humans, and out of bird eggs, chicken eggs are by and large the most popular. It is an all-natural source of high quality protein and a number of other important nutrients. Apart from that it…
Cheese is nutritious food made mostly from the milk of cows but also other mammals, including sheep, goats, buffalo, reindeer, camels and yaks. The word cheese comes from Latin caseus, from which the modern word casein is also derived. The earliest source is from the proto-Indo-European root *kwat-, which means “to ferment, become sour”. Around 4000 years ago people have started to breed animals and process their milk. That’s when the cheese was born. There are about 4,000 different sorts of cheese worldwide, 1,000 of which come from France alone. It is no wonder that France has a per capita…
Zingiber spectabile commonly known as Beehive Ginger is a clumping herbaceous plant native to Peninsular Malaysia and Peninsular Thailand. The scientific name of the species, Zingiber spectabile, comes from two words. “Zingiber” is originally from a Sanskrit word that means “shaped like a horn” and refers to the horn-shaped leaves of most species of ginger. “Spectabile” is derived from the Latin spectabilis, meaning ‘visible’ or ‘spectacular’. Apart from beehive ginger it is also known as Black Gingerwort, Champagne Beehive, Malaysian Ginger, Nodding Ginger and Ginger wort. It is primarily grown in the West as an ornamental plant, although it has…
Justicia adhatoda is an herb, also commonly known as Malabar Nut in English, Adosa in Hindi and Vasaka in Sanskrit. It is a medicinal plant native to Asia widely used in Siddha Medicine, Ayurvedic, homeopathy and Unani systems of medicine. It is a small evergreen plant, of the Acanthaceae family that has been used in preparation of herbal medicines for the past 2000 years. The plant’s range includes Sri Lanka, Nepal, India, Pakistan, Indonesia, Malaysia, and China, as well as Panama where it is thought to have been introduced. Apart from Malabar nuts it is also known as adulsa, arusha,…
Calendula is a genus of perennial or annual plant in the sunflower family Asteraceae or Compositae. Daisies, chamomile, arnica and yarrow are the other members of the same family. The genus is native to Asia, Southern and Central Europe. It got naturalized in North Europe and warm regions. This genus is widely cultivated in cool climates as ornamental plants, used for culinary and medicinal purposes. It is commercially used to extract the essential oils. This plant reaches the height of between 1 to 2’. Other names of Calendula include Calendula, Garden-pot Marigold, Common marigold, Hen and chicks pot marigo, Pot…
Pangium edule commonly known as football Fruit, Sis Nut is a tall tree native to Malesia, Melanesia and Micronesia that produces a fruit with size and shape of a football and is member of Achariaceae family. Hence its names, football fruit, also known as pangi, kepayang and pakem. Its taste and odor have been compared to durian fruit. The seeds bark and leaves are poisonous. The seeds are used to kill rats and wild chickens, and the bark and leaves are used to stun fish so they can be scooped up easily. Plant Football fruit is a medium to large,…
Dovyalis hebecarpa, with common names Ceylon gooseberry, ketembilla, and kitambilla, is a plant in the genus Dovyalis, native to Sri Lanka and southern India. The fruit are often eaten fresh, or made into jam. Some cultivars have been selected for being thorn less (making harvesting easier) and for larger fruit. Apart from Ceylon gooseberry it is also known as Ketembilla, Kitembilla, kei apple, Puerto Rican cranberries, and tropical apricots. The tree takes about 2-3 years to fruit. Fruit is quite juicy, extremely acidic and is mostly used for making preserves, jelly, jam and juice. Plant Ceylon gooseberry is a shrub…
Pomegranate botanical name Punica granatum is a fruit-bearing deciduous shrub or small tree in the family Lythraceae growing between 6 to 10 m (20 to 33 ft.) tall. Pomegranate comes from the words ‘pōmum grānātum’ in Medieval Latin, that mean ‘apple with many seeds’. Apart from Pomegranate it is also known as Punic apple, granatapfel, Granada, grenade, melograno and melagrana. Ruby red, delicious and nutrient rich pomegranates pack a mighty punch in safeguarding your health. Scaly Bark Tree Form Pomegranate, Russian Pomegranate, Plantation Sweet Pomegranate, Grenada Pomegranate, Goliath Pomegranate, Dwarf Pomegranate, Babylonian White Pomegranate, Nana Pomegranate, Eight Ball Pomegranate,…
Cardamom (Elettaria cardamomum) sometime called Cardamon or Cardamum, is a spice made from the seeds of several plants in the genera Elettaria and Amomum in the family Zingiberaceae. The word “cardamom” is derived from the Latin cardamomum, which is the Latinisation of the Greek καρδάμωμον (kardamomon), a compound of κάρδαμον (kardamon), “cress” + ἄμωμον (amomon), which was probably the name for a kind of Indian spice plant. The plant is native to the India and Sri Lanka originating in the forests of the Western Ghats in southern India. Cardamom is the world’s third-most expensive spice, surpassed in price per weight…
Cats Whiskers (Orthosiphon aristatus), also known as Java tea of Kidney Tea Plant, is a branched herbaceous plant that belongs to the family Labiatae or lamiaceae. The herb is popularly referred as Balbas Pusa. The plant is a medicinal herb found mainly throughout southern China, the Indian Subcontinent, South East Asia and tropical Queensland. It is known as kumis kucing in Indonesia and misai kucing in Malaysia. In the US it may be commonly known as cat’s whiskers or Java tea. The scientific name ‘orthosiphon’ refers to the upright tube shape of the flower and ‘aristatus’ means ‘with ears’. It…
Arbutus unedo, commonly called strawberry tree, is an evergreen tree, shrub or small tree in the family Ericaceae that is native from the Mediterranean to Ireland. It typically grows in a multi-stemmed form, but can be trained as a single trunk tree. Due to its presence in southwest and northwest Ireland, it is known as either “Irish strawberry tree”, or Cain or cane apple (from the Gaelic name for the tree, caithne, or sometimes “Killarney strawberry tree”. Apart from Arbutus unedo it is also known as Arbutus, Strawberry tree, Grecian madrone, Grecian strawberry tree and Greek strawberry tree. Its fruits…
Artemisia dracunculus, commonly known as tarragon, is a perennial plant with glossy green leaves and yellow flowers widely found in Eurasia and North America. It is believed got originated in Central Asia region such as Siberia. It is a member of the sunflower family Asteraceae. There are two varieties of Tarragon: Russian tarragon and French tarragon. Other names of Tarragon include Estragon, Green sagewort, Alse tarragon, Silky wormwood, Tarragon, French tarragon, Wild tarragon, Russian tarragon, False tarragon and Green sagebrush. It is known as Estragon in French and German, Dragone in Italian, Esutoragon in Japanese and Long hao in Chinese.…
Niger scientifically known as Guizotia abyssinica is an oilseed crop that belongs to the Asteraceae family and on Guizotia genus. It is originated in Ethiopia, and its wild ancestor is likely Guizotia schimperi Sch.Bip. It was probably domesticated before 3000 BC in the highlands of Ethiopia, where it is still cultivated as an oilseed crop. The earliest name given to this plant was Verbesina oleifera. The first botanical description of Niger was Polymnia abyssinica L. Apart from Niger it is also known Ramtil, Inga seed, Niger, Niger-seed, blackseed, noog/nug, nyger, nyjer, Niger-seed oil and ramtil oil. Plant Niger also known…
Dodder scientifically known as Cuscuta (pronunciation: /kʌsˈkjutɑː/) is classified as a member of the Morning-Glory Family (Convolvulaceae) in older references, and as a member of the Dodder Family (Cuscutaceae) in the more recent publications. Dodder is a leafless, delicate, yellow colored total stem parasite seen entangled on shrubs and hedges along the roads and railway tracks. Apart from doddle it is also known as Devil’s Guts, Dodder, Hellweed, Love Vine, devil’s gut, beggar weed, strangle tare, scald weed, dodder of thyme, greater dodder and lesser dodder. Dodder parasitizes various kinds of wild and cultivated plants, and is especially destructive to…
Flax (also known as common flax or linseed), Linum usitatissimum, is a member of the genus Linum in the family Linaceae. It is a food and fiber crop cultivated in cooler regions of the world and are native to regions of the Middle East and India. The ancient Egyptians used flaxseed as both food and medicine. The word “flax” may refer to the unspun fibers of the flax plant. It is one of the ancient cultivated crops since Mesopotamian times and is grown for its oil seeds and fiber. Its chewy seeds are packed with nutrients, omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants,…
Safflower (also known as Safflower, American Saffron, False Saffron, Dyer’s Saffron ‘Magestic Orange’, Bastard saffron, Zaffer, Mexican saffron), Carthamus tinctorius, is a member of the genus Carthamus L. in the family Asteraceae/Compositae. This family possess above 1620 species and 22750 genera. It is an annual, thistle, spiny, muchbranched herb which is originated in Southern Asia. It is also cultivated in China, Persia, India and Egypt from primitive times. Carthamus tinctorius grows to 30-150 cm (12-59 inches) tall with alternate, 2-6″ long; ½-2″ across; lanceolate to oblong or ovate-oblong. The flowers are yellow, orange or red which is pollinated by honeybees,…
Cotton plants are an annually growing herb belonging to the genus Gossypium of the Malvaceae family (mallow family). Cotton is an essential fiber plant native to tropical and subtropical Americas, the Caribbean, and questionably some Pacific islands. It is cultivated for its fiber used by the textile industry to produce a great variety of apparel and fabrics. Cotton seeds containing 20 to 28 % oil are used to produce oil and are a valuable source of protein. It is quite unusual in that it is concurrently both a food and fiber crop. Apart from cotton it is also known as…
Mafai or Burmese grape scientifically known as Baccaurea ramiflora is a slow growing evergreen tree in the Euphorbiaceae family. It is an egg-shaped, yellowish colored, pinkish to bright red or purple fruit native to India (Assam), Burma, China (Yunnan, Hainan), Vietnam, Laos, Thailand, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Peninsular Malaysia. The generic name is derived from Latin ‘baccaurea’ referring to the golden-yellow color of the fruits. Apart from Burmese grape it is also known as Latka, Lutco, Leteku, Lotqua, Baccaurea, Lantern Tree and Mafai. It grows in evergreen forests on a wide range of soils. The fruit is collected and used…
Chia (Salvia hispanica) is a flowering plant in the genus Salvia L and family Lamiaceae. Other names of Salvia hispanica include Chia, Mexican Chia and Salba. It is an annual plant which prefers well-drained soils. It bears hermaphrodite flowers in the middle of the summer. The seeds of Chia plant are Black, brown or white. Chan and Golden chia are the two varieties of Chia seeds. It is an erect, low growing or branched herb which grows upto 1.75 meters (5.7 feet) in height. Leaves are green, pointed, ovate, opposite; 4-8 cm (1.6-3.1 inches) long and 3-5 cm (1.2-2 inches)…
Black Walnuts scientifically known as Juglans nigra is a species of deciduous tree in the walnut family, Juglandaceae, native to eastern North America. It grows mostly in riparian zones, from southern Ontario, west to southeast South Dakota, south to Georgia, northern Florida and southwest to central Texas. Wild trees in the upper Ottawa Valley may be an isolated native population or may have derived from planted trees. Apart from Black walnut it is also known as American walnut and eastern black walnut. Most parts of the tree including leaves, stems, and fruit husks have a very characteristic pungent or spicy…
Gooseberry (Ribes spp.) scientifically known as Phyllanthus emblica is a small spiny bush in the family Rosaceae which is grown for its edible fruit of the same name. It is also known as “fayberries” because of the ancient belief that fairies used bushes of gooseberry to hide from danger. The plant is native to Nepal, India and Sri Lanka, throughout South-East Asia to southern China. Apart from gooseberry it is also known as Amla, Emblic, Indian Gooseberry, Malacca Tree and Myrobalan. The bush begins fruiting 2-3 years after plantation. One gooseberry bush produces 8 to 10 pounds of fruit per…
Pili nut scientifically known as Canarium ovatum is actually a species of tropical tree belonging to the genus Canarium. It is one of approximately 600 species in the family Burseraceae. Pili are native to maritime Southeast Asia, Papua New Guinea, and Northern Australia. They are commercially grown in the Philippines for their edible nuts. The Pili nut comes from the Pili tree. Apart from Pili nut it is also known as Pacific almond, canarium nut, pili nut, Java almond, Kenari nut, galip nut, nangai, and ngali. Pili is a well adaptable nut which can be used for many number of…
Gac Fruit, or simply Gac as it is referred to in Southeast Asia, is actually a tropical vine that is botanically classified as Momordica cochinchinensis. It is native to Southeast Asian region from South China to Northeastern Australia, including Thailand, Laos, Myanmar, Cambodia and Vietnam. It is also commonly known as Baby Jackfruit, Chinese Bitter Cucumber, Chinese Cucumber, Cochinchin Gourd, Gac, Giant Spine Gourd, Spiny Bitter Cucumber, Spiny Bitter Gourd and Sweet Gourd. It has an extremely short season, a mere two months long, but the fruit plays an important role in celebratory dishes as well as in natural medicine.…
Watermelon is the plant of the Cucurbitaceae family which bears a sweet, edible and fleshy fruit. Botanically, Watermelon is a fruit which has sweet, too bland to bitter taste. It is a creeping vine which bears rounded or oblong fruit that are also used as vegetables. The skin of the fruit is green, rarely yellow with stripes or dots. The fruit contains the pulp and seeds. Native to tropical and subtropical Africa, it was introduced early in the India and Mediterranean areas. It is widely cultivated and naturalized there. It was widely cultivated for over 4,000 years in Africa. Watermelon…
Jostaberries scientifically known as Ribes nidigrolaria and pronounced as ‘yustaberries’ are actually a genetic cross between black currants (Ribes nigrum) and gooseberries (Ribes grossuaria) and is native to Germany. The name Jostaberry was made via combining the German words for blackcurrant and gooseberry, namely Johannisbeere (“Jo”) and Stachelbeere (“Sta”). Following German pronunciation of “J”, it may be pronounced “yostaberry” in English. The jostaberry is a complex-cross fruit bush in the Ribes genus and is thorn less plant which resembles black currant in growth, but with leaves similar, yet larger than the gooseberry. It was developed by Dr Rudolph Bauer at…
Basil is actually a common name for a culinary herb Ocimum Basilium. It belongs to the mint family and is also known as Saint Joseph’s Wort in English speaking countries. It is also called the “king of herbs” and the “royal herb”. Apart from basil it is also known as great basil or Saint-Joseph’s-wort. The word basil comes from the Greek word basileus meaning the king. It was also said by an herbalist named John Gerad that people stung by a scorpion would feel no pain if they ate basil. This herb has its roots in India and Iran and…