Raw Spices
SPICE CATALOGUE
India produces a wide range of spices and holds a prominent position in world spice production. Because of the varying climates – from tropical to sub-tropical to temperate-almost all spices grow splendidly in India. In reality, almost all the states and union territories of India grow one or the other spices. Under the act of Parliament, a total of 52 spices are brought under the purview of the Spices Board. However, 109 spices are notified in the ISO list.
Allspice
Allspice trees are evergreen medium-sized, grow up to a height of 8 to 10 meters, and with a slender upright trunk and smooth greyish bark. The mail trees produce only a few fruits. The male and femal…
Aniseed
Aniseed is an annual plant with an average height of 30 to 50 cm. The plant is completely covered with fine hairs. Aniseed is ground-grey to greyish brown in color,3 to 5mm in length, and oval in shape…
Asafoetida
Asafoetida is the dried latex (gum oleoresin) exuded from the living underground rhizome or tap root of several species of Ferula (three of which grow in India), which is a perennial herb (1 to 1.5…
Bay Leaf
Bay Leaf or Laurel Leaf have dried leaves or an evergreen shrub or more rarely a tree attaining a height of 15 to 20 m. The upper surface of the leaf is glabrous and shiny, olive green, and lower…
Cardamom (large)
Large Cardamom is a perennial herb with subterranean rhizomes and 50-140 aerial leafy shoots. Each shoot has a height of 1.7 to 2.6 m and possesses 9 to 13 leaves in each tiller. Leaves are glabrous…
Cinnamon
The “True Cinnamon” or Sri Lankan Cinnamon is the dried inner stem bark of Cinnamomum Verum. Cinnamon plants are grown as bushes. When the plants are two years age, they typically measure…
clove
The clove of commerce is the air-dried unopened flower bud obtained from an evergreen medium-sized tree. The tree grows to a height of 10-12 m and starts flowering in about 7 years. It continues to…
Garlic
Garlic is a hardy, bulbous, rooted, perennial plant with narrow flat leaves and bears small white flowers and bulbils. The compound bulb consists of 6 to 34 bulblets called ‘cloves’ which…
Greater Galanga
Greater Galanga is the dried rhizome of the plant Alpinia galanga. This is a perennial, robust, tillering, rhizomatous herb. The plant is 1.8 to 2.1 m high and bears perennial rhizome (2.5 to 10 c…
Mustard
Mustard is an annual herb cultivated as an oil seed crop or as a vegetable or as fodder, of which, 3 species are known for their condiment value. They are pale yellow or white mustard (Brassica hirta),…
Nutmeg & Mace
Nutmeg & Mace are two distinctly different spices produced from a fruit of an evergreen tree usually 9-12 m high. Mace is the dried reticulated ‘aril’ of the fruit and nutmeg is t…
Poppy seed
Poppy seed is the dried seed of Papaver somniferum, an erect annual herb, 30-150 cm long with 0.5-1.5 cm thick stem. Stem is glabrous with thick waxy coating. Leaves are numerous, alternate, spread…
Star anise
Star anise is the dried, star-shaped fruit of Illicium verum. It is an evergreen tree attaining a height of 8-15 meters and a diameter of 25 cm. The leaves are entire, 10-15 cm long, 2.5 – 5…
tamarind
The ripe fruit of the tamarind tree is used as a condiment. It is a moderate size to a large, evergreen tree, up to 24 m in high and 7 m in girth. The bark is brown or dark gray, longitudinally …
Vanilla
Vanilla, a member of the orchid family is a climbing monocot possessing a stout, succulent stem; short petioled, oblong leaves; about 20 cm long. The inflorescence is a raceme with 20 or more flowers…
Ginger
Ginger of commerce is the dried underground stem of the herbaceous tropical plant grown as an annual. The whole plant is refreshingly aromatic and the underground rhizome, raw or processed, is value…
Turmeric
Turmeric is the boiled, dried, cleaned and polished rhizomes of Curcuma longa. The plant is a herbaceous perennial, 60-90 cm high, with a short stem and tufted leaf. There are 7 to 12 leaves, the l…
Chilli
Indian chilli varieties Chilli is the dried ripe fruit of the genus Capsicum. Capsicum annum is an annual sub–shrub, the fl…