Agro Elite

Bundi, Rajasthan

IntroductionKnown as the king of spices, black pepper has remained the most precious and valuable form of spices in the world. It is the 3rd most added ingredient in food among the wide range of spices. India is one of the largest producers of black pepper, after China and Vietnam. Black pepper has played a pivotal role in Indias international trade and it is said that the Europeans came to India primarily for this very spice. A wide variety of black pepper is traded at an international level, with India as one of the top five exporters of black pepper, along with Vietnam, Indonesia, Brazil and Malaysia

What is Black Pepper?Black pepper is defined as a small and unripe fruit of Piper Nigrum, a weak climbing plant, which is dried to be used in the form of spice and seasoning. One of the earliest and the most widely used spices, it smells extremely pungent. In India, its production is largely concentrated in South India and other tropical regions. It is derived from the vine of Piper Nigrum. To get black pepper, the berries from the plant are picked when they are still not fully ripe, fermented and then dried in the sun till the time they dehydrate and turn brownish-black in colour.

• Because of its strong flavor and aroma, it is highly used as an added ingredient in food to make it tasty and delectable
• Owing its strong influence on health, black pepper has been used in many traditional medicine systems like Ayurveda, Unani and Siddha
• Black pepper acts as an antidepressant and also as an antioxidant that helps in lowering the cholesterol level to a great extent
• The essential oil present in the black pepper helps in relieving muscular pain, fever, etc. and also helps in increasing blood circulation
• Black pepper also acts as an effective deterreant to insects. When added with a quarter amount of water, it acts as an effective toxin, capable of killing rodents, ants, potato bugs, etc.

Market Scope of Black PepperBlack pepper accounts for the largest volume of exports in India. Kerala, in the southern region of the country, is the largest producer of black pepper, accounting for 90% of total pepper production. Since the past few years, Indias rise has been on full swing in terms of export of black pepper. Also, the country holds the 3rd position in the production of black pepper in the world. Some of the major Indian markets dealing in black pepper are Kochi and Sultan Bethary in Kerala, while Delhi and Nagpur have also emerged as key players in this arena in recent times.

An Introduction

Clove, (syzygium aromaticum, syn. eugenia aromaticum or eugenia caryophyllata), is one of the oldest spices in the world. This dried, unopened flower bud of a small evergreen tree is widely used as an ingredient of a variety of beverages, food specialties, medicines, cosmetics, perfumery and toiletries.The word clove originates from the Latin word clavus, which means nail, as its buds resemble small irregular nails in shape. Clove is a native to the North Moluccas, the Spice Islands of Indonesia and is widely cultivated in Brazil, the West Indies, Mauritius, Madagascar, India, Sri Lanka, Zanzibar and Pemba. Indonesia is the largest producer of cloves in the world followed by Madagascar and Tanzania.

History of Coves in a Nutshell

• In ancient times, the cultivation of cloves were restricted to the regions of the Maluku Islands (historically called the Spice Islands), including Bacan, Makian, Moti, Ternate, and Tidore
• Before Christ, they were introduced in West to the Middle East and Europe
• In Syria, archaeologists found cloves within a ceramic vessel belonging to 1721 BC
• The Chinese wrote of cloves as early as 400 BC
• A record from 200 BC contained description about courtiers keeping cloves in their mouths to avoid offending the emperor while addressing him
• Cloves, along with nutmeg and pepper, were highly prized in Roman times
• They were traded by Arabs during the Middle Ages in the profitable Indian Ocean trade
• In the late fifteenth century, the Portuguese brought large quantities of cloves to Europe, mainly from the Maluku Islands
• In the seventeenth century, clove trade was dominated by the Dutch
• In 1770, the French succeeded in introducing the clove tree into Mauritius, though with a great difficulty
• Later, clove cultivation was introduced into Guiana, Brazil, most of the West Indies, and Zanzibar, where the majority of cloves are grown today
• In Britain, during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, cloves were worth at least their weight in gold, due to the high price of importing them.

An IntroductionCoriander, also known as the Chinese Parsley, Cilantro, Dizzycorn and Japanese Parsley, is an annual herb in the family Apiaceae. It is among the the first spices used by mankind, having been known as early as 5000 BC. Its description is also mentioned in Sanskrit writings dating from about 1500 BC. Coriander is referred to in the Bible, in the books of Exodus and Numbers, where the colour of manna is compared to it. Romans introduced it to Britain and coriander was widely used in cookery and medicine until the Renaissance, when an array of new aromatic spices replaced it. Historical findings suggest that ancient physicians like Hippocratic and Pliny were familiar to it.In culinary context coriander refers to either the seeds of the plant (used as a spice), or to its leaves (used as a herb). Though, all parts of coriander plant are edible, but its dried seeds and fresh leaves are widely used in cooking. Its leaves are known by the name of Cilantro in North American countries. Coriander seeds are primary ingredients of the garam masala, a blend of ground spices common in the Indian, Bangladeshi and Pakistani cuisine. The word coriander originates from French coriandre through Latin coriandrum in turn from Greek ?????????.

A Brief IntroductionChilli powder, a powdered spice mix comprise of chilli peppers, either red peppers or cayenne peppers, has become the basic ingredient in majority of cuisine. It can be a mix of either pure powdered chillis, or it may contain other additives, like cumin, oregano, garlic powder and salt. Other spices like black pepper, cinnamon, cloves, coriander, mace, nutmeg, etc. are also used in preparing chilli powder. As a result of different ingredients, the spiciness of any given chilli powder is incredibly variable. As a rule, the purer the chilli powder is, the more spicy it is. Many people prefer home made chilli powder, but many versions are also available commercially.

Varieties of Chilli PowderThere are two famous varieties of the chilli powder used in worldwide cuisine, viz. The Mexican Chilli Powder and Indian Chilli Powder. The chilli powder used in India is completely different from the Mexican version of chilli powders.

Mexican Chilli PowderThey are mixtures of spices such as dried grounded chilli, cumin, garlic, and oregano. This spice is used included in Mexican cuisine.

Indian Chilli PowderIndian chilli powder is made by drying and grounding the red chilli to give highly pungent red powder. The pungency in the chilli powder depends on the variety of the chilli used in preparing the powder. The low oil content helps in retaining its red color which will not fade away with time.

Brief HistoryThough, there is some disagreement about the origin of manufactured chilli powder, but its first usage can be traced, at its earliest, to Indian cuisine, where it was widely used in curry dishes. Today chilli powder is immensely popular in American cuisine, where they are the primary flavor ingredient in chilli con carne.