Simply Put: Insect killers

Spicy solution

Cloves can stop hazardous asbestos fibres from escaping into the air

Cloves can cure cancer Study

A book on the history of spices

Pickle, tea and a spice

Hero Herb: Why we need to focus more on turmeric

The pandemic years have witnessed a boom in the production and export of the humble underground stem called turmeric, along with a renewal of …

Throat balm

Rasam soothes aching throats and upset tummies

A chilli snack manufacturers swear by

Known for its pungency, lakhori is Uttarakhand's home-grown favourite

Bytes

Win one, lose many

India needs to have a hard look at the sources of all its varied traditional knowledge and how to protect them

In 2 years, 80% cashew producing units closed in Kollam

Huge operational costs and unfriendly government policies led to the closure of the units; it also left 0.35 million people jobless, mostly women&…

The secret gardens of Malabar

An English translation has been made exactly 300 years after the Hortus Malabricus was written, new, sinister designs seem to lurking behind it - …

Herbal products can help in dealing with COVID-19, if they are made trustworthy

Herbal products can increase our immune responses; however, we first need authenticity, a proper scientific approach, strict governmental …

The fiery flavours of stem pepper

The pepper species, relatively unexplored, is restricted to a few pockets in West Bengal

Red alert on Indian spices

Spice Board challenges US food department’s claims over salmonella contamination

In Short

Myrrh: How and why the ancient oleo-raisin played a role in the crucifixion of Christ

Many believe the ‘bitter cup’ of wine and myrrh offered to Jesus was an analgesic; it may, in fact, have been an attempt to increase …

Indian chilli blocked in EU

Indian exporters of chilli products are smarting. The EU has all but shut the door on them after recently detecting the presence of Sudan red 1, …

Science or Snake Oil: can turmeric really shrink tumours, reduce pain and kill bacteria?

Turmeric is often reported to have anti-oxidant and anti-cancer properties, but there is not sufficient evidence to draw definitive conclusions

Pesticide ban lands Kerala in court

Cardamom planters, pesticide makers against the ban

ILLEGAL LEASING

Poison in disguise

Fake cinnamon floods Indian market as authorities drag feet over regulating its import and sale

Lost in plantation

Millions of growers and workers are in distress in Kerala, the plantation capital of India, as domestic and international prices of cash crops …

COVID-19: Spice growers of Tamil Nadu, Kerala face looming crisis

With roads leading to plantations shut, spice cultivation has been badly hit

Into the ginger trap

Farmers from Kerala make big bucks by growing ginger in Karnataka but leave behind a trail of pollution