Chilli, (Capsicum annuum) is a common spice used almost around the world. There is a wide variety seen, and the taste ranges from sweet to hot.

There are many names for the same fruit. In India it is commonly known by the names chilli (chillis) and paprika. Western countries refer to it as chilli pepper or simply pepper. The varieties with no hot taste are referred to as bell pepper, green pepper, sweet pepper or red pepper. However, pepper in India refers to piper nigrum or black pepper, which is not even distantly related to chilli pepper.In Malayalam it is known by the term ‘mulaku’.

They give the hot taste to different culinary preparations, especially meat preparations like biriyani. Fresh or dried chilli or chilli powder is available in the market. Fresh chilli is used either longitudinally split or chopped.

The plants usually appear as a small shrub. The maximum height is 20 inches. Some variety produces fruits in bunches. Most chilli will turn its color from green to red as it ripens. There are varieties that have purple color, cream-white color, orange color etc. The shapes are also varying – most of them are elongated, some are rounded and the sizes range from 2 cm long to 12 or 14 cm long.

Chilli is valued for both color and pungent taste. Chilly is used in all hot-tasting culinary items prepared in Kerala and India.

Cinnamon is a spice grown in the higher altitudes of Kerala. The part usable as a spice is its dried inner bark, which has a warm fragrant aroma and sweet flavor. It is reddish-brown in color.

Cinnamon tree appears as bushy, evergreen tree, with 6-8 meters height. The whole tree is cut down for harvesting. Cinnamon forms an ingredient for different culinary preparations, the main among them are meat preparations. Bakery products also use cinnamon.

Ayurveda medicine also see cinnamon effective in treating conditions like diarrhea.

Clove is a small dark red-brown flower bud of an evergreen tree, which is abundant in the state of Kerala. It is known for its strong aroma and spicy, pungent taste. The buds are harvested when the buds are ready to turn flowers. The smell and taste of cloves are simply unmistakable.

The trees grow usually up to 12 meters high and are seen with thick foliage. The leaves are small and appear fleshier than they really are. The buds are dried in the sun. Cloves usually are 13 to 20 mm long.

Cloves appear in a variety of culinary preparations – meat, fish, sauces, bakery products, etc.

There are three different extracts from cloves, among them eugenol accounts for about 90% of the total essential oil extracted, eugenol acetate and beta caryophyllene accounts for the rest. The essential oils are used in the manufacture of mouthwash, toothpaste, etc.

Cloves also have medicinal value. In Ayurveda it is considered an antiseptic. It is beneficial in relieving tooth ache. It is also usable against flatulence, indigestion, nausea, etc.

The high ranges of Kerala produce fine coffee beans that give tasty aromatic brew, which has an unmistakable appeal. More than 80 % of coffee produced in Kerala comes from the high ranges of Wayanad, the district full of hills and forests. Blessed with the cold climate, coffee farmers here used to cultivate coffee on a large scale. There is, however a slump in enthusiasm of farmers as the prices given to them are below par. Alternative methods like Indian Coffee House, a chain of restaurants actively take coffee directly from the farmers provide some measure of solace to the farmers.

The plant, Coffea Arabica trees are grown well at altitudes 1,300 m to 1,500 m. The trees are kept at an average height of 5 m. Trimming is usual practice. Coffee plantations experience a pleasant smell that resembles jasmine at the time of blossom. After a few days, it starts appearing thick green fruits, which gradually changes to yellow and smooth deep red as they ripen. The fruits or berries are edible and has a pleasant taste. The so called coffee beans are the seeds of the fruits. Each fruit has 1-3 seeds; fruits bearing two seeds are most common.

Coffee is traded across the world. In monetary terms, coffee is the second largest traded item after petroleum.

Coriander, Coriandrum sativum is a widely used spice in India, forming an important ingredient of different vegetarian and non vegetarian preparations. Its dried seeds are the widely used part. However its leaves are also used as a dressing for variety of curries, and food presentations. Also called cilantro, it is popular across the world.

There are people that do not appreciate the taste of cilantro leaves. The origin of the word coriander is traced to a Greek work, Kori, which means a bug. The flowers of the plant and fresh seeds have a nasty smell until it is dried, which may be the reason for the name.

Coriander is available in powdered form and is part of different readymade curry powers.

Coriander also has different medicinal properties, which Ayurveda medicines use for normalizing the functioning of circulatory system, digestive system, etc.

Cumin seed, also called jeera, jeeraka, jeerakam, etc is an important spice in Indian kitchens. It is part of different curry powder mix.

Cumin seeds are of very small size, with 3-4 mm long. There is a bigger variety, which has a maximum length of 6 mm. The plant grows to a maximum height of 25 cm and prefers sunny places.

Cumin is an important flavoring agent, which forms a highlighter for stuffing.Â’

It has different medicinal properties too.

Garlic is world popular as a spice. There are many people that donÂ’t like the smell of fresh garlic. This smell however will recedes with cooking.

Garlic belongs to lily family. The plants grow to a height of up to 50 cm. The leaves are long and upwardly pointed.

Garlic is a rich source of several beliefs and superstitions. According to Indian mythology, garlic is a drop of Amrith, the divine nectar that gives immortality. According to Arabs, garlic first sprouted from the footstep of devil as he was expelled from Garden of Eden.

Garlic has different medicinal properties and is used in different medicines of Ayurveda.

Ginger, Zingiber officinale is a small perennial plant. The part usable as spice is the underground stem or rhizome, either fresh or dried. KeralaÂ’s ginger plantations produce about 70% of total ginger produced in India. Ginger grows well in almost any soil. The climate of Kerala is also ideal for the healthy growth of ginger.

Vegetative propagation involves taking small pieces of rhizome and planting them in partial to completely shady places, usually among coconut or other plantation crops. Harvesting is done when the aerial leaves are dried by digging out the rhizome, which is sent to market either fresh or dried.

Fresh ginger is called inchi and dried ginger, chukku in Malayalam.

Ginger is a major spice and forms an ingredient for many culinary delights. The smell is pleasant and a bit hard on tongue. There is an old saying in Malayalam, “inchi kadicha kuranganepole’, which means a monkey that bit ginger, to refer to persons appearing too embarrassed or in an uncomfortable position.

Ginger forms part of several beverages, pickles, confectionaries, etc.

Ginger is also used to treat several conditions that affect digestive system, respiratory system, nervous system, circulatory problems etc.

Hyssop belongs to mint family and the leaves are used for flavoring food items and beverages. The smell is nice. The essential oil separated from hyssop leaves is used in perfume industry.

Hyssop is used in different culinary preparations and as medicines.

It belongs to the plant family lamiaceae.

Juniper (Juniperus communis) is a big woody shrub which grows up to 6 m in height. It is Predominant in Southern Europe. In India it is found in the northern regions.

The evergreen, tree produces berry like fruit.  The fruit is a flavor for alcoholic beverages, especially gin. They are also used for seasoning and pickling meats. The dried juniper berries are also used in flavoring meat, sausages and stuffing.

Juniperus communis comes in the plant family Cupressaceae.

Indian kokum, the sweet and sour spice has both culinary and medicinal applications. Evergreen forests of Western Ghats in the west of Kerala are the main base for this tree. The oil separated from the seeds of the plant has applications in culinary preparations, medicines and cosmetics.

It makes garnishing for different curries. The main markets for Kokum outside India are Middle East, Hong Kong, UK, USA and Australia. It is exported as fruits and oil.

Other names for the tree are – bindin, biran, kokam, panarpuli, red mango, wild mangosteen etc.

Garcinia Indica is in the plant family Clusiaceae.