The Habanero Apple Orange is one of the world's hottest and most renowned chilies. For the uninitiated even a tiny piece of Habanero would cause intense and very prolonged oral suffering. Underneath the heat is a delicate apple-like flavour. Capsicum chinense
The Habanero Apple Orange is one of the world's hottest and most renowned chilies. For the uninitiated, even a tiny piece of Habanero would cause intense and very prolonged oral suffering. Underneath the heat is a delicate apple-like flavor. Capsicum chinense
<h2 class=""><strong>Chickpea Seeds (Cicer arietinum)</strong></h2>
<h2><span style="color: #ff0000;" class=""><strong>Price for Package of 6g (20) seeds.</strong></span></h2>
<p>The chickpea (Cicer arietinum) is a legume of the family Fabaceae, subfamily Faboideae. Formerly known as the gram,[1] it is also commonly known as garbanzo or garbanzo bean and sometimes known as ceci, cece, channa, or Bengal gram. Its seeds are high in protein. It is one of the earliest cultivated legumes: 7,500-year-old remains have been found in the Middle East.</p>
<p><strong>Description</strong></p>
<p>The plant grows to between 20–50 cm (8–20 inches) high and has small feathery leaves on either side of the stem. Chickpeas are a type of pulse, with one seedpod containing two or three peas. It has white flowers with blue, violet or pink veins.</p>
<p><strong>Etymology</strong></p>
<p>The name "chickpea" traces back through the French chiche to cicer, Latin for ‘chickpea’ (from which the Roman cognomen Cicero was taken). The Oxford English Dictionary lists a 1548 citation that reads, "Cicer may be named in English Cich, or ciche pease, after the Frenche tongue." The dictionary cites "Chick-pea" in the mid-18th century; the original word in English taken directly from French was chich, found in print in English in 1388.</p>
<p>The word garbanzo came first to English as garvance in the 17th century, from an alteration of the Old Spanish word arvanço (presumably influenced by garroba), being gradually anglicized to calavance, though it came to refer to a variety of other beans (cf. Calavance). The current form garbanzo comes directly from modern Spanish. This word is still used in Latin America and Spain to designate chickpeas.[3] Some have suggested that the origin of the word arvanço is in the Greek erebinthos. Another possible origin is the word garbantzu, from Basque — a non-Indo-European tongue, believed to be one of the oldest languages in Europe — in which it is a compound of garau, seed + antzu, dry.</p>
<p><strong>History</strong></p>
<p>Domesticated chickpeas have been found in the aceramic levels of Jericho (PPNB) along with Cayönü in Turkey and in Neolithic pottery at Hacilar, Turkey. They were found in the late Neolithic (about 3500 BCE) at Thessaly, Kastanas, Lerna and Dimini, Greece. In southern France Mesolithic layers in a cave at L'Abeurador, Aude have yielded wild chickpeas carbon dated to 6790±90 BCE.[4]</p>
<p>By the Bronze Age, chickpeas were known in Italy and Greece. In classical Greece, they were called erébinthos and eaten as a staple, a dessert, or consumed raw when young. The Romans knew several varieties such as venus, ram, and punic chickpeas. They were both cooked down into a broth and roasted as a snack. The Roman gourmet Apicius gives several recipes for chickpeas. Carbonized chickpeas have been found at the Roman legion fort at Neuss (Novaesium), Germany in layers from the first century CE, along with rice.</p>
<p>Chickpeas are mentioned in Charlemagne's Capitulare de villis (about 800 CE) as cicer italicum, as grown in each imperial demesne. Albertus Magnus mentions red, white and black varieties. Nicholas Culpeper noted "chick-pease or cicers" are less "windy" than peas and more nourishing. Ancient people also associated chickpeas with Venus because they were said to offer medical uses such as increasing sperm and milk, provoking menstruation and urine and helping to treat kidney stones.[5] "White cicers" were thought to be especially strong and helpful.</p>
<p>In 1793, ground-roast chickpeas were noted by a German writer as a substitute for coffee in Europe. In the First World War, they were grown for this use in some areas of Germany. They are still sometimes brewed instead of coffee.</p>
<p><strong>Sequencing the chickpea genome</strong></p>
<p>Sequencing of the chickpea genome has been completed for 90 chickpea genotypes, including several wild species. A collaboration of 20 research organizations, led by the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) identified more than 28,000 genes and several million genetic markers. Scientists expect this work will lead to the development of superior varieties. The new research will benefit the millions of developing country farmers who grow chickpea as a source of much needed income, as well as for its ability to add nitrogen to the soil in which it grows. Production is growing rapidly across the developing world, especially in West Asia where production has grown four-fold over the past 30 years. India is by far the world largest producer but is also the largest importer.</p>
<p><strong><em>Uses</em></strong></p>
<p><strong>Human consumption</strong></p>
<p>Mature chickpeas can be cooked and eaten cold in salads, cooked in stews, ground into a flour called gram flour (also known as chickpea flour and besan and used frequently in Indian cuisine), ground and shaped in balls and fried as falafel, stirred into a batter and baked to make farinata or panelle.</p>
<p>In the Iberian Peninsula, chickpeas are very popular: In Portugal it is one of the main ingredients in Rancho, consumed with pasta, and meat, including Portuguese sausages, or with rice. they are also often used in other hot dishes with bacalhau and in soup. In Spain they are often used cold in different tapas and salads, as well as in cocido madrileño. In Egypt, chickpeas are used as a topping for Kushari.</p>
<p>Hummus is the Arabic word for chickpeas, which are often cooked and ground into a paste and mixed with tahini, sesame seed paste, the blend called hummus bi tahini, or chickpeas are roasted, spiced, and eaten as a snack, such as leblebi. By the end of the 20th century, hummus had emerged as part of the American culinary fabric. By 2010, 5% of Americans consumed hummus on a regular basis, and it was present in 17% of American households.</p>
<p>Some varieties of chickpeas can be popped and eaten like popcorn.</p>
<p>Chickpeas and Bengal grams are used to make curries and are one of the most popular vegetarian foods in the Indian Subcontinent and in diaspora communities of many other countries. Popular dishes in Indian cuisine are made with chickpea flour, such as Mirchi Bajji and Mirapakaya bajji Telugu. In India, as well as in the Levant, unripe chickpeas are often picked out of the pod and eaten as a raw snack and the leaves are eaten as a green vegetable in salads.</p>
<p>Chickpea flour is used to make "Burmese tofu" which was first known among the Shan people of Burma. The flour is used as a batter to coat various vegetables and meats before frying, such as with panelle, a chickpea fritter from Sicily.[14] Chickpea flour is used to make the Mediterranean flatbread socca and a patty called panisse in Provence, southern France, made of cooked chickpea flour, poured into saucers, allowed to set, cut in strips, and fried in olive oil, often eaten during Lent.</p>
<p>In the Philippines, garbanzo beans preserved in syrup are eaten as sweets and in desserts such as halo-halo. Ashkenazi Jews traditionally serve whole chickpeas at a Shalom Zachar celebration for baby boys.</p>
<p>Guasanas is a Mexican chickpea recipe in which the beans are cooked in water and salt.</p>
<p>Dried chickpeas need a long cooking time (1–2 hours) but will easily fall apart when cooked longer. If soaked for 12–24 hours before use, cooking time can be shortened by around 30 minutes. To make smooth hummus the cooked chickpeas must be processed while quite hot, since the skins disintegrate only when hot.</p>
<p>Chickpeas (Cicer arietinum) do not cause lathyrism. Similarly named "chickling peas" (Lathyrus sativus) and other plants of the genus Lathyrus contain the toxins associated with lathyrism.</p>
<p><strong>Nutrition</strong></p>
<p>Chickpeas are an excellent source of the essential nutrients iron, folate, phosphorus, protein and dietary fiber (USDA nutrient table). Chickpeas are low in fat and most of this is polyunsaturated. The nutrient profile of the smaller variety appears to be different, especially for fiber content which is higher than in the larger light colored variety.</p>
<p>Preliminary research has shown that chickpea consumption may lower blood cholesterol.</p>
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<h2><strong><em><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Lentil Seeds (Lens culinaris)</span></em></strong></h2>
<h3><span style="color: #ff0000;"><strong>Price for Package of 20 seeds.</strong></span></h3>
<p>The lentil (Lens culinaris) is an edible pulse. It is a bushy annual plant of the legume family, grown for its lens-shaped seeds. It is about 40 cm (16 in) tall, and the seeds grow in pods, usually with two seeds in each.</p>
<p>Lentils have been part of the human diet since the aceramic (before pottery) Neolithic times, being one of the first crops domesticated in the Near East. Archeological evidence shows they were eaten 9,500 to 13,000 years ago.</p>
<p>Lentil colors range from yellow to red-orange to green, brown and black. Lentils also vary in size, and are sold in many forms, with or without the skins, whole or split.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The seeds require a cooking time of 10 to 40 minutes, depending on the variety—shorter for small varieties with the husk removed, such as the common red lentil — and have a distinctive, earthy flavor. Lentil recipes[2] are used throughout South Asia, the Mediterranean regions and West Asia. They are frequently combined with rice, which has a similar cooking time. A lentil and rice dish is referred to in western Asia as mujaddara or mejadra. Rice and lentils are also cooked together in khichdi, a popular dish in the Indian subcontinent (India and Pakistan); a similar dish, kushari, made in Egypt, is considered one of two national dishes. Lentils are used to prepare an inexpensive and nutritious soup all over Europe and North and South America, sometimes combined with some form of chicken or pork.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Dried lentils can also be sprouted by soaking in water for one day and keeping moist for several days, which changes their nutrition profile.</p>
<p>Lentils with husk remain whole with moderate cooking; lentils without husk tend to disintegrate into a thick purée, which leads to quite different dishes.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>Nutritional value and health benefits</strong></p>
<p>With about 30% of their calories from protein, lentils have the third-highest level of protein, by weight, of any legume or nut, after soybeans and hemp.[4] Proteins include the essential amino acids isoleucine and lysine, and lentils are an essential source of inexpensive protein in many parts of the world, especially in West Asia and the Indian subcontinent, which have large vegetarian populations. Lentils are deficient in two essential amino acids, methionine and cysteine. However, sprouted lentils contain sufficient levels of all essential amino acids, including methionine and cysteine.</p>
<p>Lentils also contain dietary fiber, folate, vitamin B1, and minerals. Red (or pink) lentils contain a lower concentration of fiber than green lentils (11% rather than 31%).[8] Health magazine has selected lentils as one of the five healthiest foods.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The low levels of Readily Digestible Starch (RDS) 5%, and high levels of Slowly Digested Starch (SDS) 30%, make lentils of great interest to people with diabetes. The remaining 65% of the starch is a resistant starch that is classified RS1, being a high quality resistant starch, which is 32% amylose.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Lentils also have some anti-nutritional factors, such as trypsin inhibitors and relatively high phytate content. Trypsin is an enzyme involved in digestion, and phytates reduce the bio-availability of dietary minerals. The phytates can be reduced by soaking the lentils in warm water overnight.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Lentils are a good source of iron, having over half of a person's daily iron allowance in a one cup serving.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>Production</strong></p>
<p>Lentils are relatively tolerant to drought, and are grown throughout the world. The FAO reported that the world production of lentils for calendar year 2009 was 3.917 million metric tons, primarily coming from Canada, India, Turkey and Australia.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>About a quarter of the worldwide production of lentils is from India, most of which is consumed in the domestic market. Canada is the largest export producer of lentils in the world and Saskatchewan is the most important producing region in Canada. Statistics Canada estimates that Canadian lentil production for the 2009/10 year is a record 1.5 million metric tons.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The Palouse region of eastern Washington and the Idaho panhandle, with its commercial center at Pullman, Washington, constitute the most important lentil-producing region in the United States. Montana and North Dakota are also significant lentil growers. The National Agricultural Statistics Service reported United States 2007 production at 154.5 thousand metric tons.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>In culture</strong></p>
<p>The lens (double-convex shaped) is so called because the shape of a lens is basically the same shape as lentils. Lens is the Latin name for lentil.</p>
<p>Lentils are mentioned many times in the Hebrew Bible, the first time recounting the incident in which Jacob purchases the birthright from Esau with stewed lentils (a "mess of pottage").[16] In Jewish mourning tradition, lentils are traditional as food for mourners, together with boiled eggs, because their round shape symbolizes the life cycle from birth to death.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Lentils were a chief part of the diet of ancient Iranians, who consumed lentils daily in the form of a stew poured over rice.</p>
<p>Lentils are also commonly used in Ethiopia in a stew-like dish called kik, or kik wot, one of the dishes people eat with Ethiopia's national food, injera flat bread. Yellow lentils are used to make a non-spicy stew, which is one of the first solid foods Ethiopian women feed their babies. In Pakistan, lentils are often consumed with Roti/bread or rice.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>In India, lentils soaked in water and sprouted lentils are offered to gods in many temples. It is also a practice in South India to give and receive sprouted peas by women who perform Varalakshmi Vratam. It is considered to be one of the best foods because the internal chemical structures are not altered by cooking.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>In Italy and Hungary, eating lentils on New Year's Eve traditionally symbolizes the hope for a prosperous new year, most likely because of their round, coin-like form.</p>
<p>In Shia narrations, lentils are said to be blessed by seventy Prophets, including Jesus and Mohammed.</p>
<p> </p>
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<h2><strong>Radish Saxa Treib Seeds (Raphanus sativus)</strong></h2>
<h2 class=""><span style="color: #ff0000;"><strong>Price for Package of 1g (100) seeds.</strong></span></h2>
<div>An early, sweet variety of radish producing brilliant red, round roots which will stay crisp over a long period. The radish (Raphanus sativus) is an edible root vegetable of the Brassicaceae family that was domesticated in Europe, in pre-Roman times. They are grown and consumed throughout the world. Radishes have numerous varieties, varying in size, color and duration of required cultivation time. There are some radishes that are grown for their seeds; oilseed radishes are grown, as the name implies, for oil production. Radish can sprout from seed to small plant in as little as 3 days.</div>
<div> </div>
<div><strong>History</strong></div>
<div>The descriptive Greek name of the genus Raphanus means "quickly appearing" and refers to the rapid germination of these plants. Raphanistrum, from the same Greek root, is an old name once used for this genus. The common name "radish" is derived from Latin radix (root). The radish has been used over many centuries.</div>
<div>Although the radish was a well-established crop in Hellenistic and Roman times, which leads to the assumption that it was brought into cultivation at an earlier time, Zohary and Hopf note that "there are almost no archeological records available" to help determine its earlier history and domestication. Wild forms of the radish and its relatives, the mustards and turnip, can be found over west Asia and Europe, suggesting that their domestication took place somewhere in that area. However Zohary and Hopf conclude, "Suggestions as to the origins of these plants are necessarily based on linguistic considerations."</div>
<div></div>
<div><strong>Cultivation</strong></div>
<div><strong>Growing radish plants</strong></div>
<div>Radishes grow best in full sun and light, sandy loams with pH 6.5–7.0. They are in season from April to June and from October to January in most parts of North America; in Europe and Japan they are available year-round due to the plurality of varieties grown.</div>
<div>Summer radishes mature rapidly, with many varieties germinating in 3–7 days, and reaching maturity in three to four weeks. Harvesting periods can be extended through repeated plantings, spaced a week or two apart.</div>
<div>As with other root crops, tilling the soil to loosen it up and remove rocks helps the roots grow. However, radishes are used in no-till farming to help reverse compaction.</div>
<div>Most soil types will work, though sandy loams are particularly good for winter and spring crops, while soils that form a hard crust can impair growth. The depth at which seeds are planted affects the size of the root, from 1 cm (0.4 in) deep recommended for small radishes to 4 cm (1.6 in) for large radishes.</div>
<div>Radishes are a common garden crop in the U.S., and the fast harvest cycle makes them a popular choice for children's gardens.</div>
<div>In temperate climates, it's customary to plant radishes every two weeks from early spring until a few weeks before the first frost, except during periods of hot weather. In warm-weather climates, they are normally planted in the fall.</div>
<div>Companion plant</div>
<div>Radishes serve as companion plants for many other species, because of their ability to function as a trap crop against pests like flea beetles. These pests will attack the leaves, but the root remains healthy and can be harvested later.</div>
<div></div>
<div><strong>Varieties</strong></div>
<div>Broadly speaking, radishes can be categorized into four main types (summer, fall, winter, and spring) and a variety of shapes lengths, colors, and sizes, such as red, pink, white, gray-black or yellow radishes, with round or elongated roots that can grow longer than a parsnip.</div>
<div></div>
<div>Spring or summer radishes</div>
<div>European radishes (Raphanus Sativus)</div>
<div>Sometimes referred to as European radishes or spring radishes if they're planted in cooler weather, summer radishes are generally small and have a relatively short 3–4 week cultivation time.</div>
<div></div>
<div>The April Cross is a giant white radish hybrid that bolts very slowly.</div>
<div></div>
<div>Bunny Tail is an heirloom variety from Italy, where it is known as 'Rosso Tondo A Piccola Punta Bianca'. It is slightly oblong, mostly red, with a white tip.</div>
<div></div>
<div>Cherry Belle is a bright red-skinned round variety with a white interior. It is familiar in North American supermarkets.</div>
<div></div>
<div>Champion is round and red-skinned like the Cherry Belle, but with slightly larger roots, up to about 5 cm (2 in), and a milder flavor.</div>
<div>Red King has a mild flavor, with good resistance to club root, a problem that can arise from poor drainage.</div>
<div></div>
<div>Sicily Giant is a large heirloom variety from Sicily. It can reach up to two inches in diameter.</div>
<div>Snow Belle is an all-white variety of radish, similar in shape to the Cherry Belle.</div>
<div>White Icicle or just Icicle is a white carrot-shaped variety, around 10–12 cm (4–5 in) long, dating back to the 16th century. It slices easily, and has better than average resistance to pithiness.</div>
<div>French Breakfast is an elongated red-skinned radish with a white splash at the root end. It is typically slightly milder than other summer varieties, but is among the quickest to turn pithy.</div>
<div>Plum Purple a purple-fuchsia radish that tends to stay crisp longer than average.</div>
<div>Gala and Roodbol are two varieties popular in the Netherlands in a breakfast dish, thinly sliced on buttered bread.</div>
<div></div>
<div>Easter Egg is not an actual variety, but a mix of varieties with different skin colors,[6] typically including white, pink, red, and purple radishes. Sold in markets or seed packets under the name, the seed mixes can extend harvesting duration from a single planting, as different varieties may mature at different times.</div>
<div></div>
<div>Winter varieties</div>
<div>Daikon</div>
<div>Black Spanish or Black Spanish Round occur in both round and elongated forms, and are sometimes simply called the black radish or known by the French name Gros Noir d'Hiver. It dates in Europe to 1548, and was a common garden variety in England and France during the early 19th century. It has a rough black skin with hot-flavored white flesh, is round or irregularly pear shaped, and grows to around 10 cm (4 in) in diameter.</div>
<div>Daikon refers to a wide variety of winter radishes from Asia. While the Japanese name daikon has been adopted in English, it is also sometimes called the Japanese radish, Chinese radish, Oriental radish or mooli (in India and South Asia). Daikon commonly have elongated white roots, although many varieties of daikon exist. One well known variety is April Cross, with smooth white roots. The New York Times describes Masato Red and Masato Green varieties as extremely long, well suited for fall planting and winter storage. The Sakurajima daikon is a hot-flavored variety which is typically grown to around 10 kg (22 lb), but which can grow to 30 kg (66 lb) when left in the ground.</div>
<div></div>
<div>Seed pod varieties</div>
<div>Radish fruits, also called pods</div>
<div></div>
<div>Radish seeds</div>
<div>The seeds of radishes grow in siliques (widely referred to as "pods"), following flowering that happens when left to grow past their normal harvesting period. The seeds are edible, and are sometimes used as a crunchy, spicy addition to salads. Some varieties are grown specifically for their seeds or seed pods, rather than their roots. The Rat-tailed radish, an old European variety thought to have come from East Asia centuries ago, has long, thin, curly pods which can exceed 20 cm (8 in) in length. In the 17th century, the pods were often pickled and served with meat. The München Bier variety supplies spicy seed pods that are sometimes served raw as an accompaniment to beer in Germany.</div>
<div></div>
<div>Nutritional value</div>
<div>Radish, raw, root only</div>
<div>Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz)</div>
<div>Energy 66 kJ (16 kcal)</div>
<div>Carbohydrates 3.40 g</div>
<div>- Sugars 1.86 g</div>
<div>- Dietary fiber 1.6 g</div>
<div>Fat 0.10 g</div>
<div>Protein 0.68 g</div>
<div>Thiamine (vit. B1) 0.012 mg (1%)</div>
<div>Riboflavin (vit. B2) 0.039 mg (3%)</div>
<div>Niacin (vit. B3) 0.254 mg (2%)</div>
<div>Pantothenic acid (B5) 0.165 mg (3%)</div>
<div>Vitamin B6 0.071 mg (5%)</div>
<div>Folate (vit. B9) 25 μg (6%)</div>
<div>Vitamin C 14.8 mg (18%)</div>
<div>Calcium 25 mg (3%)</div>
<div>Iron 0.34 mg (3%)</div>
<div>Magnesium 10 mg (3%)</div>
<div>Phosphorus 20 mg (3%)</div>
<div>Potassium 233 mg (5%)</div>
<div>Zinc 0.28 mg (3%)</div>
<div>Percentages are relative to</div>
<div>US recommendations for adults.</div>
<div>Source: USDA Nutrient Database</div>
<div>Radishes are rich in ascorbic acid, folic acid, and potassium. They are a good source of vitamin B6, riboflavin, magnesium, copper, and calcium. One cup of sliced red radish bulbs provides approximately 20 cal, largely from carbohydrates.</div>
<div></div>
<div>Uses</div>
<div>Cooking</div>
<div>The most commonly eaten portion is the napiform taproot, although the entire plant is edible and the tops can be used as a leaf vegetable. It can also be eaten as a sprout.</div>
<div>The bulb of the radish is usually eaten raw, although tougher specimens can be steamed. The raw flesh has a crisp texture and a pungent, peppery flavor, caused by glucosinolates and the enzyme myrosinase which combine when chewed to form allyl isothiocyanates, also present in mustard, horseradish, and wasabi.</div>
<div></div>
<div>Radish leaves are sometimes used in recipes, like potato soup or as a sauteed side dish. They are also found to benefit homemade juices; some recipes even calling for them in fruit based mixutres.</div>
<div>Radishes may be used in salads, as well as in many European dishes.</div>
<div></div>
<div>Industry</div>
<div>The seeds of the Raphanus sativus species can be pressed to extract seed oil. Wild radish seeds contain up to 48% oil content, and while not suitable for human consumption the oil is a potential source of biofuel. The oilseed radish grows well in cool climates.</div>
<div></div>
<div>Culture</div>
<div>Citizens of Oaxaca, Mexico, celebrate the radish in a festival called Noche de los Rábanos (Night of the Radishes) on December 23 as a part of Christmas celebrations. Locals carve religious and popular figures out of radishes and display them in the town square.</div>
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<h2><strong>Ajwain, ajowan Seeds (Trachyspermum ammi)</strong></h2>
<h2><span style="color: #ff0000;" class=""><strong>Price for Package of 1g (500) seeds. </strong></span></h2>
<div class=""><b style="color: #202122; font-size: 14px;">Ajwain</b><span style="color: #202122; font-size: 14px;">,<span> </span></span><b style="color: #202122; font-size: 14px;">ajowan</b><sup id="cite_ref-oed_3-0" class="reference" style="color: #202122; font-size: 11.2px;"></sup><span style="color: #202122; font-size: 14px;"><span> </span>(</span><span class="rt-commentedText nowrap" style="color: #202122; font-size: 14px;"><span class="IPA nopopups noexcerpt">/<span><span title="/ˈ/: primary stress follows">ˈ</span><span title="/æ/: 'a' in 'bad'">æ</span><span title="/dʒ/: 'j' in 'jam'">dʒ</span><span title="/ə/: 'a' in 'about'">ə</span><span title="'w' in 'wind'">w</span><span title="/ɒ/: 'o' in 'body'">ɒ</span><span title="'n' in 'nigh'">n</span></span>/</span></span><span style="color: #202122; font-size: 14px;">), or<span> </span></span><i style="color: #202122; font-size: 14px;"><b>Trachyspermum ammi</b></i><span style="color: #202122; font-size: 14px;">—also known as<span> </span></span><b style="color: #202122; font-size: 14px;">ajowan caraway</b><span style="color: #202122; font-size: 14px;">,<span> </span></span><b style="color: #202122; font-size: 14px;">thymol seeds</b><span style="color: #202122; font-size: 14px;">,<span> </span></span><b style="color: #202122; font-size: 14px;">bishop's weed</b><span style="color: #202122; font-size: 14px;">, or<span> </span></span><b style="color: #202122; font-size: 14px;">carom</b><span style="color: #202122; font-size: 14px;">—is an<span> </span></span>annual<span style="color: #202122; font-size: 14px;"><span> </span></span>herb<span style="color: #202122; font-size: 14px;"><span> </span>in the family<span> </span></span>Apiaceae<span style="color: #202122; font-size: 14px;">.</span><span style="color: #202122; font-size: 14px;"><span> </span>Both the leaves and the<span> </span></span>seed<span style="color: #202122; font-size: 14px;">‑like<span> </span></span>fruit<span style="color: #202122; font-size: 14px;"><span> </span>(often mistakenly called seeds) of the plant are consumed by humans. The name "</span>bishop's weed<span style="color: #202122; font-size: 14px;">" also is a common name for other plants. The "seed" (i.e., the fruit) is often confused with<span> </span></span>lovage<span style="color: #202122; font-size: 14px;"><span> </span>"seed".<br><br><span>Ajwain's small, oval-shaped, seed-like fruits are pale brown </span>schizocarps<span>, which resemble the seeds of other plants in the family Apiaceae such as </span>caraway<span>, </span>cumin<span> and </span>fennel<span>. They have a bitter and pungent taste, with a flavor similar to </span>anise<span> and </span>oregano<span>. They smell almost exactly like </span>thyme<span> because they also contain </span>thymol<span>, but they are more aromatic and less subtle in taste, as well as being somewhat bitter and pungent. Even a small number of fruits tends to dominate the flavor of a dish.</span><br><br></span>
<h2 style="color: #000000; font-size: 1.5em;"><span class="mw-headline" id="Cultivation_and_production">Cultivation and production</span></h2>
<p>The plant is mainly cultivated in<span> </span>Iran<span> </span>and<span> </span>India.<sup id="cite_ref-Green2006_5-2" class="reference" style="font-size: 11.2px;"></sup></p>
<h2 style="color: #000000; font-size: 1.5em;"><span class="mw-headline" id="Culinary_uses">Culinary uses</span></h2>
<p>The fruits are rarely eaten raw; they are commonly<span> </span>dry-roasted<span> </span>or fried in<span> </span>ghee<span> </span>(clarified butter). This allows the spice to develop a more subtle and complex aroma. It is widely used in the<span> </span>cuisine of the Indian subcontinent, often as part of a<span> </span>chaunk<span> </span>(also called a<span> </span><i>tarka</i>), a mixture of spices - sometimes with a little chopped garlic or onion - fried in oil or clarified butter, which is used to flavor a dish at the end of cooking. It is also an important ingredient for herbal medicine practiced there. In<span> </span>Afghanistan, the fruits are sprinkled over bread and biscuits.<sup id="cite_ref-Davidson2014_6-0" class="reference" style="font-size: 11.2px;"></sup></p>
<h2 style="color: #000000; font-size: 1.5em;"><span class="mw-headline" id="As_a_medication">As a medication</span></h2>
<p>There is little high-quality<span> </span>clinical evidence<span> </span>that ajwain has anti-disease properties in humans.<sup id="cite_ref-drugs_7-0" class="reference" style="font-size: 11.2px;">[7]</sup><span> </span>Ajwain is sold as a<span> </span>dietary supplement<span> </span>in<span> </span>capsules, liquids, or powders.<sup id="cite_ref-drugs_7-1" class="reference" style="font-size: 11.2px;">[7]</sup><span> </span>An<span> </span>extract<span> </span>of bishop's weed is manufactured as a<span> </span>prescription drug<span> </span>called<span> </span>methoxsalen<span> </span>(<i>Uvadex</i>,<span> </span><i>8-Mop</i>,<span> </span><i>Oxsoralen</i>) provided as a<span> </span>skin cream<span> </span>or oral capsule to treat<span> </span>psoriasis, repigmentation from<span> </span>vitiligo, or skin disorders of<span> </span>cutaneous T-cell lymphoma.<sup id="cite_ref-drugs_7-2" class="reference" style="font-size: 11.2px;">[7]</sup><sup id="cite_ref-drugs-meth_8-0" class="reference" style="font-size: 11.2px;">[8]</sup><span> </span>Because methoxsalen has numerous interactions with<span> </span>disease-specific drugs, it is prescribed to people only by experienced<span> </span>physicians.<sup id="cite_ref-drugs-meth_8-1" class="reference" style="font-size: 11.2px;"></sup></p>
<p>Ajwain is used in<span> </span>traditional medicine<span> </span>practices, such as<span> </span>Ayurveda, in<span> </span>herbal blends<span> </span>in the belief it can treat various disorders.<sup id="cite_ref-drugs_7-3" class="reference" style="font-size: 11.2px;"></sup><sup id="cite_ref-9" class="reference" style="font-size: 11.2px;"></sup><span> </span>There is no evidence or regulatory approval that oral use of ajwain in herbal blends is effective or safe.<sup id="cite_ref-drugs_7-4" class="reference" style="font-size: 11.2px;"></sup></p>
<h3 style="color: #000000; font-size: 1.2em;"><span class="mw-headline" id="Adverse_effects">Adverse effects</span></h3>
<p>Women who are pregnant should not use ajwain due to potential<span> </span>adverse effects<span> </span>on fetal development, and its use is discouraged while breastfeeding.<sup id="cite_ref-drugs_7-5" class="reference" style="font-size: 11.2px;"></sup><span> </span>In high amounts taken orally, bishop's weed is considered to be<span> </span>toxic<span> </span>and can result in fatal poisoning.<sup id="cite_ref-drugs_7-6" class="reference" style="font-size: 11.2px;"></sup></p>
<h3 style="color: #000000; font-size: 1.2em;"><span class="mw-headline" id="Essential_oil">Essential oil</span></h3>
<p>Hydrodistillation<span> </span>of ajwain fruits yields an<span> </span>essential oil<span> </span>consisting primarily of<span> </span>thymol,<span> </span>gamma-terpinene,<span> </span>p-cymene, and more than 20 trace compounds which are predominantly<span> </span>terpenoids.</p>
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The Habanero Apple Orange is one of the world's hottest and most renowned chilies. For the uninitiated even a tiny piece of Habanero would cause intense and very prolonged oral suffering. Underneath the heat is a delicate apple-like flavour. Capsicum chinense