Destiny

***1) Fenugreek*** Description {{Fenugreek seed is the ripe fruit of an annual herb. This robust herb has light green leaves, is 30-60 cm tall and produces slender, beaked pods, 10-15 cm long, each pod contains 10-20 small hard yellowish brown seeds, which are smooth and oblong, about 3mm long, each grooved across one corner, giving them a hooked appearance. It is a cold season crop and is fairly tolerant to frost and very low temperature. It is best suited to tracts of moderate to low rainfall and is sown in all types of soil but perform better in loam and clayey loam with proper drainage. It can also be grown on black cotton soils}} ***Uses*** {{Fenugreek is used both as a food and food additive as well as in medicines. Fresh tender pods, leaves and shoots are eaten as curried vegetable. As a spice, it flavours food. Powder of dried leaves is also used for garnishing and flavouring variety of food. Fenugreek extract is used as a flavouring agent of imitation maple syrup. It is one of the principle constituent of curry powder. The seeds are used in colic flatulence, dysentery, diarrhoea, dyspepsia, chronic cough and enlargement of liver and spleen, rickets, gout and diabetes. It is also used as a carminative, tonic, and aphrodisiac. Fenugreek oil is used in the manufacture of hair tonics. }} ***2) Garlic ***Description {{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 are surrounded by a common, thin, white or pinkish papery sheet. Garlic has a strong flavour and taste. Garlic prefers cool weather and grow in a well-drained, moderately clay loam at higher elevation (900 to 1200 mtrs).}} ***Uses*** {{Garlic is used for flavouring various dishes practically all over the world. In United States almost half of the produce is dehydrated for use in mayonnaise products, salad dressings and in several meat preparations. Raw garlic is used in the preparation of garlic powder, garlic salt, garlic vinegar, garlic cheese croutins, garlicked potato chips, garlic bread, garlicked bacon etc. Spray dried garlic products, liquid garlic preparations are other products. In India and other Asian and Middle East Countries, garlic is used in pickles, curry powders, curried vegetables, meat preparations etc. Oil of garlic is used as a flavouring agent in soups, canned foods, sauces etc. The other properties are anti-bacterial, fungicidal and insecticidal. In the area of medicine, it is used for various ailments of stomach, skin diseases. It has wider applications in indigenous medicines and is also considered as highly nutritive.}} ***3) Ginger ***Description {{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 valued as spice. Ginger is a slender perennial herb, 30-50 cm tall with palmately branched rhizome bearing leafy shoots. The leafy shoot is a pseudostem formed by leaf sheath and bears 8 to 12 distichous leaves. Ginger requires warm and humid climate and thrives well from sea level to an altitude of 1500 mtrs above MSL. A well distributed rainfall (150 to 300cm) during growing season and dry spells during land preparation and harvesting are required for the crop. Though grows on a wide range of soils, lateritic loams are preferred for higher yields.}} ***Uses*** {{Fresh ginger, dry ginger powder, oleoresin and oil are used in food processing. It is indispensable in the manufacture of ginger bread, confectionary, ginger ale, curry powders, certain curried meats, table sauces, in pickling and in the manufacture of certain cordials, ginger cocktail, carbonate drinks, liquors etc. In medicine, it is used as carminative and stimulant. It has wider applications in indigenous medicines. The ginger oil is used as food flavourant in soft drinks. }} ***4) Greater Galanga*** Description {{Greater Galanga is the dried rhizome of a plant Alpenia galanga. This is a perennial, robust, tillering, rhizomatous herb. The plant is 1.8 to 2.1 mtrs high and bears perennial rhizome (2.5 to 10 cm thick), which are deep orange to brown in colour, aromatic, pungent and bitter. The pseudostem formed by the rolled leaf sheaths is erect, the inflorescence is terminal, many flowered. The fruits are about 13 mm long, constricted in the middle and contain 3 to 6 seeds. The plant requires sunny or moderately shady locations with fertile moist soil preferably sandy or clayey, rich in organic matter with good drainage. In tropics the plant occurs up to an altitude of 1200 mtrs}} ***Uses*** {{The rhizomes have many applications in traditional medicines such as for skin diseases, indigestion, colic, dysentery, enlarged spleen, respiratory diseases, mouth and stomach cancer. Rhizomes show anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, anti-protozoal, and expectorant activities.}} ***5)Horseradish*** Description {{ Horseradish is a hardy herb having large leaves, perennial and is grown for its pungent root, which contain oil with strong pungent odour and hot, biting taste. The plant attains a height of 0.6 to 0.9 mtr when in flower. Propagation is by planting pieces of side roots. The roots develop entirely underground and grow to a meter in length. The top of the plant consists of a rosette of large paddle-shape leaf and a flower stalk. It rarely produces seeds. White flowers with a sweet honey scent are produced on terminal panicles in late spring. There are two types of horseradish one is ‘common type’ with broad crinkled leaves and roots of high quality and the other is ‘bohemian type’ with narrow leaves and poor quality roots. The taproot is tuberous and cylindrical (30 cm long and 18 mm in diameter).}} ***Uses*** {{Horseradish is used as an appetizing spice. The high Vitamin ‘C’ content present in it is credited with digestive and anti-scorbutic properties. Leaves are used in salads and sandwiches. Grated roots when mixed with vinegar and salt is an appetizing spice and a pungent condiment to enhance the flavour of boiled or roasted beef. Other products in use are horseradish cream, sauce, or relish. Horse raddish is available in dehydrated form also. Horseradish is a stimulant, diaphoretic, diuretic, and digestive. It is used in the treatment for general debility, arthritis, gout, respirative infections, urinary infections and fevers. }} ***6) Hyssop*** Description {{Hyssop is an aromatic perennial herb, 30-60 cm high, grown at higher elevations (above 1500 mtrs.). The branches are erect or defuse, leaves are sessile, linear-oblong, flowers are bluish purple in auxiliary tufts arranged unilaterally on terminal branches. The leaves and flower tops constitutes the spice.}} Uses {{Hyssop is used as a condiment and also as medicine. The leaves and flowering tops are used in flavouring of salads and soups. It is also used in the preparation of liquors and perfumes. Hyssop is considered as a stimulant, carminative and expectorant and is used in colds, coughs, and congestion and lung complaints. It is effective in pulmonary, digestive, uterine, and urinary troubles. Leaves are stimulating stomachic, carminative and colic. Hyssop oil is used as flavouring agent in bitters and tonics and in perfumery. The essential oil of hyssop has antimicrobial properties. }}