Rasam soothes aching throats and upset tummies What better way to tickle your taste buds this monsoon season, while also protecting yourself against colds and coughs, than sipping some piping hot rasam? Rasams flavoured with lemon, tomatoes and cumin are a staple in most Tamil households. The versatile soup has its variations in Karnataka (saaru) and Andhra Pradesh. Rasam is usually

George Joseph / Kochi July 25, 2008, 0:55 IST

The Spices Board of India has warned to importers and value-adding units of whole star anise and Saigon cinnamon of Vietnam that the consignments to India could have been contaminated with an unapproved colour known as Chrysoidine.

The board said in a press statement that manufacturing units of curry powders and garam masalas should make sure the imported consignments of these spices are free from Chrysoidine, so as to avoid rejection and recall of exports.

In a major breakthrough, scientists of the Pepper Research Station, Panniyur, have developed a new hybrid pepper variety that can resist the infamous foot-rot disease. Into the fourth year of its trial, the variety has also shown resistance to drought and erratic climate, KP Mammooty, head, Pepper Research Station said. Foot-rot disease is estimated to eat into 20-25% of the annual pepper production of the country and in some cases, farmers have stopped cultivating pepper after suffering economically from it, he said. The disease spreads rapidly and the damage is extensive. At present, no remedy exists for foot-rot disease in pepper, other than cutting and removing affected plants completely, he added. The new hybrid is developed by crossing the indigenous

sikkim's most important cash crop is ailing. India's biggest producer of large cardamom, Sikkim, has recently witnessed a sharp fall in crop yields, forcing many farmers to abandon large cardamom

The elevation, loamy soil and forest foliage of the eastern sub-Himalayan mountains are ideal for large cardamom cultivation. Cardamom plantations cover about 22,000 hectares in Sikkim which produces

cloves, a commonly used spice, could do much more than flavour your food

Spice: The History Of A Temptation