Perilla (aka, shiso, beefsteak plant, Chinese basil and purple mint) originally came from China until migrating to Japan in the 8th century, Perilla quickly became one of the essential spices to the Asian palate. Before being used in cooking, it was originally used as fuel for oil lamps, but this ...

Originally from the Southern Mediterranean and derived from the Greek word meaning ‘Courage’, Thyme has had multiple uses throughout history. The herb has been used for purifying homes and temples and was often consumed before and after a meal to avoid being affected by poisons. Today, it stands as ...

Indian Gooseberries aka Amla which comes from the Sanskrit word Amlaki which means 'fruit of heaven' or botanically as Phyllanthus emblica, belongs to the Phallancea family. Native to the Indian subcontinent, the Amla tree is thought to cure most diseases and promote longevity. This potent ...

Native to the Mediterranean region and one of the most commonly found herbs on the spice rack, Rosemary is probably one of the most popular herbs on the planet. It has a welcoming, homely aroma and provides a lovely, subtle taste to almost any dish. But, did you know that it can also be used to ...

Article on pizza-making evening at Pizza Express' flagship pizzeria in High Holborn, London!

This historically popular seed, anise, also known as aniseed and anise seed, is the true anise, Pimpinella anisum, which is not to be confused with the unrelated star anise. The plant is native to Asia, particularly China (news has come to light about the Japanese sources being potentially toxic, ...

Using dried sumac for its deep tangy, lemon-tasting flavour is becoming more and more popular in the culinary world, moving outside of its Middle Eastern roots. Added to a number of meat, rice, spice mixes and meze dishes, or even used as a whole fruit to make sumac-ade, this spice is a tasty ...

The modern day celery that we all know, originally formed from a wild celery that was native to the Mediterranean, where the seeds were used for their medicinal properties.  The earliest mention of celery leaves dates back to the ninth century where it made an appearance in the Odyssey, by the ...

The often forgotten half of the classic salt and pepper pairing, black pepper has some impressive health benefits. Originating in India, a peppercorn is actually a dried fruit from the black pepper plant, and is sold either in peppercorn form or ground down into a powder. As the world’s most traded ...

The southern/central American and Mexican originated Guava may be difficult to source in a commercial supermarket, but the host of health benefits offered from this sweetly aromatic, tropical fruit make it worthy of the journey to the specialist grocers!  From the Myrtace family who also brought us ...