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 ...

Cordyceps (caterpillar fungus) is a medicinal mushroom that is a wild fungus and has been used in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) for over 5,000 years. There are numerous species of cordyceps, however the most researched and popular is Ophiocordyceps sinensis. It is found at high altitudes of ...

Edamame beans are young, immature soybeans (also known as 'Glycine max') that are harvested prior to the bean's natural hardening process. These beans have a green colour differing from the soybean's light brown. The bean is believed to have been domesticated from its wild relative, 'Glycine soja', ...

Cumin is a small seed, ridged and yellow-brown in colour and has been used for both medicinal and culinary purposes throughout the world.  Although it is a seed native to Egypt, it has been cultivated for thousands of years in the Middle East, India, China and Mediterranean countries. Its unique ...

Hibiscus, or Hibiscus Sabdariffa, is a tropical flower belonging to the Malvaceae family. Botanists believe that there are eight original hibiscus species that can be considered ancestors of the hibiscus hybrids found today. These are said to be native to India, China, Mauritius, Hawaii, Fiji, and ...

How do you like your tea? If you like it strong, then you should give pu-erh tea a try. Pu-er or pu-erh, sometimes referred to as brick dark tea, originated in China and is known for its deep, rich and earthy flavour. The Pu-erh tea leaves are fermented and stored afterwards to undergo a ...

Buckwheat is a pseudo grain - it has grain-like properties but is not a grain. Also, it has no relation to wheat as the name suggests. In Europe, countries like Poland, Lithuania and Ukraine are large producers of buckwheat. Similarly, Russia, the United States and China are main global buckwheat ...

With the showery spring now well established and summer approaching, you may be keen to incorporate some alternative fresh, new ingredients into your diet. Part of the Sapindaceae family (also responsible for maple and rambutan) the Chinese originated lychee has been utilised as much in traditional ...

Did you know that the kiwifruit is also known as Chinese gooseberry? Native to China (widely found in New Zealand with golden ones available in Italy) and named after the small kiwi bird, the kiwifruit is an oval-shaped fuzzy fruit with a luminous green flesh speckled with black seeds that can ...

Ginger, a flowering plant that originated in China, is part of the zingiberaceae botanical family and is closely related to cardamom and turmeric. The ginger root (or rhizome) has a long history of use in Indian, Asian and Arabic herbal traditions, as well as being a popular culinary spice. Read on ...