Saffron, otherwise known as ‘Kesar’ in Hindi is a prized condiment and by far the most  expensive spice in the world.  It is native to Southern Europe's Crocus sativus plant and renowned globally for its culinary and medicinal characteristics. Its distinct flavour comes from its innate chemical ...

Chamomile is a daisy-like plant in the Asteraceae family native to western Europe, India and western Asia. There are many species of this plant, two of which include Matricaria chamomilla and Anthemis nobilis. This herb consumed as a tea has a flavour similar to that of apples and in addition to ...

Eggplant, otherwise known as aubergine or brinjal, is a deep, purple glossy pear-shaped vegetable. It belongs to the nightshade family of vegetables which include tomatoes, bell peppers and potatoes. There are many different varieties that all differ slightly in taste, texture and, one can describe ...

Did you know that there are around 60 different types of basil? Also known as 'Tulsi' or 'holy basil', it's a very fragrant plant, used as a seasoning herb for numerous dishes as well as being widely known as the main ingredient for pesto sauce. Basil leaves are used to improve the flavour of ...

Cacao beans are the seeds of the cacao tree (or Theobroma), which are grown, for example in Mexico and several other South American countries. Cacao beans are then processed and heated to make cocoa, which is used in conventional chocolate bars. In its raw, unprocessed form however, cacao retains ...

Is drinking coffee good or bad for you? This question has been circling around the world for ages. In the UK we drink around 70 million cups of coffee every day and it is the second most traded commodity in the world, after oil. In recent decades, scientists have studied the positive effects of ...

Most of us aren't happy with the way we look. Most of the time we look in the mirror wishing we were thinner but we find it impossible to cut out junk food and sugar that we know is contributing to our body’s issues. Sugar is one of the biggest health problems the world has ever seen but like ...