Paprika is one of the most traded in spice and its varieties are native to South America. It is an annual plant that is grown all over the world for different aroma and taste. It is primarily used as a food colorant in a variety of cuisines. These turn from green to red upon riping. Only red colored paprika are processed into spice.

Indian Name: Mirchi
Botanical Name: Capsicum Annuum
Family Name: Solanaceae

Cultivation Zone: Peru, in South America, is the largest producer of paprika with exports close to 80000 metric tonnes in the year 2005. United States, Zimbabwe, South Africa and Hungary are other major paprika producing countries. United States is also the largest consumer of paprika.

Culinary Use: Paprika is the main ingredient in many spiced sausages, including the Spanish chorizos. It is often used for garnishing, sprinkled on eggs, hors d'ouvres and salads for color. Many Spanish, Portuguese and Turkish recipes are incomplete without paprika. It is used in soups, stews, casseroles and vegetables. It also spices and colors cheeses and cheese spreads, and is used in marinades and smoked foods. In India paprika is used in tandoori chicken, to give it a distinct red color. Paprika is an emulsifier, temporarily bonding with oil and vinegar to make a smooth mixture for a salad dressing. It can also be incorporated in the flour dusting for chicken and other meats.

Medicinal Uses: Fresh red peppers have more than seven times as much vitamin C as oranges. It is also an excellent source of betacarotene, that the body converts to vitamin A.

Ginger is native to India and China. Although ginger is usually called ginger root, it is actually rhizome. It is available in various forms. One of its type is dry ginger, this is the most traded in European countries. Ginger oil and Oleoresins are also widely traded for its flavoring and medicinal properties.

Indian Name: Adrak
Botanical Name: Zingiber Officinale
Family Name: Zingiberaceae

Cultivation Zone: India, China, Nigeria, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Thailand, Philippines, Jamaica are the major production centers of ginger. India is the largest producer of dried ginger and contributes approximately 35% to the total world production. Indian Ginger is known for its high quality and strong flavor. It is the largest producer of dry ginger and caters to the European market and US.

Dried roots are sold either 'black' with the root skin left on, or 'white' with the skin peeled off. The dried root is available whole or sliced.

Whole fresh roots provide the freshest taste. The roots are collected and shipped when they are still immature, the outer skin is a light green color. These can sometimes be found in oriental markets.

Culinary use: Fresh ginger is essential to Asian and oriental cookery. It is used extensively in pickles, chutneys and curry pastes. Ground dried root on the other hand is a constituent of many curry powders. In India ginger is often sliced and eaten as a salad. Pickled ginger is a delicious accompaniment to satays and a colorful garnish to many dishes. Preserved ginger is eaten as a confection, chopped up for cakes and puddings, and is sometimes used as an ice cream ingredient. In the West, dried ginger is often used in biscuits and cakes. Ginger snaps and gingerbread are amongst the most popular confectioneries. Ginger is also used in puddings, jams, preserves and in some drinks like ginger beer, ginger wine and tea.

Medicinal Use: Ginger has been important in Chinese medicine for many centuries. Medical research has shown that ginger root is an effective treatment for nausea caused by motion sickness or other illness. It also contains many antioxidants that acts as an effective medicine for treating cough and cold. It is also one of the major ingredients of a majority of cough syrups. It is also used as a cure for gastro-intestinal and carminative problems. Ginger is said to have analgesic, sedative, antipyretic, antibacterial properties. Ginger water was commonly used to avoid heat cramps in the United States in the past.