Pears come in a large number of varieties but all belong to the Rosaceae family along with roses and fruits like apricots, apples, cherries, peaches, raspberries to name a few. The variety of pears most commonly found in U.S and Europe are known as Pyrus communis. This variety has a […]

Parsley is a herb belonging to the Apiaceae family, with a biological name Petroselinum crispum. It is believed to have originated in the Mediterranean region and naturalized all over Europe. The first part of its name is derived from the Greek word Petrose meaning rock, due to its inclination to […]

Oranges do not exist in the wild; they are products of cross breeding tangerines with the “Chinese grapefruit” the pomelo. They are the greatest grown quantity of citrus fruits around the world. The outer orange coloured skin is known as the epicarp while the spongy white mesocarp lies just beneath. […]

Mint is valued all over the world for its menthol scent and taste. It provokes an invigorating effect on the senses, and is commonly employed in cooking to add flavour to dishes, and as a garnish for desserts. It is also commonly used in medicine, aromatherapy, and commercial goods like […]

Allium cepa, commonly known as the onion, belongs to the Alliaceae family along with shallots, chives, and garlic. It was previously classified incorrectly and grouped in the Amaryllidaceae family, whose members include daffodils, amaryllis and various other plants with bulbs. The onion plant is made up of superficial roots attached […]

Lettuce is the type of a vegetable that just about all plant breeders like to meddle with, hence the seemingly endless varieties! Ranging in colour anywhere from crispy green to crimson red, the flavours and nutritional values of the different varieties also vary greatly. Lettuce belongs to the Asteraceae family […]

The kiwifruit is also known by its short name, kiwi, in some parts of the world as well as Chinese gooseberry, and Yang Tao. Interior of the fruit is dazzling green flesh with radiating lighter green spikes. Scattered between the spikes are the miniature edible dark purple to almost black […]

A member of the Rutaceae family, the botanical name of a lemon is Citrus Limonum. The true lemon tree reaches a height of 10 to 20 feet (three to six meters), and is full of twigs with sharp thorns. The flowers with their mild fragrance can be clustered or solitary, […]

Kale (Brassica oleracea), also sometimes referred to as borecole, is a relative of the more highly developed members of the same family like broccoli, cauliflower and Brussels sprouts. The vegetable has been so popular in Scotland that “come to kale” was an invitation to dinner. In addition to the typical […]

Although it goes by the name of Jerusalem artichoke, it has absolutely no connection with Jerusalem nor does it have any relation to the true artichoke! It is actually more closely related to the sunflower. According to one school of thought, the word Jerusalem is derived from the Italian word […]

Jicama or Pachyrihizus erosus, an edible root bearing a resemblance to turnips, is a member of the Fabaceae family. A native of Mexico, its other names include yam bean, Mexican potato, or Mexican turnip. All parts of the plant that are above the ground, including flowers, seeds, pods, vine and […]

French beans, green beans, string beans and snap beans, are actually different names of the same bean scientifically known as Phaseolus vulgaris. The beans are made up of a green pod with tiny seeds inside and range in size from four to six inches. The pod and the seeds inside […]

Citrus paradise, or better known as the grapefruit, grows on a subtropical citrus tree belonging to the Rutaceae family. It is available today in a number of varieties distinguished by the colour of the fruit’s pulp, which can range from red, white, to hues of pink. The colouration is a […]

Other than Antarctica, grapes are grown on every continent of the world. Grapes (Vitis vinifera) are actually classified as berries. They come in round or oval shapes and have juicy semi-transparent flesh inside. They grow in clusters ranging from six to three hundred fruits with most common varieties being green, […]

For many people the word ‘ginger’ brings to mind redheads with above average sexual drives, and exceptional fighting abilities. There is, however, another type of ‘ginger’ that people have been familiar with for a millennia. The herb is mentioned in the Koran, the Muslim holy book, indicating that the Arabs […]

According to folk medicine, garlic has the potential to fix everything from the common cold to the plague. While many of the old sayings are doubtful, prevailing scientific theories and research support numerous others. The main compounds that lend garlic its medicinal value are allicin and diallyl sulphides. The sulfur […]

Figs are a small, sweet and somewhat pear shaped fruit that grows on most of the over 1,000 Ficus tree species. Figs come in a range of varieties, sizes and colours. The raw fruit is consumed fresh from the tree and is considered to be very healthy however it may […]

Cultivated all over the globe now, Fennel (Foeniculum Vulgare) is originally a native of the Mediterranean. It belongs to the Umbellifereae family and is a close relative of dill, carrots, coriander and parsley. Fennel is a perennial herb that has a whitish, pale green bulb, with overlaying stalks extending out […]

What most people think of as a nuisance and a hideous weed is such a well respected plant that it sits on the U.S National Formulatory, as well as the Pharmcopeias of Poland, Hungary, Soviet Union and Switzerland. It is also one of the top six herbs in the Chinese […]

Cucumis sativus, more commonly known as cucumber, is a member of the gourd (cucurbitaceae) family, which also includes gourds, melons and squashes. Another name for cucumbers is gherkins, which actually alludes to cucumbers in their pickled form.  Currently, it is the world’s fourth most commonly cultivated crop, after onions, tomatoes […]