MAHA Spices

Why Use Organic Spices?

admin — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 05:51:26 +0000

The other day a customer of our Off-line shop at SS19 Subang Jaya asked us for Organic Spices. Honestly we had no idea about “Organic Spices” assuming that all Spices were indeed organic. On checking Google`s internet resources we discovered that Organic Spices was an industry by itself. Our search led us to a highly beneficial article published in foodeditorials.com and authored by Anne Harvester. She is a herbalist who has studied the benefits of organic spices and seasonings. In the article, she explores the benefits of organic spices and herbs and gives advice on buying them. For your benefit the article is given below:

“Organic spices and seasonings offer a healthy way to add zest to everyday dishes, dinner parties and drinks. There are so many different ethnic cuisines from around the world that rely on appropriate organic herbs and spices to make them the mouthwatering delicacies that they are. Whether you use organic spices at home or are a business owner that wants organic spices wholesale, organics are popular for their great taste and health benefits.Organic salt is a basic seasoning that you will find in nearly every kitchen. Salt helps to bring out the flavor embodied in the dish in its entirety. It helps to heighten the contrasting flavors of each ingredient used in a recipe, no matter from which cuisine it hails.

Mediterranean cuisines, such as those from Greece, France, Italy,and Spain rely on the organic seasonings that are native to their respective regions. A Greek version of pasta, laced with shrimp and feta cheese, would not be the same without the inclusion of the vital flavor of organic seasonings like oregano to season it. The so-called “trinity” of Greek cooking, lemon juice, oregano, and garlic, are used to bring out the flavor of a leg of lamb roasted to perfection in the oven. French cooks like to use an herbal blend known as Herbs de Provence to flavor all manner of savory dishes. This mixture usually includes organic spices and seasonings such as basil, rosemary, thyme, parsley, marjoram, tarragon and sometimes lavender. This combination, added to a bean soup, instills flavorful goodness in every spoonful. Italian dishes, such as the ever-popular lasagna, require careful attention to
organic salt and spices added to the marinara sauce. Often a meat sauce, the marinara can come in several tomato-based forms. For every region in Italy you can find sauces relative to their area. Marinaras can contain organic spices and seasonings such as chives, rosemary, thyme, oregano, spearmint, savory, bay leaf, garlic, cayenne, and crushed red pepper flakes. A Spanish Romesco sauce might include paprika for added flavor.

Different regions of the United States also have dishes that require organic spices and seasonings commonly found in their locales. Southwestern cuisine relies on organic spices such as chili powders, cumin, epazote, and oregano to bring out their familiar flavors. Cajun food, from the Southern states, such as seafood-laden gumbo, favor the distinctive flavor of file gumbo, which is derived from the leaves of the sassafras tree.

Salad dressings offer another excellent opportunity to use organic spices and seasonings in their preparation. Vinaigrettes are wonderful flavored with tarragon. Basil can be used to flavor oils then used to dress salads. Pickles that often end up in salads can be prepared with spices such as organic salt, pepper, coriander seeds, and cilantro.

If you are an avid cook, it makes sense to keep a good supply of bulk organic spices on hand for when the culinary urge strikes”.

Sarawak Pepper

admin — Thu, 28 May 2009 06:52:46 +0000

The Pepper seed is considered the “King of Spices”. There is the black pepper and the white pepper. Pepper is generally used to enhance the flavour of any food. The black pepper is usually used whole and the white pepper in its powder form. Many of our off-line customers, who are in the catering business, buy pre-packed pepper powder for use in their soup and noodle preparations. Pepper is considered to have originated in India and brought to Malaysia and cuiltivated to thrive in Sarawak Malaysia during Rajah Brooke’s colonial era. Now pepper is one of Malaysia’s major commodity exports, and Sarawak is Malaysia’s largest producer of pepper. But did you know that “SARAWAK PEPPER” is an intellectual property of the Sarawak Pepper Board? As such Sarawak Pepper has achieved its own individuality and uniqueness and the name has gained legal protection. To know more about Sarawak Pepper’s uniqueness and interesting history and the Government protection granted to it please click on the link below:

http://www.ecap-project.org/fileadmin/ecapII/pdf/en/information/malaysia/gi/sarawak_pepper_gi_cert.pdf

How To Cook Tamarind Rice

admin — Mon, 25 May 2009 05:52:16 +0000

Tamarind rice or pulisaadham or puliyodharai are perennial favourites of the South Indians especially the Tamils. It is obvious that the key ingredient in this recipe must be the Tamarind and this tamarind is widely used in cooking many types of Asian food. But the interesting thing about the tamarind rice of the tamils is the generous use of spices; the intention being that the cooked rice will not only taste better but last longer. It is also known as festive rice because no temple festival will be complete without a generous serving of the tamarind rice. While the tamarind and the spices and the recipe and the generous advice that go to make the tamarind rice are readily available at our off-line shop at SS 19 Subang Jaya, what excited us most was the availability of a 6.24 minute video at “youtube” demonstrating how to cook excellent tamarind rice. The awesome video by Vah Chef Sanjay Thumma of www.vahrehvah.com is intended mainly for the Indian diaspora outside of India. The video has had 43,355 views; no small achievement for a rice recipe and as such it is no ordinary video. Therefore we urge all those interested in finding out how to cook excellent tamarind rice for whatever purpose, religious or otherwise, to view the video by clicking on the link below:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tki_U9nFY7Y&feature=related

Chettinad “samayal”

admin — Fri, 22 May 2009 11:04:53 +0000

The Chettiar community in Tamilnadu India and in Malaysia are well known as thrifty businessmen. Particularly in Malaysia, they are known to have a sharp eye for business. Also they are known as community team players; their teamwork and prominence can well be experienced by anyone who has visited Penang during Thaipusam. In such a close-knit communal environment there developed a unique cuisine known as the chettinad cuisine or chettinad “samayal”, which is distinctive from the typical south indian or tamilian cooking. In Kuala Lumpur and other major malaysian towns there are private kitchens and restaurants specialising in chettinad food. The distinctiveness of the cuisine apparently has much to do with the quality and quantity of SPICES used in the cooking. People who have tasted chettinad food vouch for its exceptional taste. As chettinad food is gaining popularity not only in Malaysia but worldwide and for the benefit of our off-line and on-line customers who are keen to know more about the cuisine, we did some search at Google and came across this article which gives a good insight into the nature of chettinad cuisine. Check it out by clicking on the link below:

http://meenakshinm.sulekha.com/blog/post/2007/01/chettinad-and-its-specialities-part-1.htm

Turmeric and Its Many Uses

admin — Thu, 21 May 2009 04:47:14 +0000

Turmeric is one of the common spices sold at our off-line shop and it is an all time favourite of the mainly Indian customers. What we do know about turmeric is that apart from it being a spice used in cooking, especially in powder form, it also has many medicinal uses and also many other uses especially in hindu religious rituals, including traditional hindu weddings. The wonder of the yellow root is that it is given the respect accorded to Gold by the Indian community. So we decided to do some checking at Google and we came across an interesting article in a website dedicated to anything Indian called www.indiamarks.com We would like to share the article’s noble message with all those interested in Life’s Wellness Spices. To get a full run-down on Turmeric please click on the link below:

http://www.indiamarks.com/guide/The-Wonders-of-the-Yellow-Root-Turmeric-and-It-s-Many-Uses-/614

Harmony Spices

admin — Mon, 18 May 2009 05:22:12 +0000

The Harmony Silver Foundation is an NGO founded in India in 2004 by Ms.Tina Anil Ambani. Among their many noble activities is the monthly publication of their wonderful magazine with the highly positive name of “HARMONY”, which was launched in July 2004. An on-line version of the magazine is available at harmonyindia.org. Since we had enquiries for information about “CHYAWANPRASH”, a traditional herbal preparation designed to combat disease and beat ageing, from many of our off-line customers, so for their benefit and the benefit of every lover of the Good Life and Total Wellness, we did a google search and came across an excellent article at the harmonyindia.org’s website. A very useful feature of the article is the detailed description of the herbs and spices used in the making of the traditional herbal preparation. After reading this article, anyone having any doubts about the power of spices for wellness will definitely be enlightened. So we encourage you to check out the information about chyawanprash and harmony spices by clicking on the link below:

http://www.harmonyindia.org/hportal/VirtualPageView.jsp?page_id=451

MMK Spices

admin — Thu, 14 May 2009 07:13:45 +0000

MMK Spices Sdn Bhd is one of the exhibitors at the recent MIHAS 2009 International Halal Showcase. This company, incorporated in 2002, but which has its origins and base in Penang was founded by a dynamic entrepreneur from India by name M. Mohamed Kassim, hence the initials MMK. The company’s roots go back to the pre war era and in 1946 the founder together with his brother and two relatives started the 4-man partnership business. With total commitment and dedication they grew their Spice business such that today the grandson of the founder Mr. Azhar competently manages the third generation thriving Spice trading business with committed partners. They offer a complete range of SPICE products for any one interested to venture into the Spice business under the aptly titled “SPICE KING” brand. They are truly Spice Kings for the growth they have achieved and for the range of products they have on offer and are also able to source from anywhere in the world and offer at competitive prices. Apart from the complete range of Spices, they also have on offer the complete range of Pulses, Fruits and Nuts, General Provision Items plus a range of Curry Powders under the Peladang brand. We sincerely reccomend them, especially to our Off-line and On-line customers, as a reliable source of supply of products for anyone operating or planning to start and operate a SpiceMart. Check them out and their full range of products by clicking on the link below:

http://www.spiceking.com.my

Halal Spices

admin — Tue, 12 May 2009 14:00:30 +0000

From May 6th to 10th the MATRADE Exhibition & Convention Centre (MECC) in Kuala Lumpur was a very buzy place because of the MIHAS 2009, the 6th International Halal Showcase, considered to be the world’s largest halal showcase. There were over 500 exhibitors from 30 countries, including a big group from China. . Among the malaysian and international exhibitors were government agencies, service providers and product owners. Among the sectors represented were: beverages, confectionery, frozen food, grains and nuts, spices and seasonings, herbal and healthcare, hotel and restaurant, organic products, pharmaceutical, poultry and meat, dairy, preserved fruit and vegetable, processed and ready to eat products, raw food materials, snack food, non-food products, perfumery, toiletries and body care, franchise, web portal, publication, financial products and services, kitchenware, machinery, product packaging, halal services and general items. Of course, we were particularly interested in HALAL SPICES and seasonings, and as usual there were many companies who were offering such products, our intent being to introduce suitable products to our off-line and on-line customers in line with our theme of “Lifes’s Wellness Spices”. Anyone interested to know more about Halal products and services should visit the following website, and to gain a sampling of Halal Spices and Seasonings products we urge you to click on the link below:

http://www.malaysiahalalfoods.com/seasoningspices.html

“Seeds - The Compact Chip Of Life”

admin — Tue, 05 May 2009 06:30:56 +0000

In today’s The Star newspaper’s Star Two Section Page T10 there is an advertisement by The Malaysian Chapter Of The World Organisation Of Natural Medicine (MANMP) for the “ENTREPRENEURIAL TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME IN NATURAL HEALTHCARE & MEDICINE” to be held this month on 16th and 17th May. One of the taglines mentioned in the advertisement that attracted our attention was: “Welcome into the world of proactive wellness and natural healthcare, the emerging trillion dollar industry”. Since this is a theme we have been actively promoting we decided to share the information for the benefit of our “Life’s Wellness Spices” customers. Please visit their website www.manmp.org.my for more information. Meantime we would like to share an article titled “Seeds - The Compact Chip of Life” by Professor Dr. Ananthan, the driving force behind the MANMP. Enjoy it!

“To say that man is product of nature is to state the obvious. The human life form has evolved through the assimilation of natural substances that were available, both organic and inorganic plant and animal sources. Human life forces became intimately connected and dependent to its cosmic environment, depending on the solar energy and natural products that was accessible as it evolved, impelled by forces of life itself. starting from more easily available sources of food , such as leaves , roots barks and fruits, finally made seeds as staple food, especially cereals and beans and later improved the nutritional quality food by incorporating in small quantities special seeds , roots and barks which were grouped as spices , all consumed animal flesh as a sources of protein and fat . However, animal flesh organs did not contain a broad range of nutrients, unlike the seeds.

The innumerable number of bioactive substances in seeds confirms the fact that seeds contain the life creating and empowering substances. if the present human life creating and empowering substances .If the present human life form has developed through the assimilation of natural substances , then nature will harbors the most appropriate substances that can maintain a healthy body or correct the body that has gone onto disordered state of health . Nature must then be a prime target for the healthcare researcher to look for the secrets of healthcare and healing. The documented research work done on thousands of patients with diagnostic and laboratory data at the AK Pharmacy and Naturopathy Center Constitutes the Fundamental Ground breaking research in trying to unravel the health and healing power that are hidden in the contents of the seeds. From this Fundamental research, which earned Prof. Dr. Ananthan a Doctorate in Natural Medicine, Various efficacious seed based healthcare and medicinal formulae were created.

Focus was on prevention of disease states, but formulae for specific metabolic and other diseases were developed. The indicated uses of each product are based on the ten years of clinical research and experience on more than 12000 patients who are treated at AK Pharmacy and Naturopathy Center. Some of the indications are more than those approved by the Malaysian DCA, this is because the general policy of limited indications on natural and traditional products and medicine, nevertheless the indications shown below are based on actual findings on patients who have been given the various formulae and confirmed by laboratory reports and improvements on symptoms. Some of the major findings of this ground breaking research will be formally presented at the natural and Alternative Healthcare Clinical Conference that will be held in conjunction with the Global Launch of the product in August 2005 Kuala Lumpur , Malaysia .”

Create Wealth Through Business

admin — Sun, 03 May 2009 06:55:51 +0000

“How to create wealth…..” was the title of a one-day power-packed seminar held yesterday 2nd May by Entrepreneur Action Program Sdn Bhd at the Holiday Villa Hotel in Subang Jaya. The totally productive and highly beneficial seminar was in fact a Preview of the 3-day “Entrepreneur Action Program Boot Camp” which is scheduled to be held at the Melia Hotel Kuala Lumpur on 20th and 21st June and on 4th July 2009. The main presenter for the one-day highly dynamic “not-a-dull-moment” seminar was Mr. Jerome Tan. He states that he is an Out-of-the-box Entrepreneur who started many businesses with little or NO money. At first it was difficult to beleive a lot of what he was saying but as the Seminar progressed it was obvious to all who attended that Jerome not only was speaking from experience but also had the deep knowledge to back up whatever he said. It was not what he said but the way he said what he said that was most memorable. Not only that, he was willing, ready and able to freely share his knowledge and experience with all. He was part teacher, part coach, part motivator, part consultant, part boxer, part clown and most of all he was an intelligent entrepreneurial entertainer who could keep the 100 odd people totally absorbed and alert for the whole day, no small achievement. Based on the way the seminar was run, the actual 3-day Boot Camp promises to be more exciting because it will have 2 other lady speakers in addition to Mr Jerome Tan. We are sharing this information so as to give you a flavour of what to expect at the Boot Camp and we strongly Recommend that those of you who aspire to be Retail Spicemart or WellnessMart Entrepreneurs attend the Boot Camp so as to learn and gain from the Best in the business of creating entrepreneurs. As we have stated many times in this Blog, one of our primary Goals is to enable the aspiring entrepreneurs from among our Off-line and On-line customers, especially the women, to start their very own business enterprise. And based on our own experience we have strongly recommended that you start your own retail spicemart or wellnessmart. While access to Finance for your small business could be tackled, it is unleashing your entrepreneurial potential and channneling it in the right direction that is a greater challenge, and as such we are happy to discover that the EAP Boot Camp is the perfect program to enable you to breakthrough the massive barriers and acquire that all-powerful businesswoman mindset and at the same time transform your life to one that is totally fulfilled and joyful (from one that is dependent on others to one that gives you total financial freedom). So, if you are excited to want to know more about the Boot Camp, please visit EAP’s website at: