Spices and Aromatics

Spices play a major role in the global flavors and food industry. They are grown over an area of 7.8 million ha producing 23 million tons. The global spice industry amounts to approximately 1.1 million tons and accounts for US$ 3.475 billion in value. Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, Madagascar, Malaysia, Spain, Sri Lanka, and Vietnam are the major producers and the USA, the European Union, Japan, Singapore, and Saudi Arabia are the major consumers of spices around the world. Black pepper, cardamom, ginger, turmeric, cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, tamarind, and vanilla constitute the major spices. Seed spices like coriander, cumin, fennel, fenugreek, and herbal spices like saffron, lavender, thyme, oregano, celery, and basil are also important. The crop biodiversity, geographical distribution, climatic requirements, medicinal properties, botany, crop management, and crop protection are reviewed in brief here.