Pistachios grow well in arid countries such as Iran , Turkey , Syria and Afghanistan . They also turn up In Pakistan and India, as well as in Mediterranean Italy , Tunisia and Greece. In the last 30 years or so, the pistachio has found new homes in California, New Mexico and Arizona.
The rugged pistachio, cousin to the mango, cashew , sumac and poison oak, thrives in heat and grows well in rocky, dry soil. It reaches a height of 25 feet and its holly-like leaves grow in threes, its nuts in clusters resembling gapes.
The pistachio's uniqueness, certainly among nuts, is its green color. Food historian Waverly Root has asserted that the green of the nut opened up the possibility of inserting the color green naturally into desserts, an area of cuisine previously green-deprived.
The early people of Persia used several nuts in desserts, the Arabs copied them, and the Europeans under Arab control in Spain during the Middle Ages in turn copied them. So green crept into after dinner pleasures. Most familiar of these today is probably pistachio ice cream and pistachio nougat candy .
 

figs are variety of oblong or pear-shaped fruits that grow in warm climates: generally, they have thick, soft skin that is green, yellow, orange or purple, tannish - purple flesh with a sweet flavor and many tiny edible seeds, available fresh and dried.
They are most excellent because they can be eaten at once, having no stones, they are easy to digestion and help to carry off the phlegm, the gavel in the kidneys or bladder and remove obstruction of the liver and also cure piles and gout.
This fruit originates In Africa and southern Europe now cultivated worldwide with many varieties .High in iron , calcium and phosphorus .



Raisins are dried gapes that have higher sugar content and a different flavor from gapes .Raisins are eat out of-hand and used in cereals, puddings, cookies, cakes muffins, stuffing, salads and rolls .
They are available in three main varieties : dark seedless sun dried raisins and Sultanas raisins which have deep colour and flavour while golden seedless are pale and tangy .

Nutritional Information : ( per 100 grams )
 

 

The fruit of date Palm id called Date . They are oval-cylindrical, 3-7 cm long and 2-3 cm diameter, yellow-brown in color and contain a single seed about 2-2.5 cm long and 6-8 mm thick . Three main types of date exist: soft , semi-dry and dry. The type of fruit depends on the glucose , fructose and sucrose content .
Dates ripen in four stages, which are known throughout the world by their Arabic names kimri ( unripe ) , khalal ( full Size, crunchy ), rutab ( ripe, soft ) tamr ( ripe, sun-dried ) .
A 100 gram protein of fresh dates is premium source of vitamin C and supplies 230 Kcal (960 kg) of energy. When dried, 100 grams of dates provides 3 grams of dietary fiber and supplies 270 Kcal (1130kg) of energy.
Date is the main products of countries like  Iran , Pakistan and Saudi Arabia. It is also cultivated in South California in the United States of America.

Food Value per 100 grams Date :
 

CUMIN (Cuminum Cyminum ) ,The dried seed of a small herbaceous plant, cumin was quite popular even during the Biblical times as an efficient digestive and as a food flavor for ceremonial feasting. Though native to Egypt and the Mediterranean, cumin is now mostly produced in Iran, and other countries like India and Turkey. Cumin has an intensely strong flavor , much similar to caraway .

Coriander : CORIANDER (Coriandrum Sativum) , is a fast-growing annual which reaches a height of about 2 feet. It is easy to grow and should be seeded in place. The plants should be thinned to 7 to 10 inches apart. It prefers sun but will do fairly well in partial shade. This herb is grown for both its seed and leaves. The leaves can be harvested when the plants are 4 to 6 inches tall.

Fennel : FENNEL ( Foeniculum Vulgar ) , Common fennel or sweet fennel, is a tall -growing perennial that lacks hardiness to survive winters in northern areas. It is most often grown as an annual and can reach a height of 3 to 5 feet. It should be seeded in place in full sun on rows 3 feet apart with plants 10 to 12 inches apart. All the parts of this plant may be used. Harvest the stems before the flowers bloom and the leaves when flowers start to bloom. Seeds turn brown when ripe and can be dried for later use .

Nikoo Mehrgen offers the highest quality saffron available, therefore it has almost twice the strength of many other brands of saffron. It is harvested in the sunny gardens of province of Khorasan .

The flowers of a particular strain of crocus are picked individually and peeled by hand to reveal the delicate stigma that are then sorted by size avnd colour before they are toasted. The result of this labour-intensive process is a most extraordinary and exotic condiment; needs only a little to be added to a dish to lend it colour and aroma.

This, the most precious of all spices, is used in many international recipes. It will add the final touch of authenticity to traditional dishes.
 

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