Herbs anyone??? (Part 6) - Bird's Eye Chilli

Being labeled as one of the most spicy member of the Capsicum plant genus, the Bird's Eye Chilli is categorised under the hot chill pepper group. The Bird's Eye Chilli is also known in Malay as Cili Padi or Cili Padi Kampong and is related to many other types of chillies that can be found in the region.


Eventhough, there are many types of chillies that can be found all over the world, one common characteristics that can be found in every species is the chemical constituent known as capsaicin. These chemical capsaicin actually is the one responsible for the stimulation of the nerves in the mouth, facial parts like nose, mouth & eyes that causes burning sensation.


Chilli peppers of all types are rich in vitamin C, K and carotenoids, where the vitamin K helps in blood clotting. Chillies of all varieties are known to contain antioxidant properties, therefore, they prevent cell damage and act as anti-aging agents..so you gals & guys out there...don't need any expensive vitamins or expensive creams..just increase the chillies in your everyday diet to stay young ;-)

Some findings also revealed that one of the ingredients that exists in the chillies helps to control insulin levels and lowers blood glucose levels. The natural capsaicin presence in the chillies helps to burn calories and with regular consumption of the fruits actually helps in reducing weight..uummhhh, that will be a good excuse for wanting to eat more chillies :lol:


The capsaicin also helps in protecting from prostate cancer and has long been used as a topical ointment for relieving pain. This probably acts as counter irritant, ie. when the nerves are stimulated, we will forget the actual pain. It is also believed to relieve inflammation in athritis.

Another interesting findings of the health benefits of the chillies is that it help in relieving the nasal spasm, clear runny nose and free the nasal passage..uummh, why didn't I think of that when I was having a bad flu last month???




Presently, I have two matured Bird's Eye Chilli shrubs in my garden, one is planted in a 9 inch pot and placed under shade whereas the other shrub is planted out in the open, alongside with my lemongrass & citronella plants. Both shrubs produced lots of fruits but the distinct difference is in the colour of their leaves. The shrub that was planted out in the open under bright, sunny sunshine everyday, produces light-green coloured leaves whereas the pot that was placed under shade have much deeper-coloured dark green leaves..as for the level of spiciness, both are out of the scale of 10...really,really firing HOT!! phew!

With all the good benefits from chilli peppers, it is highly recommended that we include them in our daily diet...either the sweet chilli peppers or the hot,spicy ones..the choice is yours :)

Herbs anyone??? (Part 5) - Aromatic Ginger

The Kaempferia Galanga Linn is also known as the Aromatic Ginger, Sand Ginger a, Pokok Cekur (Malay) or Kencur (Indonesian). The plant can be found primarily in open areas in southern China, Taiwan, Cambodia and India, but is also widely cultivated throughout Southeast Asia. The plant as a whole is used as a herb for cooking in Indonesia especially the rhizome whereas the aromatic leaves are sometimes used in some of the Malay cuisine and whereas, the young leaves are even eaten raw as salad or ulam. It is believed that by doing so, it helps to remove unwanted 'wind' from the body and helps to maintain a youthful complexion.....uummmmhh :) To use onto young children especially newborn babies, pound the washed leaves and rub or apply onto their tummy to get rid of the unwanted wind.



The rhizomes of the plant, which contains essential oils, have been used in Chinese medicine as a decoction or powder for treating indigestion, cold, pectoral and abdominal pains, headache and toothache. It is also used in Chinese cooking and medicine and is sold in Chinese groceries under the name "Sha Jiang" or "Sand Ginger."Its alcoholic maceration has also been applied as liniment for rheumatism.Kaempferia galanga has a peppery camphorous taste.


The flowers of the Kaemphferia Galanga Linn consists of a few small, soft white petals with a tinge of dark purple. Propagation is by separating the rhizomes into rich, well-drained medium under indirect sunlight.

Another closed relation of the Kaempheria Galanga Linn is the Kaempheria Pulchra 'Bronze'. The plant is also known as the Peacock Ginger or Pokok Cekur Hitam (Malay). The plant is a fast grower compared with only a small plantlet that I bought a few months ago. The main difference between the Kaempheria Galanga and the Kaempheria Pulchra is the colour of the flowers and the leaves. The leaves of the Kaempheria Pulchra is broader & harder and eventhough the size & texture of the flowers are the similar, the main difference is the colour is purplish with a tinge of white in the middle...a total reversal colour of the flower of the Kaempheria Galanga.

The most obvious problem that I noticed when having Peacock Ginger plants is that the beautiful leaves are prone to attacks by small caterpillars and grasshoppers...a good solution to distract all these tiny insects/creatures is to crush finely a clove of garlic and let boil with a litre of water, let to cool & mix with a small amount of dishwashing liquid. Pour the solution into a water sprayer and spray the affected leaves of the plants, taking note NOT to spray onto the roots.

Poison or Cure???

It's been a while since my last post to this blog. With the Eid festivities luncheon & 'open houses' invitations by spouse's friends coupled with the girls' school's examinations, its been a really hectic month of October 2008. Furthermore, with all the activities, I have not been the best of health for the last few weeks...oooohhhh :(

By the way, have you heard of the Angel's Trumpet, Devil's Trumpet, Downy Thorn Apple, Metel? All of the mentioned names referred to the same plant, the Datura Metel var Fastuosa or locally known in Malay as the Pokok Kecubung.

I obtained the seeds of this plant while on holiday in Penang, Malaysia a few years ago while visiting the state's herb garden, mainly attracted by its beautiful white, with a tinge of lavender trumpet-like flowers and unique thorny fruit.

Native to China, India and South-east Asia countries, the Datura Metel is extremely poisonous but surprisingly, the plant is used traditionally in Chinese medicine.




The shrub-like perennial herb/plant consists of ebony black stems, each stem holds a large angular dark-green leaves similar in shape to that of the eggplant leaves. The large tubular flowers normally have a double or triple corolla, with each corolla having a deep purple exterior and white or off-white interior. The scented flowers are hermaphrodite (having both male & female organs) and pollination is usually done by insects. What I noticed about this plant that I have in the container pot, there's lots of ants seems to be attracted not only to the flowers but to the plant as a whole.

The thorny like fruits which holds the seeds are almost rounded, approximately around 2.5cm (1 inch) diameter. Upon ripen, the matured fruits will automatically 'burst' open thus dispersing the seeds.



The dry flower, particularly the violet coloured, if rolled and used like a cigar is believed to relieve the asthma or wheezing-like symptoms but it should only be used under the guidance and supervision of a qualified medical practitioner.

The plant as a whole is extremely toxic if digested in any quantity, symptoms like hallucinations, headaches, flushed skin and possibly convulsions or even coma. Accidentally (or intentionally) indigestion even a single leaf could lead to severe side effects..so strict PRECAUTION should be taken to avoid planting the Datura Metel plants near or households with children, they might just get enchanted & attracted with the beautiful flowers. The best way, is to totally avoid planting this extremely poisonous plant in the garden.

Herbs anyone??? (Part 4) - Sweet Neem Leaf

The Sweet Neem Leaf is a sought-after culinary herb when preparing curry dishes. It is so-called Sweet Neem due to its resemblance to the Neem Tree (which is also referred to as Black Neem). Botanically, the plant is known as Murraya Koenigii from the family Rutaceae and is known to be origin from India and Sri Lanka. Locally the plant especially the leaves are popularly known as Daun Kari (directly translate as Curry Leaves) or Kari Patta (Hindi). The main part of the plant that are widely use as culinary herb are the leaves. These pungent, aromatic leaves are often added to Indian & Asian cuisine such as rasam, curries, chutneys and even as one of the ingredients in preparation of the Indian snacks such as murukku.



Almost all parts of the plant have a strong characteristic odour. The plant loves medium which are rich in minerals and most matured plants will produce small, white scented flowers on a stalk which eventually will wither and produces green berries, turning dark purplish when ripe. These berries are edible but not the seeds. Propagation of the plant is by germination of these seeds, matured stems or plantlets that grown on the roots.



Almost all parts of the plants are known to have some medicinal properties. The leaves, barks & roots of the Sweet Neem Plant can be used for the preparation of tonic. The barks and roots are used as stimulant by physicians and are often traditionally use to cure eruptions and bites of poisonous animals. The leaves, apart from adding fragrant and imparting a very good flavour in curry dishes, if eaten raw can actually cure those suffering from dysentery.

A strong odoriferous* oil occurs in the leaves and seeds and this essential oil exhibited a strong antibacterial and antifungal activity. The branches are also popularly use traditionally for cleaning the teeth (especially in rural areas where owning a proper toothbrush is a luxury)and said to strengthen the gums & teeth.

In another book about herbs that I read recently, there's a mentioned about using the leaves traditionally for promoting shiny, black hair. A bundle of the Sweet Neem leaves are washed & dried. The dried leaves are then grind to a powdery form and by mixing a teaspoonful of this dried powdered leaves to a glass of water, drink as tea everyday for at least a continuous of 48 days...will actually encourage the growth of one's hair to be black & shiny. I guess, I should seriously consider trying this method real soon....bye,bye grey hair!!



** odoriferous - diffusing odour

Herbs anyone??? (Part 3) - Kaffir Lime

Citrus Hystrix DC or commonly known as Kaffir Lime is a native of Asia. It is widely used as a culinary herb especially in Southeast Asian cuisine. Locally, it is known as Limau Purut (Malay) and by any other names in different countries such as Jeruk Purut (Indonesian), Bai Makrut (Thai), etc.


The leaves of the lime have a unique, characteristic shape due to their winged petioles*, double-shaped that looks like two leaves joined end to end. The strong lemon-like frangrance of both fruit as well as the leaf can be quite dominating and penetrating but can be quite refreshing. The leaf of the Kaffir Lime is popularly used in Thai cuisine such as the popular Tom Yum & curries whereas in Malay cuisine, the leaves are crushed or shredded and add into delicious Rendang..uummmph, yummy!! The frangrance and the distintive flavour derived from the leaves is irreplaceable or cannot easily be substituted by any other spice.


In Indonesia, the juice and rind of the fruit (size like the normal lime but with wrinkled skin texture) are traditionally used as a medicinal herb in the Jamu (concoction of herbal medicine) and Lulur (body scrub). The oil produced from the rind also has a strong insecticidal properties while the essence of the fruit is now popularly used in modern aromatherapy.

In some parts of Malaysia, other than the wide usage of the leaves in their cuisine, it also utilised as one of the ingredients of the traditional Malay sauna bath or 'mandi wap' because of its refreshing frangrance.

The Kaffir Lime fruit is also widely used traditionally in the malay community. The juice extracted from the fruit if washed onto hair after shampooing and left for a few minutes before the final rinse, will actually promote healthy growth of the hair follicles*. The extracted lime juice if mixed with plain water and consumed for at least 3 times per day is also believed to alleviate colds, lack of energy and tiredness.

It is also known during the olden days that the fruit is frequently used in spiritual bathing due to the belief that the fruit contains some special qualities that will invigorate the senses during self-defence training. Perhaps, its frangrance & sharp odour contain elements that provide some peculiar distinctive aromatherapic properties to the brain.

The Kaffir Lime can be propagated by stem cuttings, seeds from the ripen fruits or by grafting onto a dwarfing rootstock, carefully placed onto well-drained medium. Usually, grafted rootstock or stem cuttings are much favoured than germinating of seeds due to the latter will take a longer process to grow into an adult plant. Since it is a tropical plant, lots of sunshine is preferable.


*petioles - leaf stalk
*follicles - small gland containing hair root

Herbs anyone??? (Part 2) - Betel Leaves

Another useful herbal spice is the Betel leaves (scientific name Piper Betel & locally known as Sireh). I bought a small pot of this herbal plant for a mere $2 (local currency) in mid last year. Now, I have propagated to a few planters & given a few saplings to close friends.











The Betel leaves are said to contain medicinal properties. They are widely used in many parts of Southeast Asia & South Asia. It is easy to propagate Betel plant and it requires a rich soil under semi-shade position. Since it is a climber, it is best to include or construct a small 'climbing' structure for the plant.


In Malaysia, the leaves are traditionally used to relief headaches, diarrhoea, arthritis & joint pains whereas in Thailand & China, the roots are crushed & blended with salt to relief toothache.

In India, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, etc. the betel leaves are stuffed with betel nut slices together with other spices to be taken as snacks or as an offering to honour guests BUT take note that overeating of the concoction is actually bad for oral hygiene.

The Betel leaves are highly valued as a natural antibiotic in Indonesia. The leaves are chewed with betel nut & the juice swallowed to relief coughs & asthma. To drink Betel leaves tea daily is said to benefit one's health including removing bad body odour especially during perspiration. To prepare the special tea, 2 cups of water is bring to boil together with 7 mature size leaves and simmer till the liquid has evaporated down to approximately 1 glass. Strain and drink daily.

The usefulness of the Betel Plant is well-known in many countries where almost every part of the plant is believe to have its own medicinal quality...and its usage list seems to be infinite.

To be continued.....

Herbs anyone??? (Part 1) - Lemongrass & Citronella

We have been collecting & nurturing a variety of Asian herbs and medicinal plants eversince we came here. Some died on us but some really grown to be fine adults which later produce more 'babies'.



There are actually two types of aromatic plants pictured above. In the foreground is the Citronella (locally known as Serai Wangi) whereas the other is the Lemongrass (locally known Serai Biasa). Eventhough both are from the same family, upon close observation the difference being the texture of their leaves. The width of the Lemongrass leaves are thinner and tend to point sharply upwards whereas those of the Citronella are wider and droopy. Both leaves are sharp at the edges, so care should be taken when handling them. Both plants produce flowers which resemble the padi & wheat.

Both plants are easy to propagate, just using the stem together with the bulb. Its best to plant the saplings at a corner of garden (open ground space) rather in a planter since the roots need unlimited space to grow in order for the plant to be bushy & healthy.

The leaves of the Citronella are traditionally included as one of the ingredients in producing medicinal ointment used for massaging. The end product is believed to be able to relieve body aches & pains as well as improving blood circulation thus warming up the body of the user especially for post-natal massages.

The Lemongrass is highly valued for its stem (especially the lighter coloured bulb above the root). Most Asian cuisines especially the Malays, Indonesians, Thai, etc. highly regard the Lemongrass as a 'must' in preparing some special delicacies.

Both plants produced nice aroma thus have always known to be a good insect repellent. So instead of using the insecticide to ward off mosquitoes, why not try using natural & safe method for the whole family. Nowadays, we have been using pure Citronella or Lemongrass essential oils blended with Lavender essential oils in our aromatherapy burners. Not only the scent is so refreshing and calming but it really promise as it claims ie.to keep mosquitoes away...uummmpphh

To be continued.....