Botanical Name: Anacardium occidentale
Other Names: Maranon, Caju, Merey, Cajueiro

Cashew apples and cashew nuts are excellent sources of nutrition. The cashew apple contains five times more vitamin C than an orange and contains more calcium, iron and vitamin B1 than other fruit such as citrus, avocados and bananas.

Botanical Name: Manihot esculenta
Other Names: Mogo, Cassada, Cassave, Shushu, Yuca, Manioc, Mandioca, Tapioka, Imanoka, Kasaba, Tapioca plant

Cassava is a very good source of carbohydrate and a very source of protein. Cassava should be prepared correctly to ensure that all toxins, such as cyanide, are removed.

Botanical Name: Cicer arietinum
Other Names: Garbanzo bean, Ceci bean, Bengal gram, Chana

Chickpeas are a good source of zinc and protein. They are also very high in dietary fibre and thus are a healthy food source, especially as a source of carbohydrates for persons with insulin sensitivity or diabetes. They are low in fat, and most of the fat content is monounsaturated.

Botanical Name: Capsicum annuum, C. Frutescens, C. chinense
Other Names: Murch, Cayenne, Capsicum, Capsiacin, Jolokia, Paprika, Pimenta

Red chilies are very rich in vitamin C and provitamin A. Yellow and especially green chilies (which are essentially unripe fruit) contain a considerably lower amount of both substances. In addition, peppers are a good source of most B vitamins, and vitamin B6 in particular. They are very high in potassium and high in magnesium and iron. Their high vitamin C content can also substantially increase the uptake of non-heme iron from other ingredients in a meal, such as beans and grains. The pain caused by capsiacin stimulates the brain to produce endorphins, natural opioids which act as analgesics and produce a sense of well-being.Birds do not have the same sensitivity to capsiacin as mammals, as capsiacin acts on a specific nerve receptor in mammals, and avian nervous systems are rather different. Chili peppers are in fact a favourite food of many birds living in the chili peppers' natural range. The flesh of the peppers provides the birds with a nutritious meal rich in vitamin C.

Botanical Name: Eugenia aromaticum, Eugenia caryophyllus
Other Names: Laving, Clou de girofle, Chiodo di garofano, Clavo de especia, Ding heung, Gahn plu, Gewuzenelke

The compound responsible for the cloves' aroma is eugenol. It is the main component in the essential oil extracted from cloves, comprising 72-90%. Eugenol has pronounced antiseptic and anaesthetic properties. Clove essential oil is used in aromatherapy and oil of cloves is widely used to treat toothache in dental emergencies.