The founder of the Mughal dynasty, Zahirud-din Mohammed Babur ‘the Tiger’, had been a descendant of Timur and Genghis Khan, the mighty Emperors of Central Asia. Descending from the Fergana Valley and later from the snow-capped mountains at Kabul, in 1525 Babur crossed the Indus and swept into Punjab, the...
For the ancient civilisations of Mesoamerica, chocolate or rather Cacao was a prized beverage and achieved a sacred status. Believing that the Gods had discovered the Cacao tree high up in the mountains and had thus gifted it to them following their creation, the ancient Maya and Aztec paid a...
The hammam has been the site of a purifying and beautifying ritual spanning thousands of years. As a timeless tradition, it uses the most basic of nature’s gifts – water, heat and a sponge, and is a perfect solution to counter some of the more stressful moments from modern life. There...
Packed with antioxidants, vitamins and minerals, herbal teas are a great way to detox for spring. Here are our five favorite natural, detoxifying teas from around the world. See which one of these herbal brews suits you the most! Japan: Macha Tea A popular beverage in Japan, Matcha tea is now becoming...
First cultivated 5,000 years ago in China, tea has become one of the most popular beverages around the world and a rich history that spans continents and cultures. It has been an excellent source of both disease-fighting flavonoids and antioxidants that help detoxify damaging free radicals in our bodies. But...
If Tulips could speak, they would speak of the many interesting and twisted tales about their history…. Here are seven fascinating facts about the flower that caused the 'Tulipomania' fever many nations caught. Tulips have become practically synonymous with the Dutch. However, the flowers were never native to the Netherlands, nor...
Although known as the notorious source of Cocaine, the Coca plant has been greatly misunderstood. The truth is that Cocaine is one constituent of Coca, and by no means fully represents the Coca plant itself. Particularly for the pre-Colombian Andean cultures, where the plant is native, Coca has been a...
A brief look into the history of carrots shows us that carrots were not always orange. In fact, they came in a variety of colours including purple, white, red and yellow. Carrots are thought to have originated in Central Asia, some 5000 years ago, and were being grown in the colours...
The Tyrolean iceman, or Ötzi as he is known, is a 5,300-year-old mummy, discovered on the Tisenjoch Pass in the Italian part of the Ötztal Alps. Here are 5 facts you should know about Ötzi’s tattoos!...
ARTICHOKE: Greek mythology claims that Zeus was responsible for the creation of the artichoke. After being rejected from a young beautiful mortal women named Cynara, Zeus transformed her into the plant we know today as the artichoke! Besides their history in Greek mythology, artichokes have been considered a delicacy and a...