Witty Scribble

Chocolate, not just a word but also an emotion for many. With numerous variants from milk to dark, hard to soft and what not, I have never come across a person who can say s/he never liked chocolate in his or her life. Such is the charm of this masterpiece, created from the nature’s gift of Cocoa. When was the chocolate first used? Chocolates, as we know of them today for being an incredible delight to the sweet-teeth, was not always a dessert. First use of chocolates were far more indulging. They were used in fermented beverages and served as alcohol and such uses of chocolate and cocoa date back to 1900-1400 BC. Cocoa beans were considered extremely valuable and a gift of 'God of Wisdom', and even served as a currency in ancient Aztec civilizations. However, the chocolate got sweet in 16 th  century, when sugar was added to it and it found its way from the rich and royals to the commoners. Cocoa beans were first domesticated in the Meso-American region (parts

Tea(or Chai) for many, is the first thing that is gulped down the early morning. Over the time, people have become accustomed to wide varieties of tea, some just for having multiple options, but majority, because of the health concerns. Green Tea / Black Tea have become a common name, but are you aware of the difference that exists among the various categories ? Let's read it in the section below. How is Green tea different from White/Black/Yellow Tea ? Tea is generally categorized based on how it is processed and the level of oxidation the leaves undergo. Usually, it is classified as : 'White', 'Yellow', 'Green', 'Oolong(or Wulong)', 'Black(called red tea in China)', and 'Post-fermented tea'. The point worth mentioning here is:  ' A lesser processed Tea leaf is greater in antioxidants and hence is best for health'                                                                            

Before the later part of the decade of 1990s, it was a common sight of a ‘wake’ of vultures feasting on the carcasses of dead animal(s). Vultures, Indian vultures in particular, are one of the nature's best scavengers. Often quoted in ancient literature for their farsightedness (remember Jatayu and Sampati from Ramayana?), Giddh Drishti, they soar high in the sky looking in the vicinity of human population to find their food. Vultures are naturally gifted with a digestive system capable of breaking down their food, which is hazardous otherwise, thus making them a major contributor in the animal disposal system. It takes a few minutes for a ‘wake’ to completely clean off a full grown dead cattle. But where are they now? Animal dead bodies are still seen frequently, but the vultures are nowhere around. The population of vultures in India declined sharply (upto 99 percent decline as per some studies) between 1990 and 2007-08. The reason was uncertain, until befo

The ship of desert, as the camel is widely referred to, is really a life saviour in the rocky, arid, vast expanse of desert. A tall lad, with a shy attitude, is a champ when it comes to braving the odds in the most toughest of environments and climate. While a human, on an average, can survive without water for just  4-5 days , a camel can live quite longer without the life giving fluid. But what makes it so special? How is it able to sustain in such harsh conditions?  The secret lies in the lump present at the camel's back !! How does the 'hump' helps the Camel ? The projected mass, generally referred to as 'hump', makes camels travel over 100 miles without water. You will be surprised to know that the 'hump' is not present in the new born calves, but it grows with age. The  hump  contains  FAT (& not water)  which the beast converts to energy and water as per the exigency. Once the fat is exhausted, the hump(s) become soft and loose.