(Encyclopedia) kapokkapokkāˈpŏk, kăpˈək [key], name for a tropical tree of the family Bombacaceae (bombax family) and for the fiber (floss) obtained from the seeds in the ripened pods. The floss has…
(Encyclopedia) graphitegraphitegrăfˈīt [key], an allotropic form of carbon, known also as plumbago and black lead. It is dark gray or black, crystalline (often in the form of slippery scales), greasy…
(Encyclopedia) corundumcorundumkərŭnˈdəm [key], mineral, aluminum oxide, Al2O3. The clear varieties are used as gems and the opaque as abrasive materials. Corundum occurs in crystals of the hexagonal…
Where did the name Earl Grey come from? by David Johnson In prehistoric China tea was probably used as a relish and as a medicine. Tea was first brewed as a medicine around 2700 B.C. in the…
(Encyclopedia) Pali canonPali canonpäˈlē [key], sacred literature of Buddhism. The texts in the Pali canon are the earliest Buddhist sources, and for Theravada Buddhists, who claim to conserve the…
(Encyclopedia) Tamil NaduTamil Nadutămˈəl näˈd&oomacr; [key], formerly MadrasTamil Nadumədrăsˈ, mədräsˈ [key], state (2001 provisional pop. 62,110,839), 50,180 sq mi (129,966 sq km), SE India, on…
(Encyclopedia) myna or mynahmynahboth: mīˈnə [key], common name for any of a number of species of Asian starlings found chiefly in India and Sri Lanka, some of which are known for vocal mimicry. Most…
(Encyclopedia) Coomaraswamy, Ananda KentishCoomaraswamy, Ananda Kentishäˌnəndäˈ kĕnˈtĭsh k&oobreve;mäˌrəswäˈmē [key], 1877–1947, art historian, b. Ceylon (now Sri Lanka). Raised in London by an…
(Encyclopedia) clove, name for a small evergreen tree (Syzygium aromaticum or Eugenia caryophyllata) of the family Myrtaceae (myrtle family) and for its unopened flower bud, an important spice. The…
by David Johnson The thousands of islands sprinkled through the South Pacific that comprise Polynesia have their own local cooking traditions, but they all make use of plentiful seafood…
