Essential Trading is a Bristol worker co-operative established in 1971. At Essential we strive towards creating a truly ethical company, and believe this has a positive impact along the entire food chain. We wholesale, manufacture and distribute sustainable organic wholefoods across the UK and beyond. Over 6000 lines of healthy options, quality nutrition and products that all make a real difference.

Ginger is a spice which is used for cooking and is also consumed whole as a delicacy or medicine. It is the underground stem of the ginger plant, Zingiber officinale. The ginger plant has a long history of cultivation, having originated in Asia and is grown in India, Southeast Asia, West Africa and the Caribbean. Young ginger rhizomes are juicy and fleshy with a very mild taste. They are often pickled in vinegar or sherry as a snack or just cooked as an ingredient in many dishes. They can also be stewed in boiling water to make ginger tea, to which honey is often added as a sweetener; sliced orange or lemon fruit may also be added. Mature ginger roots are fibrous and nearly dry. The juice from old ginger roots is extremely potent and is often used as a spice in Indian recipes and Chinese cuisine. Powdered dry ginger root (ginger powder) is typically used to spice gingerbread and other recipes. Fresh ginger can be substituted for ground ginger at a ratio of 6 parts fresh for 1 part ground, although the flavours of fresh and dried ginger are not exactly interchangeable. Fresh ginger should be peeled before eaten. For storage, the ginger should be wrapped tightly in a towel and placed in a plastic bag, and can be kept for about three weeks in a refrigerator and up to three months in a freezer.

The papaya (from Carib via Spanish), is the fruit of the plant Carica papaya, in the genus Carica. It is native to the tropics of the Americas, and was cultivated in Mexico several centuries before the emergence of the Mesoamerican classic cultures. It is sometimes called a "big melon" or a "paw paw" but the North American pawpaw is a different species, in the genus Asimina. It is a large tree-like plant, the single stem growing from 5-10m tall, with spirally arranged leaves confined to the top of the trunk; the lower trunk is conspicuously scarred where leaves and fruit were borne. The leaves are large, 50-70cm diameter, deeply palmately lobed with 7 lobes. The tree is usually unbranched if unlopped. The flowers are similar in shape to the flowers of the Plumeria but are much smaller and wax like. They appear on the axils of the leaves, maturing into the large 15-45cm long, 10-30cm diameter fruit. The fruit is ripe when it feels soft (like a ripe avocado or a bit softer) and its skin has attained an amber-orange hue. The fruit's taste is vaguely similar to pineapple and peach, although much milder without the tartness. It is the first fruit tree to have its genome deciphered.

Psyllium seed husks, also known as ispaghula, isabgol, or simply as psyllium, are portions of the seeds of the plant Plantago ovata, (genus Plantago), a native of India and Pakistan. They are soluble in water, expanding and becoming mucilaginous when wet. Psyllium seed husks are indigestible in human beings and are often used as a source of dietary fibre. They are used to relieve constipation, irritable bowel syndrome, diverticular disease, and diarrhea. They are also used as a regular dietary supplement to improve and maintain regular GI transit. The inert bulk of the husks helps provide a constant volume of solid material irrespective of other aspects of the diet or any disease condition of the gut. Some recent research is also showing them to be promising in lowering cholesterol and controlling diabetes. The husks are used whole in their natural state, or dried and chopped or powdered for easier consumption. In either of these forms, one takes them by mixing them with water or another fluid. Sometimes they are combined with clay as a detoxification drink. They are also available in capsules. They may be combined with other ingredients (e.g., Blackstrap molasses is sometimes used with psyllium seed husks for its high mineral and vitamin content, as well as being an excellent carrier). A typical dose is one to three teaspoons per glass of water.

Essential Trading is a Bristol worker co-operative established in 1971. At Essential we strive towards creating a truly ethical company, and believe this has a positive impact along the entire food chain. We wholesale, manufacture and distribute sustainable organic wholefoods across the UK and beyond. Over 6000 lines of healthy options, quality nutrition and products that all make a real difference.

Billington's sugars are all unrefined which means they have been simply made by pressing out, cleaning and crystallising the juice from the sugar cane. Billington's sugars range from a light golden to a dark treacly brown colour as the natural molasses of the sugar cane has been retained within each crystal to give the sugar a delicious flavour and aroma.

Essential Trading is a Bristol worker co-operative established in 1971. At Essential we strive towards creating a truly ethical company, and believe this has a positive impact along the entire food chain. We wholesale, manufacture and distribute sustainable organic wholefoods across the UK and beyond. Over 6000 lines of healthy options, quality nutrition and products that all make a real difference.