Hinglish

Read: Daadi's Letter

Class 6 English · Chapter 9: Spices that Heal Us · NCERT Poorvi section pp. 93–95

Learn

Before you read: a spice is a seed, fruit, root, bark, leaf or other part of a plant used to give taste and colour to food. Name three spices used in your home. Do you know what they are called in English? Turmeric, fenugreek, cumin seeds, asafoetida, cinnamon, clove, ginger, black pepper, fennel seeds, cardamom.

The letter (in short): Daadi writes to her grandchildren Vikram and Vaibhavi, happy that they are better after trying her natural cures. She learnt these remedies from her own grandmother, who found kitchen cures for common, weather-related illnesses like coughs and colds.

What the letter says about each spice: haldi (turmeric) helps energy, digestion and body pain; methi (fenugreek) seeds soaked overnight help Daadi keep her sugar level and weight in control; jeera (cumin) water helps digestion and sleeplessness; heeng (asafoetida) water eased the babies' tummy gas and helps with cough and cold; dalchini (cinnamon) and laung (clove) ease toothache until you see a dentist.

More spices: adrak (ginger) helps cough, cold and pain, and has been used in cooking for over 4,000 years; kali mirch (black pepper) helps digestion and body pain; saunf (fennel) and ajwain (carom) are served after meals to aid digestion; elaichi (cardamom) helps digestion, breathing troubles and bad breath. Daadi's final advice: identify these spices in the kitchen, but always consult an elder before using them.

Explore: match the spice names.

  1. Put each Hindi name under its English name.

Remember

  • Daadi's letter shares how common kitchen spices can help with everyday health troubles.
  • She learnt the cures from her grandmother and advises consulting an elder before using them.

Quick check

Who taught Daadi these natural cures?

  1. Her own grandmother
  2. A doctor
  3. Vikram
  4. A cookbook
Answer

Her own grandmother. Knowledge passed from one generation to the next.

Think about it

Why do you think Daadi asks the children to share these cures with their friends?

One answer

So that useful knowledge keeps spreading and isn't forgotten, and friends can also benefit from simple, natural remedies.

Practice

Practise with fresh questions at three levels (easy, medium, hard), some answered hands-on, with hints and worked answers. Get 4 of your last 5 right to finish the topic.