Spicy Riddles Class 4 NCERT EVS Chapter 25

What This Chapter Teaches

Spices are small things, but they tell us a lot about plants, food, health and culture. In this chapter, a riddle gives clues such as colour, smell, shape or use, and you have to guess the spice. For example, if a clue says the spice is yellow and is used to give colour to food, you think of turmeric. If the clue says it is small, black and hot in taste, you think of black pepper. This is EVS learning because you are observing your surroundings like a young scientist. You also learn that food gets its taste, smell and colour from nature, not only from cooking.

Important Spices and Their Clues

Turmeric

A yellow spice usually used as powder. It gives colour to food and is also used on small cuts in many homes.

Red chilli

A red spice that makes food hot and spicy. It may be used whole, broken or as powder.

Cumin

A small brown seed called jeera in many Indian homes. It gives a warm smell when added to hot oil.

Clove

A small dark brown flower bud with a strong smell. It is used in food and sometimes for toothache relief at home.

Cardamom

A green pod with tiny black seeds inside. It has a sweet smell and is often used in tea, sweets and pulao.

Cinnamon

A spice that looks like a small rolled stick because it comes from bark. It has a sweet, strong smell.

Spices Come From Different Plant Parts

How to Solve a Spice Riddle

1. Read every clue slowly — Do not guess after the first word. A riddle may talk about colour, smell, shape, taste or use. Collect all clues before answering.
2. Match the clue with your kitchen observations — Think of spices you have seen at home. Yellow powder points to turmeric, tiny brown seeds may be cumin, and green pods with smell may be cardamom.
3. Use more than one sense safely — You can look and smell most spices, but do not taste unknown spices without an adult. Some spices are very hot, like chilli and pepper.
4. Explain your answer — A good EVS answer gives a reason. Instead of only writing turmeric, write turmeric because it is yellow and gives colour to food.

Worked Examples: Solving Spicy Riddles

• Example 1: Riddle: I am yellow, I colour your vegetable and I am used in many homes for small cuts. Step 1: The colour clue is yellow. Step 2: The food clue says it colours vegetables. Step 3: The home-use clue matches turmeric. Final answer: Turmeric.
• Example 2: Riddle: I am small and black. I look like a tiny ball and my taste is hot. Step 1: Small black round shape removes spices like cumin and clove. Step 2: Hot taste is a strong clue. Step 3: Black pepper is small, black and round. Final answer: Black pepper.
• Example 3: Riddle: I am green outside, have tiny seeds inside and make tea smell sweet. Step 1: Green outside suggests a pod. Step 2: Tiny seeds inside match cardamom. Step 3: It is used in tea and sweets for fragrance. Final answer: Cardamom.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Do not confuse all hot spices with chilli. Black pepper is also hot, but it is black and round, while chilli is usually red or green and long. Do not write only one-word answers when the question asks why. In EVS, a full answer should connect the spice with a clue, such as colour, smell, plant part or use. Also remember that some spices come from seeds, some from bark, some from flower buds and some from underground stems.

Practice Questions with Solutions

• Q: A spice is yellow and is used to give colour to dal and vegetables. Name the spice and write one use.
  A: Step 1: The colour clue is yellow.
  Step 2: The use clue says it gives colour to food.
  Step 3: The spice that matches both clues is turmeric.
  Final answer: The spice is turmeric. It is used to give yellow colour to dal and vegetables.

• Q: Why should we not taste an unknown spice without asking an adult?
  A: Step 1: Some spices are very strong or hot, such as chilli and pepper.
  Step 2: An unknown spice may irritate the tongue, eyes or throat.
  Step 3: EVS observation can be done by looking and smelling safely first.
  Final answer: We should not taste an unknown spice without an adult because it may be too hot or unsafe.

• Q: Match the clue: small green pod, tiny seeds inside, sweet smell in tea. Which spice is it?
  A: Step 1: The spice is a pod, so it is not turmeric powder or cumin seed.
  Step 2: It is green and has tiny seeds inside.
  Step 3: It gives a sweet smell to tea.
  Final answer: The spice is cardamom.

• Q: Write two spices that are seeds and one spice that comes from bark.
  A: Step 1: Think of spices that are tiny seed-like pieces.
  Step 2: Cumin and mustard are common spice seeds.
  Step 3: Cinnamon comes from the bark of a plant and looks like a rolled stick.
  Final answer: Cumin and mustard are seeds. Cinnamon comes from bark.

Frequently Asked Questions