Spices

World of Spices

If lunch smells wonderful or the aroma of Christmas cookies wafts through the hallway, we don't just have the prepared food to thank for it. Above all, spices with their essential oils and other natural flavors stimulate our sense of smell and taste. And because every culture has different preferences, a variety of seasonings are used in the kitchen.

What is a spice?

Spices are parts of plants that are used to prepare food or drinks due to their aromatic, natural ingredients. They may neither be mixed with other substances nor technically processed unless processing is absolutely necessary for their preservation. Other substances that are added to a dish to improve the taste or digestibility are called seasonings.

The seasonings include, among others:

Salt, sugar, synthetic vanillin, mustard, soy sauce, vinegar, clove oil, garlic oil, etc.

In order to classify the spices, a distinction is made as to which part of the plant is used:

• The leaves are used for leaf spices. These include whole herbs such as parsley, dill, thyme but also simple leaves such as bay leaves.
• Flower spices consist of flowers, flower parts or buds. Saffron threads fall into this category as flower parts, as do cloves.
• Root spices are the roots or bulbs of a plant. In addition to onions and garlic, these include horseradish and ginger, for example.
• In the Bark Spices the bark is used as a spice. A typical bark spice is cinnamon.
• The fruit spices include whole fruits or fruit seeds. This means that peppers and juniper berries also fall into this class of spices, as do anise or cumin.

Some plants can be used in several parts, such as coriander (leaf spice and fruit spice) or parsley (leaf spice and root spice).

If several spices are mixed together, the resulting seasoning is called

called spice mixture. Curry is a mixture of spices, as are the herbs of Provence.

History of spices

The history of spices is long. Even before people settled down, they used spices. For example, coriander was found in a cave used 23,000 years ago. Peppery and garlic-tasting plants have also been discovered during excavations in ancient caves. And dill, capers and cumin are also spices that have been used for more than 5,000 years.

In the Middle Ages, when the healing properties of various spices were already known and other spices served as preservatives, the trade in spices achieved economic and, above all, political importance. Similar to today's oil business, various countries even used armed force to defend their monopoly position. The most expensive spices used to be pepper and cinnamon. Today, saffron threads are the most expensive spice in the world. But high prices are also charged for vanilla and cardamom.

What spices can do

The reason for using a particular spice can be of different nature. In addition to creating or changing the aroma, there are other functions that spices fulfill:

• Stimulate appetite: Some spices, such as rosemary, help stimulate the appetite.
• Avoiding flatulence: There are spices that prevent flatulence from well-known foods such as cabbage or legumes. These include, among others, caraway, cumin, fennel and anise.
• Stimulate digestion: Pepper in food helps to stimulate digestion.
• Enhance flavor: The best-known flavor enhancer is salt.
• Preservation: Foods seasoned with chili have a longer shelf life.
• Aphrodisiacs: Spices such as ginger, cocoa or cloves are said to have aphrodisiac effects.

In addition, there are of course also herbs that also serve as medicinal herbs and can be added to tea, infused or placed on the sick part of the body.

What you need to pay attention to when using spices

If you look over the shoulder of the TV chef, you might think: put the spices in the pot, stir and the rest will take care of itself. However, seasoning is not that easy. What is important is not only the correct dosage of the spice, but often also the time at which it is added.

If you get too much of a very intense seasoning, it can completely spoil a dish. Therefore, laypeople should start with a little too little seasoning and add more seasoning if necessary. If the recipe does not specify when you need to add a specific spice, the following generally applies:

Spice powder or crushed spices are only added to the dish towards the end of the preparation. In this way, the aromatic, essential oils cannot evaporate during cooking. If you fry a spice, you should be careful not to let it get too hot. Many seasonings taste bitter when burned.

Store spices

Only take advantage of a spice special offer if you use the inexpensive seasoning frequently. You shouldn't store spices for too long. Firstly, many spices lose their color and secondly, the essential oils evaporate over time. As a result, the aroma, the spice, the healing power, etc. suffer.

It is best to store both ground and whole spices in an airtight, dark and dry place. The kitchen drawer, the kitchen cupboard or a spice rack are suitable. However, the shelf should not be hung near the stove because of the steam that rises when cooking.

Close the spice shaker carefully after each use. You should transfer spices from paper bags. As a rule, however, the container in which the manufacturer fills the spice is also suitable for storage. To use, remove the seasoning with a clean and dry spoon or the tip of a knife.