Spice up your life! Spices don’t just make your food tasty, they have health benefi ts too.
Spices have been around for thousands of years. They were fi rst imported to Europe in the Middle Ages, selling for huge amounts of money and making the merchants who sold them very rich. They are used to colour, fl avour and preserve food. Many are thought to have medicinal properties and some are used in traditional and religious ceremonies.
There are hundreds of diff erent kinds of spices and they can be seeds, roots, bark or vegetative substances. Most are bought as dried powders. Whole seeds will keep longer, but they need to be ground before use.
Chilli peppers can be eaten fresh, or used dry as a powder or fl akes. They are used to add heat to curries, chilli con carne, pasta dishes, dips and even chocolate desserts. Generally, the smaller the chilli, the hotter it is. The capsaicin found in chilli gives it its heat and has been said to relieve pain and prevent stomach ulcers and stomach cancer.
Ginger is another versatile spice. The fresh root is added to many Asian and Indian dishes, and the powder is used to fl avour cakes, biscuits and desserts. The spice can decrease nausea and motion sickness, and ease digestive problems.
Turmeric is the spice that gives curry powder and mustard their deep yellow colour. It is also used as a dye and food colouring. In India, it is highly regarded and is used in wedding
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ceremonies. Turmeric is from the same family as ginger. Although normally used as a powder, fresh chunks can be used in pickles.
Both ginger and turmeric are anti- infl ammatories and can help people suff ering from arthritis and Alzheimer’s disease. They are also high in antioxidants that can help protect against disease.
Cinnamon is a warming, fragrant spice that is taken from the dried inner bark of a tropical tree. It is used in cakes and desserts and many savoury dishes. Research shows that it may lower blood sugar levels and so can be benefi cial for suff erers of Type 2 diabetes. It is also thought to help with toothache and bad breath. Some studies have found that smelling cinnamon can increase alertness and brain function.
And fi nally, the queen of spices. Saff ron is the world’s most expensive spice. It was fi rst cultivated in Greece and is derived from the dried stigmas of the saff ron crocus. It takes 250,000 stigmas to make just half a kilogram of the spice. Saff ron gives food a beautiful yellow-orange colour. It is used in Middle Eastern cookery, rice dishes and also desserts and sweets, including marzipan. It has a long history in traditional medicine, and has been used to treat epilepsy, depression, menstrual disorders and fatigue.
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