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Spices & Herbs
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Difference between spice and herb?
No clear distinction
Herbs usually leaves (sometimes seeds),usually from temperate-origin plants
Spices usually flowers, fruits, or bark of
tropical-origin plants
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spice Part of plant used
Black pepper Dried fruits (peppercorns)
Ginger Rhizome (underground stem)
Nutmeg Seed
Mace Covering of nutmeg seeds
Cloves Unopened flower buds
Cassia and
Cinnamon
Bark
Cardamom Fruits, seedsTurmeric Rhizome
Sesame Seeds
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Herbs
Usually aromatic leaves
Used in cooking
Also, in shampoos,
cosmetics, soaps,medicines, aromatherapy
(e.g., Vicks vaporub, with
camphor, menthol, &
eucalyptus oils)
See Table 17a
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Spices & herbs Scents & flavors usually due to unique essential
oils; i.e., to secondary compounds, especially
isoprenoids (terpenes). Natural plant function in pollinator & fruit/seed-
disperser attraction.
And/or plant protection from herbivores, &
pathogens (mostly fungi, bacteria). Most of these secondary compounds have anti-
microbial activities.
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spice Derives from the Latin wordspecies,
meaning specific kind, and later, goods or
merchandise.
Plants that Changed History, Joan Elma Rhan, 1982
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First use of spices & herbs
y Origins pre-date ancient Greeks & Romans, etc.
y Today we use spices & herbs primarily to make good foodtaste even better.
y In the days before refrigeration, spices were used to hide
the taste and odor of less-than-fresh food, and to prolongthe freshness of food (especially in warm climates).
y Today, some perfumes, soaps, and lotions are lightlyscented with spices & herbs.
y In the days before people took frequent baths, spices/herbs
were used as deodorants. Those who could afford to do sohad spices/herbs sown or tucked into their clothes to hidetheir body odors.
Plants that Changed History, Joan Elma Rhan, 1982
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Early Spices Orient/Old World
cinnamon, nutmeg, mace, black pepper, ginger,
cloves, cardamom, anise, caraway, mustard,
saffron
New World
allspice, chilies & paprika, vanilla
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Ancient History Egypt
Greeks
Romans Arabs & Middle East
After fall of Rome andduring the Dark Ages
(ca. 600-1000 AD) Lost access to spices
from the Orient Trade between the empires of Asia and Rome
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Why were spices popular for trading?
it was very lucrative
transported easily
improved food & health
many diverse uses for most spices
very popular with the upper classes spicy food considered classy, sign of wealth
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Spice Trade, post-dark ages Crusades in 1096: Europeans are out fighting in the
Middle East and taste exotic spices and want to bring
them back. 1180s: Pepperers guild, predecessor to herbalist and
physicians.
Middle Ages: spices valuable trade item used to pay
bills, taxes. 1300: Polo brothers travel to China and bring back
tales of spices.
By 1300s: spice trade was a legitimate profession.
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Papal Race for Spice Islands During the late 15th century, the popes
favorites
Spain and Portugal
After that, Pope issued a decree to dividethe world between Spain and Portugal fromPole to Pole
Portugal got the EAST, Spain got theWEST
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Age of Explorationy onset of an age of exploration that lasted almost
500 years
Columbus discovered America in 1492 didnt know the size of the Earth or about the Pacific
Ocean
Charles V and King of Spain sent Magellan on an
expedition to reach the Spice Islands
westward route through the South Seas and Spice
Islands
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Were Columbus and Magellan
voyages failures ?y Neither won for Spain the easy access to
spices that she wanted.
y Columbus never found the spices or thelands he sought.
y Magellans expedition reached the Spice
Islands, but the route across the PacificOcean was much too long and much toodangerous to be practical then.
Plants that Changed History, Joan Elma Rhan, 1982
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What spice trade accomplishedy New lands were discovered, and the question of whether
the world was spherical or flat was finally decided.
y New plants and animals were discovered; some of themwere transported to continents where they had never been
before, but where the climate was suitable.
y Peoples diets became more varied and better balanced.Europeans, whose homelands were beginning to beoverpopulated, colonized the newly discovered lands,some of which had plenty of space.
y Generally, this worked out well for the Europeans, but
rather badly for the natives of the colonized countries.y For better or worse, the search for species brought together
the civilizations that had developed separately in theancient worlds. They would never be isolated again.
Plants that Changed History, Joan Elma Rhan, 1982
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Imperialism Portugal, via colonies and outposts, dominated
spice trading for ca. 100 years (16th century).
Thereafter, the Dutch, especially, and British tookcontrol of spice trading.
Dutch took over the Indonesia & Ceylon
Dutch East India company
England took over India, Singapore, Hong Kong British East India company
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Spices & Herbs
A quick survey of representatives
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Piper nigrum(black & white pepper)
Climbing vine native to India
and East Indies; in Piperaceae
(pepper) family
Berries picked green, darken
& shrivel upon drying.
Biting flavor due to volatile
oils, flavor dissipates after
grinding.
White pepper berries ripenon vine, outer hull removed.
The most widely used spice
today.
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Cinnamomum zeylanicum(cinnamon)
Parts used- oil & bark
Evergreen tree native toIndia & Sri Lanka; in Laurelfamily
Properties-Astringent, stimulant, anti-infective, anti-fungal,digestive aid
One of the oldest and mostvaluable spices
Related spice, calledcassia, from C. cassia.
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Eugenia caryophyllata(clove)
Parts Used: closed flower buds
Active Compounds: Clove oilis 60 to 90 percent eugenol,which is the source of its
anesthetic and antisepticproperties.
An evergreen tree, 15 to 30feet tall; in Myrtaceae (Myrtle)family
Native to the Spice Islands andthe Philippines, but also grownin India, Sumatra, Jamaica, theWest Indies, Brazil, and othertropical areas.
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Myristica fragans
(nutmeg & mace) Part used- dried kernel of the
seed.
Tree is about 25 feet high, has a
greyish-brown smooth bark,
abounding in a yellow juice.
Native to Spice Islands;Myristicaceae (nutmeg) family
Fruit is source of 2 spices,
nutmeg & mace.
Mace is derived from the net-like
aril that is wrapped around thepit.
Within the pit is a single seed,
the source of nutmeg.
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Zingiber officinale (ginger) Member of ginger family
Perennial native to tropical Asia Plant part used = Rhizome
name from Sanskrit word stringa-vera,which means with a body like a horn, as inantlers.
In English pubs and taverns in thenineteenth century, bar-keepers put out
small containers of ground ginger, forpeople to sprinkle into their beer theorigin of ginger ale.
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Curcuma longa (turmeric) Member of ginger family
Perennial native to tropical Asia Part used: rhizome
Culinary uses (e.g., Middle East &India)
Dyes uses too (yellow)
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Crocus sativus
(saffron)
Member of Iris family
From zafaran in Arabic
From 3-parted Stigma of flower
Dried by slow roasting Imparts delicate & distinct taste & color
Used in French, Spanish, MiddleEastern & Indian cooking
Each saffron crocus flower has 3stigmas Ca. 80,000 flowers (240,000) stigmas to
make a pound of saffron 12 days to pick
cost is > $250 per ounce
(so most costly spice)
1444: any merchant caught sellingadulterated saffron in Bavaria wasburned alive
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Capsicum species(hot & sweet peppers)
Members of tomato family (Solonaceae)
Many are cultivars ofCapsicum annum
E.g., bell pepper & cayenne
Four other common species E.g., C. clilense includes habenero and C. fructescens
includes tabasco pepper
Many varieties
Origin = New World; used by 9000 y. ago
Hot due to seven related alkaloids, including
capsaicin (mostly in seeds & fruit)
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Vanilla planifolia (vanilla)
flavoring comes from the seed pod, or the bean of the vanilla plant
member of orchid family (Orchidaceae); perennial vine
behind saffron and cardamom, vanilla is 3rd most expensive spicenon-culinary uses, including aromatizing perfumes, cigars, & liqueurs
Europeans prefer the bean, while N. Americans the extract
extract made by percolating alcohol & water through chopped cured
beans
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Herbs
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Bee balm
Monarda fistulosa Kick a cold
Breathe easy
Help control oily skin
Cook with a taste of
native America
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BorageBorago officinalis
The heros herb
Help heal the heart
Squelch stubborn skininflammations
eczema
Create stellar salads
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Catnip
Nepeta cataria
Calm after a storm
Take the sting out of
stress Make a cat happy
Enjoy a roman salad
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Chamomile
Matricaria sp.
Better than counting
sheep
Beat anxiety andinsomnia
Relieve indigestion
Soothe irritated skin
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Alliums (Lily family)
(onion group)
Onion- A. cepa
Garlic- A. sativum
Leeks- A. porrum Shallots- A. ascalonicum
Chives- A. schoenprasum
Most rich in volatile sulfur-containing compounds
Culinary & medicinal uses Among oldest cultivated plants
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Onions Originated in Asia
Ancient Egyptians worshipped the onion,believing that its spherical shape andconcentric rings symbolized eternity. Ofall the vegetables that had their imagescreated from precious metals by Egyptianartists, only the onion was made out ofgold.
Ranks sixth among the world's leadingvegetable crops.
You can get rid of onion breath by eatingparsley.
Yellow onions make up more than 75% ofthe worlds production of onions.
The official state vegetable of Georgia is
the Vidalia onion. The official state vegetable of Texas is the
Texas Sweet onion.
According to the National OnionAssociation, onion consumption in theU.S. has increased approximately 50%over the past 20 years.
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Chives Onion benefits without
tears
Help lower bloodcholesterol levels
Help reduce blood
pressure
Help prevent certain
types of cancer
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Garlic Culinary, medicinal, and religious use datesback more than 6000 years.
Chicago got it's name from the AmericanIndian word for the wild garlic that grewaround Lake Michigan - "chicagaoua".
California produces more than 250 millionpounds of garlic each year. One farm in
Monterey County (near Gilroy, "The GarlicCapital of the World") plants 2000 acres ofgarlic and produces almost 25 millionpounds annually.
There is an all-garlic restaurant inStockholm where they offer a garliccheesecake.
There is an all-garlic restaurant in SanFrancisco where they offer a garlic icecream. The name of the place is a nicknamefor garlic...The Stinking Rose!
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raw garlic Prevent & cure infection
1 clove contains substances equivalent to
100,000 units of penicillin (1/5 avg dose) Help prevent cancer & heart disease
Make lean foods taste robust
Eat sprig of fresh tarragon for temporaryrelief of garlic breath or odorless garlic incapsules
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purple cone flower
Echinacea purpurea Fight off colds and flu
Heal minor cuts &scratches
Give your immune systema shot in the arm
Compound echinsin,shown to be antiviral that
behaves similarly tointerferon
Echinacoside hasantibiotic properties
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Evening primrose
Oenothera biensis
Petals open at night
Soothes PMS and
menopause symptoms Help prevent high blood
pressure
Smooth & soften dry skin
Active compound:gamma-linolenic acid
(GLA)
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Feverfew
Chrysanthemum parthenium
Sooth a migraine
Repel insects in the
gardenpyrethrin
Keep bees at bay
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English lavender
(L. officinalis orL. vera)
Create an herbal
antiseptic
Relax and rejuvenatemind and body
Help normalize oily
skin
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Mustard
(Brassicaceae) White & yellow, Brassica alba;
black (brown), Brassica nigra.
Volatile oil derived fromsinigrin/sinalbin & enzyme,myrosin.
Mustard plants produce about1,000 pounds of seeds per acre.
In one year at New York's YankeeStadium, more than 1,600 gallonsplus 2,000,000 individual packets
of mustard are consumed. Most of the mustard seeds used inDijon, France are actually grownin the United States and Canada.Canada produces about 90 percentof the world's supply of mustardseeds.
Over 700 million pounds ofmustard are consumed worldwideeach year.
The Mustard Museum is in MountHoreb, Wisconsin. world's largest collection of
mustards, with over 3,500varieties.
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Horseradish(Amoracia rusticana;
Brassica Family)
prized for its medicinal and gastronomic qualitiesfor centuries.
Same volatile oil as mustard
Did you know that . . .
Horseradish is still planted and harvested mostlyby hand?
Sales of bottled horseradish began in 1860, makingit one of the first convenience foods?
In the American South, horseradish was rubbed onthe forehead to relieve headaches? (Some folksstill swear by it.)
Horseradish is added to some pickles to addfirmness and "nip"?
Before being named "horseradish," the plant was
known as "redcole" in England and as "stingnose"in some parts of the U.S.?
Horseradish has only 2 calories a teaspoon, is lowin sodium and provides dietary fiber?
Researchers at M.I.T. claim that the enzyme"horseradish peroxidase" removes a number ofpollutants from waste water?
Germans still brew horseradish schnapps . . . .
some also add it to their beer?
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Parsley
Petroselinum crispum
Related to wild parsnip(Pastinaca sativa) (in theUmbel family, along with
carrots, celery, dill,parsnips, fennel, caraway,anise, coriander, cumin,
poison hemlock)
Has low levels of same
toxin as the wild species Many of these look
gorgeous in the garden.
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St Johns wortHypericum perforatum
Relieve aches & pains
arthritis, rheumatism,
sciatica Find herbal help for
depression
Have soft silky hair
Red color of oil from
hypericin
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Speedwell
Veronica arvenis
Calm a cough
Leptandrine, acts as
expectorant Mix with Chinese
licorice root to balance
bitter flavor
Soften tough calluses
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Tarragon
Artemisia dracunculus
Give high blood
pressure the boot
Discover possible linkin cancer prevention
Compound = rutin
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Yarrow
Achillea millefollium
Famous fever fighter
Help heal cuts &
scratches Smooth stressed skin
Stimulate the compost
heap
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Mint Family
(Lamiaceae) Native to Mediterranean region Includes thyme, sages,
marjoram, oregano, rosemary,savory, hyssops, basil, thevarious mints, catnip, andhorehound.
Common garden mint isspearmint, not peppermint .
Square stems & aromaticsimple leaves with oil glands.
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Peppermint
Mentha piperita
Soothe your stomach
Refresh itchy skin
Cool spicy foods
Active ingredient:
menthol
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Lemon balm
Melissa officinalis
Help relieve high
blood pressure
Digestive aid Volatile oil, eugenol,
which calms the
gastrointestinal tract
Add a lemon lift tofoods
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Sage
Salvia officinalis
Sore gum soother
Subdue a sore throat
Refresh skin aftershaving
Boost flavor of low-fat
foods
Camphor& other
volatile oils