SPICES HAVE BEEN AROUND SINCE THE BEGINNING OF HISTORY.
In the culinary arts, the word spice refers to any dried part of a plant, other than the leaves, used for seasoning and flavoring food, but not used as the main ingredient.
The green leafy parts of plants used for seasoning and flavoring food are considered herbs.
Spices are usually used dried, though some, such as chili peppers and ginger, are used in both their fresh and dried forms.
Many spices have antimicrobial properties, which may explain why spices are more prominent in cuisines originating in warmer climates, where food spoilage is more likely, and why the use of spices is more common with meat, which is particularly susceptible to spoiling.
Spices are also a great way to add vitamins and minerals to our diet.
The earliest written records of the history of spices come from ancient Egyptian, Chinese, and Indian cultures.
The spice trade developed throughout the Indian subcontinent and Middle East by at earliest 2000 BC with cinnamon and black pepper, and in East Asia with herbs and pepper.
Early Romans expanded the use of spices in foods, medicines, and indulgent items such as lotions and perfumes.
Spices were among the most demanded and expensive products available in Europe in the Middle Ages, the most common being black pepper, cinnamon (and the cheaper alternative cassia), cumin, nutmeg, ginger and cloves.
From the 8th until the 15th century, the Republic of Venice had the monopoly on spice trade with the Middle East, and along with it the neighboring Italian maritime republics and city-states.
Opium was a part of the history of the spice trade and some people involved in the spice trade were driven by opium addiction.
Columbus headed westward from Europe in 1492 to find a sea route to the so-called, ‘Land of Spices’, instead he found the New World.
With the discovery of the New World came new spices, including allspice, capsicum, chili peppers and vanilla.
The United States entered the spice trade, as it now exists, in the late 1800s and is the largest spice importer and consumer in the world.
Today, India contributes 75% of global spice production.
Black Pepper
Piper nigrum is more commonly known as the black pepper plant. Yes, as in the better half of the table condiment duo, salt and pepper.
Black Pepper “Fruits”
Pepper is the most common spice in the world. The peppercorn is the fruit of the plant, and depending on when it is harvested, processed, and dried, it can produce black, green, or white peppercorns. Some people mistakenly group pink peppercorns in here, but pink peppercorns, originating in Peru, have no relation to Piper nigrum and only bear a spherical and culinary resemblance. It’s an easy mistake to make.
Today, global black pepper consumption is estimated to be about 400,000 tons per year and is increasing steadily. In our shop, out of the hundred or so spices and blends we carry, pepper has always been the bestseller.
Piper nigrum belongs to the Piperaceae family and is a climbing vine indigenous to the Malabar Coast of India. Today, however, Vietnam has made huge efforts to become the largest producer of pepper and is responsible for almost one third of the total pepper production worldwide. India, Brazil, and Indonesia produce the remaining two thirds.
Piper nigrum, the black pepper plant, grows as a vine and may attach itself to nearby trees for support.
Pepper may be the one spice that has had the biggest impact on shaping the world. Throughout the Middle Ages and into the Renaissance, Europeans valued pepper so highly that it was often presented as a gift, rent, dowry, bribe, or even to pay taxes.
In the 15th century, Christopher Columbus set out with his three ships in order to find a new trade route to the East Indies. It was believed that by sailing west he would reach the east. The allure with the east was that it was the mysterious source of the coveted spices, largely pepper.
At that time, all the spices that made it to Europe were controlled by the cities of Venice and Genoa. Since the early 8th century, the Arabs and the Venetians had an arrangement in which all spices that crossed the Mediterranean Sea would go through the hands of the Venetians. This monopoly and ability to set the price high is what led to pepper’s status as a luxury item in medieval Europe. Even today, there is a Dutch phrase “pepper expensive” which refers to an item of exorbitant cost.
The love affair with pepper is a spicy one and runs long and deep into our past. While we love pepper for its pungent flavor and ability to disguise bland foods, it also offers medicinal and preservative abilities. It has proven anti-bacterial, anti-microbial and antioxidant properties. The main active alkaloid present in pepper is piperine. It is this chemical compound that is also responsible for pepper’s hot taste and health benefits.
Some of the benefits of black pepper:
High in antioxidants. Black pepper is rich in a potent antioxidant called piperine, which may help prevent free radical damage to your cells.
Black pepper has demonstrated cholesterol-lowering effects in rodent studies and is believed to boost the absorption of potential cholesterol-lowering supplements.
Black pepper may increase the absorption of essential nutrients like calcium and selenium, as well some beneficial plant compounds, such as those found in green tea and turmeric.
The makeup of your gut bacteria has been linked to immune function, mood, chronic diseases, and more. Preliminary research suggests that black pepper may increase the good bacteria in your gut.
Black pepper increases the absorption of essential nutrients and beneficial plant compounds. According to preliminary research, it may also promote gut health, offer pain relief, and reduce appetite.
Today, pepper may not be a status symbol as it once was in Europe but is has earned itself a permanent spot on our dinner tables next to the salt.
Now you can find black pepper in our zesty Lime Pepper Seasoning, Citrus Pepper Cheezy Parmesan, Everyday!, Toasted Everything but the Bagel, Shroom Pow Pow, Buffa Luv, and Taco Boss (next release).
Garlic
Bet that your family doctor has not recommended, “Take two cloves of garlic and call me in the morning.” However, for millennia garlic was the “go to” natural remedy for a wide array of ailments. Also, its culinary virtues were well-known, making garlic a popular food staple since ancient times.
Garlic (Allium sativum) is a member of the onion (Amaryllidaceae)family and is classified in the same genus to which onion, leek, chive and shallot belongs. Evidence exists that garlic originated from Allium longiscuspis, since it does not appear in the wild as a species itself. The mutation that resulted in garlic probably occurred somewhere in central Asia. Most agree that garlic has been used as a medicinal plant and food source for over 7000 years. The latter makes garlic one of the most ancient of vegetables.
Its nutritional value along with its wide array of medicinal benefits made garlic one of the most valued plants in ancient times and (perhaps) the first to be cultivated. Indeed, garlic is mentioned in the literature of all the great ancient world kingdoms. For example, it is recorded that ancient Egyptians, during the reign of the pharaohs, fed garlic to the laborers who built the great pyramids. It was their belief that garlic would increase their strength and stamina, as well as protect them from disease.
In ancient Greece, Hippocrates, the Father of Medicine, advocated the use of garlic as a cleansing agent, for pulmonary problems and for abdominal growths. Pliney the Elder, a famous Roman naturalist recommended garlic for ailments such as gastrointestinal tract disorders, animal bites, joint disease and seizures, in his book Historia Naturatis.
In ancient China and Japan, garlic was prescribed to help digestion, cure diarrhea and rid the body of intestinal worms. It also was used to alleviate depression. In India, a medical text titled Charaka-Samhita, recommended garlic to treat heart disease and arthritis.
Garlic’s medicinal properties are thought to be due to sulfur-containing compounds called thiosulfates. One of them, allicin, is produced when a sulfur-containing amino acid called alliin meets the enzyme alliinase when raw garlic is minced, crushed, or chewed. Since the enzyme alliinase is broken down by heat, cooked garlic is less effective medicinally than is fresh garlic.
Today garlic is used as an herbal supplement to help prevent heart disease, lower high cholesterol and high blood pressure, and to boost the immune system. Some evidence exists that eating garlic regularly may also help protect against certain types of cancer. As should be the case with any substance having medicinal properties, consult your family physician before initiating a garlic treatment regimen. Potentially dangerous side effects can occur, depending on one’s medical history.
Some of the benefits of garlic:
Garlic is low in calories and rich in vitamin C, vitamin B6 and manganese. It also contains trace amounts of various other nutrients.
High doses of garlic appear to improve blood pressure for those with known high blood pressure (hypertension). In some instances, supplements may be as effective as regular medications.
Garlic contains antioxidants that protect against cell damage and aging. It may reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.
Garlic has known beneficial effects on common causes of chronic disease, so it makes sense that it could also help you live longer.
Garlic was shown to significantly reduce lead toxicity and related symptoms in one study.
Garlic appears to have some benefits for bone health by increasing estrogen levels in females, but more human studies are needed.
Garlic is delicious and easy to add to your diet. You can use it in savory dishes, soups, sauces, dressings and more.
The bottom line is that for thousands of years, garlic was believed to have medicinal properties. Science has now confirmed it.
Garlic Trivia
Well-preserved garlic cloves were found in the tomb of King Tutankhamen who ruled from 1334 BC to 1325 BC.
One clove of garlic contains only four calories.
China is the world’s largest producer of garlic.
The majority (90%) of the garlic grown in the United States comes from California.
The fear of garlic is called alliumphobia.
The flavor of garlic is most intense just after mincing. This is due to a chemical reaction that occurs when its cells are ruptured.
Drinking lemon juice can help alleviate “garlic breath.”
April 19th is observed in the United States as National Garlic Day.
Now you can find garlic in our zesty Garlic Garlic Garlic, Garlic Cheezy Parmesan, Everyday!, Lime Pepper, Toasted Everything but the Bagel, Pizza Cheezy Parmesan, Taco Boss (coming next release), and both No Chicken Chicken Bouillon and Veggie Blast Bouillon (coming next release).
Cumin
Cumin (Cuminum cyminum L.), also known as Cumin, Cummin, Roman Caraway is an annual growing, slender herbaceous, erect, subglabrous plant in the family Apiaceae. Cumin is the second most popular spice in the world (black pepper is number one). The varieties of cumins found are: White cumin seeds and Black cumin seeds. Cumin ‘seeds’ are the small dried fruits of the plant. It originated in the areas between the Middle East and India, perhaps accounting for its presence in the cuisines of those regions. Cumin seeds look very much like caraway seeds, another member of the parsley family, and they are often substituted for one another. But be aware that the flavors of the two are quite different. Cumin, especially when roasted and ground or crushed, has a spicy flavor, but does not have the licorice notes caraway has. This is not, by any means, a delicate spice. It announces its presence with no apology. And once you familiarize yourself with it, you’ll be surprised how often you’ll reach for it!
Cumin is native to the East Mediterranean and India. But nowadays it is also cultivated in the North Africa, Middle East, Iran and India. Since ancient times, cumin is being used. Egyptians used the cumin in the form of spice. Cumin was historically very popular among the Greeks and Romans, due to it being a good replacement of pepper that was expensive at the time. The cumin was introduced by the Portuguese and Spanish colonist to America Superstition during the Middle Ages cited that cumin kept chickens and lovers from wondering. It was believed that a happy life awaited the bride and groom who carried cumin seed throughout the wedding ceremony.
Cumin has been used for medicinal purposes and is sometimes used to treat muscle cramps and problems in the digestive system, such as vomiting and appetite loss.
One table spoon of cumin seed contains 22 calories, 1.07 g of protein, 1.34 grams of fat, 2.65 g of carbohydrate which includes 0.6 g of fiber and 0.14 grams of sugar. The same tablespoon serving provides 0.25 % of vitamin K, 49.75% iron, 5.60% of calcium and 0.56% of vitamin C.
Some of the benefits of cumin are:
Cumin has a relatively high content of iron and is a good source of manganese, calcium, vitamin B1 and phosphorus.
Cumin seeds are antioxidants, anti-inflammatory, and carminative by nature. They improve digestion, increase sperm count, build strong bones, improve eyesight, and prevent macular degeneration. Other benefits of cumin seeds include their ability to manage heart rate, lower blood pressure, act as a co-factor in many enzymatic reactions, increase red blood cell count, and prevent various types of cancer.
Great source of antioxidants - Nine types of antioxidants are present in cumin which includes Manganese, Copper, Zinc, Selenium, Vitamin E, Vitamin C, Lutein, Vitamin B9 and Beta Carotene. It possesses the antimicrobial and antiparasitic properties which is effective for curing the fever. It eliminates the oxidative stress and inhibits diseases. Cumin is also used for treating the diseases such as vitiligo and hyperglycemia.
While we can’t promise you the benefits, we can promise you’ll love our Everyday!, Buffa Luv, and Taco Boss (coming next release), all with coriander.
Turmeric
In recent years turmeric has attracted quite a bit of interest for its natural healing properties, but it has been used medicinally for over 4,500 years. As with many culinary herbs and spices that have their roots as medicinals, turmeric has a long and fascinating dual history as a type of food therapy, similar to Chinese herbal medicine.
Turmeric (Curcuma longa) is from the same family as ginger (Zingiber officinale). Both are tropical plants that originated from India. The roots of both plants are harvested for both culinary and medicinal purposes. India remains the largest producer of turmeric in the entire world.
The fumes of burning turmeric were used to clear up congestion, while turmeric juice was used to heal wounds and bruises, and turmeric paste was said to be beneficial for a variety of skin conditions, including smallpox, blemishes, and shingles. In Malaysia, people would make the turmeric into a paste and smear into onto a newborn baby’s stomach to ward off evil spirits. Other cultures would use it as a dye for their clothing. In India, they used it to clear up congestion as well as heal scrapes and bruises.
It should not be any surprise that turmeric, as a part of curry powder, found its way to the West as a result of colonization of India by the British military, as well as through trading via the British East India Trading Company.
The first recipe in English calling for turmeric was for making “India pickle,” published in 1747 by Hannah Glasse in The Art of Cookery Made Plain and Easy.
A later edition, printed 1758, included a recipe for a curry dish. The first appearance of curry in an American cookbook was in the 1831 edition of Mary Randolph’s Virginia Housewife.
Turmeric expansion began when the British colonized India. The British soldiers enjoyed the taste of it on their vegetables and began trading for it with Indian spice merchants. It should also come as no surprise that right around the same time as British traders and soldiers were discovering curry, enterprising Indian merchants figured out how to make up a powdered mixture of the spices used in the dish and sold it as curry powder for them to take back home. Furthermore, the powder was being touted, not only as a culinary spice, but as a cure-all for an entire array of health problems.
Today, turmeric is available as a part of curries in a wide variation of flavors, spiciness and styles, ranging from mild Japanese curry to very hot Thai curry. However, they all share the long tradition of turmeric in common.
Turmeric may be the most effective nutritional supplement in existence. Many high-quality studies show that it has major benefits for your body and brain. Here are some of the top health benefits of turmeric:
Turmeric contains curcumin, a substance with powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. Most studies used turmeric extracts that are standardized to include large amounts of curcumin.
Chronic inflammation contributes to many common Western diseases. Curcumin can suppress many molecules known to play major roles in inflammation.
Curcumin has powerful antioxidant effects. It neutralizes free radicals on its own but also stimulates your body’s own antioxidant enzymes.
Curcumin boosts levels of the brain hormone BDNF, which increases the growth of new neurons and fights various degenerative processes in your brain.
Curcumin has beneficial effects on several factors known to play a role in heart disease. It improves the function of the endothelium and is a potent anti-inflammatory agent and antioxidant.
Curcumin leads to several changes on the molecular level that may help prevent and perhaps even treat cancer.
Curcumin can cross the blood-brain barrier and has been shown to lead to various improvements in the pathological process of Alzheimer’s disease.
Arthritis is a common disorder characterized by joint inflammation. Many studies show that curcumin can help treat symptoms of arthritis and is in some cases more effective than anti-inflammatory drugs.
A study in 60 people with depression showed that curcumin was as effective as Prozac in alleviating symptoms of the condition.
Due to its many positive health effects, such as the potential to prevent heart disease, Alzheimer’s and cancer, curcumin may aid longevity.
Turmeric is an incredible spice to add to your diet. You will soon be able to try these Seasonings In The Sun specialties (coming next release): No Chicken Chicken Bouillon and Veggie Blast Bouillon.
We are so glad that you took the time to learn more about the history of spices and their impact on your health. Comment down below some of your favorite healthy meals you make with Seasonings In The Sun spices!