INTRODUCTION
The term "spices" is often used broadly to include all seasonings. Spices come
A spice is a dried seed, fruit, root, leaves, bark, stems, buds of aromatic plants and trees which usually grow only in Tropical countries.
These are highly nutritionally insignificant quantities as a food additive for the purpose of flavoring, and sometimes as a preservative by killing or preventing the growth of harmful bacteria.
Many of these substances are also used for other purposes, such as 1 medicine,2 religious rituals,3 cosmetics, 4 perfumery or5 eating as vegetables. For e.g, turmeric is also used as a preservative; licorice as a medicine; garlic as a vegetable and as medicine as well. In some cases they are referred to by different terms.
In the kitchen, spices are distinguished from herbs.
VARIETIES OF SPICES
The following are the different varieties of spices:
1 Nutmeg
2 Fennue Greek seeds
3 Asafeotida
4 Wholered chillis
5 Turmeric
6 Cardamom (Cardamom) - Cardamom has a strong, unique taste, with an intensely aromatic fragrance. Black cardamom has a distinctly more astringent aroma, though not bitter, with coolness similar to mint, though with a different aroma.
7 Cinnamons - With its warm, sweet flavor, cinnamon is one of the biggest workhorses on the spice shelf. Cooks often use it to flavor baked goods and drinks, but cinnamon also works wonders in stews, sauces and dishes like briyani or pulav.
8 Clove - Cloves are nail-shaped dried unopened flower buds that have a sweet, penetrating flavor. They can be ground and used to flavor baked goods or sauces, or left whole and poked into roasted hams or pork. Use cloves sparingly a little goes a long way. Used usually in combination with cinnamon.
9 Coriander seeds -Coriander seeds are a common ingredient in the cuisines of India, the Middle East, Latin America, and Southeast Asia. The popular herb cilantro comes from the same plant, but it's not a good substitute for the seeds. The commonest use of coriander seed is in curry powders, where it is the bulkiest constituent, often rough ground in India to give a crunchy texture. The seeds can be likewise used in stews and soups. They blend well with
Smoked meats and game and feature in traditional English black pudding recipes and Italian mortadella sausage.
10 Cumin (Jeera) - Cumin is a key ingredient in Southwestern chili recipes, but it's also widely used in Latin America, North Africa, and India. Freshly roasted and ground cumin seeds are far superior to packaged ground cumin.
11 Dill seed - Dill seed tastes like dill leaves, but it's much stronger. It's a common ingredient in pickles, dips, and potato salad.
12 Fennel seed) - This is similar to anise seed, but sweeter and milder. It pairs well with fish, but Italians also like to add it to sauces, meat balls, and sausages. Both the seeds and the stalks from the plant are sometimes called fennel. If a recipe calls for a large amount, it probably intends for you to use the stalks.
13 Mustard seeds - Mustard seeds have a hot, pungent flavor. They're often ground and made into prepared mustard or added to stews and sauces to give them some zip. Indian cooks usually prefer the smaller and more pungent brown mustard seeds or black mustard seeds.
14 Poppy seeds -These tiny, nutty seeds are typically used in baked goods, but some cuisines also use them in savory dishes. E u ropeans prefer black poppy seeds, while Indians prefer white, but the two kinds can be substituted for one another. Poppy seeds are high in fat.
15 Sesame seed - These nutritious seeds have a mild, nutty flavor. They're commonly used in baked goods, Asian stir-fries, and Middle-Eastern candies.
16 Saffron - Saffron is the world's most expensive spice. It only takes a few threads to add saffron's distinct yellow color and earthy aroma to a family meal of paella or bouillabaisse. The threads should be red with orange tips. Threads lacking orange tips may be dyed. Holland and Kashmir are the major sources of saffron. Kashmir saffron is considered to be the best.
17 Pepper corn - These come in different colors and potencies. Green peppercorns are packed in brine, vinegar, or salt soon after they're picked. They're mild and soft and can be eaten whole. Black pepper and white pepper are both dried, and sold either ground or as whole peppercorns. Black pepper has a stronger flavor and is far more popular than white; many cooks just use white pepper when they want to avoid having black specks in a light colored sauce.
USES OF SPICES
1) Enhance flavour: Dishes would be inspid and bland if the spices were not added, because they give a good flavour and stimulate appetite.
2) Improve Appearance: Some of the spices give colour to the food and improve appearance of the dish. Turmeric, saffron, coriander leaves, poppy seeds add colour to food which makes the dish attractive and appetising.
3) Improve palatability: The spices like coriander seeds, paprika, pepper enhances the taste of the food.
4) Act as preservative: Many foods are preserved for a longer time with the help of spices. Spices that have the preservative quality are turmeric, cloves, mustard and asfoetida. Pickling is one of the forms of preserving.
5) Used for medicinal purposes: Spices are used as a remedy for various health problems. Turmeric has antiseptic properties, Saunf helps indigestion.
FLAVOURINGS AND SEASONINGS
Flavouring and seasoning are the process of adding or improving flavor of food. Flavouring combines taste and smell such as essences, cardamom, nutmeg, thyme etc. Seasonings include herbs, spices, and all other condiments. Example: black pepper, basil, kosher salt, etc.
Spices and herbs give flavouring and seasoning to the dishes. To get effective results, not only should the food, please the eye, but should also flatter or stimulate the palate. The success of cooking largely depends upon the help we obtain from flavoring and seasoning. The spice we use for this purpose should be used sparingly, as well as with skill. All palates may not crave for high spiced food, yet majority of people demand, that the food be moderately flavoured with the right constituents. To use flavouring and seasoning rightly is a great accomplishment; the dish could be spoilt by being over seasoned. Seasoning should bring out the natural flavours of the main ingredients and blend with them. Seasonings as such have little or no nutritive value but are valuable for they give variety to the dishes and have medicine value. Spices that have flavourings and seasonings are: Garlic ginger, cloves, cinnamon, cardamom, cumin seeds, mustard seeds, poppy seeds, nutmeg, coriander powder, mace, pepper, fenugreek, chillies, saffron, aniseeds, turmeric, paprika, caraway seeds, allspices, sesame. Various herbs are: parsley, celery, coriander leaves, thyme, tarragon, rosemary, mint, marjoram, sage, bay leaf, basil, chervil, curripatta, etc.
Comments