SPICES

 The story and the scent of spices

The variety of the spices makes its definition very complicated. However, all of us can determine spices. We spontaneously recognize them, although some of them are less famous, such as the Chinese Fagara, practically unknown out of its native land.

The spices are parts of some aromatic plants, which have a strong and unique flavour. People use spices in small quantities in cooking as preservatives, for seasoning or as a food-coloring. The spices are almost exotic products. They were one of the most expensive commercial products during the middle ages and the medieval period. A very great number of spices was used in medicine.

The origin of spices:

Myrtaceae

The spices do not belong to one unique vegetable family, even though some of them pertain to the one determined specie: ginger, cardamom and turmeric belong to the Zingiberaceae or ginger family; myrtle, clove and allspice to that called Myrtaceae or myrtle family; cumin, caraway, coriander and ajwain on the other hand are called Apiaceae or unbellifers. 

Zingiberaceae

Apiaceae

    The benefits of Spices: 

    Do spices stem from the same part of the plant?

    

      No. There are spices that are seeds, like mustard, juniper or sesame, but cinnamon is a bark; clove, a bud; saffron, a stigma; pepper, a fruit; and ginger, a rhizome (the underground part of the plant which is the junction of the stem and the root). 

 

 Bud  

Stigma

     

Seed

Rhizome

    

Bark   

Fruit

                                   

       During the medieval period, the spices made reference to merchandising or trading (spices) coming from the East, along with silk, cotton and metal. Progressively, the meaning of this term has become more restricted by designating only the edible substances that nowadays we call spices.

      In general terms, we agree with the fact that spices come from plant excluding salt, give off flavours, that they add colour to food sometimes, and that are subjected to a preparation after their picking, which differentiates them from herbs.


      

Condiments

Spices cannot be eaten as they are; they participate in the elaboration of the dish, which distinguishes them from condiments, served aside. therefore, mustard served on the table is a condiment, but the seed of the mustard is a spice. Although, spices do not embrace all the plants which perfume our kitchen, we also have garlic or onion.

      Spices arouse tropical reveries and vision of opulence. they fill the large caravans running right across the road of silk through the deserts and the mountains of Arabia and Asia. they perfume the wind that blows up the caravel's sails on the oceans.

    

            As a result, the best criterion for characterising the spices seem to be the one of the imagination. Full of exoticism, adorned with myths and beliefs, richly endowed of magic or healing powers as they were attributed in the past, spices are those which make us dream besides flavouring us.