Spices & their many uses

Spices are used widely in our daily cooking. Here is some information on various spices that we take for granted. If not for spices, our food would taste insipid.

PEPPER

Pepper. The world’s most traded spice. It is salt’s partner on our dinner table. Pepper is a flowering vine, cultivated for its fruit, which is usually dried and used as a spice and seasoning. Dried ground pepper has been used since antiquity for both its flavour and as a traditional medicine. Black and white peppercorns are both the fruit of the pepper plant, but they are processed differently. Black pepper is ground from dried, whole unripe fruit. White pepper is ground from dried, ripe fruit that has had the outer layer removed.

The health benefits of pepper are - it is good for the stomach, good for weight loss and skin health, anti-bacterial quality, pain relieving, an arthritis aid, and as a cancer cure.

CARDAMON

Cardamon has many health benefits. It is a seed pod, known for centuries for its culinary and medicinal properties. This aromatic spice is native to the evergreen rain forest of southern Indian Kerala State and grown in only a few tropical countries. Its health benefits are : it has anti-carcinogenic properties, good for cardiovascular health, for control of cholesterol and as an anti-depressant.

TURMERIC

Turmeric Symbol of purity, prosperity and fertility. Turmeric powder is a bright, yellow powder made by dry grinding of mature turmeric rhizomes. Uses of turmeric: for colouring and flavouring of food, for cosmetic purposes, and for medicinal properties. turmeric is highly therapeutic and is used in various drugs and pharmaceutics mainly because of its immunity boosting and antioxidant properties. it has almost no calories and zero cholesterol. It is rich in dietary fibre, iron, Potassium, magnesium, and Vitamin B6. Its health benefits are: it boosts immunity, protects against certain liver diseases, controls development of Type 2 diabetes, and helps promote weight loss.

CURRY LEAVES

Curry Leaves are an aromatic and flavouring for curries. They are a natural flavouring agent with a number of important health benefits which make your food both healthy and tasty, along with a pleasing aroma. Health benefits are : it stops diarrhoea, gives gastrointestinal protection, has anti-oxidant properties, and anti-diabetic properties.

GINGER

Ginger is regarded as the healthiest and and most delicious of the spices on the planet. It has a long history of use for relieving digestive problem such as nausea, loss of appetite, motion sickness, and pain. The root or underground stem (rhizome) of the ginger plant can be consumed fresh, powdered, dried as a spice, or as juice. Its health benefits are :it helps calm nausea and vomiting, good for digestive tract protection, for brain health, and it supports stable blood sugar levels.

CINNAMON

Cinnamon is a delicious spice, one of the highly prized items that has been in use since biblical times for its fragrance, medicinal and culinary properties. This exotic, sweet-flavoured spice is traditionally obtained from the inner brown bark of cinnamon trees, which when dried, roll into tubular sticks, known commercially as “”quills”” contain no grams of fat, sugar or protein, but contain fibre, calories, manganese, calcium, iron and Vitamin K. It is a high source of anti-oxidants, contains anti-inflammatory properties, protects heart health, and fights diabetes.

MACE

Mace has a special place in the culinary world. It is the dried, outer aril , sitting firmly around the nutmeg kernel, Nutmeg kernel and Mace arils indeed are two separate spice products of the same nutmeg fruit. Its health benefits are: it is good for digestive health, treatment and prevention of cancer, good for pain relief, and as a breath freshener.

CURRY POWDER

Curry Powder is a blend of strongly flavoured spices popular in Eastern and Indian cooking ,ground into a finely powdered substance. Its health benefits are: as a cancer preventive,good for pain relief, and Inflammation, and heart health and bone health.

CLOVES

Cloves have an incredible variety of traditionally recognised nutrients. They are one of the highly prized spices, widely recognised all over the world for their medicinal and culinary qualities. The spices are actually the “”flower buds”” from evergreen rain forest tree. They are high in vitamins, minerals and fibre. The component responsible for clove’s powerful effects and odour is a substance called Eugenol. Its health benefits are:it has anti-oxidant properties, good for nausea and vomiting, cough and bad breath, and treats and removes Acne.

NUTMEG

Nutmeg is a well loved spice all over the world.it is a delicate, slightly sweet spice that is widely used in cuisines around the world, including both Asian and Western recipes. Its health benefits are: :pain relief, digestive health, brain health, and blood pressure and helps in circulation.