Transcript Spices - Dragonwhap

SPICES
Review the following slides and take notes to help you
with the activity in class on Thursday/Friday. Bring your
notes to class!
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
“spice”
Derives from the Latin word species, meaning specific
kind, and later, goods or merchandise.
Plants that Changed History, Joan Elma Rhan, 1982
Herbs
Usually aromatic leaves
Used in cooking
Also, in shampoos,
cosmetics, soaps,
medicines, aromatherapy
(e.g., Vicks vaporub, with
camphor, menthol, &
eucalyptus oils)
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 antimicrobial activities.
From the remaining group members• Choose a merchant
• Choose a culinary expert
• All are researchers
Early Spices
Orient/Old World
cinnamon, nutmeg, mace, black pepper, ginger, cloves,
cardamom, anise, caraway, mustard, saffron
New World
allspice, chilies & paprika, vanilla
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
History of Spices & Herbs:
First use of spices & herbs

Origins pre-date ancient Greeks & Romans, etc.

Today we use spices & herbs primarily to make good food
taste even better.

In the days before refrigeration, spices were used to hide the
taste and odor of less-than-fresh food, and to prolong the
freshness of food (especially in warm climates).

Today, some perfumes, soaps, and lotions are lightly scented
with spices & herbs.

In the days before people took frequent baths, spices/herbs
were used as deodorants. Those who could afford to do so
had spices/herbs sown or tucked into their clothes to hide
their body odors.
Plants that Changed History, Joan Elma Rhan, 1982
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.
1180’s: Pepperer’s 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 1300’s: spice trade was a legitimate profession.
Papal Race for Spice Islands
During the late 15th century,
the popes favorites
Spain and Portugal
After that, Pope issued a
decree to divide the world
between Spain and Portugal
from Pole to Pole
Portugal got the EAST, Spain
got the WEST
Age of Exploration

onset of an “age of exploration”
that lasted almost 500 years
Columbus discovered America in
1492
didn’t 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
Were Columbus and Magellan
voyages “failures” ?

Neither won for Spain the easy access to spices that she
wanted.

Columbus never found the spices or the lands he
sought.

Magellan’s expedition reached the Spice Islands, but
the route across the Pacific Ocean was much too long
and much too dangerous to be practical then.
Plants that Changed History, Joan Elma Rhan, 1982
What spice trade accomplished

New lands were discovered, and the
question of whether the world was
spherical or flat was finally decided.

New plants and animals were discovered;
some of them were transported to
continents where they had never been
before, but where the climate was suitable.

People’s diets became more varied and
better balanced. Europeans, whose
homelands were beginning to be
overpopulated, colonized the newly
discovered lands, some of which had
plenty of space.

Generally, this worked out well for the
Europeans, but rather badly for the
natives of the colonized countries.

For better or worse, the search for species
brought together the civilizations that had
developed separately in the ancient
worlds. They would never be isolated
again.
Plants that Changed History,
Joan Elma Rhan, 1982
Descriptions of Spices Encountered in Class
Anise
Anise is native to the Middle East. It is used in desserts in
Mediterranean dishes and in soups and stews throughout the
Middle East and India.
Known as far back as at least 1500 B.C., this small annual
plant is a member of the parsley family.
Both the leaves and seed have a distinctive sweet licorice
flavor. The greenish-brown oval anise seed perfumes and
flavors a variety of confections as well as savory dishes.
Anise seeds have been used as a digestive for centuries, and
in India they're chewed after a meal not only for digestion
but to sweeten breath.
Chinese cooks are more likely to use star anise than the seed.
Star anise the spicy fruit, obtained from evergreen tree native
of South-West China. It has similar flavor and taste like that
of anise seed. The tree bears star-shaped fruits, which turn
rust-red color when ripen and envelope inside amber-colored
seeds. Both the seed as well as the husks are used as spice in
cooking.
Cinnamon
Cinnamon is mainly
produced in China,
Indonesia, and Sri
Lanka. It is used
mainly for culinary
reasons, including
seasonings, and being
necessary to make
chocolate and apple
pie. The sweetest
version is used most
often in the United
States.
Cinnamomum zeylanicum
(cinnamon)
Parts used- oil & bark
Evergreen tree native to
India & Sri Lanka; in Laurel
family
PropertiesAstringent, stimulant, antiinfective, anti-fungal,
digestive aid
One of the oldest and most
valuable spices
Related spice, called cassia,
from C. cassia.
Cloves
Cloves are native to the
Maluku Islands of
Indonesia. They are
used as a seasoning
in cuisine and also
used in some kinds
of cigarettes. They
are also used as a
painkiller by
dentists.
Eugenia caryophyllata
(clove)
Parts Used: closed flower buds
Active Compounds: Clove oil is
60 to 90 percent eugenol, which
is the source of its anesthetic and
antiseptic properties.
An evergreen tree, 15 to 30 feet
tall; in Myrtaceae (Myrtle) family
Native to the Spice Islands and
the Philippines, but also grown in
India, Sumatra, Jamaica, the
West Indies, Brazil, and other
tropical areas.
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/coffee/ma
p.html
http://www.ncausa.org/About-Coffee/CoffeeAround-the-World
•
Roasted coffee beans
•
•
•
Unroasted coffee beans
Coffee
Originally from Egypt, coffee
is grown world wide today.
Beans are roasted and
processed to vary the flavors of
coffee.
Most people drink coffee to
stay alert (caffeine).
Current studies are examining
additional health benefits of
drinking coffee.
Coffea Arabica — C. Arabica
Coffea canephora —
C. canephora var. Robusta
Native to Southern
Europe, North
Africa, and
Southwestern
Asia, Coriander
is a spice that is
used for eating;
all parts of the
plant that it
comes from are
edible. Also
known as
cilantro.
Coriander
Cumin is from the
Eastern
Mediterranean
region and India
mostly. It is used for
culinary purposes
like flavoring
cheeses, soups, and
chili's. It is used in
many Tex-Mex meals
Cumin
• Fennel is native to the southern
Mediterranean.
• Today it is produced in Egypt & India
• Fennel is used for various digestive
problems including heartburn, intestinal
gas, bloating, loss of appetite, and colic in
infants. It is also used for upper respiratory
tract nfections, coughs, bronchitis, cholera,
backache, bedwetting, and visual problems.
• Fennel powder is used as a poultice for
snakebites.
• In other manufacturing processes, fennel
oil is used as a flavoring agent in
certainlaxatives, and as a fragrance
component in soaps and cosmetics.
Fennel
Ginger
Ginger was first
cultivated in East Asia
but made it’s way
into Africa and the
Caribbean. It can be
used as ginger ale,
gingerbread,
medication,
antibacterial shots,
tea, or a food
preservative.
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 in antlers.
In English pubs and taverns in the nineteenth
century, bar-keepers put out small containers
of ground ginger, for people to sprinkle into
their beer — the origin of ginger ale.
Marjoram
Marjoram is
indigenous to the
island of Cyprus
and to Turkey. It is
used for the
management of
diabetes, asthma,
insomnia and
nervousness. It can
be used as a
antioxidant.
Mint Family
(Lamiaceae)
Native to Mediterranean region
Includes thyme, sages,
marjoram, oregano, rosemary,
savory, hyssops, basil, the
various mints, catnip, and
horehound.
Common garden mint is
spearmint, not peppermint .
Square stems & aromatic
simple leaves with oil glands.
Peppermint
Mentha piperita
Soothe your stomach
Refresh itchy skin
Cool spicy foods
Active ingredient:
menthol
Mustard
The major producers of
mustard seed are
Canada, Hungary,
Great Britain, India,
Pakistan and the
United States since the
seed grows in temperate
climates. It’s uses range
from culinary and
preservatives to the
unconventional weapon
of mustard gas
White & yellow, Brassica alba; black
(brown), Brassica nigra.
Volatile oil derived from
sinigrin/sinalbin & enzyme,
myrosin.
Mustard plants produce about
1,000 pounds of seeds per acre.
In one year at New York's Yankee
Stadium, more than 1,600 gallons
plus 2,000,000 individual packets
of mustard are consumed.
Most of the mustard seeds used in
Dijon, France are actually grown in
the United States and Canada.
Canada produces about 90 percent
of the world's supply of mustard
seeds.
Over 700 million pounds of
mustard are consumed worldwide
each year.
The Mustard Museum is in Mount
Horeb, Wisconsin.
world's largest collection of
mustards, with over 3,500
varieties.
Mustard
(Brassicaceae)
Oregano
• Oregano is primarily grown in Turkey.
• Its popularity in the United States grew as pizza became
popular.
• The leaf is used to make medicine.
• Oregano is used to treat respiratory tract disorders,
gastrointestinal disorders, menstrual cramps, rheumatoid
arthritis, urinary tract disorders.
• The oil of oregano is used orally to treat
intestinal parasites, allergies, sinus pain, arthritis, cold and
flu, swine flu, earaches, and fatigue. It is applied to
the skin for skin conditions including acne, athlete's foot,
oily skin, dandruff, canker sores, warts, ringworm, rosacea,
and psoriasis; as well as for insect and spider bites, gum
disease, toothaches, muscle pain, and varicose veins.
• Oregano oil is also used topically as an insect repellent.
• In foods and beverages, oregano is used as a culinary spice
and a food preservative.
Black Pepper is
indigenous and
mainly cultivated
in Southern India.
Its uses range from
being used as a
spice to many
medical uses like
relieving insect
bites, insomnia,
and earaches.
Pepper
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 ripen on
vine, outer hull removed.
The most widely used spice
today.
Poppy Seed
http://www.deamuseum.org/ccp/opium/histor
y.html
Poppy seeds come mainly from the
Middle East and Eastern Europe. It
has a wide range of uses including:
breads, oils, skin moisturizers,
seasoning, and the drug opium.
Rosemary
Rosemary officinalis
De-stress the stomach
rosmaricine
Help heal a headache
Have shiny hair
Use as hair rinse
Sage
Salvia officinalis
Sore gum soother
Subdue a sore throat
Refresh skin after
shaving
Boost flavor of low-fat
foods
Camphor & other
volatile oils
Salt
• Salt is necessary for
human & animal
survival.
• It occurs naturally all
over the world as the
mineral halite, as well as
in seawater and salt lakes.
• Some salt is on the
surface, the dried-up
residue of ancient seas.
•
Ancient sea beds can also
be found underground
where salt can be mined.
• And we can make salt
from seawater or other
salt water sources through
evaporation.
Iodine is added to salt to help reduce
iron deficiencies and the medical
effects caused by a lack of iron.
•
•
•
http://www.mortonsalt.com/salt-facts/salt-history
http://www.mortonsalt.com/salt-facts/saltproduction-and-processing
http://www.saltinstitute.org/salt-101/
Sesame Seeds
Sesame seeds are mainly cultivated by Burma,
China, and India. They are very rich in oil
and are widely used for food, most
commonly for the sesame seed buns for
your Big Mac.
Tea
Tea is the second most consumed drink
in the world, surpassed only by water.
An often-surprising fact to tea novices is
that all teas (Black, Green, Oolong,
White, and Pu'erh) come from the same
plant.
The scientific name of this versatile
plant is Camellia sinensis (it's actually
related to the lovely camellia flowers
seen in botanical gardens and
landscapes).
Camellia sinensis is a sub-tropical
evergreen plant native to Asia but now
grown around the world.
Why drink tea?
The main health-promoting substances in
tea are polyphenols, in particular catechins
and epicatechins.
Lab and animal studies say these molecules
have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant
properties.
Harvard-led studies of large groups of
people over time have found that tea or
coffee drinkers are at lower risk for
diabetes and possibly cardiovascular
disease. Coffee also contains polyphenols.
Turmeric
Turmeric is a spice native
to Southeast Asia. Its
uses can be in
traditional South and
Southeast Asian
ceremonies, antifungal
medication, dyes, hair
removal, and in food
like stir fry dishes and
ice cream.
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)