Spice Up Your Life

 

Cliona Elliott,

Editor (Food)

 

When rooting around the kitchen cupboards you’re very likely to find a shelf or indeed a whole cupboard full of pots and boxes of herbs and spices. These colourful mounds of fragrant powder, such as cumin, cinnamon, nutmeg and paprika are used today solely in the kitchen as a culinary tool to alter or enhance flavours when cooking. But looking back in time spices were at the foreground of market trading, and the pepper you grind up and add to your soup was once considered as edible gold.

Spices have been hugely significant to mankind since the beginning of history, and not only played a major role in the development of western civilisation, but have also been used as creative inspiration for travel, exploration, art and poetry. The Egyptians used spices as a way of embalming the precious bodies of their dead ancestors, and even today people in countries like Morocco strongly believe in and use spices for their medicinal qualities.

So next time you’re adding basil to a Bolognese or baking with cinnamon, remember that there is a rich and vibrant history behind these little plastic pots of flavour that dates back to the beginning of civilisation. And if you fancy exploring their medicinal and alternative uses keep reading…

Garlic: It has many healing properties, such as lowering cholesterol and helping to relieve high blood pressure.  One of the oldest medicinal purposes is its powerful antibacterial ability including viruses, bacteria and fungi, and can be an effective to fight conditions such as athlete’s foot and ulcer-causing bacteria. Only fresh garlic and supplements that mimic it have these effects.

 

 

Turmeric: As a member of the ginger family, turmeric has high anti-oxidant properties and is used to boost the immune system.  Many people with arthritis and joint problems use turmeric to relieve their pain as it’s a powerful anti-inflammatory. It can be consumed orally in cooking, or made into a paste using honey or water which is then applied to the skin to cool inflammation or prevent acne.

 

 

 

Coriander: It is said to be useful in regaining a loss of appetite, and also aids digestion and helps treat urinary tract infections. Coriander can be boiled in water and drank as a tea and the infusion will help to relieve your symptoms.

 

 

 

Aniseed: This is one of the strongest spices and its pungent aroma and taste can be found in many sweets and alcohol beverages. It is a very powerful stimulant of the mind and body, and is also excellent at warding off nausea and vomiting and easing indigestion and flatulence. If using the essential oil, aniseed should be used with caution as it can cause narcotic effects and circularity problems if consumed in large doses.

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