SPICES
Prepared: Karolina Chylaszek
SPICES
Food additives which contain taste and
aroma substances.
They enhance the taste of dishes and can
have a good influence on the human
body.
In this group there are also herbal spices
fresh, dried or frozen.
How a spice works:
• 1. Irritates the sense of smell (aroma)
• 2. Activates the sense of taste on your tongue (taste)
• 3. Influences the sense of sight (appetizing image of
dishes)
• 4. Stimulates the digestive system.
Rules of using spices:
A.
Start with small quantities, the smallest number of spices for one dish is 3,
the biggest 9.
B.
Very hot spices should be served in small containers, so that everybody could
help himself.
C.
You can add spices to raw meat and fish before cooking.
D.
Fresh herbs and vegetables should be washed and dried, cut on glass or
porcelain board.
E.
Very aromatic herbs are added at the beginning of cooking (thyme), digestive
herbs (ground pepper, red peppers, nutmeg, cloves) should be added just before
serving, like vinegar or mustard.
F.
Salt removes water from the cells, so it should not be added too quickly.
G.
Vegetables should be added to a soup half an hour before the end of
cooking time. Fresh spices are best added just before serving, dried herbs can be
added at the beginning of cooking
Mixed spices:
CURRY = pepper, cardamom, ginger, coriander, nutmeg, turmeric,
cinnamon, chili, paprika, allspice and other.
FIVE SPICES = anise, pepper, cinnamon, cloves, fenkul.
GARAM MASALA = pepper and cloves.
BAHARAT = nutmeg, pepper, coriander, cumin, cloves, cinnamon,
paprika, chili peppers.
Seeds and fruit:
Pepper
Cumin
Chili
Anise
Paprika
Nutmeg
Charlock
Juniper
allspice
Herbal pepper
Use:
A universal spice, used almost in any dish except sweet. Especially
recommended for meat ( minced meat, roast meat), soups ( cabbage
and bean), vegetables (salads), sauces and some vegetarian dishes.
In meat dishes pepper should be added at the beginning, in other
dishes during, or at the end of preparing them.
Coriander
Characteristics:
Dried flower buds from an evergreen
tree. The first crops are gathered after
20 years.
Their shape resembles little nails.
Use:
Often used in Indian, Islamic and LatinAmerican quisine. The ground seeds
spice up meat (roast pork, mutton,
venison, geese), salads, soups, pates, are
used for marinading sauerkraut,
beetroots, cucumbers, mushrooms and
herrings.
Also used with making desserts; cakes,
creams and ice cream. Is one of the
most important ingredients of “curry”.
Origins:
China, Madagascar, Indonesia, Malesia,
Grenada, Tanzania. Brought to Europe
in the 20th century to Holland and
France. Grown in the sea climate.
Properties:
They contain a lot of ethereal oils and
tannins.
Taste and aroma:
Intense and sharp spicy smell, burning
taste.
Nutmeg
Characteristics and origin:
of this spicy nutmeg seeds, the
shape of the knob is slightly
elongated. Knob to reach Europe
with Crusaders.
Application:
Use for seasoning sweet and savory
dishes. Cakes and cookies, especially
with this gingerbread spice are gaining
in clarity, its taste and aroma is mixed
with vanilla, honey and caramel. Ideal
for many types of meats, dairy
products, steamed vegetables, mulled
beer, wine or punch, stuffing the meat
used in Italian cuisine and the Dutch.
Properties:
Used in the form of ground, the
smell and taste are gaining in
intensity, when the crush spices
into small chips.
Taste and aroma:
Great, spicy, lightly pepper, very
fragrant, the taste is bitter mace.
CHARLOCK
Charatersitic:
Found in several species: black,
jucea and white. Is a annual plant,
jucea form is easiest in cultivation.
Charlock is a primary ingredient of
mustard
Application:
Black and juncea to sauce, white to pickle
and as a preservative besides that it is used
to flavoring gherkins and many different
vegetables in vingear, ensliage and meat.
Ground charlock is add to fat meat, sausage,
cooked fish, hot and cold sauce, casserole,
braised vegetables, dishes from potatoes and
beets, dishes from eggs and chees and
chopped leaves to salad.
Origin:
Regions of Mediterranean Sea an
south - eastern Europe
Characteristic ( Properties):
Charlock seeds cotain significant
quantity of fat: white-28% juncea35% black-31% Teaste and aroma:
Black has a spiciest taste
Cumin
Properties:
Includes properties to 4% essential
oils and flavonoids. Fruits and herbs
such as work anti-inflammatory,
stimulates the heart and respiration
stimulates the secretion of digestive
juices.
Characteristics:
Used as an aromatic spice in North
Africa, in western China, India, Middle
East, Mexico and Chile. It is often
confused with caraway, but the
resemblance is only visible in the name.
The origin:
probably dates from the eastern regions
of the Mediterranean
Taste and aroma:
The bright taste and aroma of the
seeds of the spices are mild, dark
sharpen the taste of dishes.
Application:
Cumin added to the dishes of fried
and boiled.
Chili
Origin:
Peru
Characteristic ( Properties):
It has a very spicy taste wich is responsible
kapsaicyna, it contains vitamin C.
Charactersitic:
Obtained from different kinds of
pods of paprika, culitvated because
of teaste it is used as spice. As
mature has intense red color, there
are many types of peppers.
Teaste and aroma:
Spicy
Application:
To dishes wiyh meat, fish and vegetables.
Used as raw, dried, frozen, pickle and as
ingredient of sauce, to dishes with onion,
corn, bean and cauliflower - characteristic for
Spanish and Mexican cuisine.
Sweet peppers
Characteristics and origin
is a spice obtained from dried and
ground paprika fruit, plants grown in
tropical regions of Central and South
America and southern Europe.
Application:
The use of pepper is the main spice in
Hungarian cuisine, Mexican, Indian. It
enriches the flavor of meat dishes,
poultry and fish. Is also used in soups,
vegetables, salads and cheeses. It is
commonly used ingredient in many spice
mixtures. Used in powdered form.
Properties
is a popular food dye, aromatic, wellstained sauces (eg mayonnaise and sour
cream) and choice of eggs, rice and
poultry. Included in the paprika gives
the burning taste of capsaicin and
facilitates digestion.
The taste and aroma
is fragrant smell, and taste - depending
on the species - a sharp and burning, or
sweet.
Pimento
Description:
Pimento or allspice it is fruit of
medical bark, which comes from
Jamaica a kind of tropical plant.
This plant brought by Columb to
Europe. It is forever green tree,
which grows to 9 m height Berries
are picked up when are ripe but
still green, because later they lose
their aroma.
Application
It is used as a substitute of black
pepper. As a strong seasoning it
must be use in moderately
amount. It is suitable meat dish. It
is added to some pastes, liqueur.
Several whole or grinned
granules add to sauces or other
dishes makes that it comes
delicious. It can be use for
vegetables dishes also spinach,
fried fish, salads, soups, jellies
and pickled cucumber. It is also
used to marinade and pudding.
Additionally it is used to the
dessert preserves. It is fine
additive to plum pudding, baking,
sausages in the form of powder.
Black pepper
Description:
Yellow and green raw peppertree fruit, get dark in the process
of drying, their skins rumple.
Mellow fruit are red. After
removing the outer skin we get
white pepper. From the fruit of
black pepper we get the spice
black pepper.
Origin:
Comes from India, in ancient times
brought to Near East and then to
Greece and Rome. Today is grown in
tropical areas.
Properties:
Most kinds contain a lot of ethereal oils
and piperin alkaloid, which give it
characteristic, burning taste.
Flavour and aroma:
Black pepper - strong, spicy and burning
White pepper - milder
Use:
Universal spice, can be added to nearly
all kinds of roast meat, poultry, fish,
marinades, soups and gravies.
A pinch of this spice enlivens the
flavour of greasy broths and makes
them more easily digestible. Many
salads get their full flavour thanks to it.
Caraway
Also known as Meridian Fennel, or Persian Cumin, is a biennial plant in the family Apiaceae, native to
western Asia, Europe and Northern Africa.
The plant is similar in appearance to a carrot plant, with finely divided, feathery leaves with thread-like
divisions, growing on 20-30cm stems. The main flower stem is 40-60cm tall, with small white or pink flowers
in umbels. Caraway fruits (erroneously called seeds) are crescent-shaped achenes, around 2mm long, with
five pale ridges.
The plant prefers warm, sunny locations and well-drained soil.
The roots may be cooked as a root vegetable like parsnips or carrots. Caraway is also used in liquors,
casseroles, curry and other foods. It is more commonly found in European cuisine. For example, it is
commonly added to sauerkraut.
Juice from lemon
Lemon:
small, green tree from China. At present cultivate, in numerous variety in many countries, mediterien
and California. It owns prickly shoots, leaves about 20 cm length, which include white flower and
fruits about length ok. 10 Cm, they consist sour folding, juicy pulp. Acid juice is used for seasoning
salad and other dishes.
Delicacies
Characteristic
A mixture of dried and candied fruits are used whole, flaked or broken into large chunks. For groceries
include: almonds, walnuts, raisins, prunes, apricots, dates, figs, orange peel and lemon.
Properties
Good nutritional value, tasty
Taste and aroma
Sweet
Application
In confectionery, the necessary allowance for certain types of cakes: keks, mazurkas, and gingerbread ice
cream and a decoration of many kinds of cakes and pastries.
Raisins
Characteristic
They are ripe grapes, usually dried in the sun in a special drying. Known varieties of grapes are: California,
the Sultan and the royal.
Origin
Turkey, USA, Greece
Properties
Contain much sugar / fructose / sugar to dissolve it can be briefly immersed in water,
Taste and aroma
Very sweet
Application
They can be eaten raw or used in baking such as cakes / cheesecakes, and used as an ingredient in batters,
salads, sweet,
Dried plums
Characteristic
For dried fruit should be ripe, with slightly wrinkled skin, good quality, the best are Hungarian - in the shape
of an elongated, fruits, and a blue violet color. A valuable component of our diet, the nutrition pyramid
stands out among them the products that we should eat daily.
Origin
Found in a tomb in Egypt Any architect, to Europe hit some of the twentieth century, are grown in orchards
in Rome, Poland / variety: Hungarian, stanley, renklody, opal.
Properties
Contain much carbohydrate / sucrose and glucose /, B vitamins, vitamin PP, and they are rich in fiber, which
helps burn fat,
Taste and aroma
Sweet and tasty
Application
They can be used in cakes, roast meats, salads, yogurt and draw from them, compotes, liqueurs.
Nuts
Characteristic
Nuts are dry fruits. The following types of nuts: walnuts, hazelnuts, peanuts, coconut, pistachio, Indian and
Brazilian. They are tasty, healthy and nutritious. They are a constant part of the standard and traditional food
in many countries.
Walnuts - the seeds are covered with a hard woody shell, surrounded by a green husk. Shell bursts and
releases the nut, it is composed of two halves covered with bitter epidermis.
Origin
Balkans, southeastern Europe, Asia, commonly cultivated in Poland
Properties
They provide a good source of protein, vitamins E and B, and fat, but they are very healthy, they have
positive impact on our skin and our health.
Taste and aroma
Sweet
Application
appetizers, main dishes such as spinach rissotto, desserts / ice cream caramel nut / addition to salads, salads
and cakes, pastries are decorated /
Almonds
Characteristic
fruit of the almond tree seeds, fruit consists of inedible inside the pericarp, which is a pit containing a seed
called almond.It is surrounded by a thin, brown skin. You can delete it after burned with hot water.
Origin
Central Asia, Mongolia, China, Europe hit by merchants traveling the Silk Road, and then came to America,
where today 75% of world production takes place
Properties
Contain about 50% fat and 20% protein and minerals
Taste and aroma
Sweet or bitter taste similar to vanilla, white chocolate,
Application
In kitchen they can be used with sweet meal.
Pastries, creams, desserts, ice cream, marzipan, a decorative element, a component of the rice dishes,
poultry, fish, salads, as a topping - minced,
Flowers and flower parts
Cloves
Capers
Saffron
Marigold
CLOVES
Use:
In sweet and spicy dishes, enhances the taste of
fruit soups, compotes and salads. Added to heated
wine, liqueurs. Also in meat, fish dishes and fruit
marinades. Ingredient of Indian “curry” or Chinese
“five spices”
Marigold
Characteristic ( Properties): It has
effec of antiseptic and makes
wounds heal faster.
Charactersitic: In the past leaves were
used as vegetable. It was appreciated
already in the antiquity - it's powdered
leaves were used to falsification valuable
saffron. Flowers of merigold contain
stable yellow dye.
Origin: Probably comes from
Mediterranean Sea area or Iran, where it
is found today in it's natural habitat.
Teaste and aroma: Flowers of
merigold tightens teaste of food.
Application: To color the food
(eg.rice) on yellow, we can throw to
it fresh leaves during cooking or
throw dried powdered leaves.
Roots and root parts
Turmeric
Ginger
Horseradish
Ginger
Taste and aroma
Spicy-sweet, a little beat lemon smell and
spicy, burning taste.
Implementation
It is added to dishes from seafood, it
improve taste of bland dishes and fat
meats for example duck and pork. Minced
is added to sweet dishes for example
biscuits, cakes, fruit salad, backed apples
and goulash, wine, beer and liqueur, dishes
from the easterly cuisines.
Characteristic and origin:
A plant from ginger’s family, tuberous
rhizome comes from China and islands of
Pacific Ocean, there are 85 types of them.
Dry and minced- popular in Poland tastes
different than fresh and it can’t be used
interchangeably. Raw ginger should be
always cut and the best way is cut the skin
by knife only form part which will be
used.
It shouldn’t be combined with herbs in
any dish because it disagrees with his
aroma. It’s great composition with spicy
spices: allspice, bay lea, cloves, nutmeg
and pepper.
Properties:
It includes mix of resign and essential oil;
it is used dry and minced.
Turmeric
Is a rhizomatous herbaceous perennial plant of the ginger family, Zingiberaceae.
Turmeric grows wild in the forests of Southeast Asia. It has become the key ingredient for
many Indian, Persian, Thai and Malay dishes, not only in curry, but also in masak lemak,
rendang and many more.
In Indonesia , the turmeric leaves are used for Minangese or Padangese curry base of
Sumatra such as rending, sate padang and many other varieties.
Although most usage of turmeric is in the from of root powder, in some regions (especially in
Maharashtra), leaves of turmeric are used to wrap and cook food. This usually takes place
in areas where turmeric is grown locally, since the leaves used are freshly picked. This
imparts a distinct flavor.
In non-South Asian recipes, turmeric is sometimes used as an agent to impart a rich,
custard-like yellow color. It is used in canned beverages and baked products, dairy
products, ice cream, yogurt, yellow cakes, orange juice, biscuits, popcorn color, sweets,
cake innings, cereals, sauces, gelatins, etc. is a significant ingredient in most commercial
curry powders. Turmeric is mostly used in savory dishes, as well as some sweet dishes
such as the cake Sfouf.
Although usually used in its dried, powdered form, turmeric is also used fresh, much like
ginger. It has numerous uses in Far Eastern recipes, such as fresh turmeric pickle which
contains large chunks of soft tumeric.
Kora
Cinnamon
CINNAMON
The Cinnamon it is the bark of cinnamon. Forever green tree of cinnamon achieves 10 meters height. It
grows on dry- tropical forest area. It has got big elongated leaves which are vein. The young leaves are
glittering and red. Flowers and little fruit are inconspicuous. All parts of plant give out characteristic scent of
cinnamon. In order to achieve the bark of cinnamon you have to cut the twigs of the cane length, next the
bark is pulled off then dried bark gets on the international trade
Specificity
The most important component of cinnamon is volatile oil, resin, mucus, starch.
Application
Cinnamon has nice sweet-spicy smell and savor. It is suitable in kitchen for sweet dishes superbly as well as
piquant.
It applies for lamb, for dishes with rice, stewed fruit especially from pears, for desserts, honey cake applepies, pastes with nuts, in fat buds fried tea, punch wines. This seasoning is popular and in gastronomy
generally taken advantage. The cinnamon cane is used in stewed fruit, fruit juice wines it is also used in
Chinese and Indian cuisine.
Bulbs
Garlic
Onion
Garlic
Origin
He comes from Asia, where was
spread to Europe as and north
Africa, with time encountered other
continents.
Characteristics
It is a vegetable, a spice and a
medicinal plant known usually only
under the generic name, as the
garlic. The garlic is being ranked
both to vegetables, as well as
spices.
Properties
Used in the form of fresh clove,
of powder, marinade of vinegar
or oil. The taste and the aroma
Penetrating, sharply-spice
Application
However it is applied in the
kitchen mainly as the spice for
salads, soup, sauces, fish and
vegetables.
Garlic added to cooked and
fried dishes however it is
losing the unpleasant smell
and then the peculiar taste is
concentrating the dish.
Onion
Characteristics
of plant species belonging to the family
czosnkowatych .. Botanical name of this plant is
garlic, onions, in use, however, is primarily the name
of an onion. Onion consists of: head, tooth, leaves,
shells, heel, and the root. Dining onions are fleshy
leaf sheath (white, purple, yellow) forming the
bottom of the onion plant. The leaves also grow
onions - green, round and inflatable. They are rarely
eaten.
Application:
For eating raw, as a condiment for
salads and dressings, ingredient
extracts, meat dishes, fish,
vegetarian, półmięsnych unwrought
or zrumienionym, essential side
dish, a raw material for freezing,
canning, pickles.
Origin
of Central Asia
Properties
of its high nutritional value and dietary onion owes
substances such as volatile oils, pectin, vitamin E,
B1, B2, B6, C, sulfin acetate (responsible for watery
eyes while chopping onions) and flavonoids.
Taste and flavor:
As a spice spicy or mildly hot flavor.
Herbs and leaves
Basil
Savory
Thyme
Sage
Melisa
Parsley
Chives
Mint
Oregano
Rosemary
Fennel
Lovage
Marjoram
SAVORY
Characteristics:
Savory it is species of the one-year-old plant about 25cm height. Flowers are Lilac, pink or white.
Origin:
Savory was know and cultivated in ancient Rome. Nowadays it is know in Europe, Asia, America, Northern
and Southern Africa.
Properties:
This plant contains essential oils, which improves digestion. Savory shouldn’t be cook for a long time because
is getting bitter. It’s better to cut the leaves into stripes instead to chop them.
Taste and aroma:
Lightly pepper.
Application: Savory is an excellent seasoning for dishes with legume (plant) and addition to bean soup.
Suitable for some flavor salads, dishes with mushrooms, fish, rabbit, meat, cheese, potatoes, pickles. It is
used to pickle - sweet sour used during pickle or preservation of cucumbers or peas.
Basil
Description:
30-60 cm high, with light-green,
shiny
5 cm leaves. There are
various kinds
of basil - e.g.
cinnamon, lemon, dark opal, Thai
purple. Used as a spice, for
making liquer and as decoration.
The leaves can be frozen ( you
have to smear them with some oil
first ), put in oil with some salt
or just in salt.
Origins:
South Asia, Middle East, South
America.
Properties:
Contains ethereal oils, tannins and
vitamins. The aroma comes out in
the process of heating, dried basil is
less spicy.
Flavour and aroma:
Pepper-sweet, hot, nice and spicy
smell.
Use:
For tomato, beans salads, herb and
tomato sauces, crab salads, fish, meat
and poultry dishes. Also goes well with
garlic. Good for soups, eggs, omelettes,
cottage cheese, pork chops, herb
butter. Italian pesto is the best known
dish with basil as the basis. Used to
aromatize vinegar and oil.
Thyme
Description:
A thick bush, up to 30 cm high.
Origins:
From Mediterranean countries. The Greeks
made cooling drinks out of thyme. Thyme
honey was well known and highly prized
by gourmands. The Benedictines started
to grow it in Europe. Now is grown in
many European and American countries
as a plant for curing, decorating and a
spice.
Properties:
In France thyme wine was regarded as
a wonderful cure for head, lungs, liver,
stomach, digestive system, kidney and
spleen conditions.
Flavour and aroma:
Strong aromatic smell and slightly bitter
taste, hot.
Use:
In the kitchen, used both fresh
and dried herb. Typical for
French cuisine. Thyme is added
to meat broths, gravies, thick
soups ( pea or bean soup),
roast duck, venison, rabbit,
veal, beef, fish, potato dishes,
goat and sheep cheeese,
herbal vinegar
Rosemary
Characteristics:
It is a kind of green bush, about
2m high. Leaves rolled on edge,
dark- green on top, Flowers blue
or pink.
Origin:
It occurs in southern Europe.
Crop plant, currently the largest
producers are :France, Spain,
Italy, Greece and Mexico
Properties:
Rosemary is an important component of
the spice mixtures. Rosemary is cooked
together with food. I is also very good
composition with savory and marjoram.
This aromatic herb is use in small
amounts.
Taste and aroma:
It has got strong spicy and bitter taste.
Application:
Spice plant, use for meats, sausages and
sauces. Flowers are added to salads. The
stem can be use as a skewer for kebabs Gives them a unique aroma and taste. In
addition, it is use for meat dishes with
lamb Italian dishes, poultry, fish, dishes
with vegetables and potatoes and sauces.
TARRAGON
Is a perennial herb in the family Asteraceae related to wormwood. Corresponding to its species name, a
common term for the plant is “dragon herb”. It is native to a wide area of the Northern Hemisphere from
easternmost Europe across central and eastern Asia to India, western North America, and south to northern
Mexico. The North American populations may, however, be naturalized from early human introduction.
Tarragon grows to 120-150cm tall, with slender branched stems. The leaves are lanceolate, 2-8cm long and
2-10mm broad, glossy green, with an entire margin. The flowers are produced in small capitulate 2-4mm
diameter, each capitulum containing up to 40 yellow or greenish-yellow florets.
Tarragon is one of the four fines herbes of French cooking, and particularly suitable for chicken, lasagna, fish
and egg dishes. Tarragon is one of the main components of Bearnaise sauce. Fresh, lightly bruised sprigs of
tarragon may be steeped in vinegar to impart their flavor.
Tarragon is used to flavor a popular carbonated soft drink in the countries of Armenia, Georgia and, by
extension, Russia and Ukraine. The drink-named Tarhun, which is the Armenian, Persian and Russian word
for tarragon is made out of sugary tarragon concentrate and colored bright green.
Cis-Pellitorin, an isobutylamide eliciting a pungent taste, has been isolated from Tarragon plant.
In Slovenia, tarragon is used as a spice for sweet pastru called potica.
DILL
A plant of the parsley family. It grows to 40-60cm with slender stems and alternate, finely divided, softly
delicate leaves 10-20cm long. The ultimate leaf divisions are 1-2mm broad, slightly broader than the similar
leaves of fennel, which are threadlike, less than 1mm broad, but harder in texture. The flowers are white to
yellow, in small umbels 2-9cm diameter. The seeds are 4-5mm long and 1mm thick, and straight to slightly
curved with a longitudinally ridged surface.
Dill has aromatic seeds and leaves, both of which are used for flavoring food. Dill is native to Eurasia, having
small yellow flowers clustered in umbels.
Dill includes vitamins like: C, A and B and also PP.
Fresh and dried dill leaves (sometimes called “dill weed” to distinguish it from dill seed) are used as herbs,
mainly in the Baltic and central Asia especially for flavoring pickles.
Herbs prowanalskie
Properties
are also used in the salt-free diet.
Contain large quantities of active
substances: volatile oils, tannins and
bitter.
Characteristics and origin:
of the mixture of herbs from
Provence, a region located on the
south of France. The mixture is used
for cooking, and it consists of the
following herbs: rosemary, basil,
thyme, sage, peppermint, summer
savory, and marjoram origan.
Taste and flavor
compounds stimulate the sense of
smell and taste, stimulates appetite
and facilitates digestion
Application
of Herbs de Provence are used for
soups, sauces herbs, salads, white
cheese, eggs, and in preparing roasts,
ground meat, grilled dishes, stuffings,
and fish dishes and poultry
Oregano
Is a species of Origanum of the
mint family that is native to
Europe, the Mediterranean
region and southern and central
Asia. It is
a perennial herb,
growing from 20-80cm tall, with
opposite leaves 1-4cm long. The
flowers are purple, 3-4mm long,
produced in erect spikes.
Oregano largely varies in intensity: Good
quality is so strong that it almost numbs
the tongue, but the cultivars adapted to
colder climate have often unsatisfactory
flavour.
Is used for tomato sauces, fried
vegetables and grilled meat. Together
with basil, it makes up for the character
on Italian dishes Oregano can effectively
combined with basil, it makes up for the
character of Italian dishes. Oregano can
effectively combined with pickled olives
and capers or lovage leaves; other than
most Italian herbs,, oregano harmonizes
even with hot and spicy food, as is
popular in Southern Italy. The cuisines of
other Mediterranean countries make less
use of it, but it is of some importance for
Spanish and French cooking.
LOVAGE
Is a plant, the leaves and seeds or fruit of which are used to flavor ford, especially In South European cuisine.
The fruit of the lovage plant can be used as a spice. Lovage tea can be applied to wounds as an antiseptic, or
drunk to stimulate digestion.
The root of lovage, which contains a heavy, volatile oil, is used as a mild aquaretic. Lovage root contains
furanocoumarins which can lead to photosensitivity.
Lovage is considered a “magic bullet” companion plant; much as borage helps protect almost all plants from
pests, so lovage is thought to improve the health of all plants.
Lovage is usually added to soups, meat, sauces.
PARSLEY
Its two years old plant which grows to 80 cm the seasoning includes dried leaves of parsley, which grows, on
the area of Mediterranean. It is dating on third century B.C. by Roman who used it as a decoration and
aroma. Nowadays it is used not only in Europe but also in America and Australia. The most important
components are vitamin A beta-karoten and C, folacyna, mineral components iron, iodine, copper. Parsley is
used to soup, sauces, fishes, salads, and salads, potatoes, with vegetables dishes, meat dishes, cheeses, and
eggs.
Majoran
Description:
One- or two-year plant. Collected
before blooming in July and
August.
Origins:
Comes from the south-east
Mediterranean, south Asia and north
Africa. Is grown in all countries with
warm and temperate climate.
Properties:
Contains 2% of ethereal oil,
changing slightly in the
environment.
Flavour and aroma:
Has nice, spicy smell and
taste, strong, hot flavour when
dried.
Use:
Popular kitchen spice, also
used with ham. Improves the
taste of fried and roast meat,
patés, soups, fish, poultry,
potatoes , one-pot dishes,
gravies, boiled vegetables and
salads.
Bay leaf
Description:
It’s cultivated in Mediterranean
and Black Sea area. For cooking
purposes dried bay leaves are
mainly used and they can be
whole, crushed or ground before
cooking.
It contains essential oils and it’s
flavour is very spicy.
Use:
Enhances the taste of various
soups, meat dishes (especially
game and beef). It improves
the taste of sauce, goulash,
cooked fish and seafood meals
like crabs. Bay leaves are
crucial in vegetable
(cucumbers, beetroot,
cabbage), meat, fish and
mushroom marinades. The
spice is also used in broths,
braises and roast meat.
Other spices
Salt
Mustard
Salt
Description:
Mineral - consists of sodium and
chlorine. Comes from natural
sources. Very important element of
food.
Origin:
Is found as rock and manufactured.
Properties:
Gives taste to dishes, is white and
odourless.
Flavour and aroma:
Salty.
Use:
Is used as a preservative and
spice.
Mustard
Characteristics:
of spice, whose main component is a grain of
mustard seed - white, black or Indian mustard, and
water, vinegar, salt, sugar, ginger, pepper, tarragon,
cloves, nutmeg. In many languages as mustard
function word mustard.
Taste and aroma:
acute, mild
The use of mustard:
is used to enhance the flavor of
food, mainly meats. Mustard is an
important component of mustard
sauces
Origin:
was founded in ancient Rome at the beginning of
our era.
Properties:
from the beginning considered it as a condiment
with therapeutic values (rheumatic pains, stimulates
the digestion of fats, antibacterial, and lowers blood
pressure).
Concentrates spices
Vanilla sugar
Gingerbread
Bpice powder
Baking food acids such as citric acid
Vinegar
VINEGAR
It is water solution of vinegar acid of characteristic strong smell and sour taste.
Vinegar can be 6 -percent or 10 -percent. Vinegar arises as a result of spirit fermentation and wine vinegar. It
is used as a pickle seasoning. We distinguish two kinds of vinegar spirit and wine (that one can be white and
red)
Well – Known balsamic vinegar is produced in regions of Italy, which has intensive wine smell and tender
savor. Vinegar produced from fruit, especially valuable as seasoning for salads.
Baking powder
Characteristic
This loose mixture of different chemical compounds.
Origin
It was invented by August Octkera - German chemist founder DR. Octker
Properties
raising agents
Taste and aroma
sour
Application
For baking cakes, cookies, bakery products / bread /
Vanilla sugar
Characteristic
Made from beet sugar combined with
the sticks of vanilla extract or vanilla,
easy to prepare at home - just mix
with white sugar, ground vanilla
sticks and leave for several weeks.
Origin
Meksyk
Properties
Contains vanillin - a fragrance
compound.
Taste and aroma
Sweet, pleasant
Application
Appendix to cakes, desserts, sweet dishes,
chocolates, creams.
OIL
Vegetable oils are taken advantage as an edible fat. Vegetable oils are com from different parts of plant, e.g.
seeds (seeds), fruit, as well as from vegetable germs. They are taken not only from traditional oil plants but
also from corn, peanuts, sunflower and soya.
Mint
Characteristics
It is a green plant with the strong characteristic smell, growing up to 90 cm. It grows in a zone of the
moderate northern hemisphere, but also in Australia and Tasmanii. There are about 90 species of the mint,
but in Poland grow only 9 of them. Mint leaves are dark-green, alternate, oval. It has small flowers and it is
blooming from July to August. It grows wildly in the vicinity of bodies of water and in ditches.
Properties
Mint oil is used among others food industry for the production of chewing gums.
Taste and an aroma
Strongly refreshing
Application
The leaves of green mint are used as a spice, for salads, desserts, sauces, meat dishes, fruit drinks, drinks or
ice-cream as a décor, it can be used frozen.