Spices & Herbs
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
Black pepper
Ginger
Nutmeg
Mace
Cloves
Cassia and
Cinnamon
Cardamom
Turmeric
Sesame
Part of plant used
Dried fruits (peppercorns)
Rhizome (underground stem)
Seed
Covering of nutmeg seeds
Unopened flower buds
Bark
Fruits, seeds
Rhizome
Seeds
Herbs
• Usually aromatic leaves
• Used in cooking
• Also, in shampoos,
cosmetics, soaps,
medicines, aromatherapy
(e.g., Vicks vaporub, with
camphor, menthol, &
eucalyptus oils)
• See Table 17a
Spices & herbs
• Scents & flavors usually due to unique “essential
oils”; i.e., to secondary compounds, especially
isoprenoids (terpenes).
• Natural plant function in pollinator & fruit/seeddisperser attraction.
• And/or plant protection from herbivores, &
pathogens (mostly fungi, bacteria).
• Most of these secondary compounds have antimicrobial activities.
“spice”
• Derives from the Latin word species,
meaning specific kind, and later, goods or
merchandise.
Plants that Changed History, Joan Elma Rhan, 1982
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
Early Spices
• Orient/Old World
– cinnamon, nutmeg, mace, black pepper, ginger,
cloves, cardamom, anise, caraway, mustard,
saffron
• New World
– allspice, chilies & paprika, vanilla
Ancient History
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Egypt
Greeks
Romans
Arabs & Middle East
After fall of Rome and
during the Dark Ages
(ca. 600-1000 AD)
– Lost access to spices
from the Orient
Trade between the empires of Asia and Rome
Why were spices popular for trading?
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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
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
Imperialism
• Portugal, via colonies and outposts, dominated
spice trading for ca. 100 years (16th century).
• Thereafter, the Dutch, especially, and British took
control of spice trading.
– Dutch took over the Indonesia & Ceylon
• Dutch East India company
– England took over India, Singapore, Hong Kong
• British East India company
Spices & Herbs
A quick survey of representatives
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.
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.
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.
Myristica fragans
(nutmeg & mace)
• Part used- dried kernel of the
seed.
• Tree is about 25 feet high, has a
greyish-brown smooth bark,
abounding in a yellow juice.
• Native to Spice Islands;
Myristicaceae (nutmeg) family
• Fruit is source of 2 spices,
nutmeg & mace.
• Mace is derived from the net-like
aril that is wrapped around the
pit.
• Within the pit is a single seed,
the source of nutmeg.
Zingiber officinale (ginger)
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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.
Curcuma longa (turmeric)
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Member of “ginger” family
Perennial native to tropical Asia
Part used: rhizome
Culinary uses (e.g., Middle East &
India)
• Dyes uses too (yellow)
Crocus sativus
(saffron)
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Member of “Iris” family
From ‘zafaran’ in Arabic
From 3-parted Stigma of flower
Dried by slow roasting
Imparts delicate & distinct taste & color
Used in French, Spanish, Middle
Eastern & Indian cooking
Each saffron crocus flower has 3
stigmas
– Ca. 80,000 flowers (240,000) stigmas to
make a pound of saffron
– 12 days to pick
– cost is > $250 per ounce
– (so most costly spice)
– 1444: any merchant caught selling
adulterated saffron in Bavaria was
burned alive
Capsicum species
(hot & sweet peppers)
• Members of tomato family (Solonaceae)
• Many are cultivars of Capsicum annum
– E.g., bell pepper & cayenne
• Four other common species
– E.g., C. clilense includes habenero and C. fructescens
includes tabasco pepper
• Many varieties
• Origin = New World; used by 9000 y. ago
• “Hot” due to seven related alkaloids, including
capsaicin (mostly in seeds & fruit)
Scoville ratings
(for pepper “hotness”)
16,000,000: Pure capsaicin
100,000-350,000: Habanero
30,000-50,000: Cayenne
pepper
5,000-23,000: Serrano pepper
2,500-5,000: Tabasco sauce
/Jalapeno
1,000-2,000: Poblano pepper
100-500 Pepperoncini pepper
Ca. 0: Sweet Bell pepper
Vanilla planifolia (vanilla)
•flavoring comes from the seed pod, or the ‘bean’ of the vanilla plant
•member of orchid family (Orchidaceae); perennial vine
•behind saffron and cardamom, vanilla is 3rd most expensive spice
•non-culinary uses, including aromatizing perfumes, cigars, & liqueurs
•Europeans prefer the bean, while N. Americans the extract
•extract made by percolating alcohol & water through chopped cured
beans
Herbs
Bee balm
Monarda fistulosa
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Kick a cold
Breathe easy
Help control oily skin
Cook with a taste of
native America
Borage
Borago officinalis
• The hero’s herb
• Help heal the heart
• Squelch stubborn skin
inflammations
– eczema
• Create stellar salads
Catnip
Nepeta cataria
• Calm after a storm
• Take the sting out of
stress
• Make a cat happy
• Enjoy a roman salad
Chamomile
Matricaria sp.
• Better than counting
sheep
• Beat anxiety and
insomnia
• Relieve indigestion
• Soothe irritated skin
Alliums (Lily family)
(onion group)
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Onion- A. cepa
Garlic- A. sativum
Leeks- A. porrum
Shallots- A. ascalonicum
Chives- A. schoenprasum
• Most rich in volatile sulfurcontaining compounds
• Culinary & medicinal uses
• Among oldest cultivated plants
Onions
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Originated in Asia
Ancient Egyptians worshipped the onion,
believing that its spherical shape and
concentric rings symbolized eternity. Of
all the vegetables that had their images
created from precious metals by Egyptian
artists, only the onion was made out of
gold.
Ranks sixth among the world's leading
vegetable crops.
You can get rid of onion breath by eating
parsley.
Yellow onions make up more than 75% of
the worlds production of onions.
The official state vegetable of Georgia is
the Vidalia onion.
The official state vegetable of Texas is the
Texas Sweet onion.
According to the National Onion
Association, onion consumption in the
U.S. has increased approximately 50%
over the past 20 years.
Chives
• Onion benefits without
tears
• Help lower blood
cholesterol levels
• Help reduce blood
pressure
• Help prevent certain
types of cancer
Garlic
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Culinary, medicinal, and religious use dates
back more than 6000 years.
Chicago got it's name from the American
Indian word for the wild garlic that grew
around Lake Michigan - "chicagaoua".
California produces more than 250 million
pounds of garlic each year. One farm in
Monterey County (near Gilroy, "The Garlic
Capital of the World") plants 2000 acres of
garlic and produces almost 25 million
pounds annually.
There is an all-garlic restaurant in
Stockholm where they offer a garlic
cheesecake.
There is an all-garlic restaurant in San
Francisco where they offer a garlic ice
cream. The name of the place is a nickname
for garlic...The Stinking Rose!
‘raw’ garlic
• Prevent & cure infection
– 1 clove contains substances equivalent to
100,000 units of penicillin (1/5 avg dose)
• Help prevent cancer & heart disease
• Make lean foods taste robust
• Eat sprig of fresh tarragon for temporary
relief of garlic breath or ‘odorless garlic’ in
capsules
“purple cone flower”
Echinacea purpurea
• Fight off colds and flu
• Heal minor cuts &
scratches
• Give your immune system
a shot in the arm
• Compound echinsin,
shown to be antiviral that
behaves similarly to
interferon
• Echinacoside has
antibiotic properties
Evening primrose
Oenothera biensis
• Petals open at night
• Soothes PMS and
menopause symptoms
• Help prevent high blood
pressure
• Smooth & soften dry skin
• Active compound:
gamma-linolenic acid
(GLA)
Feverfew
Chrysanthemum parthenium
• Sooth a migraine
• Repel insects in the
garden
– pyrethrin
• Keep bees at bay
English lavender
(L. officinalis or L. vera)
• Create an herbal
antiseptic
• Relax and rejuvenate
mind and body
• Help normalize oily
skin
• 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)
Horseradish
(Amoracia rusticana;
Brassica Family)
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prized for its medicinal and gastronomic qualities
for centuries.
• Same volatile oil as mustard
Did you know that . . .
• Horseradish is still planted and harvested mostly
by hand?
• Sales of bottled horseradish began in 1860, making
it one of the first convenience foods?
• In the American South, horseradish was rubbed on
the forehead to relieve headaches? (Some folks
still swear by it.)
• Horseradish is added to some pickles to add
firmness and "nip"?
• Before being named "horseradish," the plant was
known as "redcole" in England and as "stingnose"
in some parts of the U.S.?
• Horseradish has only 2 calories a teaspoon, is low
in sodium and provides dietary fiber?
• Researchers at M.I.T. claim that the enzyme
"horseradish peroxidase" removes a number of
pollutants from waste water?
• Germans still brew horseradish schnapps . . . .
some also add it to their beer?
Parsley
Petroselinum crispum
• Related to wild parsnip
(Pastinaca sativa) (in the
Umbel family, along with
carrots, celery, dill,
parsnips, fennel, caraway,
anise, coriander, cumin,
poison hemlock)
• Has low levels of same
toxin as the wild species
• Many of these look
gorgeous in the garden.
St John’s wort
Hypericum perforatum
• Relieve aches & pains
– arthritis, rheumatism,
sciatica
• Find herbal help for
depression
• Have soft silky hair
• Red color of oil from
hypericin
Speedwell
Veronica arvenis
• Calm a cough
– Leptandrine, acts as
expectorant
– Mix with Chinese
licorice root to balance
bitter flavor
• Soften tough calluses
Tarragon
Artemisia dracunculus
• Give high blood
pressure the boot
• Discover possible link
in cancer prevention
– Compound = rutin
Yarrow
Achillea millefollium
• Famous fever fighter
• Help heal cuts &
scratches
• Smooth stressed skin
• Stimulate the compost
heap
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
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Soothe your stomach
Refresh itchy skin
Cool spicy foods
Active ingredient:
menthol
Lemon balm
Melissa officinalis
• Help relieve high
blood pressure
• Digestive aid
– Volatile oil, eugenol,
which calms the
gastrointestinal tract
• Add a lemon lift to
foods
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