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Spice

August 18, 2023

For the sensation of eating spicy-hot foods, see Pungency. For other uses, see Spice (disambiguation).

A spice is a seed, fruit, root, bark, or other plant substance primarily used for flavoring or coloring food. Spices are distinguished from herbs, which are the leaves, flowers, or stems of plants used for flavoring or as a garnish. Spices are sometimes used in medicine, religious rituals, cosmetics, or perfume production. For example, vanilla is commonly used as an ingredient in fragrance manufacturing.[1]

Spices
Spices at a central market in Agadir, Morocco
A group of Indian herbs and spices in bowls
Spices of Saúde flea market, São Paulo, Brazil

A spice may be available in several forms: fresh, whole-dried, or pre-ground dried. Generally, spices are dried. Spices may be ground into a powder for convenience. A whole dried spice has the longest shelf life, so it can be purchased and stored in larger amounts, making it cheaper on a per-serving basis. A fresh spice, such as ginger, is usually more flavorful than its dried form, but fresh spices are more expensive and have a much shorter shelf life. Some spices are not always available either fresh or whole, for example, turmeric, and often must be purchased in ground form. Small seeds, such as fennel and mustard seeds, are often used both whole and in powder form.

As of 2019, there is not enough clinical evidence to indicate that consuming spices affects human health.[2]

India contributes to 75% of global spice production. This is reflected culturally through their cuisine; historically, the spice trade developed throughout the Indian subcontinent as well as in East Asia and the Middle East. Europe's demand for spices was among the economic and cultural factors that encouraged exploration in the early modern period.

Etymology

The word spice originated in Middle English[3] which came from the Old French words espece, espis(c)e, and espis(c)e.[4] According to the Middle English Dictionary, the Old French words came from Anglo-French spece;[4] according to Merriam Webster, the Old-French words came from Anglo-French espece, and espis.[3] Both publications agree that the Anglo-French words are derived from Latin species.[3][4] Middle English spice had its first known use as a noun in the 13th century.[3]

History

Main article: Spice trade

Early history

The spice trade developed throughout the Indian subcontinent[5] and Middle East by 2000 BCE with cinnamon and black pepper, and in East Asia with herbs and pepper. The Egyptians used herbs for cuisine and mummification. Their demand for exotic spices and herbs helped stimulate world trade.

Cloves were used in Mesopotamia by 1700 BCE.[note 1] The earliest written records of spices come from ancient Egyptian, Chinese, and Indian cultures. The Ebers Papyrus from early Egypt dating from 1550 BCE describes some eight hundred different herbal medicinal remedies and numerous medicinal procedures.[9]

By 1000 BCE, medical systems based upon herbs could be found in China, Korea, and India. Early uses were connected with magic, medicine, religion, tradition, and preservation.[10]

Indonesian merchants traveled around China, India, the Middle East, and the east coast of Africa. Arab merchants facilitated the routes through the Middle East and India. This resulted in the Egyptian port city of Alexandria being the main trading center for spices. The most important discovery prior to the European spice trade was the monsoon winds (40 CE). Sailing from Eastern spice cultivators to Western European consumers gradually replaced the land-locked spice routes once facilitated by the Middle East Arab caravans.[10]

Spices were prominent enough in the ancient world that they are mentioned in the Old Testament. In Genesis, Joseph was sold into slavery by his brothers to spice merchants. In Exodus, manna is described as being similar to coriander in appearance. In the Song of Solomon, the male narrator compares his beloved to many saffron, cinnamon, and other spices.

The ancient Indian epic Ramayana mentions cloves.

Historians believe that nutmeg, which originates from the Banda Islands in Southeast Asia, was introduced to Europe in the 6th century BCE.[11] The Romans had cloves in the 1st century CE, as Pliny the Elder wrote about them.[12]

Middle Ages

 
"The Mullus" harvesting pepper. Illustration from a French edition of The Travels of Marco Polo.

Spices were among the most demanded and expensive products available in Europe in the Middle Ages,[5] the most common being black pepper, cinnamon (and the cheaper alternative cassia), cumin, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves. Given medieval medicine's main theory of humorism, spices and herbs were indispensable to balance "humors" in food,[6] on a daily basis for good health at a time of recurrent pandemics. In addition to being desired by those using medieval medicine, the European elite also craved spices in the Middle Ages, believing spices to be from and a connection to "paradise".[13] An example of the European aristocracy's demand for spice comes from the King of Aragon, who invested substantial resources into bringing back spices to Spain in the 12th century. He was specifically looking for spices to put in wine and was not alone among European monarchs at the time to have such a desire for spice.[14]

Spices were all imported from plantations in Asia and Africa, which made them expensive. From the 8th until the 15th century, the Republic of Venice held a monopoly on spice trade with the Middle East, using this position to dominate the neighboring Italian maritime republics and city-states. The trade made the region rich. It has been estimated that around 1,000 tons of pepper and 1,000 tons of other common spices were imported into Western Europe each year during the Late Middle Ages. The value of these goods was the equivalent of a yearly supply of grain for 1.5 million people.[15] The most exclusive was saffron, used as much for its vivid yellow-red color as for its flavor. Spices that have now fallen into obscurity in European cuisine include grains of paradise, a relative of cardamom which mostly replaced pepper in late medieval north French cooking, long pepper, mace, spikenard, galangal, and cubeb.[16]

Early modern period

Spain and Portugal were interested in seeking new routes to trade in spices and other valuable products from Asia. The control of trade routes and the spice-producing regions were the main reasons that Portuguese navigator Vasco da Gama sailed to India in 1499.[8] When da Gama discovered the pepper market in India, he was able to secure peppers for a much cheaper price than the ones demanded by Venice.[14] At around the same time, Christopher Columbus returned from the New World. He described to investors the new spices available there.[citation needed]

Another source of competition in the spice trade during the 15th and 16th centuries was the Ragusans from the maritime republic of Dubrovnik in southern Croatia.[17] The military prowess of Afonso de Albuquerque (1453–1515) allowed the Portuguese to take control of the sea routes to India. In 1506, he took the island of Socotra in the mouth of the Red Sea and, in 1507, Ormuz in the Persian Gulf. Since becoming the viceroy of the Indies, he took Goa in India in 1510, and Malacca on the Malay peninsula in 1511. The Portuguese could now trade directly with Siam, China, and the Maluku Islands.

With the discovery of the New World came new spices, including allspice, chili peppers, vanilla, and chocolate. This development kept the spice trade, with America as a latecomer with its new seasonings, profitable well into the 19th century.[citation needed]

Function

 
Turmeric powder, mustard seeds, chili powder, cumin seeds

Spices are primarily used as food flavoring or to create variety.[18] They are also used to perfume cosmetics and incense. At various periods, many spices were used in herbal medicine. Finally, since they are expensive, rare, and exotic commodities, their conspicuous consumption has often been a symbol of wealth and social class.[16]

Preservative claim

The most popular explanation for the love of spices in the Middle Ages is that they were used to preserve meat from spoiling, or to cover up the taste of meat that had already gone off. This compelling but false idea constitutes something of an urban legend, a story so instinctively attractive that mere fact seems unable to wipe it out... Anyone who could afford spices could easily find meat fresher than what city dwellers today buy in their local supermarket.[16]

It is often claimed that spices were used either as food preservatives or to mask the taste of spoiled meat, especially in the European Middle Ages.[16][19] This is false.[20][21][22][16] In fact, spices are rather ineffective as preservatives as compared to salting, smoking, pickling, or drying, and are ineffective in covering the taste of spoiled meat.[16] Moreover, spices have always been comparatively expensive: in 15th century Oxford, a whole pig cost about the same as a pound of the cheapest spice, pepper.[16] There is also no evidence of such use from contemporary cookbooks: "Old cookbooks make it clear that spices weren't used as a preservative. They typically suggest adding spices toward the end of the cooking process, where they could have no preservative effect whatsoever."[23] Indeed, Cristoforo di Messisbugo suggested in the 16th century that pepper may speed up spoilage.[23]

Though some spices have antimicrobial properties in vitro,[24] pepper—by far the most common spice—is relatively ineffective, and in any case, salt, which is far cheaper, is also far more effective.[23]

Classification and types

See also: Outline of herbs and spices
 
A plate of Indian herbs and spices

Culinary herbs and spices

Main article: List of culinary herbs and spices

Botanical basis

Common spice mixtures

Main article: Spice mix

Handling

 
A shelf of common spices for a home kitchen in Canada or the United States

 
Pepper mill

For ground spices, to grind a whole spice, the classic tool is mortar and pestle. Less labor-intensive tools are more common now: a microplane or fine grater can be used to grind small amounts; a coffee grinder[note 2] is useful for larger amounts. A frequently used spice such as black pepper may merit storage in its own hand grinder or mill.

The flavor of a spice is derived in part from compounds (volatile oils) that oxidize or evaporate when exposed to air. Grinding a spice greatly increases its surface area and so increases the rates of oxidation and evaporation. Thus, the flavor is maximized by storing a spice whole and grinding when needed. The shelf life of a whole dry spice is roughly two years; of a ground spice roughly six months.[25] The "flavor life" of a ground spice can be much shorter.[note 3] Ground spices are better stored away from light.[note 4]

Some flavor elements in spices are soluble in water; many are soluble in oil or fat. As a general rule, the flavors from a spice take time to infuse into the food so spices are added early in preparation. This contrasts to herbs which are usually added late in preparation.[25]

Salmonella contamination

A study by the Food and Drug Administration of shipments of spices to the United States during fiscal years 2007–2009 showed about 7% of the shipments were contaminated by Salmonella bacteria, some of it antibiotic-resistant.[26] As most spices are cooked before being served salmonella contamination often has no effect, but some spices, particularly pepper, are often eaten raw and present at table for convenient use. Shipments from Mexico and India, a major producer, were the most frequently contaminated.[27] Food irradiation is said to minimise this risk.[28][29]

Production

 
Spices and herbs at a shop in Goa, India
Top Spice Producing Countries
(in metric tonnes)
Rank Country 2010 2011
1 India 1,474,900 1,525,000
2 Bangladesh 128,517 139,775
3 Turkey 107,000 113,783
4 China 90,000 95,890
5 Pakistan 53,647 53,620
6 Iran 18,028 21,307
7 Nepal 20,360 20,905
8 Colombia 16,998 19,378
9 Ethiopia 27,122 17,905
10 Sri Lanka 8,293 8,438
— World 1,995,523 2,063,472
Source: UN Food & Agriculture Organization[30]

Standardization

The International Organization for Standardization addresses spices and condiments, along with related food additives, as part of the International Classification for Standards 67.220 series.[31]

Gallery

  •  

    The Gato Negro café and spice shop (Buenos Aires, Argentina)

  •  

    A spice shop selling a variety of spices in Iran

  •  

    Night spice shop in Casablanca, Morocco

  •  

    A spice shop in Taliparamba, India

  •  

    Spices sold in Taliparamba, India

  •  

    Spice seller at a market in Kashgar, China

  •  

    Spice market, Marrakesh, Morocco

See also

Notes

  1. ^ A team of archaeologists led by Giorgio Buccellati excavating the ruins of a burned-down house at the site of Terqa, in modern-day Syria, found a ceramic pot containing a handful of cloves. The house had burned down around 1720 BC and this was the first evidence of cloves being used in the west before Roman times.[6][7][8]
  2. ^ Other types of coffee grinders, such as a burr mill, can grind spices just as well as coffee beans.
  3. ^ Nutmeg, in particular, suffers from grinding and the flavor will degrade noticeably in a matter of days.
  4. ^ Light contributes to oxidation processes.

References

  1. ^ Ahmad, Hafsa; Khera, Rasheed Ahmad; Hanif, Muhammad Asif; Ayub, Muhammad Adnan; Jilani, Muhammad Idrees (2020). "Vanilla". Medicinal Plants of South Asia. pp. 657–669. doi:10.1016/B978-0-08-102659-5.00048-3. ISBN 978-0-08-102659-5. S2CID 241855294.
  2. ^ Vázquez-Fresno, Rosa; Rosana, Albert Remus R.; Sajed, Tanvir; et al. (May 22, 2019). "Herbs and Spices - Biomarkers of Intake Based on Human Intervention Studies – A Systematic Review". Genes and Nutrition. 14 (18). doi:10.1186/s12263-019-0636-8. PMC 6532192. PMID 31143299.
  3. ^ a b c d "Definition of SPICE". www.merriam-webster.com. from the original on August 12, 2022. Retrieved August 12, 2022.
  4. ^ a b c "spice - Middle English Compendium". quod.lib.umich.edu. from the original on August 12, 2022. Retrieved August 12, 2022.
  5. ^ Steven E. Sidebotham (May 7, 2019). Berenike and the Ancient Maritime Spice Route. Univ of California Press. ISBN 978-0-520-30338-6. from the original on June 30, 2023. Retrieved April 13, 2019.
  6. ^ Daniel T. Potts (1997), Mesopotamian Civilization: The Material Foundations. March 26, 2023, at the Wayback Machine A&C Black publishers, p. 269
  7. ^ Buccellati, G., M. Kelly-Buccellati, Terqa: The First Eight Seasons, Les Annales Archeologiques Arabes Syriennes 33(2), 1983, 47-67
  8. ^ O'Connell, John (2016). The Book of Spice: From Anise to Zedoary. Pegasus Books. ISBN 978-1-68177-152-6.
  9. ^ Woodward, Penny (2003). "Herbs and Spices". In Katz (ed.). Encyclopedia of Food and Culture. Vol. 2. Charles Scribner's Sons. pp. 187–195.
  10. ^ a b Murdock, Linda (2001). A Busy Cook's Guide to Spices: How to Introduce New Flavors to Everyday Meals. Bellwether Books. p. 14. ISBN 978-0-9704285-0-9.
  11. ^ Burkill, I.H. (1966). A Dictionary of the Economic Products of the Malay Peninsula. Kuala Lumpur: Ministry of Agriculture and Co-Operatives.
  12. ^ Duke, J.A. (2002). CRC Handbook of Medicinal Spices. CRC Press. p. 7. ISBN 978-1-4200-4048-7. from the original on June 30, 2023. Retrieved May 9, 2017.
  13. ^ Schivelbusch, Wolfgang (1992). Tastes of paradise : a social history of spices, stimulants, and intoxicants. Pantheon Books. ISBN 0-394-57984-4. OCLC 24702170. from the original on June 30, 2023. Retrieved December 4, 2022.
  14. ^ a b Freedman, Paul (June 5, 2015). "Health, wellness and the allure of spices in the Middle Ages". Journal of Ethnopharmacology. Potent Substances: On the Boundaries of Food and Medicine. 167: 47–53. doi:10.1016/j.jep.2014.10.065. PMID 25450779.
  15. ^ Adamson, Melitta Weiss (2004). Food in Medieval Times. Westport, Conn: Greenwood Press. p. 65. ISBN 978-0-313-32147-4.
  16. ^ a b c d e f g Paul Freedman, Out of the East: Spices and the Medieval Imagination, 2008, ISBN 9780300151350, p. 2-3
  17. ^ Encyclopedia of Jewish Food, p. 453, Gil Marks, John Wiley & Sons, 2010. ISBN 978-0-470-39130-3
  18. ^ Dennett, Carrie (January 26, 2017). "How a full spice cabinet can keep you healthy". The Washington Post. from the original on February 8, 2023. Retrieved August 12, 2022.
  19. ^ Thomas, Frédéric; Daoust, Simon P.; Raymond, Michel (June 2012). "Can we understand modern humans without considering pathogens?: Human evolution and parasites". Evolutionary Applications. 5 (4): 368–379. doi:10.1111/j.1752-4571.2011.00231.x. PMC 3353360. PMID 25568057.
  20. ^ Paul Freedman, "Food Histories of the Middle Ages", in Kyri W. Claflin, Peter Scholliers, Writing Food History: A Global Perspective, ISBN 1847888097, p. 24
  21. ^ Andrew Dalby, Dangerous Tastes: The Story of Spices, 2000, ISBN 0520236742, p. 156
  22. ^ Andrew Jotischky, A Hermit's Cookbook: Monks, Food and Fasting in the Middle Ages, 2011, ISBN 1441159916, p. 170
  23. ^ a b c Michael Krondl, The Taste of Conquest: The Rise and Fall of the Three Great Cities of Spice, 2007, ISBN 9780345480835, p. 6
  24. ^ Shelef, L.A. (1984). "Antimicrobial Effects of Spices". Journal of Food Safety. 6 (1): 29–44. doi:10.1111/j.1745-4565.1984.tb00477.x.
  25. ^ a b Host: Alton Brown (January 14, 2004). "Spice Capades". Good Eats. Season 7. Episode 14. Food Network.
  26. ^ Van Dorena, Jane M.; Daria Kleinmeiera; Thomas S. Hammack; Ann Westerman (June 2013). "Prevalence, serotype diversity, and antimicrobial resistance of Salmonella in imported shipments of spice offered for entry to the United States, FY2007–FY2009". Food Microbiology. 34 (2): 239–251. doi:10.1016/j.fm.2012.10.002. PMID 23541190. from the original on June 16, 2019. Retrieved June 16, 2019. Shipments of imported spices offered for entry to the United States were sampled during the fiscal years 2007–2009. The mean shipment prevalence for Salmonella was 0.066 (95% CI 0.057–0.076)
  27. ^ Gardiner Harris (August 27, 2013). "Salmonella in Spices Prompts Changes in Farming". The New York Times. from the original on August 29, 2013. Retrieved August 28, 2013.
  28. ^ Calucci, L.; Pinzino, C.; Zandomeneghi, M.; Capocchi, A.; Ghiringhelli, S.; Saviozzi, F.; Tozzi, S.; Galleschi, L. (2003). "Effects of gamma-irradiation on the free radical and antioxidant contents in nine aromatic herbs and spices". Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. 51 (4): 927–34. doi:10.1021/jf020739n. PMID 12568551.
  29. ^ "Myths about Food Irradiation". Center for Consumer Research. June 28, 2017. from the original on July 30, 2022. Retrieved July 30, 2022.
  30. ^ . UN Food & Agriculture Organization. 2011. Archived from the original on July 13, 2011. Retrieved December 20, 2013.
  31. ^ "67.220: Spices and condiments. Food additives". International Organization for Standardization. 2009. from the original on June 6, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2009.

Further reading

Books

 
Wikibooks has a book on the topic of: Cookbook:Spices and herbs
 
Look up spice in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.
 
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Spice.


August 18, 2023
spice, sensation, eating, spicy, foods, pungency, other, uses, disambiguation, spice, seed, fruit, root, bark, other, plant, substance, primarily, used, flavoring, coloring, food, distinguished, from, herbs, which, leaves, flowers, stems, plants, used, flavori. For the sensation of eating spicy hot foods see Pungency For other uses see Spice disambiguation A spice is a seed fruit root bark or other plant substance primarily used for flavoring or coloring food Spices are distinguished from herbs which are the leaves flowers or stems of plants used for flavoring or as a garnish Spices are sometimes used in medicine religious rituals cosmetics or perfume production For example vanilla is commonly used as an ingredient in fragrance manufacturing 1 SpicesSpices at a central market in Agadir MoroccoA group of Indian herbs and spices in bowlsSpices of Saude flea market Sao Paulo Brazil A spice may be available in several forms fresh whole dried or pre ground dried Generally spices are dried Spices may be ground into a powder for convenience A whole dried spice has the longest shelf life so it can be purchased and stored in larger amounts making it cheaper on a per serving basis A fresh spice such as ginger is usually more flavorful than its dried form but fresh spices are more expensive and have a much shorter shelf life Some spices are not always available either fresh or whole for example turmeric and often must be purchased in ground form Small seeds such as fennel and mustard seeds are often used both whole and in powder form As of 2019 there is not enough clinical evidence to indicate that consuming spices affects human health 2 India contributes to 75 of global spice production This is reflected culturally through their cuisine historically the spice trade developed throughout the Indian subcontinent as well as in East Asia and the Middle East Europe s demand for spices was among the economic and cultural factors that encouraged exploration in the early modern period Contents 1 Etymology 2 History 2 1 Early history 2 2 Middle Ages 2 3 Early modern period 3 Function 3 1 Preservative claim 4 Classification and types 4 1 Culinary herbs and spices 4 2 Botanical basis 4 3 Common spice mixtures 5 Handling 5 1 Salmonella contamination 6 Production 7 Standardization 8 Gallery 9 See also 10 Notes 11 References 12 Further reading 12 1 BooksEtymology EditThe word spice originated in Middle English 3 which came from the Old French words espece espis c e and espis c e 4 According to the Middle English Dictionary the Old French words came from Anglo French spece 4 according to Merriam Webster the Old French words came from Anglo French espece and espis 3 Both publications agree that the Anglo French words are derived from Latin species 3 4 Middle English spice had its first known use as a noun in the 13th century 3 History EditMain article Spice trade Early history Edit The spice trade developed throughout the Indian subcontinent 5 and Middle East by 2000 BCE with cinnamon and black pepper and in East Asia with herbs and pepper The Egyptians used herbs for cuisine and mummification Their demand for exotic spices and herbs helped stimulate world trade Cloves were used in Mesopotamia by 1700 BCE note 1 The earliest written records of spices come from ancient Egyptian Chinese and Indian cultures The Ebers Papyrus from early Egypt dating from 1550 BCE describes some eight hundred different herbal medicinal remedies and numerous medicinal procedures 9 By 1000 BCE medical systems based upon herbs could be found in China Korea and India Early uses were connected with magic medicine religion tradition and preservation 10 Indonesian merchants traveled around China India the Middle East and the east coast of Africa Arab merchants facilitated the routes through the Middle East and India This resulted in the Egyptian port city of Alexandria being the main trading center for spices The most important discovery prior to the European spice trade was the monsoon winds 40 CE Sailing from Eastern spice cultivators to Western European consumers gradually replaced the land locked spice routes once facilitated by the Middle East Arab caravans 10 Spices were prominent enough in the ancient world that they are mentioned in the Old Testament In Genesis Joseph was sold into slavery by his brothers to spice merchants In Exodus manna is described as being similar to coriander in appearance In the Song of Solomon the male narrator compares his beloved to many saffron cinnamon and other spices The ancient Indian epic Ramayana mentions cloves Historians believe that nutmeg which originates from the Banda Islands in Southeast Asia was introduced to Europe in the 6th century BCE 11 The Romans had cloves in the 1st century CE as Pliny the Elder wrote about them 12 Middle Ages Edit The Mullus harvesting pepper Illustration from a French edition of The Travels of Marco Polo Spices were among the most demanded and expensive products available in Europe in the Middle Ages 5 the most common being black pepper cinnamon and the cheaper alternative cassia cumin nutmeg ginger and cloves Given medieval medicine s main theory of humorism spices and herbs were indispensable to balance humors in food 6 on a daily basis for good health at a time of recurrent pandemics In addition to being desired by those using medieval medicine the European elite also craved spices in the Middle Ages believing spices to be from and a connection to paradise 13 An example of the European aristocracy s demand for spice comes from the King of Aragon who invested substantial resources into bringing back spices to Spain in the 12th century He was specifically looking for spices to put in wine and was not alone among European monarchs at the time to have such a desire for spice 14 Spices were all imported from plantations in Asia and Africa which made them expensive From the 8th until the 15th century the Republic of Venice held a monopoly on spice trade with the Middle East using this position to dominate the neighboring Italian maritime republics and city states The trade made the region rich It has been estimated that around 1 000 tons of pepper and 1 000 tons of other common spices were imported into Western Europe each year during the Late Middle Ages The value of these goods was the equivalent of a yearly supply of grain for 1 5 million people 15 The most exclusive was saffron used as much for its vivid yellow red color as for its flavor Spices that have now fallen into obscurity in European cuisine include grains of paradise a relative of cardamom which mostly replaced pepper in late medieval north French cooking long pepper mace spikenard galangal and cubeb 16 Early modern period Edit Spain and Portugal were interested in seeking new routes to trade in spices and other valuable products from Asia The control of trade routes and the spice producing regions were the main reasons that Portuguese navigator Vasco da Gama sailed to India in 1499 8 When da Gama discovered the pepper market in India he was able to secure peppers for a much cheaper price than the ones demanded by Venice 14 At around the same time Christopher Columbus returned from the New World He described to investors the new spices available there citation needed Another source of competition in the spice trade during the 15th and 16th centuries was the Ragusans from the maritime republic of Dubrovnik in southern Croatia 17 The military prowess of Afonso de Albuquerque 1453 1515 allowed the Portuguese to take control of the sea routes to India In 1506 he took the island of Socotra in the mouth of the Red Sea and in 1507 Ormuz in the Persian Gulf Since becoming the viceroy of the Indies he took Goa in India in 1510 and Malacca on the Malay peninsula in 1511 The Portuguese could now trade directly with Siam China and the Maluku Islands With the discovery of the New World came new spices including allspice chili peppers vanilla and chocolate This development kept the spice trade with America as a latecomer with its new seasonings profitable well into the 19th century citation needed Function Edit Turmeric powder mustard seeds chili powder cumin seedsSpices are primarily used as food flavoring or to create variety 18 They are also used to perfume cosmetics and incense At various periods many spices were used in herbal medicine Finally since they are expensive rare and exotic commodities their conspicuous consumption has often been a symbol of wealth and social class 16 Preservative claim Edit The most popular explanation for the love of spices in the Middle Ages is that they were used to preserve meat from spoiling or to cover up the taste of meat that had already gone off This compelling but false idea constitutes something of an urban legend a story so instinctively attractive that mere fact seems unable to wipe it out Anyone who could afford spices could easily find meat fresher than what city dwellers today buy in their local supermarket 16 It is often claimed that spices were used either as food preservatives or to mask the taste of spoiled meat especially in the European Middle Ages 16 19 This is false 20 21 22 16 In fact spices are rather ineffective as preservatives as compared to salting smoking pickling or drying and are ineffective in covering the taste of spoiled meat 16 Moreover spices have always been comparatively expensive in 15th century Oxford a whole pig cost about the same as a pound of the cheapest spice pepper 16 There is also no evidence of such use from contemporary cookbooks Old cookbooks make it clear that spices weren t used as a preservative They typically suggest adding spices toward the end of the cooking process where they could have no preservative effect whatsoever 23 Indeed Cristoforo di Messisbugo suggested in the 16th century that pepper may speed up spoilage 23 Though some spices have antimicrobial properties in vitro 24 pepper by far the most common spice is relatively ineffective and in any case salt which is far cheaper is also far more effective 23 Classification and types EditSee also Outline of herbs and spices A plate of Indian herbs and spicesCulinary herbs and spices Edit Main article List of culinary herbs and spices Botanical basis Edit Seeds such as fennel mustard nutmeg and black pepper Fruits such as Cayenne pepper and Chimayo pepper Arils such as mace part of nutmeg plant fruit Barks such as True Cinnamon and cassia Flower buds such as cloves Stigmas such as saffron Roots and rhizomes such as turmeric ginger and galangal Resins such as asafoetida Common spice mixtures Edit Main article Spice mix Advieh Iran Baharat Arab world and the Middle East in general Berbere Ethiopia Eritrea and Somalia Bumbu Indonesia Cajun United States Chaat masala Indian subcontinent Chili powder and crushed red pepper Cayenne Chipotle Jalapeno New Mexico Tabasco and other cultivars Curry powder Five spice powder China Garam masala Indian subcontinent Harissa North Africa Hawaij Yemen Jerk spice Jamaica Khmeli suneli Georgia former U S S R Masala a generic name for any mix used in the Indian subcontinent Mixed spice United Kingdom Panch phoron Indian subcontinent Pumpkin pie spice United States Quatre epices France Ras el hanout North Africa Sharena sol literally colorful salt Bulgaria Shichimi tōgarashi Japan Speculaas Belgium and Netherlands Thuna Paha Sri Lanka Vegeta Croatia Za atar Middle East Handling Edit A shelf of common spices for a home kitchen in Canada or the United States Pepper millFor ground spices to grind a whole spice the classic tool is mortar and pestle Less labor intensive tools are more common now a microplane or fine grater can be used to grind small amounts a coffee grinder note 2 is useful for larger amounts A frequently used spice such as black pepper may merit storage in its own hand grinder or mill The flavor of a spice is derived in part from compounds volatile oils that oxidize or evaporate when exposed to air Grinding a spice greatly increases its surface area and so increases the rates of oxidation and evaporation Thus the flavor is maximized by storing a spice whole and grinding when needed The shelf life of a whole dry spice is roughly two years of a ground spice roughly six months 25 The flavor life of a ground spice can be much shorter note 3 Ground spices are better stored away from light note 4 Some flavor elements in spices are soluble in water many are soluble in oil or fat As a general rule the flavors from a spice take time to infuse into the food so spices are added early in preparation This contrasts to herbs which are usually added late in preparation 25 Salmonella contamination Edit A study by the Food and Drug Administration of shipments of spices to the United States during fiscal years 2007 2009 showed about 7 of the shipments were contaminated by Salmonella bacteria some of it antibiotic resistant 26 As most spices are cooked before being served salmonella contamination often has no effect but some spices particularly pepper are often eaten raw and present at table for convenient use Shipments from Mexico and India a major producer were the most frequently contaminated 27 Food irradiation is said to minimise this risk 28 29 Production Edit Spices and herbs at a shop in Goa IndiaTop Spice Producing Countries in metric tonnes Rank Country 2010 20111 India 1 474 900 1 525 0002 Bangladesh 128 517 139 7753 Turkey 107 000 113 7834 China 90 000 95 8905 Pakistan 53 647 53 6206 Iran 18 028 21 3077 Nepal 20 360 20 9058 Colombia 16 998 19 3789 Ethiopia 27 122 17 90510 Sri Lanka 8 293 8 438 World 1 995 523 2 063 472Source UN Food amp Agriculture Organization 30 Standardization EditThe International Organization for Standardization addresses spices and condiments along with related food additives as part of the International Classification for Standards 67 220 series 31 Gallery Edit The Gato Negro cafe and spice shop Buenos Aires Argentina A spice shop selling a variety of spices in Iran Night spice shop in Casablanca Morocco A spice shop in Taliparamba India Spices sold in Taliparamba India Spice seller at a market in Kashgar China Spice market Marrakesh MoroccoSee also Edit Food portal Medicine portalSeasoning Process of supplementing food via herbs salts or spices Spice use in AntiquityNotes Edit A team of archaeologists led by Giorgio Buccellati excavating the ruins of a burned down house at the site of Terqa in modern day Syria found a ceramic pot containing a handful of cloves The house had burned down around 1720 BC and this was the first evidence of cloves being used in the west before Roman times 6 7 8 Other types of coffee grinders such as a burr mill can grind spices just as well as coffee beans Nutmeg in particular suffers from grinding and the flavor will degrade noticeably in a matter of days Light contributes to oxidation processes References Edit Ahmad Hafsa Khera Rasheed Ahmad Hanif Muhammad Asif Ayub Muhammad Adnan Jilani Muhammad Idrees 2020 Vanilla Medicinal Plants of South Asia pp 657 669 doi 10 1016 B978 0 08 102659 5 00048 3 ISBN 978 0 08 102659 5 S2CID 241855294 Vazquez Fresno Rosa Rosana Albert Remus R Sajed Tanvir et al May 22 2019 Herbs and Spices Biomarkers of Intake Based on Human Intervention Studies A Systematic Review Genes and Nutrition 14 18 doi 10 1186 s12263 019 0636 8 PMC 6532192 PMID 31143299 a b c d Definition of SPICE www merriam webster com Archived from the original on August 12 2022 Retrieved August 12 2022 a b c spice Middle English Compendium quod lib umich edu Archived from the original on August 12 2022 Retrieved August 12 2022 Steven E Sidebotham May 7 2019 Berenike and the Ancient Maritime Spice Route Univ of California Press ISBN 978 0 520 30338 6 Archived from the original on June 30 2023 Retrieved April 13 2019 Daniel T Potts 1997 Mesopotamian Civilization The Material Foundations Archived March 26 2023 at the Wayback Machine A amp C Black publishers p 269 Buccellati G M Kelly Buccellati Terqa The First Eight Seasons Les Annales Archeologiques Arabes Syriennes 33 2 1983 47 67 O Connell John 2016 The Book of Spice From Anise to Zedoary Pegasus Books ISBN 978 1 68177 152 6 Woodward Penny 2003 Herbs and Spices In Katz ed Encyclopedia of Food and Culture Vol 2 Charles Scribner s Sons pp 187 195 a b Murdock Linda 2001 A Busy Cook s Guide to Spices How to Introduce New Flavors to Everyday Meals Bellwether Books p 14 ISBN 978 0 9704285 0 9 Burkill I H 1966 A Dictionary of the Economic Products of the Malay Peninsula Kuala Lumpur Ministry of Agriculture and Co Operatives Duke J A 2002 CRC Handbook of Medicinal Spices CRC Press p 7 ISBN 978 1 4200 4048 7 Archived from the original on June 30 2023 Retrieved May 9 2017 Schivelbusch Wolfgang 1992 Tastes of paradise a social history of spices stimulants and intoxicants Pantheon Books ISBN 0 394 57984 4 OCLC 24702170 Archived from the original on June 30 2023 Retrieved December 4 2022 a b Freedman Paul June 5 2015 Health wellness and the allure of spices in the Middle Ages Journal of Ethnopharmacology Potent Substances On the Boundaries of Food and Medicine 167 47 53 doi 10 1016 j jep 2014 10 065 PMID 25450779 Adamson Melitta Weiss 2004 Food in Medieval Times Westport Conn Greenwood Press p 65 ISBN 978 0 313 32147 4 a b c d e f g Paul Freedman Out of the East Spices and the Medieval Imagination 2008 ISBN 9780300151350 p 2 3 Encyclopedia of Jewish Food p 453 Gil Marks John Wiley amp Sons 2010 ISBN 978 0 470 39130 3 Dennett Carrie January 26 2017 How a full spice cabinet can keep you healthy The Washington Post Archived from the original on February 8 2023 Retrieved August 12 2022 Thomas Frederic Daoust Simon P Raymond Michel June 2012 Can we understand modern humans without considering pathogens Human evolution and parasites Evolutionary Applications 5 4 368 379 doi 10 1111 j 1752 4571 2011 00231 x PMC 3353360 PMID 25568057 Paul Freedman Food Histories of the Middle Ages in Kyri W Claflin Peter Scholliers Writing Food History A Global Perspective ISBN 1847888097 p 24 Andrew Dalby Dangerous Tastes The Story of Spices 2000 ISBN 0520236742 p 156 Andrew Jotischky A Hermit s Cookbook Monks Food and Fasting in the Middle Ages 2011 ISBN 1441159916 p 170 a b c Michael Krondl The Taste of Conquest The Rise and Fall of the Three Great Cities of Spice 2007 ISBN 9780345480835 p 6 Shelef L A 1984 Antimicrobial Effects of Spices Journal of Food Safety 6 1 29 44 doi 10 1111 j 1745 4565 1984 tb00477 x a b Host Alton Brown January 14 2004 Spice Capades Good Eats Season 7 Episode 14 Food Network Van Dorena Jane M Daria Kleinmeiera Thomas S Hammack Ann Westerman June 2013 Prevalence serotype diversity and antimicrobial resistance of Salmonella in imported shipments of spice offered for entry to the United States FY2007 FY2009 Food Microbiology 34 2 239 251 doi 10 1016 j fm 2012 10 002 PMID 23541190 Archived from the original on June 16 2019 Retrieved June 16 2019 Shipments of imported spices offered for entry to the United States were sampled during the fiscal years 2007 2009 The mean shipment prevalence for Salmonella was 0 066 95 CI 0 057 0 076 Gardiner Harris August 27 2013 Salmonella in Spices Prompts Changes in Farming The New York Times Archived from the original on August 29 2013 Retrieved August 28 2013 Calucci L Pinzino C Zandomeneghi M Capocchi A Ghiringhelli S Saviozzi F Tozzi S Galleschi L 2003 Effects of gamma irradiation on the free radical and antioxidant contents in nine aromatic herbs and spices Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 51 4 927 34 doi 10 1021 jf020739n PMID 12568551 Myths about Food Irradiation Center for Consumer Research June 28 2017 Archived from the original on July 30 2022 Retrieved July 30 2022 Production of Spice by countries UN Food amp Agriculture Organization 2011 Archived from the original on July 13 2011 Retrieved December 20 2013 67 220 Spices and condiments Food additives International Organization for Standardization 2009 Archived from the original on June 6 2011 Retrieved April 23 2009 Further reading EditBooks Edit Czarra Fred 2009 Spices A Global History Reaktion Books p 128 ISBN 978 1 86189 426 7 Dalby Andrew 2000 Dangerous Tastes The Story of Spices University of California Press ISBN 978 0 520 23674 5 Freedman Paul 2008 Out of the East Spices and the Medieval Imagination Yale University Press ISBN 978 0 300 21131 3 Keay John 2006 The Spice Route A History John Murray ISBN 978 0 7195 6199 3 Krondl Michael 2008 The Taste of Conquest The Rise and Fall of the Three Great Cities of Spice Random House ISBN 978 0 345 50982 6 Miller James Innes 1969 The spice trade of the Roman Empire 29 B C to A D 641 Oxford Clarendon P ISBN 978 0 19 814264 5 Morton Timothy 2006 The Poetics of Spice Romantic Consumerism and the Exotic Cambridge University Press ISBN 978 0 521 02666 6 Seidemann Johannes 2005 World Spice Plants Economic Usage Botany Taxonomy Springer ISBN 978 3 540 22279 8 Turner Jack 2004 Spice The History of a Temptation Knopf ISBN 978 0 375 40721 5 Wikibooks has a book on the topic of Cookbook Spices and herbs Look up spice in Wiktionary the free dictionary Wikimedia Commons has media related to Spice Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Spice amp oldid 1168709649, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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