We Reveal Nature…

 Spices

   Anise Seeds
 

(Pimpinella anisum), annual herb of the parsley family (Apiaceae, or Umbelliferae), cultivated chiefly for its fruits, called aniseed, the flavour of which resembles that of licorice. . Its small, yellowish white flowers form loose umbels. The fruit, or seed, is nearly ovoid in shape, about 3.5 mm (0.12 inch) long, and has five longitudinal dorsal ridges. Anise seed has a sweet, licorice-like flavor and is a slow-growing annual herb of the parsley family. The seed, planted in early spring, produces a plant that grows to a height of about three feet. Clusters of white flowers appear three months after planting and seeds are harvested a month later. The seeds are threshed and dried outdoors. At harvest, the seeds are a light greenish gray color, crescent shaped, and about one-fifth of an inch long. Though the anise seed has an unmistakable licorice flavor, it is not related to the European plant whose roots are the source of true licorice. Turkey, Spain, and Egypt are sources of anise seed. Of these, the bolder, more flavorful Spanish seed is considered a premium seed.

Anis seed is widely used to flavour pastries; it is the characteristic ingredient of a German bread called Anisbrod. In the Mediterranean region and in Asia, aniseed is commonly used in meat and vegetable dishes. It makes a soothing herbal tea and has been used medicinally from prehistoric times. In Rome, during the first century, anise was used as a flavoring in a popular spice cake that, baked in bay leaves, was believed to prevent indigestion. In 1305, the English collected a toll on anise seed to fund repairs to the London Bridge. A popular English condiment, it was also used to perfume the clothing worn by King Edward IV. Anise is one of the oldest cultivated spices and was known to the early Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans. Pliny the Elder claimed that if anise seed were placed under a pillow, it would prevent bad dreams. The Romans began to use anise as a food flavoring in the Middle Ages. In 1619, the Virginia Assembly enacted a law requiring each family to plant at least six anise seeds each year. The Shakers used anise as a medicinal herb. The essential oil content is about 2.5 percent, and its principal component is anethole. The essential oil is used to flavour absinthe, anisette, and Pernod liqueurs.

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Coriander Seeds

(Coriandrum Sativum), The plant produces a slender, hollow stem one to two-and-a-half inches high, with bipinnate leaves and small flowers in pink or whitish umbels. The fruits, or seeds, are two semiglobular fruits joined on the inner side, giving the appearance of a single, smooth, nearly globular fruit. They are yellowish brown and have a mild, fragrant aroma and a taste similar to a combination of lemon peel and sage.

Used as a digestive aid as a carminative (expels gas); also used as a flavoring.

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Chilly (Crushed, Powder, With or Without Stems)

(Capsicum Annum, Capsicum Frutescens), Unlike most other tropical spices, chilies are easy to cultivate and hence are cultivated in almost all the parts of the world, especially in the regions with tropic climate. One of the reasons for chilies being adopted more easily than any other spice was the difficulty that the farmers had in growing other pungent spices as they were expensive and difficult to cultivate. Chilies as compared to other spices were easy to cultivate and hot and humid climate in tropical regions, glowing hot desert of Northern India and extreme cold and dry seasons of the Himalayas in Tibet were perfect for its growth.

Among all the species of chili only five species of genus Capsicum are cultivated, and the most important species economically is Capsicum Annuum besides Capsicum frutescens that includes the Tabasco chili and is the most famous of all hot chilies. Chilies are used dried mostly. They are sold whole or ground at the market and are intensively fiery, intensively colored and intensively aromatic. Chilies have two important commercial qualities, as some varieties are famous for red color because of the pigment Capsanthin while others are known for biting pungency attributed by capsaicin.

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Cumin Seeds

Latin cuminum as well as Greek kyminon [κύμινον] are probably of semitic origin: Hebrew kammon, Egypt kamnini, Akkadian kamunu.

Especially in German-speaking countries, cumin is often confused with caraway (German: Kümmel), which is much more popular there. The German name of cumin is derived from caraway, indicating that German cooks see cumin as an exotic variety of their well-known caraway: Kreuzkümmel cross-caraway, because of decussate phyllotaxy which appears like a cross when viewed along the stalk axis).

In most countries of Northern and Eastern Europe, cumin is of no importance as a traditional flavouring, and consquently, is seen as an alien spice comparable to but distinct from the native spice caraway (foreign caraway). Often, the languages make poor distinction between the both, which may lead to troublesome confusion in cooking; more often, cumin is named as a foreign variety of caraway: Roman caraway (Polish kmin rzymski, Finnish roomankumina, Czech římský kmín), Turkish caraway (Romanian chimion turcesc or similar Slovenian orientalske kumin) or even Egyptian caraway (Hungarian egyiptomi kömény). In countries where cumin is favoured over caraway, the same system often works in the opposite direction, and caraway is named German cumin or similar.

In Italian cuisine, cumin has little use; yet the name Roman caraway is found in many European languuages. These names refer to the fact that cumin became known in Northern Europe, like many other plants of more Southern origin, as a result of Charlemagne's herb edicts. So, cumin was viewed as a Medierranean or Italian type of the native caraway.

The fruits are used as a whole, and are fried (frequently together with onion) or dry-roasted before usage. Legumes, especially lentils, are normally flavoured by cumin fried in butter fat. Furthermore, the seeds form an important part of curry powder and of the Bengali spice mixture panch phoron. Lastly, cumin is essential for the preparation of Northern Indian tandoori dishes. The fragrance of roasted cumin, typically in combination with coriander, is the most characteristic impression from South Indian or Sri Lankan cuisine!

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Fenugreek Seeds

Fenugreek (Trigonella foenum), An erect 2 to 3 foot tall annual herb with light green leaves and small white  flowers. The seed pods contain 10 to 20 small, flat, yellow-brown, pungent, aromatic seeds to a pod. The seeds have a strong aroma and somewhat bitter  taste, variously described as similar to celery, maple syrup, or burnt  sugar.
Uncooked fenugreek seeds have an unpleasant, bitter taste, so the seeds are  usually roasted and ground before use to mellow the bitterness.

Uses

The seeds are  very hard, and difficult to grind, a mortar and pestle working best. Fenugreek  is a favorite in Northern African and Middle Eastern dishes, and is one of the  few spices that is usually used in powdered form even in Indian curries. Seed  extract is used in imitation vanilla, butterscotch and rum flavorings, and is the main flavoring in imitation maple syrup. Also used in breads in Egypt and  Ethiopia. Ground seeds and/or leaves, can give a nice lift to some bland  vegetarian dishes. Also good in marinades. Generally, a nice unusual flavor to  experiment with to achieve some different effects. Use very young shoots with  only a few leaves and some watercress for a nice salad addition. Fenugreek seeds  are also used in candy, baked goods, ice cream, chewing gum and soft drinks. The seeds can be roasted and used as a coffee substitute. Rich in vitamins and minerals, and because it is a seed and a legume, it is  high in protein. (Which makes it very useful in vegetarian diets).
Formerly used as a yellow dye. The leaves are dried and used as an insect repellent in grain storage. In various areas of North Africa the seeds (ground into a paste) were traditionally eaten by women to gain weight, in combination  with sugar and olive oil. The seeds are still used for weight gain in Libya and other areas. They are also an important source of diosgenin, which is widely used in the production of steroids (which probably accounts for the weight  gain), sex hormones, oral contraceptives and veterinary medicines.

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Fennel Seeds

(Anethum foeniculum), Fennel Seed is the oval, green or yellowishbrown dried fruit of Foeniculum vulgare, a member of the parsley family. The Romans called this native Mediterranean plant foeniculum, meaning fragrant hay. It thus has a similar name to fenugreek, but the two are quite different. Fennel stalks and stems are used as a vegetable, while the stronger tasting fennel seeds have a flavor more like aniseed or licorice. In ancient Greece it was known as Marathon (because it grew at this battle site), and it was used as a symbol of victory. In Italy, fennel is called finocchio; it used to be regarded as an emblem of flattery, and it suggested foppishness or perhaps homosexuality. Fennel fruits are aromatic, stimulant, and carminative, resembling, in these particulars the fruits of anise, caraway, and dill. They are rarely used in substance, but more commonly in the form of the distilled water and the volatile oil.

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Caraway Seeds

Caraway Seed (Carum carvi )  is actually the fruit of a biennial herb in the parsley family, known as Carum carvi. The seed is about 1/5inch long and tapered at the ends. The hard seed shells have five pale ridges. Caraway Seed is a common flavoring for many kinds of rye bread. It is also used to flavor sauerkraut, sausage, cheese, cabbage, and soups. It has a pungent aroma and a distinctly sweet but tangy flavor. Caraway is thought to be the spice used longer than any other in Europe. Writings from the 17th century indicate that Caraway Seed was used in breads, fruits, and cakes, and considered a digestive aid.

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