Spices Made the Modern World
A tall claim, but true. It was because of spices that our world is what it is today.
Lands were explored, currencies developed, trade between cultures established all in the name of spices.
Today, spices are readily available all over the world. What once would have cost a man a small fortune to obtain from halfway around the world can now be bought for pennies in comparison at the corner grocery store.
Welcome to
'The A to Z of Herbs and Spices'.
Contents at a Glance
Drying Herbs & Spices
A Brief History in Spice
Spices have been traded for over 7,000 years and played a major role in the development of Western Civilization. Today, spices are quite common and easily come by. In ancient times though, they were a rare and costly commodity. Peppercorns, the most costly of the traded spices, would be sold individually and a bag was said to be worth a man's life.
Wars were fought and lands explored and colonised in an attempt to find new ways of obtaining spices from the Orient and gaining control of established routes.
As spices became more and more plentiful and available for culinary uses, people combined them to create new flavours. These mixes are still used today.
Spice Mixes
It's time to Spice Up Your Life
You can buy ready made mixes, but I think they taste so much better when you mix your own.-
It's Time to Spice Up Your Life
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Chinese Five Spice, Pumpkin Spice, Mixed Spice, Curry Powders. They add variety and flavour to your food dishes, whatever the cuisine. These assorted spice mixes can also be quite costly at the shop so the temptation to buy in bulk when they're on s...
A is for... Ajowan
That little known Indian spice, it imparts a flavour that isn't quite cumin, isn't quite caraway, isn't quite anything you can recognise. I first had food with this herb in it when we were on holiday in Goa several years ago.-
A is for.... Ajowan
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Welcome to the first in a series looking at herbs and spices. I hope to be able to introduce you to a range of spices you may use frequently, but didn't know much about, as well as new spices you may have never heard of.
B is for ... Bay
Bay trees can grow to over 50 feet in height
Our bay tree sees regular use. I am heading out at least once a week to snip off a handful of leaves to be used in cooking.-
B is for ... Bay
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Welcome to the second in a series looking at herbs and spices. I hope to be able to introduce you to a range of spices you may use frequently, but didn't know much about, as well as new spices you may have never heard of.
C is for...Chervil
This delicate herb doesn't get near the use as is could. It goes beautifully with fish, chicken, and steamed vegetables.-
C is for ... Chervil
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Welcome to the third in a series looking at herbs and spices. I hope to be able to introduce you to a range of spices you may use frequently, but didn't know much about, as well as new spices you may have never heard of.
1st Century Transasian Spice Trade Route
D is for...Dill
Forget the dill pickles. Try stuffing a few sprigs of the fresh herb into the cavity of a whole trout along with some peppercorns and a couple slices of lemon. Then wrap it in foil and bake in the oven. Or, add a palmful of chopped fresh, or a teaspoon of dried dill weed to tuna-noodle casserole.-
D is for...Dill
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Welcome to the fourth in a series looking at herbs and spices. I hope to be able to introduce you to a range of spices you may use frequently, but didn't know much about, as well as new spices you may have never heard of.
E is for ... Epazote
This little known herb has been used for thousands of years throughout Central America and Mexico. It is a bit of an aquired taste, but does give a wonderful flavour to Mexican beans.-
E is for ...Epazote
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Welcome to the fifth in a series looking at herbs and spices. I hope to be able to introduce you to a range of spices you may use frequently, but didn't know much about, as well as new spices you may have never heard of.
F is for ... Fennel
A very versatile plant. It can be used as an herb and a spice, and can be eaten as a vegetable. It's mild anise scent and flavour adds a nice dimension to your cooking and eating-
F is for ... Fennel
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Welcome to the sixth in a series looking at herbs and spices. I hope to be able to introduce you to a range of spices you may use frequently, but didn't know much about, as well as new spices you may have never heard of.
G is for ... Garlic
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G is for ... Garlic
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Welcome to the seventh in a series looking at herbs and spices. I hope to be able to introduce you to a range of spices you may use frequently, but didn't know much about, as well as new spices you may have never heard of.
Herbs in History
The first documented account of the use of herbs appears in 2000BC Babylon. It included reference to the medicinal uses of several herbs, many of which we still in use today such as bay and thyme.
Herbs have been used for thousands of years, since the dawn of time. They have been used for food, medicine, clothing, smoking, smelling, and cleaning among other uses. Empires may not have been fought over because of herbs as with spices, but their impotance in the formation of the modern world cannot be denied.
The Encyclopedia of Herbs and Spices
by Elisabeth Lambert Ortiz
Encyclopedia of Herbs, Spices, and Flavorings (Encyclopaedia of)
Amazon Price: (as of 12/28/2009)
This is one of the most comprehensive herb and spice reference books I have ever seen. It is a book you will open time and time again for the information, the photographs, and the recipes.
H is for ...Horseradish
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H is for ... Horseradish
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Welcome to the eighth in a series looking at herbs and spices. I hope to be able to introduce you to a range of spices you may use frequently, but didn't know much about, as well as new spices you may have never heard of.
I is for ... Indonesian Cassia
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I is for...Indonesian Cassia
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Welcome to the ninth in a series looking at herbs and spices. I hope to be able to introduce you to a range of spices you may use frequently, but didn't know much about, as well as new spices you may have never heard of.
J is for... Juniper Berry
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J is for... Juniper Berry
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Welcome to the tenth in a series looking at herbs and spices. I hope to be able to introduce you to a range of spices you may use frequently, but didn't know much about, as well as new spices you may have never heard of.
K is for... Kaffir Lime Leaf
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K is for... Kaffir Lime
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Welcome to the eleventh in a series looking at herbs and spices. I hope to be able to introduce you to a range of spices you may use frequently, but didn't know much about, as well as new spices you may have never heard of.
No Pockets, No cuffs
16th century sea merchants instituted this dress code for dockworkers. The dock workers were stuffing their clothing with peppercorns, the most valuable commodity on board. In those days, pepper was held in more esteem than gold, and represented a steadier currency standard because the coins contained variable amounts of the precious metal. People often paid their rent in peppercorns, and debts could be erased for the appropriate amount of pepper.
-Pepper: The King of Spices
Read All About It
L is for ... Lovage
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L is for ... Lovage
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Welcome to the twelfth in a series looking at herbs and spices. I hope to be able to introduce you to a range of spices you may use frequently, but didn't know much about, as well as new spices you may have never heard of.
Definitions
What's the difference between an herb and a spice anyway?
Herb:
any leafy part of a plant that is used in cooking for flavouring.
Spice:
any other part of a plant used in cooking for flavouring: bark, stem, shoot, root, nut, seed, or rhizome
Talking about herbs and spices
around the world
- How to Speed Up Metabolism Naturally: Superfoods, Spices and Herbs ...
- Increase your metabolism naturally by adopting an active lifestyle, eating superfoods that promote weight loss and using certain herbs and spices.
- whats the difference between dry mustard, mustard seed and the ...
- When you add liquid to dry mustard, you get mustard paste. The herbs, spices and other ingredients that are added to mustard paste result in the different types of mustards available (i.e., Dijon, Honey, Sweet & Hot, etc.) ...
- can you add tomatoes to a fajita? - Herbs and spices
- Google. Custom Search. herbs and spices. can you add tomatoes to a fajita? im making fajitas with pepper onion and cumin ... Pork recipes · Biscuit recipes · Popcorn recipes · Bread recipes · feed ©2009 herbs-spices.net - Contact - Privacy.
Using herbs
Use generously:
Chervil, Chives, Lemon Balm, Borage, Mints, Parsley,Salad Burnet, Sweet Cicely
Use carefully:
Bay, Dill, Lovage, Sweet Marjoram, Peppermint, Savoury, Tarragon
Use sparingly:
Basil, Fennel, Oregano, Rosemary, Sorrel, Sage, Thyme
Resources and references
- HerbNET - The Most Comprehensive Site for All Things Herbal
- The most comprehensive site for all things herbal.
- encyclopedia of spices
- Exotic spices and herbs info, recipes, history of the spice trade., cultivation and medicinal properties of spices.
The Food For Everyone Foundation's mission is to teach and assist families everywhere to grow successful and sustainable vegetable gardens, and really enjoy the experience.
Please sign the guestbook
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- Jewelsofawe Jewelsofawe Oct 25, 2009 @ 1:50 pm
- Great lens and very well done!
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- KimGiancaterino KimGiancaterino Aug 6, 2009 @ 5:19 pm
- I'm featuring this lens on my own A to Z food lensography. I'm stuck at 'L' and need to get motivated again.
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- JaguarJulie JaguarJulie Jun 20, 2009 @ 5:18 pm
- Very very nice Nan -- can't wait to see the rest of the alphabet in spices. It helps to spice up your life. ;)
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- papawu papawu Jun 15, 2009 @ 8:32 pm
- Definitewly a beautiful layout. As far as herbs and spices go, what can I say. I am an enthusistic foodie, so fresh is always the way to go. Besides, I grew up in a Korean household where they play a major role in our cooking.
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- Treasures-By-Brenda Treasures-By-Brenda Jun 5, 2009 @ 6:55 pm
- What do you have for X? I think it is X that is missing in Culinary Favorites From A to Z . By the way, welcome to the group & don't forget to come back and add your lens to the link list so that it will appear on the group page!
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Lensmaster NanLT has been a member since January 25 2009, has rated 663 lenses, favorited 82, and has created 138 lenses from scratch. Nan T donates their royalties to Women's Peace Campaign. This member's top-ranked page is "Ben 10: Lego Force". See all my lenses
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