The world of spices has been an important part of human life since ancient times. They have been used not only to flavour food, but also for cosmetics, perfumery and healing purposes.
As far back as the Stone Age, people have been seasoning their food with herbs and the roots of various plants, traces of which can be found in settlements dating back 6,000 years. The history of the universal use of spices began in the Middle East. In 2800 BC. Ancient Egyptian papyri mention spices such as mint, marjoram and cinnamon. In that country, spices were also used for therapeutic purposes: marjoram for headaches, cumin to increase mental acuity and for embalming. Spices were considered as antiseptic, ensuring the longevity of mummies.
Pepper, one of the oldest spices of mankind, was the most widespread in antiquity. In the Roman Empire, it had the status of a saint. In fact, before the conquest of Greece, the Romans used no spices at all. After the conquest of Greece and Egypt, the Romans discovered the abundance of spices there and, in their haste to make up for a "lost" period in their history, they began to use spices so often that they added everything they could find to their food. But what the Romans loved most was pepper, for which the Emperor Domitian ordered a hall to be built. To this day, the Eternal City of Rome is home to the 'Via Piperatia'.
Exasperated by the high prices of aromatic spices imported from Arabia, the Roman Empire even annexed the southern part of Arabia, known as 'Terra Aromatic', where most of the spices came from.
During the Crusades, garlic was widely used by Europeans travelling to Palestine to retrieve the 'coffin of Christ', and was referred to by the poets of the time in a less than romantic way as the stinking rose. The Crusaders discovered new types of spices in the conquered territories, which they eventually began to use in their own homes. However, the use of spices was considered a luxury, and the spices themselves were seen as a substitute for hard currency. For example, at the end of the 4th century, 500 grams of nutmeg were worth seven oxen and 500 grams of ginger one sheep.
When a market demand arose, Venetian merchants rushed to meet it. In 1292, the famous traveller Marco Polo returned from a voyage to Asia with news of a boundless spice market in the East - according to him, there were as many as 7,448 islands growing spices south of Java alone. From then on, all the famous sailors set sail to discover new routes to those fantasy spice islands. In 1492, Christopher Columbus set sail on the Santa Maria in the hope of discovering the riches of the Indies - gold and spices. This is how he arrived in the Americas. He did not find gold there, but from America, Columbus brought a new spice to Europe: the allspice pepper.
What is a spice?
Spices are substances used to enhance the taste and flavour of food or drink. Spices can be divided into three groups according to their nature and use: basic spices, aromatic herbs and spice mixtures.
The first group includes:
- Fruits (coriander, nutmeg, black, white and green pepper, paprika, vanilla);
- Roots (ginger, turmeric, garlic, horseradish, onion);
- Flowers (hops, cloves, saffron);
- Bark (cinnamon, sandalwood);
- Leaves (bay leaves);
- Seeds (mustard seeds, sesame seeds, poppy seeds).
The second group, aromatic plants, consists of raw or dried herbs or parts of herbs (leaves, tops, inflorescences) such as caraway, basil, tarragon, marjoram, lemon balm, spearmint, mint, rosemary, dill, celery.
Spice mixes are made from various mixed spices.
About the quality of spices
Today, quality spices are considered to be those that are free from unwanted impurities such as dust, stones, sand, have retained the maximum amount of essential oils and aromatic substances, have retained their colour, are at the right moisture, are free from mould, and are free from harmful micro-organisms. Thus, in order to produce high quality spices, quality control must be carried out throughout the production process and the technological process itself must be constantly improved to ensure that the spices retain their good qualities.
High-quality spices are very rich in essential oils and aromatic substances and therefore require less of them than low-quality spices. The raw material for spices must be carefully selected, tested in laboratories, and then impurities removed, crushed or ground and packaged. The quality of the packaging also determines the quality of the spices. The quality of the raw material obtained is of paramount importance in the production of finished spices, taking into account the geography of the supply of raw materials and the growing conditions.
Spices and food
Spices add flavour and aroma to food and can be used to change the taste of different dishes.
Humans sense taste through three sensory organs: the eyes, nose and tongue. First and foremost, the food must be visually pleasing to the palate before it can be tasted. The chemical compounds in the food stimulate the sense of smell, while the taste buds on the tongue detect the chemical compounds dissolved in the food.
The flavours can be divided into four types: salty, sour, bitter and sweet. Different parts of the tongue feel them differently - sweetness is best felt at the tip of the tongue and bitterness at the back of the tongue. Sourness and saltiness are sensed by receptors on the sides of the tongue.
There is a link between the chemical composition of a dish and the taste sensation it produces. The sensation of sweetness is caused by the reaction of substances in a non-ionised mixture (sugar, glycerine).
Alkaloids (piperine in black pepper) have a pungent taste. The sensation of saltiness is related to ionisation (potassium chloride, ammonia, salt), the sensation of sourness is related to the concentration of hydrogen ions.
The absorption of food by the human body depends on taste, smell, appearance and variety. Beautifully served food increases appetite and is easier to digest and assimilate.
The taste and smell of spices are determined by the essential oils they contain, as well as by complex essential compounds (aldehydes, terpenes). Depending on the quality of the spices, their essential oil content varies between 1% and 6% of the dry weight (the higher the quality of the spices, the higher the essential oil content). Some spices (e.g. cloves) can contain up to 20% essential oils.
Today, we use spices primarily for their flavour properties. In addition, spices give dishes an appetizing appearance and improve digestion. Spices have antiseptic, disinfectant and antibacterial properties. Before the invention of refrigeration, spices were used to protect food from the growth of harmful bacteria (for example, the traditional method of saturating pork with cloves prolongs the age of pork by preventing the fat from spoiling).
How to use spices?
Spices do not play a decisive role in the flavour of food. Their mission is to accentuate and complement the flavour.
If you use several spices in your cooking, it is essential to keep them in harmony. Be careful if you add a lot of spices. Adding spices in small quantities can help to avoid over-spicing. It is also necessary to keep individual taste in mind.
Coarse spices should be added to dishes that take longer to cook. Ground spices give up their flavour more quickly and can be added to food both before serving and during eating.
Spices should be added at the beginning, middle or end of cooking. Just remember that aromatic herbs cannot be heated for long periods of time, so they are best added at the end of cooking.
It is not advisable to taste the dish immediately after adding the spices, as the aromas will not have been absorbed into the food. Impatient tasting may be the cause of an excess of spices in a dish. Fine spices, like fine-leaved spices, impart flavour more quickly than coarse spices such as black peppercorns.
Starchy products (rice, potatoes, pasta) absorb more spices. These products need more spices in their dishes for a good end result.
Spices can also change the colour of the food. The following are used to produce colour: curry for a dark yellow colour, saffron for a golden yellow colour, paprika for a light brown colour, turmeric for a yellow colour. The best result is obtained when the spice is heated in fat before being added to food.
Storage of spices
The shelf life of spices is determined by the amount of essential oils and the level of milling. The more essential oils and the finer the spice is ground, the faster the spice loses its aroma. When stored correctly, spices can retain their aroma for up to five years, whereas ground spices can retain their aroma for up to three years.
The biggest enemies of spices are sunlight, heat, air and humidity. The aroma of spices stored improperly can disappear within a few weeks. Sunlight can change the colour of spices in a short time. The spice rack should not be located close to the stove. The best place to store spices is in a closed, cool and dry cupboard.
Source.
Prepared by Modestas Kučinskas
