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What
is Spices
Spices
are sweet smelling, sharp-tasting
substances used for flavoring and are the
main ingredients for any tasty food. The
use of spices have been steadily increasing
all over the world due to increasing inhabitation
of Indian community in developed countries
and newly developed taste for Indian delicacies.
Apart from whole spices, India exports lot
of ground and ready to use spices too and
India is emerging as a major exporter of
spices in the world. India has been the
world's most favorite spice land since the
beginning of civilization |
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Types
of Spices
Spices are
made up of many parts of a plant such
as fruits, roots, bark, flowers, leaves
etc. Some spices add flavour to otherwise
tasteless and bland food. Some are used
for the beautification and garnishing
of the food.
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Form
of Spices
Whole
Spices:
These spices
are used in their original form after being
throughly cleaned. These spices are used
both for garnishing as well as flavoring.
eg: Cloves, Cinnamon, Black Pepper. |
Ground Spices:
Grinded spices are used
as they deliver flavor quickly and also
they blend easily into a product; this is
so, because grinding a spice breaks down
the protective cell structure .
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Application
of Spices
Spices are used
mainly for food flavoring and preservation.
However, spices have medicinal, aromatic
properties that also make them useful in
a number of industries including |
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Perfumes |
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Cosmetics |
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Medicine |
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Beverages |
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Medicinal Properties of Spices
Spices and herbs are
known not only for their taste, aroma and flavor,
but also for their medicinal properties and value.
Both spices and herbs have been used since centuries
in traditional medicinal systems like Ayurveda,
TCM, Unani medicine. These spices and herbs have
been used to cure right from common cold to diabetes,
from cough to cancerous tumors. Spices and herbs
can be the flowers, fruits, seeds, roots, leaves,
bark of the plant. Listed below are the medicinal
properties of few of the most popular spices and
herbs used the world over in different cuisises.
| Basil
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Stomachic, diaphoretic,
expectorant, antipyretic, anthelmintic stimulant,
diuretic properties |
| Bay
leaves : |
Stimulant, narcotic properties |
| Caraway
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Stomachic, carminative, lactagogue,
anthelmintic properties |
| Celery
: |
Carminative, Stimulant, tonic,
diuretic, emmenagogue, anti-inflammatory properties |
| Chive
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Stimulant, diuretic, expectorant,
aphrodisiac, anti inflammatory properties |
| Coriander
: |
Carminative, diuretic, tonic,
stimulant, stomachic, aphrodisiac, analgesic,
anti-inflammatory properties |
| Dill
Seeds : |
Antipyretic, Carminative, stomachic
properties |
| Fennel
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Stimulant, carminative, stomachic
properties |
| Fenugreek
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Carminative, tonic, aphrodisiac
properties |
| Marjoram
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Carminative, expectorant, tonic,
astringent properties |
| Mint
(peppermint) |
Stimulant, stomachic, carminative,
antiseptic properties |
| Oregano
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Stimulant, carminative, stomachic,
diuretic, diaphoretic properties |
| Parsley |
Stimulant, diuretic, carminative,
antipyretic properties |
| Rosemary
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Carminative, stimulant, diaphoretic
properties |
| Sage |
Mild tonic, astringent, carminative
properties |
| Tarragon
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Aperient, stomachic, stimulant
properties |
| Thyme |
Antispasmodic, carminative, spasmodic,
laxative, stomachic properties |
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Spice Oils
Spice oil is a spice
derivative that are extracted generally by steam
distillation process. The spice oils distilled
off from the spices at the initial stage before
subject to solvent extraction These oils are the
volatile components present in spices and provide
the aroma and flavor of the spice they are made
from.
India is one of the
top most producers of spice oils and contributes
to around 70% of the total spice oil production.
Countries including USA, EU, Japan and other middle
eastern countries are major importers of spice
oil. The exports of Indian spice oils has been
rising significantly in the last few years owing
to a sharp rise of demand in the fast food sector.
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Popular
Spice Oils
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Advantages
of Spice Oils
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Use
of Spice Oil
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oils are traded in large volumes for
use in a number of industries. Some
of the extensively traded oils are
as follows: |
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Clove oil |
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Cinnamon oil |
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Pepper oil |
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Ginger oil |
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Cardamom oil |
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Nutmeg and Mace oil |
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Mint oil |
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Standardization
: These oils ensure standardization
in various products and hence are
popularly used in pharmaceuticals,
medicines and chemicals. |
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Consistency
: These oils have a consistent concentration
of the spice they are made and hence
more reliable. |
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Hygiene
: These oils are manufactured using
high technology machinery and processes,
hence are quite hygienic. |
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Food processing |
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Beverages |
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Pharmaceuticals |
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Chemicals |
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Aromatherapy |
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Personal hygiene products:
eg toothpastes, mouthwashes and aerosols |
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Regional
Recipes
India is a vast country
with many states. Every state has their own unique
recipes and style of cooking. All the spices used
in the cooking of these foods remain the same
but the usage varies with every changing state.Three
functions of spices in Indian cooking - medicinal,
preservative, and seasoning - got separated with
the passing time.
Earlier, taste was
the criteria for using a specific spice or herb.
As more and more master chefs and gourmets research
the origin of Indian cuisine to seasons, festivals
and regions of India, there is a better understanding
of the role played by spices in our well-being.
It is rightly said: You are what you eat. We Indians
have always known that, which is why herbs and
spices, found in every home, are incorporated
into our foods and beverages for better health.
Not only does the food look, smell and taste delicious,
it heals, soothes and rejuvenates.
Ayurveda,
the indigenous system of Indian medicine, uses
a large number of spices in its combination of
preventive and curative medicines. The proponents
of Ayurveda, understood the importance of preventing
diseases and used key spices to achieve this objective.
The spices used for
cooking should not be have disparate flavours,
or taste raw. No one spice should over-power the
other and be so intrusive as to completely hide
the true taste of the vegetable or meat being
cooked. It should help maintain and enhance the
character of the dish, give it colour and fragrance. |
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Effect
on the spice-growing regions
As Fernand Braudel
points out, the Indian Ocean basin in the time
between the decline of the Roman Empire and the
arrival of Vasco Da Gama was highly self-sufficient:
"The Indian Ocean sought only luxuries from
outside." The Mediterranean region's desire
for pepper, spices, and silk, was balanced by
India and China's desire for silver. (Braudel
184-185) The increasing import of silver and gold
from the Americas gave Europe (first the Mediterranean,
later Northern Europe) increased wealth with which
to buy luxuries from the East; the sea route pioneered
by Vasco Da Gama was tremendously more efficient
than the older land route. Between those two factors,
the trade soon reached a level greatly exceeding
even that of Roman times. |
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