 | |
| A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z |
Though it may be hard to credit it today, for at lest three thousand years (and probably much longer) spices have been the driving force behind much of the world's economy (if you don't beleive me, read my article on the spice trade. For much of this time spices were actually much more expensive than gold or silver and salaries could be paid in pepper. By the fifteenth century the effective embargo on the spice trade to Europe imposed by the Ottoman Empire directly cause the European 'Age of Exploration' leading to the discover of the Americas and also led to the later 'Age of Expansion'. Thus were it not for the spice trade world history would be much different from what it is today.
Before it's possible to begin a history of the spice trade we need to define what precisely is meant by a spice. In terms of a moderrn definition, a spice obtained from the dried fruiting body of a plant. Thus it can be the whole fruit (as in cubeb pepper or allspice berries or cumin) or it is the kernel or seed of the fruit (as in nutmeg and fenugreek seeds or nigella seeds). In contrast, herbs are the vegetative parts of a plant (the stems and leaves) and include lemongrass (stems), thyme (leaves), oregano (leaves). One exception to this rule is the Methi curry leaves (which are the dried leaves of fenugreek) which is generally considered as a spice.
In addition the roots and bark of plants in their dried form are also considered as spices. Thus turmeric and wasabi are sipces (both derived from roots), as is cinnamon (a bark). This book concentrates on spices (with the exception of kaffir lime leaves). It's companion volume (currently being written) will deal with herbs.
In ancient times a spice seems to have been defined mare as anything that bore a strong aroma. Thus herbs, spices and incense could all come under the label 'spice'. Perhaps the most important aspect of an ancient 'spice' was that it should not be perishable and could be tarnsproted for many months with little loss of pungency. Indeed, it is the concept of 'pungency' and 'hotness' that define the sought-after characteristics of all the classic spices. However, many hot and pungent spices also have a bitter aftertaste — a characteristic which is not in the least desirable. This is why black pepper is the spice par excellence in that it is both pungent and has considerable heat to it but there is no trace of bitterness. Chillies, the other classic spice have considerable heat but no real spice-like pungency; though this can be an advantage in that they add heat to a dish without overly affecting the dish's inherent flavour.
Many other spices in the list given here (apart from the sweet spices used in desserts) represent the quest for food flavourings that are posessed of both pungency and heat. The reason why many of the spices listed are either not widely used outside their native realms or have declined in use is that they are also bitter (such as Sénégal Pepper and Zedoary root).
Below you will find a listing of and links to every spice described in this guide (along with links to representative recipes for that spice). There are over 90 spice recipes in all.
To use this guide simply click on the first letter of the spice that you're looking for (above or below). This will take you to a table of all the herbs that begin with that letter where you can chose the herb you want. There are over 50 herbs in his guide so far, including common and rare herbs and herbs used in cuisines from around the world, and you can search by common name and scientific name.
You can also use the search box below to find the spice of your choice. You can use the common name or the scientific name or any text you choose:
Just so you know what to expect, each time you refresh this page you will get a random spice displayed below. This is exactly the same kind of information as displayed on the main spice pages, which you can navigate through using the links above and below:
 Sweet Cicely, Myrrhis odorata (also known as British Myrrh, Anise, Sweet Bracken. Sweet-fern, Sweet-Humlock, Shepherd's Needle, Spanish Chervil and Cow Chervil) belongs to the Apiaceae (Umbelliferae, carrot) family and represents the sole species in the genus Myrrhis. It is a tall herbaceous perennial plant, growing to 2 m tall. The leaves are finely divided, feathery, up to 50 cm long. The flowers are white, 2ߝ4 mm across, produced in large umbels. The seeds (actually fruit pods) are slender, 15ߝ25 mm long and 3ߝ4 mm broad. The seeds of the plant are used as a spice and have a very strong aniseed-like taste (much stronger than the leaves). Like the leaves, the essential oil of the seeds rich in the phenylpropanoids anethole (the major constituent) and methyl chavicol. It is native to Western Europe and is a common garden plant in Northern Europe. Despite it's flavour, sweet cicely seeds have been supplanted by aniseed as a spice. One of the few cuisines still using sweet cicely seeds as a spice is that of Lebanon. The English name of this plant, cicely, ultimately derives from the Ancient Greek seselis [σέσελις], which was, originally, a collective name for a number of hebs in the Apiacea family. The green, unripe, seeds of sweet cicely can be eaten like candy. They can also be chopped and added to ice cream as a flavouring or used, whole, to flavour fruit salads. When the seed pods turn dark brown they are ripe and can be picked for storage. They can be added whole to flavour pies, conserves and biscuits or they can be crushed and added to most desserts (they are particularly good in crumbles and marry particularly well with rhubarb. Sweet cicely seeds can also be used in the same manner as caraway or sesame seeds, either as fillings or sprinkled as toppings for cakes and breads. |
Sweet Cicely and Wild Thyme Crusted Labnah
Rhubarb and Sweet Cicely Crumble
Sweet Cicely Apple Cobbler
Sweet Cicely Apple Pie
Apple and Rhubarb Compote with Sweet Cicely
Sweet Cicely Seed Panna Cotta
Sweet Cicely Rice Pudding
Sweet Cicely Seed Pastry
If you enjoyed this Spice Guide secton of the sebsite then you will be interested in my eBook on Cooking with Spices and Spice Recipes. This eBook is sold on behalf of my One Million People Campaign to help thiss site in making old and ancient recipe texts available for all.
| A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z |
|
Below you will find links to other pages dealing with the various Spices described on this site
The Spice Trade
List of Spices 'A' List of Spices 'B' List of Spices 'C' List of Spices 'D' List of Spices 'E' List of Spices 'F' List of Spices 'G' List of Spices 'H' List of Spices 'I' List of Spices 'J' List of Spices 'K' List of Spices 'L' List of Spices 'M' List of Spices 'N' List of Spices 'O' List of Spices 'P' List of Spices 'Q' List of Spices 'R' List of Spices 'S' List of Spices 'T' List of Spices 'U' List of Spices 'V' List of Spices 'W' List of Spices 'X' List of Spices 'Y' List of Spices 'Z' The Guide to Spices and their Uses eBook — It takes time and money to keep The Celtnet Recipe Site on the world wide web. You can help support this site and its aims to put ancient cookery books on the web by purchasing our Kindle ebook via Amazon: |
If you're looking for a particular recipe, or a recipe using a particular ingredient or set of ingredients, why not try my recipe search facility. You can even use a combination of period and ingredient such as 'Elizabethan Lamb' or 'medieval eggs'.
Couldn't find what you were looking for? Search the web:
Recipe Information: 35
Freezing is often ignored as a cookery technique, yet where would we be without those cold delights of ice creams, sorbets, sherbets and granaches? Here you will find recipes for classic ice cream and a classic sorbet. I hope that you will come to accept that chilling is also is also a valid and vital form of cookery.
Recipe Information: 56
Tea blends are very popular today. Tazo Tea produces many great flavors.
Recipe Information: 35
Pizzas have become a staple of modern cooking and a staple of fast food. The known history of pizzas stretch back over 2000 years, from topped flatbreads depicted in Pompeii to the first 'true' Neapolitan pizzas of the 1890s to the sweet pizzas of the 1980s. Here the recipes for a classic savoury pizza crust and a modern sweet pizza crust are presented. Once you can create a pizza crust to perfection then the remainder of the pizza is easy!
Recipe Information: 114
The Weber S470 is the deeply recognized name of the widespread Summit Series grill from the Weber brand. This grill is magnificently fashioned and possesses various perks which customers have pertained to adore. This piece of grilling equipment is made primarily from stainless steel material and other metals.
Recipe Information: 114
Today, people lead busy and fast-paced lifestyles. It can be difficult to juggle family, work and other responsibilities, and still have time to cook a healthy meal at the end of the day. Investing in a pressure cooker is a guaranteed way of cooking a quick meal while still maintaining a nutritious and healthy lifestyle.
Recipe Information: 5
Ghana is one of the most fertile and productive of West African countries. It is also the inheritor nation of the Ga and Ashanti poeples, ancient rulers of West Africa. The cuisines of Ghana are diverse and characterized by he use of chillies, native spices and boiled eggs in the cooking. Here you will find two typical Ghanaian recipes.
Recipe Information: 5
Learn how to make dark chocolate peanut bark and 10 different variations of chocolate bark for homemade gifts for the holidays. Easy to make, more fun to eat.
Recipe Information: 35
According to tradition, marmalade came to Scotland in 1797 when Mrs Janet Keiller had to do something with a ship-load of ripe oranges her husband had bought. From this was born Dundee Marmalade and this bitter-sweet product has been a traditional part of Scottish cookery ever since. Here you will find recipes that include marmalade as an essential ingredient.
Recipe Information: 113
There has been far too much talk regarding which wine to select for a dish. The old adage "White wine with white meats and red wines with red meats" is merely a lazy man's way of not having to think. In place of taking the easy way out and categorize wines by color (a common problem in our society) you will find it much easier if you categorize them by weight. In other words, light wines with light foods and heavy wines with heavy foods.
Recipe Information: 113
Learn more about where tea came from and how it became popular. It has a long history.
click here for the full story
printer version