Herbs and Spices
Plants contain primary and secondary metabolites
Primary metabolites are universal
Amino acids, carbohydrates, etc.
Secondary (AKA specialized) metabolites are restricted to only certain species
The secondary metabolites that give plants their characteristic flavor or aroma
Not necessary for the plant’s critical functions
Phenolics: give characteristic tastes of most the spices
A benzene ring with a hydroxyl group
Terpenoids: (essential oils) found in herbs
Mostly lipids
May exist to attract pollinators
Spices are often derived from aromatic fruits, flowers, bark, or other plant parts, often dried or powdered.
Located in East Indonesia
Maluku or Moluccas are where cloves, nutmeg, and mace are native
Arab merchants arrived as early as the 14th century, followed by the Portuguese in the early 16th century, and followed by the Dutch.
Wars were fought between the Portuguese, Dutch, Spanish, and British for possession of the regions.
In historic times, and in some parts of the world where refrigeration is not available, spices can be used to preserve food or disguise the flavor of rotting food.
Historically, they were very sought-after and expensive.
Holland conquered the city of Malacca in 1641.
This conquest gave them control of the Malay Peninsula and nearby islands
In 1658, they gained control of the cinnamon trade in Ceylon
In 1663, they established exclusive trading rights in the pepper ports of the Malabar Coast of Western India.
By the end of the 17th century, more Indonesian Islands fell under Dutch control, giving Holland unchallenged rights to the Asian spice trade.
Zanzibar, located off the coast of Tanzania in Africa, is also referred to as a spice island.
There are similar climates in the 2 sets of spice islands
Cinnamon is the bark of an evergreen tree in the Laurel family.
The bark is peeled off 2-year-old branches and the outer bark is scraped off so the inner bark curls up
If the “quill” (the curled stick) breaks it gets ground up
Native to India and Sri Lanka grows best in tropical conditions
Phenolic: Cinnamaldehyde
Native to the Indonesian Spice Islands
Cloves are the unopened bud of an evergreen tree in the Mrytle Family
Phenolic
Originally came from the Indonesian Spice Islands, still cultivated there today
derived from the same plant
Mace is the red seed covering (known as the aril)
Nutmeg is the seed itself
Nutmeg is said to have hallucinogenic properties, but you have to eat enough to affect the nervous system, it would make you vomit
Phenolic
Pepper is obtained from the dried berries
Native to India and the East Indies it thrives in a hot, wet climate
To get green pepper it is picked unripe.
To get red pepper it is picked when ripe and is either dried or pickled
most pungent and aromatic
To get black peppercorns it is picked right before ripening and dried
To get white pepper, the berry is allowed to ripen, then is picked and peeled.
Slightly milder than black pepper
Ginger and Turmeric are both rhizomes (underground stems)
propagated vegetatively
Phenolic
Ginger is from tropical Asia but is cultivated in many other places, especially Jamaica
Can help control nausea associated with morning sickness and chemotherapy
Turmeric is from the same family as ginger.
It is bright yellow.
Can act as a natural dye
Has similar uses in cooking as ginger.
Thought to have medicinal properties.
Curcumin: active component of turmeric has antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-bacterial properties.
Saffron is the most expensive spice in the world
It is the stigma of the crocus flower
Native to the Mediterranean regions
Spain produces 70% of the world’s supply
Can also act as a natural yellow dye
Propagated by corms
Capsicum (peppers) are native to the New World
Includes chili peppers and paprika
A member of the tomato/potato family (Solanaceae)
Columbus misnamed it when he landed as he thought he had arrived in Asia
These are fruits
Capsaicin: a compound present in hot pepper that can be used to treat chronic pain
it is put in an ointment and dulls the pain sensation
These compounds are also present in bear (pepper) sprays which “reduces the ability to hear and see”
Measure in Scoville Heat Units
Phenolic
A member of the orchid family
Vanilla is native to Central America and Mexico and grown in humid tropical rainforests
Flowers are pollinated by hand (if grown outside the native range)
Pods are picked while still green
Drying/curing is used to develop characteristic vanilla flavor
Phenolic
Four different families give us most of our Herbs
Herbs are normally fresh or dried leaves
The Mint Family includes:
mint
oregano
marjoram
basil
lavender
All have aromatic oils (monoterpenoids) in their leaves
These act as a deterrent to herbivores
Large doses of lavender have been linked to abnormal breast development in boys
Lavender is thought to be a endocrine disrupter
The Parsley Family includes:
parsley
cilantro
cumin
dill
caraway
We used the leaves or seeds
Ground-up seeds give us mustard
In the same family, the ground-up root gives us horseradish and wasabi
Have been shown to have antimicrobial properties
The Onion Family includes: onions, shallots, and garlic
Use underground bulb, but above-ground parts also have the same taste and smell
the flavor is due to the presence of various sulfur compounds
Garlic is said to have antibiotic properties and also helps reduce blood clot formation
Indigo is the oldest dye in history.
Originally from the leaves of Indigofera tinctoria
A natural blue dye
the original color of denim
Nowadays the dye is synthetic but for centuries the plant was sought-after
It comes from India
It was grown in the US by colonists and was associated with slavery.
In the early 19th century, synthetic dyes were created and the cultivation of indigo in the US and other parts of the world was abandoned.
Plants contain primary and secondary metabolites
Primary metabolites are universal
Amino acids, carbohydrates, etc.
Secondary (AKA specialized) metabolites are restricted to only certain species
The secondary metabolites that give plants their characteristic flavor or aroma
Not necessary for the plant’s critical functions
Phenolics: give characteristic tastes of most the spices
A benzene ring with a hydroxyl group
Terpenoids: (essential oils) found in herbs
Mostly lipids
May exist to attract pollinators
Spices are often derived from aromatic fruits, flowers, bark, or other plant parts, often dried or powdered.
Located in East Indonesia
Maluku or Moluccas are where cloves, nutmeg, and mace are native
Arab merchants arrived as early as the 14th century, followed by the Portuguese in the early 16th century, and followed by the Dutch.
Wars were fought between the Portuguese, Dutch, Spanish, and British for possession of the regions.
In historic times, and in some parts of the world where refrigeration is not available, spices can be used to preserve food or disguise the flavor of rotting food.
Historically, they were very sought-after and expensive.
Holland conquered the city of Malacca in 1641.
This conquest gave them control of the Malay Peninsula and nearby islands
In 1658, they gained control of the cinnamon trade in Ceylon
In 1663, they established exclusive trading rights in the pepper ports of the Malabar Coast of Western India.
By the end of the 17th century, more Indonesian Islands fell under Dutch control, giving Holland unchallenged rights to the Asian spice trade.
Zanzibar, located off the coast of Tanzania in Africa, is also referred to as a spice island.
There are similar climates in the 2 sets of spice islands
Cinnamon is the bark of an evergreen tree in the Laurel family.
The bark is peeled off 2-year-old branches and the outer bark is scraped off so the inner bark curls up
If the “quill” (the curled stick) breaks it gets ground up
Native to India and Sri Lanka grows best in tropical conditions
Phenolic: Cinnamaldehyde
Native to the Indonesian Spice Islands
Cloves are the unopened bud of an evergreen tree in the Mrytle Family
Phenolic
Originally came from the Indonesian Spice Islands, still cultivated there today
derived from the same plant
Mace is the red seed covering (known as the aril)
Nutmeg is the seed itself
Nutmeg is said to have hallucinogenic properties, but you have to eat enough to affect the nervous system, it would make you vomit
Phenolic
Pepper is obtained from the dried berries
Native to India and the East Indies it thrives in a hot, wet climate
To get green pepper it is picked unripe.
To get red pepper it is picked when ripe and is either dried or pickled
most pungent and aromatic
To get black peppercorns it is picked right before ripening and dried
To get white pepper, the berry is allowed to ripen, then is picked and peeled.
Slightly milder than black pepper
Ginger and Turmeric are both rhizomes (underground stems)
propagated vegetatively
Phenolic
Ginger is from tropical Asia but is cultivated in many other places, especially Jamaica
Can help control nausea associated with morning sickness and chemotherapy
Turmeric is from the same family as ginger.
It is bright yellow.
Can act as a natural dye
Has similar uses in cooking as ginger.
Thought to have medicinal properties.
Curcumin: active component of turmeric has antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-bacterial properties.
Saffron is the most expensive spice in the world
It is the stigma of the crocus flower
Native to the Mediterranean regions
Spain produces 70% of the world’s supply
Can also act as a natural yellow dye
Propagated by corms
Capsicum (peppers) are native to the New World
Includes chili peppers and paprika
A member of the tomato/potato family (Solanaceae)
Columbus misnamed it when he landed as he thought he had arrived in Asia
These are fruits
Capsaicin: a compound present in hot pepper that can be used to treat chronic pain
it is put in an ointment and dulls the pain sensation
These compounds are also present in bear (pepper) sprays which “reduces the ability to hear and see”
Measure in Scoville Heat Units
Phenolic
A member of the orchid family
Vanilla is native to Central America and Mexico and grown in humid tropical rainforests
Flowers are pollinated by hand (if grown outside the native range)
Pods are picked while still green
Drying/curing is used to develop characteristic vanilla flavor
Phenolic
Four different families give us most of our Herbs
Herbs are normally fresh or dried leaves
The Mint Family includes:
mint
oregano
marjoram
basil
lavender
All have aromatic oils (monoterpenoids) in their leaves
These act as a deterrent to herbivores
Large doses of lavender have been linked to abnormal breast development in boys
Lavender is thought to be a endocrine disrupter
The Parsley Family includes:
parsley
cilantro
cumin
dill
caraway
We used the leaves or seeds
Ground-up seeds give us mustard
In the same family, the ground-up root gives us horseradish and wasabi
Have been shown to have antimicrobial properties
The Onion Family includes: onions, shallots, and garlic
Use underground bulb, but above-ground parts also have the same taste and smell
the flavor is due to the presence of various sulfur compounds
Garlic is said to have antibiotic properties and also helps reduce blood clot formation
Indigo is the oldest dye in history.
Originally from the leaves of Indigofera tinctoria
A natural blue dye
the original color of denim
Nowadays the dye is synthetic but for centuries the plant was sought-after
It comes from India
It was grown in the US by colonists and was associated with slavery.
In the early 19th century, synthetic dyes were created and the cultivation of indigo in the US and other parts of the world was abandoned.