Herbs and Spices
Cardamom
Native to the south of India, cardamom has a culinary footprint that spans a wide region, from India to the Middle East to Scandinavia. Often called the "Queen of Spices," cardamom can be found in curries and chai, in breads and pastries, lending them its sweet nutty aroma and flavor.
Cinnamon
Cinnamon in its many forms has been in use for millennia, with earliest records of its imports to Egypt around 2000 BCE. A prized spice, it was seen as worthy to be gifted to royalty and even to the gods. For centuries, spice traders would not disclose the source of the cinnamon, to protect their monopoly. In one of Sappho’s poems, she speaks of cinnamon as a fragrance for a wedding.
True cinnamon, or Ceylon cinnamon, is native in and near the Indian subcontinent. Much of what we call cinnamon today is more accurately called cassia, with varieties from Indonesia, China, and Vietnam.
Cloves
Tiny flower buds from an Indonesian evergreen, cloves have become popular for their bold flavor, warm tones, and sweet, spicy aroma. They can add depth and flavor to foods from around the world, working in baked goods, meat rubs, and hot drinks to give them a unique culinary note.
Coffee Beans
When Kaldi the goat herder noticed his goats acting strangely, dancing and frolicking, he watched them and saw them eating from a particular bush. After waiting to be sure there were no ill effects, he tried some of the red berries to see if it would give him the same happy feeling. When it did, he brought the cherries to a monastery and shared them with the local priest.
The Ethiopian legend may be embellished, but for centuries people have brewed coffee from those berries for that same happy feeling. While coffee originated in Ethiopia and moved with the Sufi monks into Yemen, it is now drunk the whole world over.
Coriander
Coriander, whose leaves are the herb cilantro, has a wide native range, growing over a huge area of Western Asia and Southern Europe. Desiccated coriander was found in the tomb of Tutankhamen, and in the archeological site Atlit Lam in Israel which has been radiocarbon dated to around 6000 BCE. The entire plant is edible, but it is the leaves and seeds which are most often used.
In India, coriander seeds are sometimes roasted and eaten as a snack. They are a major component of garam masala, and used in many curries. Outside of Asia, perhaps the most recognizable use of coriander seeds is in pickling. They are sometimes found in sausages, and are an important botanical in many gins.
Cumin
Cumin has been used as a spice for thousands of years, and each place has its own uses for it. The Egyptians used it as a preservative for mummification. Wild cumin seeds were found in the submerged city of Atlit-Yam, from eight or nine thousand years ago. It was part of palace stores in the Minoan period, and the ancient Greeks kept it tableside the way modern tables might keep pepper.
It is a major component of Indian, Middle Eastern, Northern African, and Latin American culinary traditions. Its earthy flavor gives a warming, aromatic note to food.
Dill
Five thousand years ago, the ancient Babylonians grew dill in their gardens. The Egyptians of the time called it a soothing medicine – the word “dill” that we use today comes from a common root word that means “to rock or soothe.”
Dill was said to protect from witchcraft and to give good luck and strength. Gladiators in Rome would wear it on their bodies, and war heroes would be crowned in wreaths of dill.
Today, the most common use of dill is in making pickles, but it can be used in a wide variety of dishes, such as fish, eggs, and potatoes.
Ginger
For over 5000 years, ginger has been used for medicinal and culinary purposes in China and India. It arrived in the Mediterranean world in the first century CE, as one of the first spices along land and sea trade routes.
Interestingly, ginger does not grow in the wild, and its origins are not completely known.
Today, ginger is prized for its spicy flavor and for its evidence-based efficacy in aiding digestion and treating nausea.
Lavender
In lavender farms around the world, seas of soft purple sway in the breeze, while their sweet floral aroma fills the air. Farmed primarily for its essential oil, lavender is used as an element in almost anything that can be scented, from soaps and shampoos to cosmetics to air fresheners and potpourri. It can also be used for culinary purposes, in teas, custards, jellies, and more.
Lavender is considered a soothing plant, and can symbolize healing, purity, devotion, serenity, and peace of mind.
Mustard Seed
Mustard seeds don’t seem particularly significant to the eye. Small, round, and neutrally colored, they can be overlooked. But it is exactly that neutrality that gives them a role in the teachings of several major religions. A story from the Buddha asks a grieving mother to collect a handful of mustard seeds from a family that has never lost a loved one, from which she learns about the universality of grief. Jewish texts compare the knowable universe to the size of a mustard seed. The Quran uses the weight of a mustard seed to show how finely the scales of justice will be balanced. And the Christian New Testament uses the mustard seed in a parable about how faith can grow from almost nothing.
Nutmeg
There is an old European tradition that as long as there is one whole nutmeg in the kitchen, the marriage will be sound. Nutmeg seeds will come and go, grated, used, and eaten, but one should always be kept intact. They were often given as wedding gifts.
Native to Indonesia, nutmeg has a warm, comforting flavor, and is often used in baked goods. Its slightly nutty flavor is also a good match for potatoes, curries, and stews.
Parsley
Parsley is believed to have originated in Sardinia, an island west of the Italian peninsula. Sardinia is an island of many ecosystems, including mountains, plains, woods, streams, rocky coasts, and smooth beaches. It has remained geologically isolated from mainland Europe even when the Mediterranean waters were at their lowest, creating a unique environment where many species exist only on that one island. Parsley, until it was first cultivated in Britain in the 16th century, was one of these.
Parsley is used in European, American, and Middle Eastern cooking. It is a primary ingredient in salsa verde, gremolata, and tabbouleh, and a bright-colored garnish for potatoes or fish. On a Seder plate, it is often the vegetable of choice for the karpas, the component of the plate that is eaten before the meal; this is one of the rituals that prompt the Four Questions.
Pin k Peppercorn
While they look and taste similar to black, white, and green peppercorns, pink peppercorns are only loosely related to them. Native to South America, they are more closely related to cashews or pistachios. After their introduction to Florida in. the 19th century, they have spread too well – in many US states they are classed as invasive.
In the Peruvian Wari empire, which predated the Incas, pink peppercorns were used for dyes, embalming, and starting fires. Their primary culinary use was in the brewing of a fermented drink called chicha de molle.
When they were first brought to Europe, it was initially as an ornamental plant. It was not until the 1960s and 1970s that they found their place in French nouvelle cuisine.
Poppyseed
From New York City bagels to Indian aloo posto to Polish mohnkuchen, poppyseeds have a place in cuisines all over the world. Beloved for their nutty, sweet flavor and fun crunchy texture, they are used for baked goods, savory dishes, and even salad dressings. With documented medicinal uses going back 3500 years, it has a rich history both as a treatment and as a food.
Poppies have long symbolized sleep, peace, and death. The red-flowered corn poppy is the flower of wartime remembrance, and can be worn to commemorate those who died in war.
Red Pepper Flakes
There are thousands of varieties of hot pepper in the world, varying in heat and flavor profile. Some, like a Poblano, are mild and used mostly for flavor. Some, like habaneros or Scotch bonnets, have a strong kick. There is an entire industry around outdoing the current hottest pepper with an even hotter one.
This combination of pepper is only a LITTLE hot, suitable for adding to a spicy tomato sauce or stir fry. We can all use a little something to perk us up!
Rosemary
The earliest written word we have, cuneiform from ancient Sumeria, speaks of rosemary from more than 7000 years ago. Through its long history, it has meant many things to many people – love, clarity of thought, faithfulness, sincerity, and remembrance, among others.
Burnt in a temple, it provided incense in ancient Egypt. Worn in a wedding crown, it symbolized faithfulness in a bride. Smudged in a home, it is thought to cleanse the energy of death. Planted in a garden, it just might summon the fairies to help tend it!
Its culinary uses are vast – it can be used in roasts, stews, and oils, or as a skewer for grilling.
Saffron
It is believed that the word saffron passed through Persian, Latin, and French on its way to English, originating in the word zarparān, which means "gold strung." It likely originated in or near Mesopotamia, but has spread through trade for thousands of years. The brilliant crimson threads are the stigma and styles of a crocus, carefully harvested and dried. Because of the low yield and high labor demands, saffron is more expensive by the ounce than gold.
In cooking, saffron is used sparingly. A tiny amount is crumbled into a bit of hot water and allowed to "bloom". The liquid is then added to the dish for a bit impact in taste, color, and aroma. You can find it in Spanish paella, Iranian stews, or Indian biryani.
Sage
The ancient Romans called sage the “holy herb,” and used it in religious rituals. During the Carolingian Empire, monasteries grew it in their gardens. The burning of dried sage is an important part of many North American Indigenous traditions, including the Lakota, Dakota, and Ho-Chunk.
Sage is one of the British “essential herbs,” and is an important part of many European and Middle Eastern cuisines. It is one of the major seasonings in an American Thanksgiving turkey and is the primary herb in Lincolnshire sausage.
Szechuan Peppercorn
Despite their name and appearance, Szechuan peppercorns are not related to true peppercorn. The tingling sensation they leave is also not from capsaicin, which creates heat in chili peppers. It comes from a substance called sanshool, which is naturally occurring in these “peppercorns,” actually the berries of the prickly ash tree. As these berries are dried, they open up in a flower shape that give it its nickname of hua jiao, or “flower pepper.” The seeds are discarded, and the husk is what is used.
Before the introduction of the hot pepper to China in the 17th century, ginger and Szechuan peppercorn were the primary sources of heat in Chinese cooking, and had broad culinary and medicinal uses. The “mala” flavor profile, numbing and spicy, relies on Szechuan peppercorn.
Tarragon
In the seventeenth century, French cuisine was going through a quiet transformation. Balance and subtlety became key goals, and chefs began to experiment with herbs they had not used before.
Tarragon, which originated in central Asia and made its way to Europe during medieval times, was well known as a medicinal herb. It was used for toothache, to aid digestion, and to treat bad breath. Still, it had never had a real culinary use until this food revolution.
It became a part of the French fines herbes alongside parsley, chives, and chervil – a subtle, delicate balance. It was used to infuse vinegars and is a primary ingredient in a béarnaise sauce
Thyme
Thyme is not a species, but a genus, of which there are many edible plants. Common thyme, also called English thyme or French thyme, is most often used for culinary purposes, but other cultivars are also important. Some are used as culinary herbs with their own distinctive flavor profiles, like lemon thyme, and some are used as a sturdy creeping ground cover.
Through history, thyme has often symbolized courage. In ancient Greece, warriors would sew it into their uniforms. In medieval Europe, it would be handed as gifts to knights. Placed under a pillow, it was said to keep away nightmares.