Even though many herbs and spices are now readily available in local grocery stores all around the world or can easily be purchased online, most of us don't know know the history of these marvelous cooking ingredients and which country is responsible for introducing these exciting flavors to the global community. Sharing a brief introduction to five (5) exotic spices:
1. Asafetida. This is an Asian spice made from the roots of certain species of Ferula. It is a gum-like spice with a very strong and unpleasant smell. Actually, the name of the spice has a Latin origin, which means “evil-smelling gum”. Asafetida is common in Indian vegetarian cuisine and is often the main ingredient in rice and bean dishes. Additionally, it has a wide range of medicinal properties and is beneficial for people with digestive disorders, high cholesterol, and/or nervous disorders. Asafetida is rich in minerals and nutrients, such as iron, calcium, phosphorus, and protein. Although most chefs and cooks rarely prepare a dish without onion and garlic, some people do not eat onion or garlic. Certain people are allergic to onions and for some people, garlic causes extreme heart burn. Asafetida is an ideal spice for those people. In fact, its smell is similar to both onion and garlic.
2. Dried Avocado Leaves. This spice (or herb) originated in Mexico. It is one of the most popular spices in Mexican cuisine. Avocado leaves have an aniseed fragrance; however, these dried leaves are odorless and have a pungent taste. Dried avocado leaves are added to bean or meat dishes. Regarding health benefits, they are useful for people who have kidney stones and hypertension. Noteworthy: Only certain varieties of avocado leaves are to be used in cooking or for medicinal purposes because some kinds of avocado leaves can contain toxic substances.
Additional References:
Avocado Leaves: A Secret Mexican Ingredientby Victoria ChallancinLove at First Bite. Like any motivated foodie, I almost made myself sick sampling, musing, and guessing what unknown ingredient I was tasting in what appeared to be an ordinary black bean dip.
3. Epazote. This is another essential spice used in Mexican cuisine. Its extraordinary (or strange) scent can be described as a combination of kerosene, mint, and citrus. Epazote is made from the leaves of Mexican herb called dysphania ambrosioides (aka "Mexican tea"). It is used with bean and meat dishes. Additionally, it can be used in soups.
Additional Reading and Recipes:
4. Grains of Paradise. This delicious spice is an integral part of West African cuisine. It is obtained from a flower called Aframomum melegueta. Africans believed that this flower grew in Eden. Grains of paradise look like seeds and have jasmine, citrus, and hazelnut odor. It can be added to meat, fish, and potato dishes.
Link
of Interest:
Find spices ordered according to the region:
GEOGRAPHIC SPICE INDEX
Ras El Hanout (4.0 Oz) By Zamouri Spices
Ingredients include over 30 different herbs and spices, such as:
Grains of Paradise, Lavender, turmeric, ajawan seeds, kalajeera, ginger, galangal, oris root, rose buds, monk's pepper, cinnamon and more!
5. Juniper Berries. Actually, juniper berries are more likely to be cones than berries. It has the smell of fir and is used for cooking meat dishes, especially stewed rabbit or beef. These “berries” grow on the juniper tree, are common throughout Europe, included in ancient Greek recipes, and have been found in the Egyptian pyramids. A wide range of German traditional dishes are cooked with juniper berries.
♦♦ Hope you enjoyed this intro.
About the writer: Melisa Marzett works for: bigpaperwriter.com. She does excellent research and can pen articles and supply blog publishers or website owners with quality content on almost any topic.
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