Lost In Spice
Discover the flavor-and healing power-of the world's great spices.
10/2007
Some of my fondest memories of growing up in Toronto are of tramping into my mother's kitchen after a day in the snow to sneak a slice of her heavenly apple pie. Her ability to add just the right amount of spice was uncanny. I didn't know where cinnamon came from (Sri Lanka) or what its nutritional benefits were (high in manganese, among other things). I just knew the pie kept me returning for more.
The phytochemicals derived from plants often have potent antioxidant properties, says Brent Bauer, M.D., director of the Complementary and Integrative Medicine program at the Mayo Clinic. The concentration of flavor and phytochemicals in spices is partly attributable to the drying process. "When most spices are dried, naturally occurring enzymes are activated, creating the volatile oils that give spices their flavor and efficacy," explains Hemphill, citing the example of the antiseptic oil eugenol, which develops in clove buds only when they've been dried. Spices are often harvested at their nutritional peak and dried quickly, preserving theirhealthy components. "Any herb or spice that is transported long distances in its fresh form will lose many of its healthy attributes," Hemphill advises.
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Spices, of course, have been used to add that special touch to meals for thousands of years. But for nearly as long as we've been grinding, grating, and sprinkling spices into our food, we've also been using them for their medicinal qualities. "Garlic was fed to laborers building the Egyptian pyramids to keep disease at bay," says Ian Hemphill, author of The Spice and Herb Bible (Robert Rose, 2006). Archaeologists have found cinnamon and cassia in Egyptian tombs dating back to 3000 B.C.-their fragrance was believed to please the gods. "Cloves have been used for centuries by the Chinese for their anesthetic and antiseptic properties," says Hemphill. "Turmeric is used in Ayurvedic medicine for skin complaints, and research suggests its curcumin content may fight cancer."
Ancient wisdom and contemporary clinical research appear to be in agreement: Spices, whether composed of dried seeds, buds, fruit, bark, or roots, are good for us. A 2003 study published in Diabetes Care reported that as little as one gram of cinnamon reduced blood glucose and cholesterol levels in type 2 diabetics. Chile peppers, which are dried and ground to make the cayenne that goes into a sizzling beef chili, contain an anti-inflammatory phytochemical called capsaicin, which gives the peppers their steamy personality. That "burn" in spicy chili releases endorphins and, according to research published in the International Journal of Obesity, may help suppress appetite and reduce calorie and fat intake. "Hot, spicy food accelerates the body's metabolic rate, so you burn off calories more quickly," explains Hemphill.
With so much evidence that spicing up our meals is a boon to both our palates and our well being, why do so many of us settle for a few shakes of salt and pepper? "There's a misconception that all spicy food is hot or that a meal might be mined by adding too much," suggests Kristine Subido, executive chef at the Mediterranean-inspired Wave restaurantin Chicago. Dubbed the "Spice Girl" by the Chicago Sun-Times, Subido uses an array of flavor enhancers in dishes such as spice-cured beef and ahi tuna with fennel seed-infused olive oil. "Use them to enhance a dish, not to overpower it," she says. "Adding just one or two spices toyour main ingredient, like chicken, can be all you need to create a really wonderful flavor."
Incorporating spices into your everyday cooking is pretty basic: Add a dash of cinnamon to oatmeal, a sprinkle of nutmeg to roasted root vegetables, or a pinch of cumin to almost any soup. A cookbook like Nina Simonds's Spices of Life. Simple and Delicious Recipes for Great Health (Knopf, 2005) will keepyour spice rack humming. But Subido advises, "Spices like cumin, cardamom, nutmeg, cloves, and peppercorns, which come from the seeds, flowers, or buds of plants, are best purchased whole-then ground when needed, with a coffee grinder or mortar and pestle, to preserve their flavor."
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