Scientific
Name : Ferula assafoetida
Family :
Umbelliferae
Description: normally found ground. The name comes from the
persian word asa (resin) and the latin foetida (strong odor).
The flowers of the plant are yellow and the powder is obtained from
the resin of the plant. The spice tastes a bit like garlic and it’s why
it’s used replacing garlic or even onions in some indian dishes.
Uses:
vastly appreciated in India, for instance, where she is usually
cooked with dal (lentils) and in pickles.
Origins:
native of Central Asia
(Iran and Afghanistan).
How
do you asafetida in other languages?
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Scientific
name : Pimpinella anisum
Family :
Umbelliferae
Description:
they
are used whole or crushed. Dried
ripe fruit of a flowering plant. The seeds are normally green or brown.
Uses:
found
in various preparations : sweets, cheese, breads, fish, stews or even
pickles. There’s also some anise liquors like ouzo, raki, arak, the
french pastis or even the very famous absinthe.
Origins:
native to the eastern Mediterranean and
southwest Asia.
How
do you say anise in other languages?
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Scientific
name : Piper nigrum
Family :
Anacardiaceae
Description: used normally whole or ground and it has
a sharp, hot and biting taste.
One of the oldest spices crops, this spice is the fruit
of the Piper nigrum, a climbing vine. Also known simply as
« pepper ». Today, it’s one of the most used spices in the
world, when two centuries ago, it was seen as a luxury only affordable by
upper classes. Beside the black pepper, you can find also white and green
pepper, all originated by the same three.
Uses: in India, it was the most used spice in hot dishes before the
introduction of the chili by the europeans. Currently used in a huge
number of dishes and preparations.
In the Syriac Book of
Medicines (5th century), pepper
could be used for constipation, gangrene, heart diseases, hernia,
indigestion, insect bites, insomnia.
Origins: in South India (Kerala) but also cultivated in tropical areas.
How
do you say pepper in other languages?
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Scientific
Name: Elettaria cardamomum
Family :
Zingiberaceae
Description: found in pods, the seeds of a ginger like
plant. There are three kinds of cardamon : the green cardamon, also
known as true cardamon normally found in India to Malaysia ; the
black cardamon (brown) distribued
mainly in Australia and Asia ; and Madagascar cardamon or grains of
paradise found in Africa and Madagascar.
Uses: normally used in sweet dishes, baking, making tea or even
flavour turkish coffee.
Therapeutically , is said that green cardamone acts againts mouth infections, congestion of the lungs and also
digestive problems. Black cardamon was used in China to treat dysentery.
Origins: India, Sri Lanka and southeast Asia (grows in the wild).
How do you say cardamon in other languages?
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Scientific name: Capsicum
frutescens, Capsicum annuum,
Capsicum chinense, Capsicum pubescens, Capsicum baccatum.
Family:
Solanaceae
Description:
dried or powered they are a spice; fresh they are a fruit.
Some of the most known varieties are the bell peppers, the jalapeños,
cayenne, tabasco, Scotch Bonnet, habanero, rocotto peppers and aji
peppers. You can find them in several colors like red, green, yellow and
orange chilies. There’s three groups of chillies : Bell peppers,
sweet peppers and hot peppers. Also spelled chile.
Uses: it’s normally used to give a strong flavour to a dish or sauce. It’s important ingredient in curries, pickles and chutnies. Also a famous ingredient of the mexican cuisine. Chilies are known to be an excellent multivitamin.
Origins:
the Americas. The plant was unkown in Asia until the arrival of the
Europeans. Nowdays, the chili grows everywhere in India.
Tip:
if, by any way, your food is too hot and bites back, don’t drink
water or any other cold liquid. Eat some rice or even bread.
How
do you say chili in other languages?
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Scientific
name: Cinnamomum
zeylanicum
Family: Lauracae
Description: found whole (bark) or ground, both of brown color. The name cinnamon comes from the greek, kinnámōmon (sweet wood).
Uses:
especially in sweet dishes, spicy candies, chocolate and
liquers.
It has the reputation to help colds and other digestive
troubles.
Origins:
native of Ceylon (Sri Lanka).
How
do you say cinnamon in other languages?
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Scientific
name: Eugenia caryophyllus
Family:
Myrtaceae
Description: usually found whole or in powder form. The immature dried flower bud of the clove tree (tropical). The name comes from French clou, nail, as the buds
look like small nails.
Uses: often used to enhance the flavour of some meats, like pork or
even especially venison, wild boar and hare. Used excessively, they can
overpower all other flavours, so they must be used scarcely or removed
before serving. Cloves are also an important incense in
China and Japan.
You can use them along with
oranges to create natural fragances at home (see: Pomanders)
Cloves oil is used in
aromatherapy to treat toothaches.
Origins: North Moluccas, the Spice Islands of Indonesia.
How
do you say it clove in other languages?
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Scientific
name: Coriandrum sativum
Family: Umbelliferae
Description: available whole and ground. Coriander comes from the greek corys (bedbug) and
–ander (ressembling). The seeds are light brownish and have a
citric flavour.
Uses: the
leaves can be used but fresh and they are found in chutneys, salsa or
guacamole. The seeds are normally dried before use and founded
in the garam masala blend, dal, curries and even italian mortadela.
Researchers have found that
coriander can assist with clearing the body of lead, aluminium and
mercury. Appetizer,
a digestant, headache and swellings. Coriander cakes were once consumed to
treat St. Anthony's Fire.
How do you say coriander in other languages?
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Scientific
Name: Cuminum cyminum
Family:
Umbelliferae
Description: found whole or ground. The seeds are little with a greenish-brown color.
Uses: the cumin aroma is strong and
very agreable. Very popular in North African, Middle Easter, Chinese,
Indian,
Mexican, Portuguese and Spanish cookery. Ingredient of some kind of
curries and other spice blends, moslty in lamb dishes, also chili con
carne and enchiladas. Found also in some cheeses (Dutch Leyden and German
Munster), sausages (portuguese Morcela) or even liquors (german Kummel).
Origins:
native to the east Mediterraneum and
East India
How do you say cumin in other languages?
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Scientific
name : Trigonella foenum-graecum
Family :
Leguminosae
Description: normally found whole as little irregular yellowish
seeds with a bittersweet taste like celery.
Uses: to flavor vegetables and curries but it has to be used
carefully and in small doses, since it’s very bitter.
Nowdays, Fenugreek therapeutic
qualities are reserved mostly to cattle, even if for centuries they were
used by men. Normally used as a digestive aid, it was also
used for treating lung congestion or
reducing inflamation among many other properties.
Origins:
India
and southern Europe.
How do you say it in your language?
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Scientific
name : Zingiber officinale
Family :
Zingiberaceae
Description: normally called root, ginger is more exactly
a rizhome 8
(underground stem by means of which certain plants propagate themselves)
of a plant.
Uses: dried, fersh, powder, candied, ginger is present
amoung an enormous variety of dishes and preparations. It’s commonly use
in asian cuisine as pickles, chutneys, curries or simply to be served
along with other dishes, as gari in Japan who’s always provide with
sushi. In the West, ginger is mainly used in sweets, like gingerbread,
ginger cookies or even the drink gingerale.
Ginger is traditionally seen as
an aphrodisiac. Also used against nausea and morning sickness.
Origins: Southern China and spread to India.
How
do you say ginger in other languages?
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Scientific
name:
Curcuma
domestica
Family: Zingiberaceae
Description:
available ground and it has a common point
with ginger since it is also a rizhome.
Uses: it can
be found in most of curry blends, mustards or even to dye fabrics.
In some asian countries, this spice is believed to help
digestion, or even, as in Malaysia, as an antiseptic.
Origins:
South East Asia
How do you say turmeric in other languages?
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Scientific name:
Tamarindus
indica
Family: Leguminosae
Description: brown bean who grows from the Tamarind tree.
Uses: the
juice or paste is used in many curries or dal. The tamarin paste is also
present in various jams and an important ingredient of the Worcestershire sauce.It’s also used in sweet refreshing drinks.
Therapeuticly, it’s used as a mild laxative and digestive.
Origins:
East Africa but spread to Asia, especially in India.
How do you say tamarind in other languages?
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