14 Days of Divali: Spices

They say that variety is the spice of life, and when it comes to variety, you don't have to look much further than spices themselves. When we talk about spices what we are referring to is any part of the plant, other than the fresh leaves, which are used as seasonings in our cooking. The fact that the parts of any edible plant can be used as a spice, means that there is an almost uncountable number of possible spices which exist on this planet. Talk about variety!

Spices are an integral part of cooking, and there is hardly a home in the world that does not possess a cupboard chock-full of different powders, seeds, dried herbs, and spice mixtures. These spices have long played a vital role in shaping human history, and although most spices are relatively affordable today, it was spices that once formed the bedrock of the international trading economy. Those who were able to control the spices were able to control vast sums of wealth and power.

The spice routes that emerged and stretched from the Far East, across the Middle Eastern lands, and all the way to the western Roman empires, were places where fortunes were made and lost, and later on were the cause of much conflict, as well as an unfortunate catalyst for colonial invasions.

That spices were so valuable were not only due to the flavours that they were able to imbue foods with, but also for their proposed healing properties. Almost all of the great civilisations of the past used spices in their medicines. We find evidence of the medicinal use of spices from as far back as 15 centuries before the birth of Christ, where we find an Egyptian papyrus which mentions the medicinal use of several spices including coriander, cumin, fenugreek and mint.

Far from being ancient superstition, however, modern research has shown that many of the most common spices used in cooking contain powerful antimicrobial compounds which help to battle the growth of dangerous bacteria on meat. Many things may have changed since the turbulent days of the emerging spice routes, but one thing remains the same – spices remain an integral part of our lives, and continue to bring so much flavour to our cooking.