Exotic India- Herbs and Spices of the World

By Marilyn Zink

Welcome, armchair travelers, to the spices of exotic India. Many of us are familiar with India’s cuisine and love the spices used to flavor the food. So we will take a look at some of the spices from India, such as cardamom, fennel and turmeric as well as the spice blends of curry and garam masala.

Cardamom (Elettaria cardamomum) – cardamom is the ground seed found in the oval-shaped fruit pods tropical plant in the ginger family. It has an intense, pungent and sweet flavour and comes from India, Guatemala and Ceylon.

History/Folklore: Cardamom was used in India as a medicinal herb as early as the 4th century. Greeks and Romans imported it as a digestive aid and in Sweden it has become a more popular spice than cinnamon.

Uses: In India, it is commonly used in curry blends. In Europe it is added to cakes, breads and biscuits, however most of the world’s Cardamom crop is used in Arabic countries as a flavoring for coffee. Try it the Arabic way and add a little to your ground coffee before brewing. Whole seeds are used to flavor marinades, liquors, punches, mulled wines and pickling liquids. Chew seeds to freshen your breath. Cardamom is also helpful for flatulence, indigestion and headaches.

Fennel (foeniculum vulgare)
Fennel, a member of the parsley family, is one of the oldest cultivated plants. It is grown in India and Egypt and is one of the herbs used in the spice blend garam masala. The oval, green or yellowish-brown dried seed has an aniselike flavor but is more aromatic, sweeter and less pungent.

History/Folklore: Fennel comes from the Greek word for ‘marathon’ because the famous battle at Marathon (490 BC) against the Persians was fought on a field of fennel. Pliny said that snakes casting off their skins ate fennel to restore their eyesight. The Romans valued fennel and took it to keep in good health, while Roman ladies ate it to prevent obesity. Fennel is one of the nine herbs held sacred by the Anglo-Saxons for its power against evil. Charlemagne declared in 812 A.D. that fennel was essential in every imperial garden.

Uses: Fennel goes well with fish and is used in Italian sausages and some curry powder mixes. Toasting fennel seeds accentuates their flavour. Saute fennel seed with sliced peppers, onion and sausage for a quick pasta sauce. Fennel tea is great for improving digestion. The seed can be decocted to use as an eye bath or as a compress to reduce inflammation. The young stems can be added to salads and the bulb sliced or grated raw into salads or cooked as a root vegetable.

Turmeric (Curcuma longa)

Turmeric is a leafy plant in the ginger family. The root is boiled or steamed and then dried and ground. India is the world’s primary producer of Turmeric and it is also grown in China and Indonesia.

History/Folklore: The brilliant yellow color of Turmeric has been used as a dye, medicine and flavoring since 600 B.C. In 1280, Marco Polo described Turmeric as “a vegetable with the properties of saffron, yet it is not really saffron.” Indonesians used Turmeric to dye their bodies as part of their wedding ritual.

Uses: Turmeric is mildly aromatic and has scents of orange or ginger with a pungent, bitter flavor. Due to its bitter taste, turmeric should not be used as a flavor substitute for saffron. It has been used medicinally throughout Asia to treat stomach and liver ailments and was also used externally as a cosmetic or to heal sores. Use turmeric to add Eastern mystery to new favorites as well as in traditional curries, rice and chicken dishes and condiments. Add a pinch to fish soups or blend with melted butter and drizzle over cooked vegetables, pasta or potatoes.

Garam Masala

This is a special spice blend made of cardamom, cinnamon, cumin, coriander, fennel, fenugreek and black peppercorns. It is generally added in a small quantity at the end of cooking to add subtle flavor to the dish. Please see our recipe section in this issue for a recipe to make your own Garam Masala.

Curry Blend – Curry is a combination of spices used in East Indian cooking. It can consist of ground cumin, ground coriander, powdered mustard, ground turmeric, allspice, cayenne pepper, ground cinnamon and ground ginger. Please see the recipe section of this issue for a recipe to make your own curry blend.

If you liked this article, please see:

Herbs and Spices of the World: Mexico
Herbs and Spices of the World: China
Herbs and Spices of the World: Middle East
Herbs and Spices of the World: Southeast Asia

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