This herb–which smells a bit like a pine forest–has been used since the days of the ancient Greeks. Back then, it was considered to be a memory aid–students wore garlards of it while studying for exams. It protected against evil spirits in medieval times, and in the 1500s in Europe, it was used to perfume [...]
Many different types of sweet bell peppers are dried and ground to make paprika. The best paprika is made in Hungary, where the selection, drying, and blending of the peppers is considered to be a culinary art form–the sweetest paprika is made by removing the ribs and seeds from the pepper before drying and grinding [...]
Garlic may well be the most potent herb on the planet. Egyptian medical writings dating back to 1550 B.C.E. speak of its curative powers, Pliny listed it as being a remedy for over 60 ailments, and Romans ate it before going into battle to give them strength. Garlic, it was believed, was the chosen herb [...]
Chives–like garlic–are a member of the onion family. They also make a very pretty decorative plant for your garden and hardly need any maintenance. You can eat both the long, graceful straws and the purple, snowball-like flowers. The straws are flexible enough to be used to tie bundles together. They can also be left whole [...]
All pepper contains capsaicin, the active compound in pepper that makes our eyes tear and our noses run. Some, however, have more of it than others. Tabasco peppers are among some of the hottest are are reputedly from Tabasco, Mexico. They are now grown in Lousiana and are used to make the famous brand-name hot [...]
Like cilantro and coriander, nutmeg is a 2-in-1 spice with mace: mace is the outer lacy covering of the fruit while nutmeg is the hard inner kernel. Four hundred pounds of nutmeg will only yield one pound of mace, a fact which means that you won’t find mace on the shelves of your grocery store [...]
Its Greek name originally meant “joy of the mountain.” Aphrodite, it was said, created oregano to be a symbol of happiness. Today, its most common uses in the States are in pizza sauces and Greek salad dressing.
There are also Turkish and Mexican varieties of oregano; each differs slightly in taste. Brazilians, Cubans, and Colombians also [...]
This has to be among the world’s most popular edible roots! You’ll find it ground and ready to use in baked goods, preserved in rice vinegar and served alongside sushi, and cut into cubes and candied. Fresh gingerroot can be peeled and then finely diced for use in stir-frys; chunks of it can be infused [...]
Cumin is that unmistakable flavor in Indian curries and many Mexican dishes, from the Americanized faijita to the more-traditional enchiladas. Specifically, it is the seed of the flowering Cuminum cyminum plant. You’ll also find it in the Indian tandoori (a tandoori is a type of oven; hence, tandoori refers to any dish cooked in it), [...]
Though little-known in American cuisine today, coriander has enjoyed a rich past. It was named as an aphrodisiac in 1,001 Arabian Nights, it was treasured in China during the Han dynasty (207 B.C.E.-220 A.C.E.), and it is one of the bitter herbs of Passover. Coriander seeds have been found in ancient Egyptian tombs. Romans used [...]
