home / Main dishes/ Big encyclopedia of spices, seasonings and spices (2015). Star anise For fresh breath and thinking

The Great Encyclopedia of Spices, Condiments and Spices (2015). Star anise For fresh breath and thinking

* * *

Salt, pepper, dill and mayonnaise are all my food supplements. Were. But after looking through your book, I was inspired. Now I'll try all sorts of other herbs, powders and grains. Found out that there are many different spices you can buy in the market. And if you guessed correctly, then the food is simply excellent! Even my friends did not understand that I fed them dumplings from the bag.

Vladislav, 27 years old

Your book is a treasure trove of useful and delicious tips. You are a great craftswoman. Thank you for making my table much tastier and much healthier thanks to your book. Now I can add something of my own to each serving, and the food turns out to be healthy for our grandmother, and for her grandchildren, my children, and for my husband, and for me. And it looks different, at least from one pan I impose! And everyone is happy.

Nastasya Pavlovna, 32 years old

I love to experiment with different seasonings - for each dish I choose my mixtures of peppers, herbs, etc. But it never occurred to me that this is useful! Grandma used to grumble that “tasty” and “healthy” are different things, but now she showed her your book, and she was inspired! Now she asks if I added everything that is most useful and safe, even to her porridge!

Veronika, 23 years old, Tver

I mixed hops-suneli according to your recipe, it turned out better than they sell on the market. Impressed. Thank you dear!

Tetiko, 36 years old

Thank you, thank you for such an amazing book! It's unbelievable how much benefit a single book can have if it's on the fridge! I have been fond of different diets for many years and now I just realized that the main thing in my diet meals did not add! This is just a miracle. Even the nastiest diet suddenly became delicious!

Tamara Stepanovna, 45 years old, Moscow

Thirty-five spice jars are now in my kitchen! And the jars are not empty and do not stand idle! And all thanks to your book, Victoria! At first I suffered, choosing something that was both tasty and healthy, but quickly figured it out. And now I can make any dish unique and inimitable. Even borscht, porridge and compotes are now not the same for me twice. So thank you from me and from our big family!

Stephanie, 40 years old

To the pharmacy - only for spices!

In every house in the kitchen there is a small supply of fresh and dry spices - both growing in our beds, and overseas, accustomed to a mild or hot climate.

They are interesting to us as fragrant components of the dish, and as a manifestation of wildlife, and as material carriers of history, as a cultural value, finally! Spices are a separate world that people have been mastering for thousands of years and cannot live without their taste and aroma. Although they rarely think that behind each aroma lies a whole set of biological properties that in one way or another affect health. Ancient healers used every spice known to them in the preparation of medicines, carefully studied its properties, and left detailed records for us. Arsenal of spices Ancient Rome and Ancient Greece, India and China was quite wide.

Many of the herbs we are rediscovering today. And we must not lose sight of the fact that a significant part of the spices are pharmaceutical plants. You've never bought drugs in a pharmacy exclusively to taste: sweet syrup, bitter powder, sour mixture? You always wanted to know for sure how this or that remedy should help, and how this or that remedy can harm. With spices, things are exactly the same: we buy some for salvation, others to exacerbate problems. The body, unfortunately, is not always prepared for an ideal healthy choice, otherwise people would live for a hundred years without knowing pain!

Here's a simple example for you. Few people do not like garlic, and many have experienced discomfort after eating it: intestinal irritation, headache pressure in the region of the heart. Garlic, which is remarkable in its essence, in large doses or under certain conditions of the body, can kill healthy intestinal microflora, reduce the liquid phase of the blood, and cause vasospasm. What now, do not eat garlic? Be sure to eat it, just try it in combination with cilantro, pomegranate, honey, which will muffle the negative impact and increase the benefits!

The modern, well-being-conscious person needs quick, easily accessible, and specific information: Nervous breakdown - take it easy with mint; tired - here's a broth with cloves; there is a long work ahead - stock up on bergamot; overcooled and feel unwell - immediately brew hibiscus; overcome diseases and notice age-related changes - in the kitchen there is a whole army of spices to restore and maintain the body, antioxidant spices.

To turn your lunch not only into a gastronomic joy and energy boost, but also into a tool to fight infections and colds, chronic diseases, nervous strain, age-related changes, to organize a repulse of constant oncological attacks on cells, you need not only healthy foods, but also the right selected spices. Spice charms prepared from those plants that since ancient times representatives of different peoples have placed in their homes for the spiritual purity of their homes. More specifically, spices. However, let's understand the culinary concepts in order to use them appropriately.

Seasonings, spices, spices - what's the difference

What are called seasonings, spices, spices, and how do they differ from each other?

Everything that makes food more appetizing can be called a seasoning for food: spices, spice mixtures, sauces, ketchups, sour cream and even jam! Poured pancakes with sour cream or cherry jam - here's a wonderful seasoning for you. But we will talk about sour cream last. Because the most useful seasoning for the body is vegetable oil, a concentrate of useful substances contained in oil plants. We will also not disregard multicomponent classic sauces, which perfectly stimulate the appetite, themselves serve as an energy boost and transfer the vitamin and mineral composition of the ingredients to the dinner.

The concept of spices includes flavor enhancers of various origins: salt, sugar, vinegar, citric acid, mustard paste, soy sauce, prepared herbs, etc. Many of them are excellent antioxidants and have a number of other beneficial properties.

But what are spices? Fragrant herbs, or rather, what is used for seasoning: leaves, roots, flowers or even pistils, for example, like the most expensive spice - saffron. Many garden plants are considered spices - onions, garlic, herbs. They give the dish a special aroma, bring their own notes to the taste. Most of the spices are medicinal herbs, and some of them can only be bought in pharmacies so far! Spices or spice mixtures often work as good immune stimulants and antioxidants.

Our Encyclopedia includes fragrant gifts of the plant world from different countries, which have not only aromatic, but also healing properties. We will pay special attention to the origin of spices, if only because the traditions of preserving the beneficial properties of plants have been developed in their homeland for centuries, and the results of reasonable use are perfectly reflected in health.

A pinch of traditional Chinese Five Spice blend contains more antioxidants than a glass of fresh berries. Two or three petals of the most expensive spice saffron can do wonders for women's health. And fragrant cinnamon powder on the tip of a knife can prevent an impending cold. And by the way, a teaspoon of cinnamon, cloves, dried oregano, and turmeric outperforms a glass of blueberries, cranberries, strawberries, and one pomegranate or kiwi for antioxidant properties. Another thing is, is it possible to eat a teaspoon of cinnamon without damage to health? Of course not! But the constant use of the necessary spices, especially in winter, when the forest is covered with snow and far from the berries, is a complete replacement for the necessary batteries.

From this book, you will learn everything you need to know about the seasoning that you love or are just about to try. Be sure to be surprised at how many discoveries you have in the field of culinary herbs, gravies and flavor enhancers.

Gather sad, but necessary information about the features of commodity substitutions in the field of seasonings. But quickly console yourself with a new trustworthy choice!

Learn to combine spices and spices in a magical way for the best taste and aroma, but, most importantly, to improve your own health!

In order to use the book was convenient, the names of seasonings are arranged alphabetically. Many spicy herbs have several names in use, synonyms are also placed alphabetically, and from one name a link to another is possible. To make it easier for you to identify the spices you need, there is an Index at the end of the book. It will help you find the seasonings described here (even if they have several names) and various diseases in which these seasonings help or which, unfortunately, can aggravate.

The Encyclopedia of Condiments is a handy health guide that stimulates an excellent appetite and directs it in a healthy direction!

Healing spices, seasonings, spices

How to buy spices

Spices are used by all culinary specialists of the world. Spicy herbs do not have to be collected and harvested, they can be easily purchased at the grocery store. Even exotic blends of Indian or Chinese cuisine are now sold not only in specialty shops, but also in the market and on supermarket grocery shelves.

Packaging of spices is varied: paper and plastic bags, glass jars. Glass jars are the preferred packaging method. A hermetically sealed jar allows you to preserve the aroma for a long time and protects the integrity of berries and fragile seeds (for example, vanilla pods) from mechanical damage. Good packing gives hope for the observance of hygiene standards in the production and sale of spices.

Jars of spices should not be in the light, so when buying, choose jars that are hidden deep in the shelves. However, keep in mind that from the point of view of the consumer, dark glass that seemingly protects from sunlight is not the most successful package, since it hides the appearance of the spice from us. When buying, we must be able to make sure that the spice has not faded, has not darkened, retains its usual original color and integrity.

What spices do you prefer to buy - whole or ground? Of course, ground spices shorten the cooking time. But whole spices fully retain their aroma and taste. Grinding or crushing spices is best before use. And they should be stored in small quantities, in a dark place, in containers well protected from exposure to moist air.

Some spices, such as paprika or chili, are only sold ground. It's OK! These spices perfectly retain aroma and taste.

spice storage

We have already mentioned that the jars in which the spices are stored must be protected from light sources and humid air. Let's remember a few more storage rules:

Glass jars with spices should not be stored close to the stove, because due to heat and the resulting condensate, the spices do not withstand the guaranteed shelf life. The storage place should not only be dry and dark, but also cool, so all the jars “at hand” near the stove are an unfortunate choice of storage.

Spices freely release their aromatic substances into the air, and they themselves can absorb foreign odors. Do not store various spices in a common container.

Whole rhizomes or tubers must be stored with good air access, otherwise they will simply rot. Store them in baskets, wicker baskets, in clay pots.

Air
Normalization of digestion, cleaning. Skin and hair regeneration. Strengthening memory

Air was born in the Himalayas and spread to India. They say that even the soldiers of Alexander the Great appreciated this medicinal spicy herb during exhausting Indian campaigns, after which enterprising Phoenician merchants began to supply calamus to Greece.

Over time, marsh calamus has grown throughout the world, and in medieval Europe it was used as a substitute for expensive spices - cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg. In the Old and New Worlds, candied candied fruits were prepared from calamus, which were loved by children and adults. And thoughtful botanists and pharmacists appreciated the life-giving power of the new delicacy.

Walk along the bank of a slow river, visit a meadow, near a quiet backwater - you will definitely come across tall saber stalks of calamus, because of which it was called Tatar cinquefoil (by the way, do not confuse “marsh cinquefoil” with medicinal herb, this is a completely different plant). In Russia, in general, there are many local names for calamus: javr, irny root, flat cake and others.

Medicinal value

As a medicinal raw material, only rhizomes or oil from them are usually used, but sometimes calamus leaves are also used.

In official medicine, calamus is used as a tonic drug with a pronounced antibacterial property, as an antispasmodic and a component in the composition of vasodilators, hemostatic, diuretic drugs.

In folk medicine, calamus has long been widely used:

For a quick cure for colds and bronchitis.

For the treatment of female diseases and menopause.

In the treatment of impotence and to enhance potency.

For baths for infectious skin diseases. To enhance hair growth.

With diseases of the stomach and intestines, flatulence, poor appetite, nausea, vomiting.

With gallstone and urolithiasis.

In Ayurvedic medicine, calamus is used to cleanse the blood and blood vessels of toxins, with memory disorders, headaches, and neuroses.

Warning!

Be careful: calamus is harmful for acute inflammation of the kidneys, high acidity of gastric juice and acute peptic ulcer.

And calamus root can cause a decrease blood pressure, although for hypertensive patients this property is useful!

Pharmacy spice on the table

In ancient times, calamus was used not so much as food, but to purify unsuitable water. Such is the bactericidal ability of grass. Today, the importance of calamus as a spice in Europe has fallen - it has become the property of pharmaceuticals. And in the vegetarian regions of India, they never stop using everything that grows on its own and asks for a cauldron. In fairness, it must be said that Indian calamus has a more pronounced aroma, like everything that grows under the tropical sun. And there, crushed calamus root is added to meat during stewing, to broths and soups.

Calamus powder added to non-greasy chicken bouillon, will help to quickly relieve spasms and swelling of the bronchial mucosa, increase sputum discharge when coughing.

For stew. For European taste, calamus root is bitter, so it is better not to crush the root, but place it in a pan in a large piece shortly before the end of cooking. And then pull it out.

For salads. In salads, shoots of calamus leaves are used. Just don't go overboard! In large quantities, calamus will cause nausea.

For tinctures and flavoring liqueurs. Calamus drinks perfectly excite the appetite. You just need to remember that it is used in those recipes where it is supposed bitter spices .

Fragrant calamus rhizomes in small doses replace the bay leaf, give a pleasant aroma soups, cookies and compote. Add dried crushed rhizomes to the compote at the end of cooking - blood purification and an increase in the overall tone of the body will occur after each glass you drink!

For candied fruits. As healthy treats in India, candied calamus is used. And tea with candied calamus will remind you of Medieval Europe and will boost immunity - see recipe.

candied calamus

Wash the chopped pieces of fresh calamus root and place in a thick sugar syrup or melted candied jam. Cook for 5-10 minutes, then strain the syrup, dry the candied fruits and sprinkle them with powdered sugar.

Anise
Health of the lungs and bronchi, heart and nervous system. Spice for women's health

In Europe, anise is an important ingredient in absinthe and brandy. Anise came to Russian cuisine and Russian vegetable gardens at the beginning of the 19th century and also quickly received a worthy assessment of winemakers. And they began to put anise seeds in the filling for urinating apples. And after a while, the winter variety of apples, most suitable for urinating, was nicknamed "anise".

Anise properties

In official medicine, anise is used as a disinfectant and expectorant for diseases of the bronchi and lungs. Interestingly, even in strong drinks, anise does not lose its therapeutic effect on the digestive tract and bronchopulmonary system. True, for treatment, the measure of use should be pharmacy: do not overdo it!

Anise is part of cough mixtures. Many years ago, with a cold, the elixir "drops of the Danish king" was prescribed, it unforgettable taste determined by anise oil. The spice holds the first line of defense against infection, because the purity of the blood depends on the purity of the respiratory system.

Anise seeds improve intestinal motility, reduce the excitability of the heart muscle (that is, normalize the heart rhythm).

Anise is useful for flatulence, intestinal colic.

To strengthen the nervous system, they drink anise tea; caraway and fennel . True, this tea has unexpressed diuretic and laxative properties.

Only 3 g of anise seeds per day normalize the menstrual cycle - the use of anise as a spice will just serve to improve your health.

It is believed that anise improves lactation. Considering that anise also relieves intestinal colic, there may be a double benefit for the baby, and for the mother, a variety in dietary nutrition.

Sometimes anise is added to preparations only to “ennoble the taste”, but this does not prevent it from showing medicinal properties used in traditional medicine.

There are several strict CONTRAINDICATIONS!

The spice should not be consumed during pregnancy (due to the danger of uterine contractions) and in chronic diseases gastrointestinal tract(anise can cause additional irritation of the inflamed mucous membrane).

How to breathe deeply with anise

The most correct way to consume anise is to add chopped greens to vegetables (beets, carrots or cabbage, including sauerkraut) and fruit salads. Such use makes it possible not to lose the beneficial properties of a wonderful sweetish spice.

Young boiled potatoes will go with a bang in sour cream sauce with a mixture of anise and garlic, dill and fennel . This is also the right way to use spices with poor bowel function or with a weakened immune system.

The scent of anise is reminiscent of fennel and star anise , therefore, in India, anise is called "foreign fennel" to distinguish it from fennel itself, and is used in sweet, fish, and meat dishes. Despite the ancient confusion between anise and star anise flavors, the interchangeability of spices is questionable. But in recipes that include fennel, you can use anise as an option, although both spices are often mixed. In addition to fennel, anise is in perfect harmony with bay leaf and coriander . A mixture of these herbs will significantly improve the taste of sea fish soup.

anise tincture

It is impossible not to say a few words about anise vodka or tincture, which our ancestors loved. Here is one of old recipes: « Take a pound of anise, twelve spools of cumin, nine spools of orris root, and ten and a half spools of dry lemon peel, crumble and pound everything together, pour in six damasks of good weaned wine and distill". In a system of measures adapted to modern times and in more modest proportions ( old recipe designed for 7.3 liters of strong drink) this recipe would look like this:

Anise - 100 g

Cumin - 2 tbsp. l.

Violet root - 1 tbsp. l.

Dry lemon peel - 1.5 tbsp. l.

Detachable wine (in our view - good vodka) - 2 l

Annato
Treatment of poisoning, infections. Joint Health

Annatto spice is the red seeds of an evergreen tropical tree. Bix annate growing along the banks of the Amazon.

The main advantage of annatto is the indelible red pigment contained in the seeds. The Aztecs considered annatto to be sacred berries that drive away evil spirits, and smeared themselves with annatto paint from heels to crown.

In ancient times, the spice in the literal sense of the "redskins" was used for fever, dysentery and kidney disease. Today, spice is used as a dye for medicines, ointments.

Various parts of the plant can be part of medicines that relieve the effects of sunstroke, burns. Sometimes they are introduced into drugs that relieve pain, including headaches.

Annatto seeds are rich in alkaloids and flavonoids. Flavonoids predetermine the diuretic property of the plant. Annatto also has anti-inflammatory and anti-rheumatic properties.

Unfortunately, annatto is not for sale with us yet. Why do we need to know about annatto if we can't get this spice? For peace of mind! Butter, margarine, smoked fish, US confectionery, French and English hard cheeses often stained with annatto. Thus, cheeses "Livaro" and "Red Cheshire" are not only tasty, healthy, but also protect from evil spirits and all kinds of diseases!

Salt, pepper, dill and mayonnaise are all my food supplements. Were. But after looking through your book, I was inspired. Now I'll try all sorts of other herbs, powders and grains. Found out that there are many different spices you can buy in the market. And if you guessed correctly, then the food is simply excellent! Even my friends did not understand that I fed them dumplings from the bag.

Vladislav, 27 years old

Your book is a treasure trove of useful and tasty advice. You are a great craftswoman. Thank you for making my table much tastier and much healthier thanks to your book. Now I can add something of my own to each serving, and the food turns out to be healthy for our grandmother, and for her grandchildren, my children, and for my husband, and for me. And it looks different, at least from one pan I impose! And everyone is happy.

Nastasya Pavlovna, 32 years old

I love to experiment with different seasonings - for each dish I choose my mixtures of peppers, herbs, etc. But it never occurred to me that this is useful! Grandma used to grumble that “tasty” and “healthy” are different things, but now she showed her your book, and she was inspired! Now she asks if I added everything that is most useful and safe, even to her porridge!

Veronika, 23 years old, Tver

I mixed hops-suneli according to your recipe, it turned out better than they sell on the market. Impressed. Thank you dear!

Tetiko, 36 years old

Thank you, thank you for such an amazing book! It's unbelievable how much benefit a single book can have if it's on the fridge! I have been fond of different diets for many years and now I just realized that I didn’t add the main thing to my diet dishes! This is just a miracle. Even the nastiest diet suddenly became delicious!

Tamara Stepanovna, 45 years old, Moscow

Thirty-five spice jars are now in my kitchen! And the jars are not empty and do not stand idle! And all thanks to your book, Victoria! At first I suffered, choosing something that was both tasty and healthy, but quickly figured it out. And now I can make any dish unique and inimitable. Even borscht, porridge and compotes are now not the same for me twice. So thank you from me and from our big family!

Stephanie, 40 years old

To the pharmacy - only for spices!

In every house in the kitchen there is a small supply of fresh and dry spices - both growing in our beds, and overseas, accustomed to a mild or hot climate. They are interesting to us as fragrant components of the dish, and as a manifestation of wildlife, and as material carriers of history, as a cultural value, finally! Spices are a separate world that people have been mastering for thousands of years and cannot live without their taste and aroma. Although they rarely think that behind each aroma lies a whole set of biological properties that in one way or another affect health. Ancient healers used every spice known to them in the preparation of medicines, carefully studied its properties, and left detailed records for us. The arsenal of spices in ancient Rome and ancient Greece, in India and China was quite wide.

Here's a simple example for you. Few people do not like garlic, and many have experienced discomfort after eating it: intestinal irritation, headache, pressure in the heart area. Garlic, which is remarkable in its essence, in large doses or under certain conditions of the body, can kill healthy intestinal microflora, reduce the liquid phase of the blood, and cause vasospasm. What now, do not eat garlic? Be sure to eat it, just try it in combination with cilantro, pomegranate, honey, which will muffle the negative impact and increase the benefits!

Seasonings, spices, spices - what's the difference

What are called seasonings, spices, spices, and how do they differ from each other?

Everything that makes food more appetizing can be called a seasoning for food: spices, spice mixtures, sauces, ketchups, sour cream and even jam! Poured pancakes with sour cream or cherry jam - here's a wonderful seasoning for you. But we will talk about sour cream last. Because the most useful seasoning for the body is vegetable oil, a concentrate of useful substances contained in oil plants. We also will not disregard the multi-component classic sauces, which perfectly stimulate the appetite, serve as an energy boost themselves and transfer the vitamin and mineral composition of the ingredients to the dinner.

The concept of spice includes flavor enhancers of various origins: salt, sugar, vinegar, citric acid, mustard paste, soy sauce, prepared herbs, etc. Many of them are excellent antioxidants and have a number of other useful properties.

"Food must be medicine, and medicine must be food," said Hippocrates. We keep this in mind when applied to meat, vegetables and fruits. But we do not think that most of the spices in the kitchen are medicinal herbs. A significant part of them can be bought at a pharmacy. Like all medicines, herbs can heal or harm. How to do best choice? This requires encyclopedic knowledge, and even better - this book in the kitchen cabinet!
Almost all the spices and spices that we use in cooking - from pepper to parsley, are healing. They not only improve the taste of dishes, but also heal us! But each seasoning is valuable for its beneficial properties. Therefore, you need to add spices to food as varied as possible! And do not forget that each spice has its own contraindications - this is not as scary as it might seem. Just choose for yourself others with the same benefit - and be healthy!

Name: The Great Encyclopedia of Spices, Seasonings and Spices (2015)

Release year: 2015

Publisher: AST

Format: rtf, fb2

File: EnchiklPraynst.rar

The size: 9.6MB

Description of the book "Download for free the book The Great Encyclopedia of Spices, Seasonings and Spices"

Name: Big encyclopedia of spices, seasonings and spices
Karpukhina Victoria
Publisher: AST
Series: Big Book of Health
Year: 2015
Pages: 300, 71 ill.
Language: Russian
Format: rtf, fb2
The size 9.6 MB

Description Food should be medicine, and medicine should be food,” Hippocrates said. We keep this in mind when applied to meat, vegetables and fruits. But we do not think that most of the spices in the kitchen are medicinal herbs. A significant part of them can be bought at a pharmacy. Like all medicines, herbs can heal or harm. How to make the best choice? This requires encyclopedic knowledge, and even better, this book is in the kitchen cabinet! Almost all spices and spices that we use in cooking from pepper to parsley are healing. They not only improve the taste of dishes, but also heal us! But each seasoning is valuable for its beneficial properties. Therefore, you need to add spices to food as varied as possible! And do not forget that each spice has its own contraindications, this is not as scary as it might seem. Just choose for yourself others with the same benefit and be healthy! This publication is not a medical textbook. All recommendations must be agreed with the attending physician.

* * *

Salt, pepper, dill and mayonnaise are all my food supplements. Were. But after looking through your book, I was inspired. Now I'll try all sorts of other herbs, powders and grains. Found out that there are many different spices you can buy in the market. And if you guessed correctly, then the food is simply excellent! Even my friends did not understand that I fed them dumplings from the bag.

Your book is a treasure trove of useful and tasty advice. You are a great craftswoman. Thank you for making my table much tastier and much healthier thanks to your book. Now I can add something of my own to each serving, and the food turns out to be healthy for our grandmother, and for her grandchildren, my children, and for my husband, and for me. And it looks different, at least from one pan I impose! And everyone is happy.

Nastasya Pavlovna, 32 years old

I love to experiment with different seasonings - for each dish I choose my mixtures of peppers, herbs, etc. But it never occurred to me that this is useful! Grandma used to grumble that “tasty” and “healthy” are different things, but now she showed her your book, and she was inspired! Now she asks if I added everything that is most useful and safe, even to her porridge!

Veronika, 23 years old, Tver

I mixed hops-suneli according to your recipe, it turned out better than they sell on the market. Impressed. Thank you dear!

Thank you, thank you for such an amazing book! It's unbelievable how much benefit a single book can have if it's on the fridge! I have been fond of different diets for many years and now I just realized that I didn’t add the main thing to my diet dishes! This is just a miracle. Even the nastiest diet suddenly became delicious!

Tamara Stepanovna, 45 years old, Moscow

Thirty-five spice jars are now in my kitchen! And the jars are not empty and do not stand idle! And all thanks to your book, Victoria! At first I suffered, choosing something that was both tasty and healthy, but quickly figured it out. And now I can make any dish unique and inimitable. Even borscht, porridge and compotes are now not the same for me twice. So thank you from me and from our big family!

To the pharmacy - only for spices!

Seasonings, spices, spices - what's the difference

What are called seasonings, spices, spices, and how do they differ from each other?

Everything that makes food more appetizing can be called a seasoning for food: spices, spice mixtures, sauces, ketchups, sour cream and even jam! Poured pancakes with sour cream or cherry jam - here's a wonderful seasoning for you. But we will talk about sour cream last. Because the most useful seasoning for the body is vegetable oil, a concentrate of useful substances contained in oil plants. We also will not disregard the multi-component classic sauces, which perfectly stimulate the appetite, serve as an energy boost themselves and transfer the vitamin and mineral composition of the ingredients to the dinner.

Gather sad, but necessary information about the features of commodity substitutions in the field of seasonings. But quickly console yourself with a new trustworthy choice!

Learn to combine spices and spices in a magical way for the best taste and aroma, but, most importantly, to improve your own health!

The Encyclopedia of Condiments is a handy health guide that stimulates an excellent appetite and directs it in a healthy direction!

Healing spices, seasonings, spices

How to buy spices

Packaging of spices is varied: paper and plastic bags, glass jars. Glass jars are the preferred packaging method. A hermetically sealed jar allows you to preserve the aroma for a long time and protects the integrity of berries and fragile seeds (for example, vanilla pods) from mechanical damage. Good packaging also gives hope for compliance with hygiene standards in the production and sale of spices.

Some spices, such as paprika or chili, are only sold ground. It's OK! These spices perfectly retain aroma and taste.

spice storage

We have already mentioned that the jars in which the spices are stored must be protected from light sources and humid air. Let's remember a few more storage rules:

Spices freely release their aromatic substances into the air, and they themselves can absorb foreign odors. Do not store various spices in a common container.

Whole rhizomes or tubers must be stored with good air access, otherwise they will simply rot. Store them in baskets, wicker baskets, in clay pots.

Air
Normalization of digestion, cleaning. Skin and hair regeneration. Strengthening memory

Medicinal value

As a medicinal raw material, only rhizomes or oil from them are usually used, but sometimes calamus leaves are also used.

In official medicine, calamus is used as a tonic drug with a pronounced antibacterial property, as an antispasmodic and a component in the composition of vasodilators, hemostatic, diuretic drugs.

In folk medicine, calamus has long been widely used:

For a quick cure for colds and bronchitis.

For the treatment of female diseases and menopause.

In the treatment of impotence and to enhance potency.

For baths for infectious skin diseases. To enhance hair growth.

With diseases of the stomach and intestines, flatulence, poor appetite, nausea, vomiting.

With gallstone and urolithiasis.

In Ayurvedic medicine, calamus is used to cleanse the blood and blood vessels of toxins, with memory disorders, headaches, and neuroses.

Warning!

Be careful: calamus is harmful for acute inflammation of the kidneys, high acidity of gastric juice and acute peptic ulcer.

And calamus root can also cause a decrease in blood pressure, although this property is useful for hypertensive patients!

Pharmacy spice on the table

Calamus powder added to low-fat chicken broth will help to quickly relieve spasms and swelling of the bronchial mucosa, and increase sputum discharge when coughing.

For stew. For European taste, calamus root is bitter, so it is better not to crush the root, but place it in a pan in a large piece shortly before the end of cooking. And then pull it out.

For salads. In salads, shoots of calamus leaves are used. Just don't go overboard! In large quantities, calamus will cause nausea.

For tinctures and flavoring liqueurs. Calamus drinks perfectly excite the appetite. You just need to remember that it is used in those recipes where it is supposed bitter spices .

For candied fruits. Candied calamus is used as a healthy delicacy in India. And tea with candied calamus will remind you of Medieval Europe and will boost immunity - see recipe.

candied calamus

We wash the sliced \u200b\u200bpieces of fresh calamus root and place in thick sugar syrup or melted candied jam. Cook for 5-10 minutes, then strain the syrup, dry the candied fruits and sprinkle them with powdered sugar.

Anise
Health of the lungs and bronchi, heart and nervous system. Spice for women's health

Anise properties

Anise is part of cough mixtures. Many years ago, for colds, the elixir "drops of the Danish king" was prescribed, its unforgettable taste is determined by anise oil. The spice holds the first line of defense against infection, because the purity of the blood depends on the purity of the respiratory system.

Anise seeds improve intestinal motility, reduce the excitability of the heart muscle (that is, normalize the heart rhythm).

Anise is useful for flatulence, intestinal colic.

To strengthen the nervous system, they drink anise tea; caraway and fennel . True, this tea has unexpressed diuretic and laxative properties.

Only 3 g of anise seeds per day normalize the menstrual cycle - the use of anise as a spice will just serve to improve your health.

It is believed that anise improves lactation. Considering that anise also relieves intestinal colic, there may be a double benefit for the baby, and for the mother, a variety in dietary nutrition.

Sometimes anise is added to preparations only to “ennoble the taste”, but this does not prevent it from showing medicinal properties used in traditional medicine.

There are several strict CONTRAINDICATIONS!

The spice should not be consumed during pregnancy (due to the danger of uterine contractions) and in chronic diseases of the gastrointestinal tract (anise can cause additional irritation of the inflamed mucous membrane).

How to breathe deeply with anise

The most correct way to use anise is to add chopped greens to vegetable (beets, carrots or cabbage, including sauerkraut) and fruit salads. Such use makes it possible not to lose the beneficial properties of a wonderful sweetish spice.

anise tincture

It is impossible not to say a few words about anise vodka or tincture, which our ancestors loved. Here is one of old recipes: « Take a pound of anise, twelve spools of cumin, nine spools of orris root, and ten and a half spools of dry lemon peel, crumble and pound everything together, pour in six damasks of good weaned wine and distill". In a system of measures adapted to modern times and in more modest proportions (the old recipe is designed for 7.3 liters of strong drink), this recipe would look like this:

Anise - 100 g

Cumin - 2 tbsp. l.

Violet root - 1 tbsp. l.

Dry lemon peel - 1.5 tbsp. l.

Detachable wine (in our view - good vodka) - 2 l

Annato
Treatment of poisoning, infections. Joint Health

Annatto spice is the red seeds of an evergreen tropical tree. Bix annate growing along the banks of the Amazon.

In ancient times, the spice in the literal sense of the "redskins" was used for fever, dysentery and kidney disease. Today, spice is used as a dye for medicines, ointments.

Various parts of the plant can be part of medicines that relieve the effects of sunstroke, burns. Sometimes they are introduced into drugs that relieve pain, including headaches.

Annatto seeds are rich in alkaloids and flavonoids. Flavonoids predetermine the diuretic property of the plant. Annatto also has anti-inflammatory and anti-rheumatic properties.

Unfortunately, annatto is not for sale with us yet. Why do we need to know about annatto if we can't get this spice? For peace of mind! Butter, margarine, smoked fish, US pastries, French and English hard cheeses are often colored with annatto. Thus, cheeses "Livaro" and "Red Cheshire" are not only tasty, healthy, but also protect from evil spirits and all kinds of diseases!

Asafoetida
Treatment of sciatica, arthritis. Health of the heart, genital area, kidneys. Mental and physical activity

Iranian (as well as Afghan and Kurdish) spice asafoetida in their homeland is called ing, asmargok, ilan, smelly ferula, hing, damn cal. The East is a delicate matter, and it would be better for us not to know either translations or Latin refinements that characterize asafoetida, because any refinement emphasizes the disgusting smell of the spice. When fresh, asafoetida is capable of delivering a serious blow to all kitchen aromas, as well as penetrate the room and tightly soak into carpets and sofas.

What is the secret good taste asafoetida? And the fact that the smell becomes surprisingly pleasant after frying the plant in oil! To taste, the spice is somewhat reminiscent of garlic, but surpasses it in medicinal properties.

Healing properties and method of use

Asafoetida was quite popular as a spice and medicinal herb in the Roman Empire. It has been used to treat recurrent migraine headaches. And it was believed that this is one of the most effective means. And the glory of fried asafoetida came from the ancient treatise "Kama Sutra", in which it is listed as a spice that eliminates heartache and puts off old age!

Asafoetida used in food:

Reduces manifestations of polyarthritis, radiculitis, osteochondrosis,

Restores the function of the adrenal glands and gonads,

Gets rid of flatulence

Treats sore throats for colds and sore throats (stir a pinch of asafoetida and 1/2 tsp turmeric in a glass warm water and gargle)

Helps with toothache (mix a pinch of asafoetida with a few drops of lemon juice to make a slurry and apply to the gum or aching tooth, and to hold on longer, you can press it with a swab),

Calms the nervous system

Increases mental and physical activity (add it to various dishes).

The finished spice is almond-shaped grains of roasted resin or asafoetida powder, which are a substitute for garlic, go well with turmeric, cumin, black mustard and ginger . AT Asian cuisine asafoetida is used as a seasoning for lamb and rice. We can add it to the first and second courses to taste (from a pinch to 1/2 tsp per serving).

star anise
For fresh breath and thinking. Anti-inflammatory and restorative seasoning

A box (rosette) of star anise looks like a starfish with 8–12 rays. And its aroma is exactly aniseed, although less sharp, softened. Therefore, star anise is often called stellate, Chinese or Indian anise. Although the taste of star anise differs markedly from anise - initially there is no anise cloying, it is rather bittersweet. Gourmets know that star anise goes well with antioxidants such as cinnamon, cloves, ginger , as well as with black pepper and fennel .

Beneficial features star anise

Star anise, according to Eastern healers, refreshes breath and thoughts. And in official medicine, it is used to improve the taste of potions, as well as as part of some medical fees, because:

Star anise has anti-inflammatory and tonic properties. It treats the throat, relieves hoarseness and relieves cough.

Has a carminative effect, improves digestion.

Useful for heart palpitations, has a calming effect.

Star spice on the table

Star anise goes well with black pepper, fennel, cinnamon, cloves, ginger.

For sweet food. In Europe and in our country, star anise is used in the preparation of sweet dishes and pastries: cookies, pies, muffins, fruit jelly and soups, puddings and compotes, jams - from plums, quince, pears, cherries, apples. Star anise improves the taste of jam and prolongs the shelf life.

AT sweet dishes star anise should be added 5-10 minutes before removing from heat. After cooking, the dish is closed with a lid and allowed to brew.

If in Cherry jam add star anise, it will not sugar for 3 years. Just one star anise is enough for a bowl of jam!

For jellies and compotes, 1/4 tsp is enough. star anise powder or 1-2 rays per 1 1/2 liters of fruit dish.

AT confectionery star anise is put in the process of kneading the dough or in the filling. When heated, the spice gradually gives off an aroma that is stored in finished product (anise does not have this property).

For canning. Recently, star anise has become popular in Europe as a spice for marinades (1 star per 1 liter of marinated product, such as barbecue or cucumbers).

For meat. In the East, star anise goes to roast lamb, stewed beef, bird. The meat is sprinkled with star anise thicker than salt. But you can also mix star anise powder with vegetable oil and sugar and coat the product.

Star anise can be put in meat dishes at the rate of 1 g per serving.

For gravies to vegetables, rice and egg dishes, star anise is mixed with onion, pepper and garlic .

For drinks. In France, star anise is a common ingredient in tinctures and liqueurs. Star anise tea is popular in Indonesia and Sri Lanka.

Basil
Source of vitamins, antioxidant. Regulator of digestion and blood pressure

Refined and delicate green basil is a treasure of Mediterranean cuisine. In Italy, spice is an indispensable component of sauces. And purple basilicas, which have a sharper smell, are more often used in the Caucasus and Asian countries for cooking meat. There this fragrant plant is called regan.

Basil has taken root well in our area, and we can make full use of its aromatic, taste qualities as well as medicinal properties.

Impact on the body

Nature has awarded the basil spice with a high antioxidant capacity. Bronchitis, asthma, pneumonia, even cancer try not to settle in the human body if they feel the presence of basil in it. And the spice staunchly protects the cardiovascular system from the effects of free radicals. Basil phytoncides, like any phytoncides, have an antibacterial effect, and rutin ensures the safety of blood vessels.

Basil is an important source of vitamins, it tones the body, activates vitality.

Strengthening the walls of veins and arteries, helps to resist hypertension.

Basil has an antispasmodic effect. By reducing spasms in the smooth muscles of the internal organs, pain in renal colic and intestinal spasms is reduced.

Inflammatory diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, inflammation of the urinary tract in folk medicine are also treated with decoctions of basil.

Warnings!

Basil increases blood clotting, for this reason, its use undesirable with varicose veins.

And with thrombosis and thrombophlebitis, with increased platelet aggregation, it is generally better exclude from the diet!

For the same reason, basil carefully they are used in serious cardiovascular diseases and are completely excluded in post-infarction conditions.

Who is purple and who is green

Everywhere this spice is part of marinades and tomato sauces, as well as aromatic mixtures that replace black pepper. Be sure to add basil when preserving zucchini and tomatoes, when pickling eggplant and in a tub of sauerkraut.

In Uzbekistan fresh and dried purple basil leaves are an independent dish, an addition to pilaf. On a hot day, a few leaves are placed in a bowl of tea.

in Azerbaijan spice seeds are added to drinks, meat pates, salads from fresh vegetables, in almost all soups (including sour-milk ones) and broths, in stewed lamb, beef, minced meat.

In Germany young shoots and leaves are finely chopped and added to sandwich oil.

In France basil is considered an addition to tomatoes and green vegetables, seasoning for sausages, omelettes.

in Italy basil is served with cheese, pizzas and must be added to pasta sauces (see below). "Pesto"). And throughout the Mediterranean, it is believed that crab dishes are imperfect without basil.

The best combination of spices with basil

Young shoots of basil (leaves and twigs) are used for flavoring vinegar (for aromatization method, see . Vinegar). This vinegar is perfect for salads.

For spicy dishes, use a combination with savory , for peppery smell - with rosemary . For a spicy taste, use a combination with marjoram, coriander, mint and tarragon .

Tomato juice with dry crushed basil leaves is a gourmet drink.

Basil is added to the dish immediately before consumption. You need very little spice, a few leaves!

Ways to store basil

Dried chopped basil keeps well in a glass or porcelain container.

Wrap fresh basil leaves in a damp towel, place in a plastic bag or container, and store on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator. Use the spice, if possible, within 4 days, until the leaves have wilted.

Fresh basil can be chopped and poured with olive oil, barely covering the layer of spice. Such a composition is stored for a short time, since the oil oxidizes rather quickly. But you can make a supply for a month by placing the finished composition in the refrigerator. Fresh basil also freezes well.

Olive oil combined with basil is a powerful antioxidant.

Basil can be salted for the winter. Aromatic properties will be fully preserved. The salting method is:

chopped leaves and shoots of basil - 100 g

table salt - 20 g

Dry the washed shoots with leaves and cut into pieces up to 1 cm. glass jar sprinkling with salt. Keep refrigerated.

Meat marinated in herbs

pork or young beef fillet - 500 g

dry basil - 1 tsp

tarragon - 1 tsp

parsley, dill

garlic - 1-2 cloves

vegetable oil

salt

ground black pepper

Cut the pork fillet into steaks, put the pieces of meat in a deep enamelware. Chop the dill and parsley, finely chop the garlic. Salt the meat, grate with pepper, garlic, herbs and spices - basil and tarragon. Put in the refrigerator for 1.5-2 hours. Put the marinated meat in a well-heated pan with vegetable oil, fry until golden brown, then lightly simmer under the lid until tender.

Barberry
Antioxidant. Anticarcinogen. natural antibiotic

Prickly barberry, or rather, its berries, have long been dubbed northern lemon. This “lemon”, however, is a little bitter, so it looks more like not a lemon, but a bitter orange (aka bergamot ). But if the berries are picked not in summer, but in late autumn, in a frostbitten form, there is almost no bitterness. And there are many benefits: both to improve the gastronomic properties of foods, and for health.

Unfortunately, it is not so common to find fresh or frozen barberry berries in stores. More often we buy bags with dried fruits or with powder. Powder is not worth buying, it is preferable to purchase dry berries to make it easier to identify real product. However, barberry bushes do not grow except at the poles of cold, so you can pick up berries with your own hands!

Medicinal properties of berries

Barberry berries are an antioxidant and have anti-carcinogenic properties.

Improve the body's immune response.

They are a natural antibiotic, treat colds.

Increase appetite.

Barberry is a component of preparations for the treatment and cleansing of the liver and gallbladder.

In folk medicine, with the help of barberry, they fight against high blood pressure, rheumatic diseases, cough and tonsillitis.

With such a set of useful qualities, any way to use barberry is a boon!

How to eat barberry and not grimacing

Barberry is introduced into meat sauces (see. Seasonings you can’t do without…/Recipes for sauces/Barberry sauce for meat).

In the Caucasus, berries are added to horseradish .

In Central Asia, they put it in pilaf at the end of cooking. Dried and powdered berries are seasoned with kebab, shish kebab, lamb broths.

In an old Russian tradition, barberry was pickled or salted to serve with meat and game.

From barberry you can cook jam, jelly, syrup. Or add for sourness to sweet fruit jam.

Marigolds (cardobenedict, Imeretian saffron)
For hormonal balance and healthy digestion

Marigolds were born in South America and have taken root with us for a very long time. The marigold spice is often confused with the most expensive spice in the world. Iranian saffron . Saffron and marigolds are different flowers belonging to botanical species far from each other. And only in Russia and the Caucasus is the spice obtained from marigolds called Imeretian saffron. Moreover, it is sometimes called cardobenedict, which only with a good imagination can resemble marigolds. But let's put aside botany, because the beneficial properties of "Imereti saffron" are obvious!

Useful properties of marigolds

Imeretian saffron contains resin, gum, tannins, malic magnesia, bitterness (in medicine, bitterness is used to stimulate appetite). Marigolds are introduced into the composition of anti-alcohol mixtures, since the plant has a beneficial effect on the liver.

Marigolds have sedative, choleretic, diuretic and diaphoretic properties.

The constant use of this spice in food helps to restore liver cells, improves blood circulation.

In folk medicine, the beneficial effect of marigolds on the function of the kidneys, pancreas and spleen is used.

The spice increases the activity of the digestive glands.

Normalizes blood clotting and hormonal balance.

With the help of marigolds, you can normalize metabolism and even restore work. pancreas with diabetes.

Marigolds in the kitchen

How are these important medicinal properties used in cooking? Marigolds are essential in seasonings containing crushed walnuts. In Georgian cuisine, meat and poultry are cooked with nuts, and the norm for using marigolds is 1 tbsp. l. per 1 kg of meat or poultry.

Young leaves can be added to salads, they have a spicy peppermint flavor and lemon flavor. You can brew tea with marigolds. A handful of fresh leaves insist on 1.5 cups of hot water. Tea is drunk warm or cold.

By the way, to give broths and pastries an orange color, they use a strong infusion of marigold flowers in hot water. The dish looks beautiful and brings a lot of benefits to the body!

Bergamot
Antimicrobial and antiviral agent. Source of creativity and self-esteem

In Europe, few people know what bergamot spice looks like (another name is bitter orange), but many love the aroma of its essential oil. The taste of the fruit does not cause pleasure, but tea with bergamot is a real pleasure. In China and Japan, bergamot is found in tea in the form of flower buds.

This tea is thinner and more refined than the English flavored Earl Grey, but also much more expensive. The English tea brand is shrouded in many old legends that support its already impeccable reputation. Bergamot oil was supplied to colonial England. In those days, Earl Charles Gray was a major owner of Indian tea plantations. It is said that once a tea leaf came to the shores of England with a "foreign" aroma: bottles of bergamot oil were broken, and the ubiquitous aroma soaked tea bags. The merchants were puzzled, but to their surprise, the flavored drink was to the liking of the British!

Do not be embarrassed if the package of tea says "flavored with bergamot." In this case, aromatization is not a substitute for an additive, but compliance with the technology.

By the way, Earl Gray is quite often flavored not with bergamot, but with monard or bergamot mint. Do not think that Monarda is a fly in the ointment in a glass of tea. This is a wonderful spice, but with different properties (see Mint ... / Bergamot mint).

Medicinal properties of bergamot

Tea with bergamot has an antimicrobial and antiviral effect, helps to strengthen the immune system.

The aroma relieves insecurity and despondency, stabilizes the psyche and increases self-esteem.

It activates the thinking and creative abilities of a person. Before the exam, it is recommended to inhale the essential oil of bergamot (in extreme cases, grapefruit).

Relieves headache.

Stimulates the digestive process, relieves intestinal spasms.

Proportions

Tea with bergamot is brewed as usual.

Bergamot essential oil is sold in bottles. It can be added to tea, introduced into the dough when baking cookies, 1-3 drops, and also used in aromatherapy.

Hawthorn
For the heart and nervous system

Hawthorn in Latin was called cratanos which means "strong". This name is due to the fact that the plant has strong strong wood, easily tolerates harsh environmental conditions and lives for several hundred years.

Herbal wines and tinctures are prepared from hawthorn berries, which have a beneficial effect on the heart - they calm the heart rhythm. If you add other heart tonics to such tinctures, for example cardamom and cinnamon, then the healing property increases.

Therapeutic possibilities of hawthorn and methods of use

Sour hawthorn berries have a stimulating effect on blood circulation and digestive function. But the hawthorn has the most tangible effect on the heart muscle. With cardiac arrhythmias, hawthorn tincture has long been the very first remedy, it is also used to normalize cholesterol metabolism. In herbal medicine, fresh and dried berries are used:

With congestion in the digestive tract. By improving digestion, hawthorn removes accumulations of food masses, and in some cases, polyps that form in the gastrointestinal tract also come out of the intestines.

With insomnia.

With vascular thrombosis, hypertension, heart valve insufficiency, arteriosclerosis.

Hawthorn can give dishes a pleasant sourness. This property is used when stewing meat and poultry, when preparing stewed vegetable dishes. With hawthorn herbal wine, the digestion process is more active, even lamb and fatty duck meat are digested quite easily.

Heart tonic

If you feel a rush heart rate at the slightest nervous excitement, prepare a strengthening tea for the heart:

15 g hawthorn berries and 1 tsp. Pour cardamom or cinnamon into 1/2 liter of water. Boil on low heat for 20 minutes. Take a decoction 3 times a day with a spoonful of honey.

Borage (Borago)

see borage

Vanilla
Antioxidant. Regulator of digestion and nervous system

Vanilla - the second most expensive spice after saffron - appeared in Europe much later than other dessert spices, having come a long way from Mexico. The Aztecs knew and loved the Black Flower from the orchid family well. The flower of the most expensive vanilla opens only for one day, pollinated by only one kind of bee and one kind of hummingbird. After successful pollination, you can expect the ovary of a dark brown pod, which is used as a spice - vanilla gives pastries an exquisite aroma and a tart-sweet taste.

Mexican vanilla recognized as the best. But the cultivation of the Black Flower has long ceased to be the prerogative of Mexico, so the beloved European spice now has to do without a single species of Mexican bees. And gradually the realization came that other types of natural vanilla, which were previously considered counterfeit, are good in their own way.

Antillean, or Guadalupe vanilla (marking Vanilla Pompona), and Tahitian vanilla ( Vanilla Tahitiensis) have a floral note. Madagascar vanilla has a strong but harmonious smell and is unlikely to disappoint lovers of sweets.

Any marking vanilla we can consider quite sufficient to count on the acquisition of a wonderful spice. This marking is applied to the packaging of pods or natural vanilla (ready-made mixture of powdered sugar with natural vanilla).

Designation on ice cream, for example:

vanilla indicates that only natural vanilla (extract or powder) is used in ice cream.

vanilla flavored- up to 40% artificial vanillin can be present in vanilla ice cream.

Artificial vanilla-flavored- indicates synthetic vanillin (alas - this is used in 85% of vanilla products), which is now produced from petroleum products - this is a fairly harmless product for health, unlike previously produced from wood.

Health Benefits of Vanilla Beans

Dried vanilla pods are among the top antioxidants. Moreover, if we could consume it in large quantities, we could slow down aging. But real vanilla is very expensive, besides, it is bitter and causes allergies in excessively large quantities.

But in reasonable doses, natural vanilla improves digestion, tones the body, helps treat fever, rheumatism, dyspepsia (disturbance of the digestive tract).

Vanilla in folk medicine is used for nervous disorders and even mental illness, with excessive drowsiness.

The smell of vanilla evokes a feeling of comfort and peace. It is known that vanilla has a beneficial effect on women in the case of premenstrual syndrome and climacteric neurosis.

Topical application of vanilla helps with rashes of a nervous nature (nervous dermatitis).

Black flower in the kitchen

Natural vanilla does not like to compete with other spices, but goes well with coconut flakes . For a sample, you can take a combination of vanilla with cinnamon and saffron maybe you will like this bouquet - experiment with proportions.

A quality vanilla bean grows soft, supple, and buttery to the touch. Pod length 10–15 cm for orchid varieties Vanilla pomnona and 18–25 cm in the variety Vanilla planifolia. Its surface is covered with white vanillin crystals. Deviations from the norm reduce the quality of vanilla:

If the stick is hard, brittle, has cracks, has opened, it means that valuable oils have weathered due to improper preparation or storage;

A light color also indicates low quality.

Vanilla pods can be stored for years without losing their flavor. The storage container must be dry and airtight, it is placed in a cool place.

Vanilla exists in different forms:

From dried and ground pods prepared vanilla powder. The powder perfectly reveals the aroma when heated, therefore it is used in bakery production.

Add to creams, ice cream, desserts vanilla extract- an alcohol solution infused with crushed vanilla pods. The extract is transparent, has a brown color, strong aroma. It does not tolerate heat treatment at all, therefore it is not suitable for baking.

Concentrated vanilla extract is called vanilla essence. The aroma of the extract and essence is revealed immediately, so you can always determine whether there is enough vanilla in your cream by testing.

When placing vanilla pods in powdered sugar it turns out vanilla sugar, which is used in baking, for decorating fruits, desserts. On sale you can find synthetic vanillin and vanilla sugar. They are made from substances that have nothing to do with the vanilla flower! Most often from by-products of wood production. But we can always make real vanilla sugar ourselves.

Vanilla sugar

sugar - 500 g

vanilla - 2 pods

Place sugar or powdered sugar with pods in a tightly sealed container. After 2 weeks, the pods can be removed. The mixture in a closed container will retain flavor for at least 2 weeks. And the pods will remain suitable for further use for another six months.

Chocolate, sweets, puddings, creams, ice cream

If you are the lucky owner vanilla pod, carefully cut it lengthwise to extract the seeds and liquid. For a more complete flavor extraction, add the seeds and liquid to the a large number of milk and boil. Strain the resulting solution, and add fragrant milk to the confectionery.

Depending on the dish, vanilla is added in different ways:

AT creams, puddings or ice cream vanilla is added immediately after cooking.

For flavoring creams you can also make vanilla sugar ( recipe see above), but sugar will give a less intense flavor.

For impregnation cakes and biscuits you can use vanilla syrup. To do this, ground vanilla is introduced into the syrup at the rate of 1/8 pod per 1 kg of products that make up the dough.

Baking, drinks

If the inclusion of milk is not suitable for the recipe (for example, in chocolate or sweets), then the vanilla pod can be ground in a porcelain mortar and added to powdered sugar at the rate of 1 pod per 500 g of sugar. Do not increase the proportions, otherwise the powder will become bitter and ruin the whole product!

Advice!

Vanilla is introduced into the dough before heat treatment.

And for sprinkling cookies, use vanilla sugar.

Wasabi
bactericidal root

We can talk about wasabi spice only theoretically, but it is impossible to miss it in the Encyclopedia of spices: if you have not yet seen a tube of paste called "Wasabi" in sushi sets, then this is only a matter of time.

What Should Wasabi Paste Contain?

A real Wasabi paste can be considered a seasoning made from the burning root of the plant of the same name. The plant can be found along the banks of mountain streams running down from Fuji. That is, only in Japan and nowhere else in the wild! The Japanese cultivate wasabi (in botany it is called " Eutrema japonica ”) for the sake of a burning root.

In other cuisines of the peoples of the world, the value of this rare spice is enviously underestimated, calling wasabi. Japanese horseradish. And in the Wasabi paste they put their own horseradish, local. Therefore, if you meet inexpensive Wasabi pasta on the counter of a store, think about whether it’s better to grate fresh horseradish?

Our root crop, unfortunately, cannot be compared to the flavor of wasabi. You can’t say about him that he is able, if necessary, to neutralize, for example, toxins raw fish, like wasabi (which is why, by the way, seasoning is served with sushi).

But our root crop also has many wonderful properties, which you can read about in the article. Horseradish .

Galangal

see Kalgan

Carnation
Painkiller. For mental and physical activity

The spice has nothing to do with the clove flower, although it is also a flower, or rather, a bud or bud of a clove tree. The tree grows in tropical countries, and the burning hot taste of cloves has long emphasized and even determined the taste. national cuisine in Ceylon, Indonesia, Morocco, Tunisia, Zanzibar and other countries.

In India, the spice is part of a well-known spice blend. curry (cm. Spice mixes/Curry). And, just like in Ceylon, it is a frequent component of tea blends.

In China, cloves are also well known and loved, it is included in the classic mixture wuxianmian(cm. spice mixes/ wuxianmian, or Five spices). The mixture is used in dishes not only to improve the taste, but mainly to invigorate, speed up metabolic processes.

The effect of cloves on the body

Let's start with a long list of benefits of cloves:

Clove has a bactericidal and analgesic effect. It has long been used to heal wounds.

The spice relieves spasms of the intestines and esophagus. Increases appetite, stimulates the production of enzymes and the production of gastric juice, improves digestion. In the East, it is used to treat colic, diarrhea, lethargy of the intestines.

In women, it normalizes the menstrual cycle and keeps the uterus in good shape, which is normally useful (but not during pregnancy).

Infusion of cloves facilitates the course of periodontal disease, refreshes the oral cavity. If a tooth or gum hurts, bite through the inflorescence of a clove and apply it to the sore spot.

For those who are perfectly healthy, eating cloves will help relieve physical fatigue and psychological stress, as well as increase the supply of vitamin B.

There are a few caveats too! Cloves irritate the mucous membranes of the stomach and intestines, therefore, with peptic ulcer of the stomach and duodenum, with gastritis, the use of spices is undesirable.

Cloves increase muscle tone - this is good for everyone, but not for pregnant women: there is a danger of uterine contractions. And cloves can slightly increase blood pressure, but this is very individual!

Cloves - a burst of energy with broth and tea

Cloves are important for us not for the content of vitamins that are easily destroyed, but for their stable biochemical properties. Therefore, any use of cloves is a boon for the body, including in hot drinks and broths. We will use the centuries-old European experience, since our cuisine has limited experience in relation to cloves. We use it in mushroom dishes - when frying, stewing, marinating, which in itself is not very useful.

spice combinations. In medieval Europe, the classic mixture was popular cloves, nutmeg, ginger and pepper . It was used quite widely: from soups and broths to pastries. Today it is part of the commercially produced Worcestershire sauce (or Worcester sauce, sweet and sour, slightly spicy sauce based on anchovies, vegetables and spices).

Marinades and jams. In marinades for vegetables, cloves are put all over Europe. Particularly surprising is the combination of cloves with red cabbage(in marinated and stewed form). Recently, cloves have become an exquisite addition to jams and compotes: apple, pear, plum, cherry.

For meat. Cloves go well with meat, liver pate, jelly and aspic tongue. A mixture of grated cloves with nutmeg, marjoram flavor sausages, baked pork.

Combined with orange. An interesting mixture of cloves and oranges has been used in the preparation of hot drinks. But, surprisingly, it is used for fried pork. The mixture is added at the end of the roast so that the flavor of the oranges is not lost.

For broths. In Germany, they use such a trick: for rich meat broths, several cloves are stuck into a whole onion. This spice enhances the flavor well.

Hibiscus (Sudanese rose)
Antioxidant. Antidepressant. Metabolic regulator and antipyretic

Hibiscus is a name given to many plants of the Malvaceae family. Many people grow hibiscus, the "Chinese rose", at home. Has healing properties hibiscus sabdarifa, which is also called rosella, or sudanese rose. It grows in Africa, Ceylon and Java, China, Latin America.

In places of cultivation of the Sudanese rose, the whole plant is eaten, except for the root. The calyxes are very large, juicy and fleshy. Jelly, sauces, compotes are made from them, they are even pickled and salted. Fresh leaves or shoots are put raw into the soup and into the meat, and the seeds are pre-roasted.

We have the most famous and accustomed way to use hibiscus - brewing hibiscus tea. In red tea, only inflorescences, “roses”, are used. Inflorescences for light sourness are included in the multi-component compositions of elite teas on the island of Ceylon and in India.

Impact on the body

Sudanese rose or mallow is a powerful antioxidant and antidepressant. It successfully cleanses the kidneys, bile ducts and liver. Well neutralizes alcohol in the blood.

Hibuscus is rich in vitamins and provitamins. Thanks to their action, tea activates the body, despite the fact that part of the vitamins is inevitably lost during brewing.

The inflorescence (and hibiscus tea) contains citric acid, has antimicrobial and antipyretic effects. Tea quickly helps with colds, sore throats and incipient bronchitis.

Hibiscus improves the condition of the walls of blood vessels, so it is useful to drink it for varicose veins of the legs.

Tea has an interesting effect on blood pressure: when hot, it slightly increases, and when cold, it lowers.

Due to the content of linoleic acid (unsaturated fat) in the Sudanese rose, lipid metabolism improves, that is, the formation of cholesterol plaques is inhibited.

Contraindications

With gastritis and peptic ulcer, hibiscus is not recommended to drink, since citric acid irritates the mucous membrane of the digestive tract.

There are a few more caveats. More than 3 glasses a day should not be drunk even with an excellent condition of the stomach and intestines, so that under the influence of acid the intestinal microflora does not die.

And after drinking tea, it is useful to rinse your mouth with water, because tooth enamel also does not like acids.

For those who are prone to allergies, hibiscus falls under suspicion, as do many red-colored fruits.

Proper brewing of tea

In boiling water, most of the valuable substances of hibiscus are stored for no more than 5 minutes. Therefore, do not use boiling water for brewing tea, let the water cool to 65–70 °.

Brew for 3-4 minutes so that you can consume the drink with the greatest benefit, and without burning yourself.

The right way to preserve nutrients: pour and infuse inflorescences in water room temperature. A cool drink in the summer will be especially pleasant, and the petals that have not passed heat treatment, will be suitable for use in first courses and salads.

Monosodium glutamate
The choice is yours

In the 1920s, Japanese biologists isolated from seaweed an amazing substance that slows down the oxidation of fats. We tried to influence the substance on eggs, fruits, sweets - no effect. But the taste of meat, poultry, seafood, mushrooms, many vegetables and even tobacco, under the influence of crystals of a new substance, intensified. The substance was immediately named "ajinomoto", the root of taste. And, in general, in scanty quantities, its use is quite acceptable.

True, today the “root of taste” is no longer obtained from seaweed, but from soybeans. And China has become the champion in the production and consumption of the “root”.

At the end of the last century in Europe and America, there were disputes about the harm or harmlessness of monosodium glutamate. Biologists and nutritionists have not come to a consensus, accusations against monosodium glutamate in a number of harmful effects have not been removed. But the presence of 1/2 tsp is considered acceptable by international standards. glutamate per 1 kg of the original product.

How monosodium glutamate is labeled

If you try to use only natural spices, you need to make sure that monosodium glutamate or food additive E621 is not listed on the factory packaging.

And even more so, avoid the bashful formulations “flavoring substance” and “flavor enhancer”, what is hidden behind the words is unknown!

Mustard
Increase immunity and improve appetite

Mustard is an excellent antioxidant and spice that strengthens the immune system. Not everyone can use it in the form of a burning French pasta, but even before the invention of pasta, many countries fell in love with sweet leafy varieties and grains of yellow mustard. Pay special attention to them! Once you get familiar with the list of useful properties, you will want to periodically introduce mustard into your diet.

The effect of mustard on the body

It is believed that salad mustard should be introduced into the diet of the elderly, since it has the ability to slow down the aging process of the body, like any antioxidant. All the advantages of lettuce mustard are multiplied in its seeds. Their high antioxidant activity is provided by magnesium, iron and silicon, zinc and selenium. Any of the mustard varieties and products that we will talk about below:

It has antioxidant properties and strengthens the immune system,

Removes congestion in the gallbladder, slows down stone formation,

Improves appetite, promotes better digestion of food.

Warning!

For the use of mustard paste there are contraindications: allergies, gastritis, peptic ulcer of the stomach and intestines, inflammation of the kidneys, pulmonary tuberculosis.

But even if contraindications do not apply to you, mustard paste requires moderation!

Salad mustard and sea mustard

Both of these mustards are leaf varieties. Sea mustard is not a curiosity, and grows on the coast of not only the Black and Azov, but even the White and Barents Seas.

The taste of the leaves combines the echoes of mustard, horseradish and lettuce. It can be used in vitamin salads for a spicy tangy taste. You can also blanch a little and serve with fish or white meat. Shoots are well suited for laying in marinades.

White mustard, aka yellow, aka English

This mustard uses large seeds as a spice. They have a sweetish aftertaste, delicate aroma and excellent preservative qualities.

The seeds are put into any marinades for fish and vegetables and used as thickeners for sauces. White mustard is always put in German sauerkraut for hotness, and in spicy Dutch herring - too.

And English fill-sauce for fish is unthinkable without white mustard. Filling, however, is called "mustard", and is widely used in English cuisine.

Black mustard, aka French and real

Today we know not so much about this mustard, although it has an excellent burning-bitter taste. The fact is that this plant is very inconvenient for agricultural production: the pods quickly open, complicating the collection. Therefore, in Europe it was replaced brown or Sarepta mustard .

And in India, you will definitely be offered black seeds roasted in a dry frying pan as a seasoning - the seasoning has a nutty flavor. It often appears in our "Indian shops", it can be used in salads and hot dishes.

Black mustard is added to hot dishes at the end of cooking.

Sarepta mustard, aka brown, Chinese and Indian

At the beginning of the 19th century, a mustard and oil mill was launched near the city of Sarepta in the Volga region. The plant began industrial processing of grains, in general, brown mustard weed. However, the Russian tradition of using Sarepta mustard is limited to making hot paste. A small part is used in baking, and quite a bit of pressure on the oil. Mustard oil is today the subject of controversy among nutritionists (read about it in the section Must-have Sauces…/Vegetable Oil/ Mustard Oil).

And in India and China (and in some places we have now), Sarpet mustard seeds are sold in markets and stores. The hostesses germinate them and fry them in oil. It turns out an excellent vitamin and mineral seasoning for any dishes: vegetable, meat, legumes, flour. But in fairness, it must be said that this seasoning requires a biological habit. In principle, any controversial food is useful when it is consumed by several generations of ancestors.

mustard powder

For the preparation of mayonnaise, mustard paste, salad dressings, you can use ready-made mustard powder - it has never been a scarce commodity, and today it is sold everywhere, from many manufacturers.

Pay attention to the packaging. If we ourselves are going to cook mustard paste, we should be interested in what kind of mustard was powdered (the types of mustard are given above).

And mustard powder is used when roasting meat and poultry. Sauce for roasting with mustard powder gives an appetizing ruddy crust.

Sauce base for baking

mustard powder

water

Mustard powder is mixed with water until a batter is formed. Salt and any seasonings (including mustard seeds) can be added to this mixture to taste. And coat the meat before frying.

mustard paste

Burning mustard paste was invented by French chefs: ground mustard seeds were diluted grape must(that is, sour, unfermented juice).

Today, the liquid fraction is water, vinegar, wine, beer, or a combination of liquids. And as the main raw material - domestic mustard. That is, white (occasionally black) mustard is ground in France, Sarepta - in Russia.

Of course, the French bittersweet paste cannot stand comparison with the Russian fiery mustard. On a mustard scale, our seasoning is unrivaled.

But french mustard, or rather, its multiple variants, serves as the basis for various sauces(cm. Sauce Recipes/Mustard Sauces).

Dijon mustard

Initially, it is a mixture of black mustard powder with wine and salt. Now white mustard has replaced black mustard in production. But in any case, the pasta goes well with fried meat and serves as the basis for sauces and mayonnaises.

Bordeaux mustard

A mixture of white mustard with a small amount of Sarepta mustard flavored with herbs ( tarragon, first of all). getting divorced vinegar , grape must and sugar.

Provencal mustard

This type of spice is made on a Bordeaux basis, seasoned garlic, pepper, basil, honey and tarragon.

Bavarian mustard

Quite a complex spice made from white mustard with honey and aromatic additives. German housewives willingly cook it at home. Based on this mustard, we will master the principle of making mustard with herbs in order to give free rein to imagination in the future.

white mustard powder - 250 g

brown sugar - 200 g

honey - 1 tbsp. l.

water - 350 ml

wine vinegar - 150 ml

salt - 1/2 tsp.

black pepper - 5 peas

laurel - 1 leaf

juniper - 3 berries

dry ginger - 1/2 tsp (or a piece of fresh root)

Boil water, adding salt, pepper, juniper, laurel, ginger and wine vinegar (at the end). Cool the solution and strain. Dilute honey in solution.

Mix mustard powder and sugar. Add the mixture to the solution, stir and leave for several hours. If the seasoning thickens too much, dilute with water.

Put the pasta on a small fire and let it “puff”, but do not boil! Pour hot pasta into jars, cool and place in the refrigerator. For 3 months of guaranteed storage - there will be plenty of mustard!

Danish mustard with cream

Mustard without the addition of herbs is quite simple to prepare. Danish mustard with cream is not classic recipe, but very easy to manufacture and pleasant to the taste. Suitable as a spicy-sweet sauce for any dish. It must be cooked before serving.

mustard powder - 2 tbsp. l.

granulated sugar- 1/2 tbsp. l.

apple cider vinegar - up to 100 g

whipped cream - 1-2 tbsp. l.

Mix mustard powder and sugar. Gradually add Apple vinegar and stir the mixture. It is necessary to achieve the consistency of thick sour cream, while the mixture should be perfectly homogeneous.

Let the mixture brew and ripen for half an hour. Whip a small amount of cream (a few tablespoons) and slowly add them to the mustard, stirring constantly. After the first spoon, take a sample, if the spiciness suits you, the paste is ready. For a sweeter paste, add another tablespoon of cream.

Oregano

see oregano

Angelica
Antitumor agent. Elixir for bronchi and blood vessels

We know more about angelica as a healing herb (other names for herbs are angelica and kupyr) than about angelica spice (in the Mediterranean, the spice is called angelica). Sometimes angelica is confused with chervil, but these herbs are different, and spices in terms of aromatic properties are also different. Angelica grows everywhere in our country. It has a bitter taste and pungent aroma.

Useful properties of angelica

In folk medicine, angelica was used for severe infectious diseases. Let's take a closer look:

It heals the throat and any cough, heals digestive system, cleanses the liver and bile ducts.

The substances contained in angelica have antitumor activity, that is, angelica is an antioxidant and an anticarcinogen.

A decoction of angelica root is used for flatulence, gastrointestinal disorders, gastritis and biliary dyskinesia.

The decoction is drunk for colds, bronchitis, laryngitis, bronchopneumonia. It has diuretic, expectorant, diaphoretic and bactericidal properties.

Root tincture increases appetite, improves digestion, enhances intestinal motility and secretory function.

The extract is used as an antispasmodic for spasm of smooth muscles (vessels and digestive tract) and as a sedative.

Siberian health for lunch and dessert

In France, angelica is the property of wine production. In any case, Chartreuse and Benedictine liqueurs, which were made in the monastery of St. Benedict, cannot do without it. Angelica gives them excellent medicinal properties.

Let's see where angelica can be used so that the kitchen wins and the healing power is used!

Fresh young leaves are suitable for salad. The peoples of the North generally eat them with milk in order to somehow replenish the supply of vitamins.

Dry stems can be put in a pot with soup, only a little (a piece of stem up to 15 cm long per pot of 3 liters) so that the dish does not taste bitter later.

Jam is made from snow-white roots and candied like candied fruits.

Dried root powder is used when stewing meat (no more than 1/2 tsp per serving) - you need to add 2-3 minutes before the dish is ready.

Zira
For the heart, blood vessels. Against colic and nervousness

Zira refers to the umbrella and in Arabic means "seed", this is the only thing in which there are no discrepancies among botanists. But among culinary specialists from different countries, information about the spice zira is contradictory. They call her cumin, cumin, roman cumin, Indian cumin, ajan, azhgon, aiowan and heatedly argue about what kind of cuisine they use a real spice. So, despite the name "Roman cumin", attributing zira to traditional Mediterranean seasonings would be an exaggeration. But you can use it in the same products that Europeans season cumin - cheeses, cottage cheese, sauerkraut, meat. It goes without saying that zira in sauerkraut and in cottage cheese - this is the most healthy food!

Effect on the body

Judge for yourself how useful the appearance of zira on our table:

The spice has a healing effect on the heart and blood vessels, prevents platelet aggregation.

Improves brain function and vision.

Relieves headaches, calms the nervous system.

Favors digestion, increases appetite, relieves stomach cramps, spasms in the gastrointestinal tract. Pounded spice is used in teas for babies to relieve flatulence and calm the nervous system.

Zira is an antiseptic; wound healing solutions are made on its basis. In folk medicine, it is advised to relieve swelling with compresses from crushed cumin seeds mixed with olive oil.

Warning!

With what, besides cottage cheese, they eat zira

Zira seeds are used in the preparation of meat and pilaf, they are added to classic spices, such as Chili sauce.

In India, it is a component of a mixture curry (cm. Spice mixes/Curry).

In Mexico, it is used as a condiment for fried meat with vegetables.

In Kyrgyzstan, it is put in marinades for meat.

In Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, pilafs, soups, main courses, dough products are indispensable without zira.

In Armenia, zira is an ingredient in a traditional seasoning. Chaman(except for zira, it includes ground seeds fenugreek , ground coriander and mixture peppers ). Seasoning is indispensable in the manufacture of dry-cured sausages.

In Greece, zira is sometimes added to meat in stews and is introduced into some special recipes for sausages and frankfurters.

In order for the zira to reveal its aroma, it must be fried in a dry frying pan. After roasting, the aroma becomes more spicy with pronounced nutty notes.

If fried onions and carrots are introduced into the dish, you can fry the zira together with these vegetables in oil.

Experiment by adding zira to fish and meat dishes.

Perfect combination of tomato juice with sour cream and cumin. Vegetable stews, peas, beans, beans and potatoes with zira will be better absorbed by the body.

Zubrovka
Two in one: for appetite and good digestion

Zubrovka owes its name to the inhabitants of Polissya, who know how the Bialowieza bison love this grass. And in the North American prairies, bison are looking for it among the herbs, and there they call bison buffalo grass. The Indians added it to tobacco for the Peace Pipe, in Europe it was decorated with altars during church holidays.

The unsightly herb has such an attractive aroma and such a pleasant astringent taste that a few stalks in a decoction or infusion cause pleasure and are instantly remembered by our senses.

Since the 17th century, in Poland, which included Belarusian Polissya, they began to produce Bialowieza vodka "Zubrovka", and today it is considered a Polish national treasure. AT Soviet time in Brest, our "Zubrovka" became an industrial product. A few stalks of bison, dipped in vodka for 10 days, give the drink a soft green color and a balm aroma.

But at the end of the 20th century, in the West, this drink began to be treated very warily due to the high content of coumarin, which is considered dangerous, in the root and stems of bison. In small quantities, coumarin has a beneficial effect on the composition of the blood, and in certain doses it destroys the walls of blood vessels.

Nevertheless, even in Paris, with 1-2 stalks of bison, they make excellent sauces for vegetables and poultry dishes - see below. Sauce recipes/Zubrovka for foie gras. In such quantities, coumarin is not dangerous and is contained even in persimmon, and the unique aroma of the herb stimulates the appetite.

Use in folk medicine and cooking

In folk medicine, a small amount of bison is advised to be used to activate the body, improve appetite and good digestion. For this purpose, a decoction and an alcoholic infusion of the herb are used.

Zubrovka decoction

A teaspoon of bison is poured into a glass of boiling water, allowed to brew for several minutes, filtered and drunk a third of a glass before meals.

Zubrovka infusion

Pour a tablespoon of herbs into 1/2 cup of vodka. Insist 2 weeks in a dark place. Take 5-10 drops before meals with a little water.

Ginger
Antioxidant. Antiseptic. Aphrodisiac. Metabolism accelerator

Arab merchants, who delivered ginger spice to Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome 2000 years ago, claimed that it grows in the distant land of troglodytes, and it is not at all easy to get it. Like all root crops, ginger really does grow in "troglodyte land," that is, literally, underground.

In Rus', ginger was very popular and was present on any table - both in poor and rich houses. Not a single feast could do without him. Yes, and in healing, it was widely used. After the advent of Soviet power, ginger was excluded from the number of spices needed by the Soviet people. And only now ginger is returning to our table.

The main producers of spices are India and China, where myth-making is developed no less than in the Middle Eastern countries. And ginger, of course, occupies not the last place in legends: what is the treatment of colds and loss of strength for ginger root, if it is capable, for example, of igniting an icy heart!

Types of ginger

Species fresh ginger actually two: white ginger root and root black(or Bengal and Barbadian, respectively). All this is the same ginger, processed in different ways. Black ginger is washed and dried in the sun. And white ginger is additionally processed with weak acidic solutions, which increase its shelf life and soften the taste. From a healthy eating point of view, black ginger is certainly preferable. But it has a more burning taste and pungent odor, which reduces the culinary qualities of the spice. In addition, on our shelves you can find only a white variety.

Fresh ginger can be stored in the refrigerator in a paper bag for up to a week. If the spice is wrapped in cling film, the shelf life is increased.

The stores sell and dry ginger powder. Its aroma and taste are not very consistent fresh product, but it is also a popular seasoning that will bring its own accent to any dish.

Healing properties of ginger

Now let's see, due to what the oriental spice ignites the hearts and heals the throat:

Ginger is an antioxidant and antiseptic.

It has activating, diaphoretic, expectorant properties.

Indispensable for any colds, bronchitis, acute respiratory infections, flu. Ginger tea even treats snoring.

Fresh ginger root simplifies digestion, so it is used in individual diets for quick weight loss.

Saves from physiological nausea (not associated with the pathological condition of the gastrointestinal tract), arising from motion sickness, with toxicosis, etc.

Calms the nervous system, improves mood, relieves headaches caused by stress and negative emotions.

Ginger thins the blood like aspirin and helps lower blood sugar levels.

One of the best aphrodisiacs.

Refreshes breath, heals the whole body.

Cautions concern people suffering from cardiovascular diseases!

Ginger increases the risk of arrhythmias. It may counteract antiarrhythmic drugs. This is due to the fact that the use of ginger somewhat reduces the level of potassium in the blood.

Regular consumption of ginger can cause an increase in blood pressure.

Despite the fact that ginger lowers blood sugar levels, it conflicts with antidiabetic drugs. Check with your doctor if you can use ginger if you are being treated for diabetes!

How to use ginger

Ginger is used in baking (it is introduced into the dough during kneading, at the rate of 1 teaspoon of powder or 1 tablespoon of grated root per 1 kg of dough).

It is added to sweet dishes - marmalades, jellies, compotes. Spice is placed in compotes 5 minutes before removing from heat at the rate of 1/4 tsp. on a glass.

In mixtures with other spices, ginger is flavored with cheeses, meat, fish meals, vegetables, mushrooms. When stewing meat and vegetables, ginger is introduced 20 minutes before readiness at the rate of 1 tsp. powder or 1 tbsp. l. grated root per 1 kg of meat. Under the influence of spices, the meat becomes softer.

The main supply of oils and aromatic substances is located under the skin of a fresh root, so it must be cleaned carefully.

If the recipe calls for grated ginger, rub the peeled root with a fine grater to separate the tough inner fibers.

And you can cut it with a potato cutter or just with a knife, always across the fibers.

Ginger is introduced into sauces (see. Sauce recipes / Ginger sauces and ginger spice oil), marinades - both vegetable and fruit.

Fresh ginger in Japan is served with rice or fish.

The Chinese love ginger tea and the British ginger beer and ginger biscuits.

Ginger tea

Ginger tea is beneficial for almost everyone because:

Improves digestion;

Allows better digestion of food;

Neutralizes toxins accumulated in the stomach and intestines;

Improves mood;

Increases tone;

Strengthens immunity;

Used as a love drink.

Drink it before or after meals in small sips.

Ginger tea can be made in a variety of recipes, as well as blended herbal teas. It is best to prepare ginger tea with fresh ginger. However, if a fresh root is not available, ground ginger (ginger powder) can be used. Do not worry that tea from the powder will be cloudy! If you drink it for medicinal purposes, then it will help even better than fresh root tea.

grated fresh ginger root - 1 tbsp. l. (or 1 tsp powder)

lemon - 1 circle

honey - 1-2 tsp.

water - 1 glass

Finely grate fresh ginger root (or cut into thin slices) and place in a small saucepan or ladle. Pour boiling water over and cook over low heat for 5 minutes under a tightly closed lid. Then remove from heat and let steep for 3-5 minutes. In a cup, mash lemon with honey, pour hot ginger tea and stir. Drink hot.

If replacing ginger root with ginger powder, remember the proportions:

1 tsp ginger powder = 1 tbsp. l. grated fresh ginger root.

vegetable oil - 1-2 tbsp. l.

pumpkin, de-seeded and diced - 700 g

large potato, diced

large carrots, coarsely grated

apple cut into slices

ground coriander - 1/2 tsp.

ginger - 2-3 large slices

a cup of milk (optional)

salt - 1.5 tsp.

black pepper and ground nutmeg - a pinch

Heat the oil in a heavy bottomed saucepan. Put vegetables and ginger in a saucepan, fry, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes. Pour in 5 cups of water and milk. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 20-25 minutes. Then remove from heat and let stand for 5 minutes with the lid closed. At the end add salt, pepper and nutmeg.

If you feel sleepy after dinner, prepare a ginger arousal for yourself. Soaked in water and dried pieces of ginger dip in sugar syrup or liquid chocolate. Place the treat in the refrigerator for a short while to allow the caramel layer or fudge to harden. One lozenge is enough to wake up and get rid of a significant part of the free radicals accumulated during the day!

Simple and healthy pumpkin soup with ginger

Candied fruit for cheerfulness

Hyssop
Against asthma, bronchitis and angina pectoris

Some scholars claim that the herb hyssop is mentioned in the Bible, while others say that it is in the Koran. Probably, both of them are right - in any case, the countries of the Maghreb (those west of Egypt) have appreciated the aromatic properties of hyssop since ancient times. But what is known for certain is the inclusion of hyssop in the secret list of Benedictine monks. And this list excites many wise minds, because the recipes for Benedictine and Chartreuse liqueurs are based on it.

Hyssop shrubs have long spread everywhere where it is warm (in the south of Europe, in the Crimea, in the Caucasus and in Central Asia), and today they are cultivated in our dachas. The spice has a tart, attractive aroma, and its use improves the taste of not only drinks.

What is the use of hyssop

Those who have had to treat a persistent cough are probably familiar with the medicinal herb hyssop. It really quickly cures bronchitis and is useful in bronchial asthma. We list at least some of the useful properties of hyssop used in medicine in different countries:

Used to regulate sweating and as an antiseptic.

Pharmacopoeias (official documents that establish the quality of a medicine) of France, Germany, Portugal, Sweden contain information about hyssop as an antimicrobial agent.

Its effectiveness in the fight against staphylococcus has been proven.

In Russia, hyssop is not included in the pharmacopeia, but in folk medicine it is used as an expectorant for bronchitis, tracheitis, laryngitis. And as a means of strengthening the heart, with angina pectoris and neuroses.

Hyssop strengthens and tones the body.

Stimulates appetite and promotes good digestion.

Relieves inflammation of the urinary tract.

A compress with hyssop will remove bruises (hematomas, bruises) and heal the wound.

Due to its antimicrobial and aromatic properties, hyssop is included in toothpastes and tooth elixirs. Chew hyssop leaves to bring back fresh breath!

Warnings!

Hyssop carefully used for hypertension.

He is completely contraindicated with disorders of the nervous system and with epilepsy.

Hyssop it is forbidden use by pregnant and lactating women, as well as children under the age of 5 years.

Monastery grass for lunch

The smell of hyssop is quite strong, one might say, sharp. Therefore, it is consumed in small quantities and it is best to do it fresh. For example, add 2-3 leaves to bean soup. Or use hyssop in stuffed eggs, fresh cucumber and tomato salads (1-2 finely chopped leaves per serving).

By the way, excellent and useful spices celery, fennel, marjoram, parsley, dill, basil and mint create a good combination with hyssop. Take advantage of it!

Hyssop will improve the absorption of meat, and tender fried veal with it will acquire a pleasant astringency - for the first time add when stewing, based on the calculation of 1/2 leaf per 1 serving 1-2 minutes before readiness, and then decide whether you like more or less hyssop add.

First meal. Put some chopped hyssop into the bean soup.

During conservation. In marinades and pickles when canning cucumbers, tomatoes, olives.

Kalgan
Against hypochondria, headache and toothache

Kalgan (galangal, alpinia) is a gentle kind ginger , with all its inherent scope of use. However, these spices are not interchangeable. Kalgan is more fragrant than ginger, its smell is thinner. It includes a eucalyptus-resinous note. But it tastes bitter.

The homeland of the spice is China, although in the 18th century Europeans called it the “Russian root”, since the trade route went through Russia. And today we can hardly find galangal in our country or anywhere in European countries.

There is often confusion with galangal, as some call the yellow flower cinquefoil or dubrovka galangal-grass. Potentilla is also a spice that is used in canned fish and alcoholic beverage production, but this is not galangal at all.

Useful properties of galangal

The healing properties of galangal have been known since the Middle Ages. Chinese traditional medicine still actively uses galangal root in medicines to stimulate the immune system, especially in chronic allergies (including allergic rhinitis). Be aware that this is a unique property, since many spices themselves can cause allergies! BUT galangal is an anti-allergen.

Kalgan contains many vitamins and minerals. Tinctures and decoctions of galangal are widely used in folk medicine.

Kalgan root is prescribed for inflammation of the small intestine, with lethargy of the digestive tract, with pain in the stomach, decreased appetite. Infusion or decoction promotes gas separation, increases the functional activity of the stomach.

The rhizome is used for general exhaustion and frequent headaches, which are accompanied by despondency, hypochondria.

Usage and proportions

In Indian and Indonesian cuisine, powdered galangal root is seasoned with fried meat, vegetable stews, rice, sauces for vegetables and fish - to taste, like ordinary seasonings.

Young stems, leaves and galangal inflorescences are eaten fresh or lightly blanched for vegetable stews.

Galangal may be part of the Chinese mixture wuxianmian , or five spices (cm. spice mixes), and is often called lengquas. These five spices work together to improve metabolism, and the body experiences a surge of vigor.

Kalindzhi (nigella)

see black cumin

capers
Anticarcinogen. Wound healing. Pressure regulation

The spice of capers is the buds of the caper shrub. When the capers open, their pink and white flowers define the appearance of large areas. Shrubs are considered landscape plants in many areas of Asia and the Mediterranean. But the culinary specialists manage to boldly take away a certain number of buds from jealous gardeners, because it is not for nothing that the name “caper” is translated as “desire” and even “passion”! Caper buds are harvested, dried in the sun, then salted in olive oil or marinated in wine sauce. Salted capers keep better. The most expensive species are small Provencal capers (1-3 mm), they are called nonpareil. Larger capers (5-12 mm) are cheaper.

Useful properties of capers

Since Biblical times, capers have been associated with fullness of life and youth. The plant contains a large amount of vitamins C and P, is a general tonic. Capers have a grand set of micro and macro elements and make a significant contribution to Mediterranean longevity.

Capers are able to heal wounds, that is, they have a pronounced bactericidal property.

It is considered a choleretic and diaphoretic.

In diseases of the thyroid gland, it is useful to constantly introduce caper fruits into the diet.

Eating capers can lower blood pressure.

A decoction of the roots of the plant has an antirheumatic effect.

The bark of capers is brewed for nervous disorders.

According to some reports, capers have an anticarcinogenic effect. With benign tumors, they are used to reduce oncological alertness.

And among other things, capers increase appetite and improve digestion.

"Passion" is an excellent side dish for meat!

Capers go well with basil, oregano (or oregano ), With garlic , pickled or salted olives.

Quite often, capers are served as a side dish for meat, fish, poultry, offal dishes (especially kidneys).

Capers are an ingredient in an expensive Nice salad, which includes: potatoes, olives, green beans, small artichokes and hard-boiled eggs, anchovies and expensive dressing vinegar and olive oil. They are also used in herring salads.

Pickled capers include french sauces"Tartar", "Ravigot".

Olive oil with capers and lemon juice serves as a sauce for fish and vegetables.

Since Biblical times, capers have been associated with fullness of life and youth.

The plant contains a large amount of vitamins C and P, is a general tonic.

Jonjoli - not capers, but also delicious!

In Georgian cuisine, buds of a rare Caucasian acacia are present as capers. Georgians call spice jonjoli(interestingly, in Spain it is also sometimes called sesame). If you are lucky enough to buy pickled jonjoli, try this combination:

jonjoli - 200 g

onion (preferably green) - 30 g

wine vinegar - 5 g

olive oil - 10 g

Lightly squeeze the berries from the marinade, place in a salad bowl, sprinkle with vinegar, pour over with oil, sprinkle with chopped onions. A spicy appetizer for any meat and vegetables is ready!

Cardamom
Antioxidant and source of trace elements - against spasms and migraines

Most often on the shelves of stores we can find ground or capsicum green cardamom- and this is very good, because black, whitish, bengali and many other species of cardamom are considered less beneficial, and often not cardamom at all in the botanical sense. And, therefore, they have other properties.

It is difficult to describe the taste and aroma of green cardamom.

The crushed seeds at the same time evoke memories of lemon, eucalyptus, camphor and perfectly freshen the breath.

Green cardamom grows mainly in India, where it has long been used to spice up exquisite "imperial" dishes.

And black cardamom, with its more pronounced camphor aroma, is suitable for rustic dishes.

In India, cardamom is the second most produced spice, second only to black pepper .

Healing properties

Cardamom better than many spices stimulates the action of the digestive tract and spleen. In India, it is believed that by stimulating digestion, cardamom sharpens mental reactions and relieves irritability. This spice has other invaluable properties:

Cardamom is an antioxidant and immunostimulant, that is, an indispensable tool for increasing resistance to infectious diseases, nervous stress.

It is rich in vitamins, many trace elements and vegetable fibers.

In ancient Greece and ancient Rome, cardamom was used as a cure for migraine or intestinal fermentation.

Cardamom is prescribed for colds, coughs and baking pain in the heart, "heart burning". Most likely, cardamom relieved attacks of coronary spasms in those days when there was no validol at hand!

Warning!

Like any spicy seasoning, cardamom can serve as an allergen. Be especially careful to use if one of your household or guests suffers from asthma.

Democratic spice of the imperial table

To begin with, let's make a reservation that it is better to buy whole pods in stores, or rather, boxes of cardamom than ground spice. Since even in their own boxes during the year, the seeds will lose almost half of the essential composition. The greener the boxes, the better the flavor.. Store them in a closed container in a dark place!

If you are using in the kitchen curry mix, then you know that cardamom is part of this popular mixture (see also spice mixes). But it will not be superfluous to purchase a separate bag of cardamom. Cardamom is indispensable in the preparation of sausages, fish, sauces, confectionery, canning and winemaking. Many nations have their own traditions of using cardamom:

In Asia, cardamom , saffron and almonds are used in rice dishes, the mixture is put at the beginning of cooking. It is also used for milk yoghurts.

In Germany, cardamom is an ingredient in Christmas honey gingerbread with candied fruits and almonds. For dough and fruit dishes, in which the presence of dense flaps is undesirable, ready-ground cardamom is used, or the seeds are removed from the pod immediately before use and crushed in a mortar.

In Scandinavia, cardamom is always added to marinades for herring and herring. Mulled wine and punch are flavored with cardamom. Whole boxes with seeds are added to drinks.

In China, cardamom is added to tea, and the Bedouins of Africa and Saudi Arabia use it in coffee.

We have known cardamom for a long time, our ancestors used it in baking Easter cakes, in dough for fritters, poppy gingerbread.

Curry, leaf
Natural antibiotic and blood purifier

Kari-patta, Kari-Phulia, Mitha-nim(or simply him) - this is how the leaves of the legendary neem tree are called in India, which outwardly resemble laurel leaves. The British caught in the name the similarity with the name of spicy curry mixes , and eliminated differences in European spelling: both the spice mixture and the kari-patta leaf were simply called curry(curry).

Curry leaves have a fresh aroma with a hint of sage, parsley and red pepper. They leave a long aftertaste in the mouth and stimulate the appetite wonderfully. In India, they are used to flavor ghee from cow's milk(or buffalo milk). Curry leaves are fried in oil until crispy, then removed. During this time, the oil manages to soak in the rich smell of the curry leaf.

Benefits of Curry Leaf

The bark and leaves of curry are a natural antiseptic, purify the blood, remove toxins from the body.

Curry leaves will help to cope with enterocolitis, hepatitis, cholecystitis, inflammation in the kidneys and bladder. They are a weak diuretic.

Promote wound healing. Decoctions are used for pneumonia, polyarthritis, osteochondrosis, inflammation of the bladder, tonsillitis, skin furunculosis, diarrhea, dysentery, asthma, cough, bacterial infections.

Curry has a firming and tonic effect.

In Ayurveda, curry is used to cleanse the skin, as an antipyretic and hemostatic agent.

Curry leaf uses in cooking

Curry leaf is used in first courses, stews vegetable dishes, snacks. It is believed that their aroma additionally "warms" hot dishes.

In traditional Indian cuisine, fresh curry leaves are combined with coconut pulp, coconut milk.

In Sri Lanka, the curry leaf is a must-have. curry mixes for chicken and vegetables.

In the coastal regions of India, fish and seafood dishes are seasoned with a curry leaf.

Unlike bay leaves, curry leaves lose their flavor when dried. The curry leaf is used exclusively fresh!

Cassia
Remedy for diabetes and atherosclerosis

Cassia spice (Chinese cinnamon, Indonesian cinnamon) is the outer layer of Chinese cinnamon, dried and rolled into a tight tube (or ground into a fine powder). Most often, we get the spice in the form of a powder. Such packaging well hides an insidious fake from the buyer. The fact is that cassia serves as a cheap substitute for expensive spices. cinnamon.

The cinnamon tube has a uniform light shade of brown, while the cassia changes color from grayish to dark brown. And it is distinguished by the rough texture of the tree bark. Cassia generally does not curl very well, so it is sometimes packaged as broken sawdust (flakes). Cassia spice labeling looks like this: Cinnamomum aromaticum, and the commercial name is Chinese cinnamon or Indonesian cinnamon.

Ground cassia imitates cinnamon powder so skillfully that it has been misleading both importers and consumers for two millennia, winning a dubious commercial victory. The price of this victory may be our well-being: in large quantities, cassia is an unsafe spice. To reap the benefits of cassia, it must be meticulously dosed!

Warning!

Compared to cinnamon, cassia is high in coumarin. In moderate doses, coumarin, which can be isolated from many useful fruits, improves the blood formula. But the increased content adversely affects the walls of blood vessels. In Germany, they believe that 8 pieces of cookies and muffins sprinkled with cassia for an adult is an excess of the norm! And for children, products with cassia are generally not recommended.

However, we could not completely pass by Cassia. And not only because they wanted to inform you about the existence of a confusion of cassia with cinnamon, but also in order to emphasize its medicinal properties. And there are a lot of them, you just need to know the dose: 3-4 cookies per day for an adult, no more!

Medicinal properties of cassia

In Chinese traditional medicine, cassia is used to stimulate the digestive process and increase intestinal peristalsis.

The spice contains phytoncides, due to which it has active antimicrobial and antiviral properties.

There are studies that support the benefits of cassia in age-related diabetes.

Cassia reduces the aggregation of blood platelets and normalizes cholesterol levels.

Cassia is used in dishes in the same way as cinnamon. But only in very small quantities, then the benefits of the spice will be indisputable.

Chervil
Normalization of digestion, metabolism, blood pressure, respiratory function

Exquisite chervil herb is endowed with a volatile aroma reminiscent of that anise, then tarragon, or even parsley. It is sometimes called "French parsley" because of the carved leaves.

Chervil is often included in classical French Bouquet garni (cm. Spice mixes/Bouquet garni), although his homeland is not Provence, but the Caucasus, southern Russia and Western Asia. We often call the spice kupyr.

Warning!

Be careful when collecting chervil (kupyr) yourself! Its leaves are like leaves hemlock, a highly poisonous herb.

In general, fresh leaves or chervil root are excellent. fit together with fresh tarragon, parsley, onion, basil. And quite do not match With thyme (thyme) and cloves.

Useful properties of chervil

Chervil leaves, unfortunately, are not suitable for drying, because in this form they lose both aroma and vitamins. But they can be stored in the freezer. And the roots are harvested like celery . However, its healing properties are different.

The spice is rich in vitamin C and provitamin A (carotene), mineral salts, rutin, glycosides. Thanks to this composition, the spice can help normalize blood pressure in patients with hypertension.

Activates digestion and metabolism.

It has a beneficial effect on the liver, excretory system and respiratory organs.

People with liver and metabolic diseases (including gout) are advised to chew several chervil leaves a day. And lotions from the decoction of chervil relieve inflammation and redness of the eyes.

And, by the way, chervil has another useful property: the aroma of several of its branches drives ants out of the kitchen. If insects have baked you - use this method!

How not to lose useful properties

Since chervil is our herb and is cultivated in the Crimea and Moldova, there is a high probability of finding it in stores. Therefore, we will determine the scope:

Fresh leaves of chervil go to salads, soups, meat dishes. Serves as a condiment for fried fish. Vinegar is flavored with them - see flavoring method. Vinegar.

During heat treatment, the aroma is lost, so when frying fish, add it 1-2 minutes before it is ready, or just in the finished dish.

If you mix chervil leaves with eggs, vegetable oil, sour cream, vinegar and mustard, we get an excellent sauce for meat and poultry, cheese and potatoes.

Chervil is an appropriate seasoning for cottage cheese and just bread and butter.

Chervil root resembles parsley or parsnip With anise aroma, it can be rubbed into salads (just before serving).

Chervil storage

Chervil wilts incredibly quickly, so wrap it in a damp towel, place it in a container, and use it within two days.

Chervil leaves, unfortunately, are not suitable for drying, because in this form they lose their aroma. But you can also store them yourself in the freezer or freeze chopped chervil in ice cubes.

And the roots are harvested like celery (cm. Celery).

Citric acid
Metabolism accelerator

In February 1976, a dubious document was circulated in France, according to which citric acid, in a number of other food additives, is a carcinogen (a substance that triggers malignant tumor processes in the body). The authorship of the mentioned document is still unknown. And he himself received the name "Villejuif list", because the list of "dangerous" additives was substantiated by studies allegedly conducted at the medical university in Villejuif, a Parisian suburb. The document, of course, had the character of a hoax: certain harmful additives banned in France were not included in it, and the innocent additive E330 (citric acid) was listed as the most insidious ingredient in food.

Unauthorized copies of the "Villejuif List" quickly spread throughout Europe and caused panic in Germany, Italy and the UK. In a short period of time, wealthy consumers in Africa and the Middle East have been seized by similar sentiments. Even decades later, the aforementioned false document was placed in popular science books about oncology, despite the loud and decisive disassociation from the scandal of the leadership of the medical institute.

A small digression into the recent past of citric acid should convince you of its original innocence to the consumer. Ideally, citric acid is natural product obtained from lemon juice. Although for quite a long time it was produced on an industrial scale from the biomass of shag, and now it is synthesized from sugary substances, by-products of sugar production.

Citric acid is odorless and flavorless. And if the prepared dish does not correspond to acids with a taste ( vinegar , for example, or the actual juice of a lemon, other citrus fruits, Chinese magnolia vine, cranberries), then it is crystalline citric acid that is used. It is considered a gastronomically neutral supplement. At the same time, as important as salt, vinegar, pepper . Confectionery is not complete without citric acid, soft drinks, compotes, some soups and sauces.

Health impact

Citric acid is found in the human body, it speeds up metabolic processes. The use of natural citric acid with citrus fruits or cranberries activates the metabolism.

And there is absolutely no need to deny yourself products containing synthetic citric acid as a stabilizer. It is this stabilizer that will not harm your health!

coconut flakes
Cleansing the body

Coconut flakes need no introduction. It is made from coconut pulp, dried at high temperature, cooled and carefully sieved. A valuable seasoning is the smallest shavings with a high content of coconut oil, labeled as fine. Variety medium also contains a significant percentage of fat, but the chips are ground to an average consistency. Mostly cheap product of the variety falls on our shelves. coarse, very coarse coconut flour from various manufacturers in the Philippines, Indonesia, Vietnam and Malaysia.

In Asian cuisine, coconut pulp is the main ingredient in the first and second courses at dinner. And sweet coconut flakes mixed with ground chili pepper serves as a spicy seasoning for any dish and dessert.

However, whatever the fat content, the greatest value coconut flakes is in unique dietary fibers. In the intestines, they act as an indispensable scrub and adsorbent. Saturated with liquid, coconut flakes remove toxins and waste from the body.

Useful properties of coconut flakes

We have already mentioned that the vegetable fibers of coconut flakes remove toxins from the body.

The vitamin and mineral composition contained in coconut increases the body's immune defenses, normalizes cholesterol levels, and protects the cardiovascular system from nutritional errors.

Coconut shavings at home

We use coconut flakes most often in confectionery production And, of course, you won't find a better topping for baking!

We can make coconut flakes at home. To begin with, we will choose a suitable coconut: outwardly, it should be free of cracks, dents and mold, the eyes of the coconut should be dry. Shake the nut: a ripe coconut gurgles as the coconut juice oozes inside. A good coconut is quite heavy! Now let's get down to business:

We pierce one of the eyes with a knife (or screwdriver) and drain all the liquid through the hole. With a hammer, tap on the "ribs" and the body of the coconut. It must crack. We remove the exfoliated areas and continue to hit the fruit until we can clean it.

Another option is to saw the coconut freed from the juice with a saw. Remove the pulp from both halves with a knife. If the pulp is hard and difficult to separate, then the nut, unfortunately, is green.

Grate the flesh of the coconut, then soak it in boiling water. After half an hour, you can squeeze homemade coconut milk. “Piece” is leveled with a thin layer on a napkin and allowed to dry. The milk separation step can also be omitted. Shavings with the remaining milk will be more fragrant and healthier. If the homemade shavings are well dried, they can be stored for at least a year in a tightly sealed container.

Coconut oil

In the chapter “Seasonings you can’t do without: sauces and vegetable oil”, the main types of vegetable oils that are used as a seasoning for cold dishes are described. Coconut oil is a solid product and is not used as a condiment. In addition, it belongs to the group of oils with a high content of saturated fats (unlike other vegetable oils, which are beneficial in terms of unsaturated fats). But if we are talking about coconut, then I would like to say a few words about its valuable oil in terms of its general biological composition.

Unsaturated fatty acids account for only 5-11% of the fat composition of the oil. And such fats in coconut are lauric and myristic acids. Lauric acid is found in breast milk. Its task is to put a barrier to bacteria, viruses, fungi that attack the baby's body from the first days of life. Myristic acid also has disinfecting properties and is part of the blood plasma.

Coconut oil instantly turns into energy, without accumulating in the tissues, like refractory animal fat. Therefore, coconut oil is useful for athletes or people of hard physical labor, it improves the intestinal flora (thanks to the same lauric acid), while not putting a load on the liver.

Coconut oil promotes the absorption of calcium and magnesium. For older people, for menopausal women, it makes sense to use coconut oil with a morning sandwich. In addition, it stimulates the metabolism, so weight gain is out of the question!

And finally, this oil contains natural antioxidants - vitamins A, C, E.

Getting coconut oil at home:

Obtaining oil can become a by-product of manufacturing coconut flakes! Coconut flesh is crushed using a food processor and poured with water so as to cover the layer of chips. After 4–5 hours, the infusion is filtered, the chips are separated, and the water is placed in the refrigerator overnight. In the morning, separation will occur in a glass container: solid fat will float on top, and a watery fraction will remain below. Solid fat is easily caught, dried - this is unrefined coconut oil, sometimes called "coconut cream". In the meantime, the shavings are dried and used as a seasoning.

Coriander (cilantro)
Antioxidant. Aphrodisiac. Anti-infective agent

Coriander leaves, reminiscent of parsley greens, are often called cilantro or cilantro, and the stress falls on any convenient syllable. Do not doubt: all this is the same spice, which is called in Georgia ki

The Great Encyclopedia of Spices, Condiments and Spices (2015). Star anise For fresh breath and thinking

* * *

To the pharmacy - only for spices!

Seasonings, spices, spices - what's the difference

Healing spices, seasonings, spices

How to buy spices

spice storage

Air Normalization of digestion, cleaning. Skin and hair regeneration. Strengthening memory

Medicinal value

Pharmacy spice on the table

candied calamus

Anise Health of the lungs and bronchi, heart and nervous system. Spice for women's health

Anise properties

How to breathe deeply with anise

anise tincture

Annato Treatment of poisoning, infections. Joint Health

Description of the book "Download for free the book The Great Encyclopedia of Spices, Seasonings and Spices"

* * *

To the pharmacy - only for spices!

Seasonings, spices, spices - what's the difference

Healing spices, seasonings, spices

How to buy spices

spice storage

Air Normalization of digestion, cleaning. Skin and hair regeneration. Strengthening memory

Medicinal value

Pharmacy spice on the table

candied calamus

Anise Health of the lungs and bronchi, heart and nervous system. Spice for women's health

Anise properties

How to breathe deeply with anise

anise tincture

Annato Treatment of poisoning, infections. Joint Health

Asafoetida Treatment of sciatica, arthritis. Health of the heart, genital area, kidneys. Mental and physical activity

Healing properties and method of use

star anise For fresh breath and thinking. Anti-inflammatory and restorative seasoning

Beneficial features star anise

Star spice on the table

Basil Source of vitamins, antioxidant. Regulator of digestion and blood pressure

Impact on the body

Who is purple and who is green

The best combination of spices with basil

Ways to store basil

Meat marinated in herbs

Barberry Antioxidant. Anticarcinogen. natural antibiotic

Medicinal properties of berries

How to eat barberry and not grimacing

Marigolds (cardobenedict, Imeretian saffron) For hormonal balance and healthy digestion

Useful properties of marigolds

Marigolds in the kitchen

Bergamot Antimicrobial and antiviral agent. Source of creativity and self-esteem

Medicinal properties of bergamot

Proportions

Hawthorn For the heart and nervous system

Therapeutic possibilities of hawthorn and methods of use

Heart tonic

Borage (Borago)

Vanilla Antioxidant. Regulator of digestion and nervous system

Health Benefits of Vanilla Beans

Black flower in the kitchen

Vanilla sugar

Chocolate, sweets, puddings, creams, ice cream

Baking, drinks

Wasabi bactericidal root

What Should Wasabi Paste Contain?

Galangal

Carnation Painkiller. For mental and physical activity

The effect of cloves on the body

Cloves - a burst of energy with broth and tea

Hibiscus (Sudanese rose) Antioxidant. Antidepressant. Metabolic regulator and antipyretic

Impact on the body

Proper brewing of tea

Monosodium glutamate The choice is yours

Mustard Increase immunity and improve appetite

The effect of mustard on the body

Salad mustard and sea mustard

White mustard, aka yellow, aka English

Black mustard, aka French and real

Sarepta mustard, aka brown, Chinese and Indian

mustard powder

Sauce base for baking

Air
Normalization of digestion, cleaning. Skin and hair regeneration. Strengthening memory

Anise
Health of the lungs and bronchi, heart and nervous system. Spice for women's health

Annato
Treatment of poisoning, infections. Joint Health

Air
Normalization of digestion, cleaning. Skin and hair regeneration. Strengthening memory

Anise
Health of the lungs and bronchi, heart and nervous system. Spice for women's health

Annato
Treatment of poisoning, infections. Joint Health

Asafoetida
Treatment of sciatica, arthritis. Health of the heart, genital area, kidneys. Mental and physical activity

star anise
For fresh breath and thinking. Anti-inflammatory and restorative seasoning

Basil
Source of vitamins, antioxidant. Regulator of digestion and blood pressure

Barberry
Antioxidant. Anticarcinogen. natural antibiotic

Marigolds (cardobenedict, Imeretian saffron)
For hormonal balance and healthy digestion

Bergamot
Antimicrobial and antiviral agent. Source of creativity and self-esteem

Hawthorn
For the heart and nervous system

Vanilla
Antioxidant. Regulator of digestion and nervous system

Wasabi
bactericidal root

Carnation
Painkiller. For mental and physical activity

Hibiscus (Sudanese rose)
Antioxidant. Antidepressant. Metabolic regulator and antipyretic

Monosodium glutamate
The choice is yours

Mustard
Increase immunity and improve appetite

Angelica
Antitumor agent. Elixir for bronchi and blood vessels

Zira
For the heart, blood vessels. Against colic and nervousness

Zubrovka
Two in one: for appetite and good digestion

Ginger
Antioxidant. Antiseptic. Aphrodisiac. Metabolism accelerator

Hyssop
Against asthma, bronchitis and angina pectoris

Kalgan
Against hypochondria, headache and toothache

capers
Anticarcinogen. Wound healing. Pressure regulation

Cardamom
Antioxidant and source of trace elements - against spasms and migraines

Curry, leaf
Natural antibiotic and blood purifier

Cassia
Remedy for diabetes and atherosclerosis

Chervil
Normalization of digestion, metabolism, blood pressure, respiratory function

Citric acid
Metabolism accelerator

coconut flakes
Cleansing the body

Coriander (cilantro)
Antioxidant. Aphrodisiac. Anti-infective agent