The World’s Culinary Spices
How many of you have seen the spices you use in your foods in the splendor of their natural state before they make it to the stores? Take a look at these photos! Beautiful. Simply beautiful. The intrinsic beauty of nature is impressive. The work of The Creator, Blessed “It” Be, IS AWESOME! Impeccable is “Its ” Universe. I get such a wonderful feeling when I really think about my place as part of “Its” creation. There’s a lot of fun in recognizing with appreciation the many miracles that happen while being so involved. Of course, the added advantage of being made in “Its” likeness is ridiculously cool, yes? We touched somewhat on this topic in the post Plants May Be Angels.
Be that as it is, there is also a lot of pleasure we get from transforming simple, seemingly small gifts from the Earth into deliciously satisfying treats of so many flavors and character. Each meal we make has the potential for titillating our senses in ways that have us crying out for more. But how often do you ensure this experience?
For theirs as well as our convenience, Kitchn.com has compiled A Quick Guide to Every Herb and Spice You Might Find in the Cupboard. If they left some out that you think should be listed as well, then please let them know to help them make the list more complete.
We prefer as a rule to use organically grown herbal culinary products rather than allow products which may have been subjected to a wide range of pesticides and other synthetic chemical exposure. I don’t care how many times the FDA and other government agencies like the Environmental Protection Agency say that certain amounts of these contaminants are no threat when residues are in the amounts they allow. Here’s their Pesticide Residue Monitoring Program Reports and Data should you be interested in examining some of their summaries.
In the long run, what will we really find out? For some strange reason, I cannot imagine the results to be positive. Better safe than sorry!
Another big concern is that toxic environments and people tend to hold us back from living out the best versions of ourselves … Or at the least make achieving the better version quite a bit more difficult. One needs great resolve and fortitude in maintaining divinity in action despite the onslaught of interference. When we are considering the aspects of wholistic health and more complete well-being, there are factors from all angles that need to be considered.
If you really want to “spice up your life”, consider the totality of it. From where have you come to where you want to go. Be present, consciously in each NOW. LIVE in color with positive emotion as much as you can! Face the things that you need to “season” with “condiments” like attention and personal responsibility to allow circumstances to serve you positively for better and better. It’s all about feeling titillated by life’s experience 😜 No?
Once you have your herbal seasonings in your kitchen and on hand for your use, you should know how to care for them to maintain their freshness. For sure you want the maximum flavor possible every time you use them for the full experience they are intended to offer. Otherwise, what’s the point? Who wants stale ingredients in their food?
Must Have Seasonings
The Chef’s Manual of Must Have Spices For Your Kitchen is a fantastic compilation for your review. You’d be well set and ready for most recipes should you stack up on those magic ingredients to tantalize up your kitchen!
There are eight spice ingredients some consider a kitchen insufficient to play the role of a “factory of foods with healthful flavor”, from an India Indian point of view anyway 😊. Indian cuisine strikes a balance of flavors that is predominantly between a combination of salty, spicy, bitter or pungent, sour, tangy and sweet flavors. The spices that feature so heavily in Indian cooking not only give the dishes their unique flavors but also are shown to protect against some cancers, have anti-inflammatory and other healing properties.
Those that rule the Indian kitchen are:
I imagine some of you might ask,”Whats so special about the India Indian diet?” What’s wrong with the standard American diet and the way I eat? Well, the health benefits of an Indian diet are numerous. To be sure, learn more from this list of the 20 Indian Cuisine Ingredients That Heal from Within without being “bland”.
But theirs is not the only healthy cuisine in the world. There are many. According to The Culture Trip, Chad and some other African countries tops its list of “The 10 Healthiest Cuisines In The World” for having very healthy diets. Who’d have thunk that? But apparently it’s true. Check their list. Of course that’s only their opinion. Others have Japan leading at the top in a list of Five Countries Who Teach Us Something About Good Eating.
I presently eat mostly a Mediterranean diet. While many people think that this zone is only made up of Spain, France, Italy, Greece, Lebanon and Israel. In actuality it also includes Turkey, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya and Egypt! As a result, the spices and seasonings used to flavor the food from this eclectic area are quite diverse. Here are 9 Mediterranean herbs and spices to store in your pantry or grow in your garden. You also might want to check out Carries Experimental Kitchen for some ideas from her experiments.
As far as Japanese food is concerned, here are the 12 Essential Ingredients For Cooking Japanese Food. The diet is rich in fruits and vegetables which are shown to have cancer-fighting properties. Staples such as yams, green tea, seaweed and shiitake mushrooms are all beneficial being rich in iron, calcium, zinc, copper, omega-3, and antioxidants.What I like the most about their food is the seaweed whose health benefits are many. It’s the oceans “medicinal herb”! Here are 7 Surprising Benefits of Eating Seaweed.
Have you tried Thai? Their ingredients like coriander, lemongrass, ginger and other herbs have shown that they have very strong antioxidant properties that inhibit cancerous growth. The ingredients use very little meat yet herbs and spices full of medicinal properties are plentiful.
The list can go on … Save some for a different post to come. But you get the point. The flavors and health benefits of the world’s cuisines are at your beck and call as long as you are willing to mix and match them at home … Unless such restaurants are luckily nearby in your neighborhood and you can be lazy about it 🤣.
Cook Healthier
Here are 10 Secrets to Cooking Healthier which should also found the basis of your knowledge regarding healthier meal planning. If you are a beginner at cooking with spices and want to learn some of the most basic tips for their use, then check the following video featuring Gordon Ramsay:
All the best for more savory feasts!
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