1 Economic Botany SPICES T. R. Sahu Department of Botany Dr. Hari Singh Gour University Sagar Sagar (M.P.) 470003 CONTENTS: i. Spices - Introduction ii. Uses Of Spices iii. The Quest For Spices iv. Spices From Underground Parts v. Spices From Barks vi. Spices Obtained From Leaves vii. Spices Obtained From Flower Buds, Flowers , Fruits & Seeds 2 SPICES Spices have less nutritive value, and they can not be grouped as food. However, by adding good flavour and aroma to food, they greatly enhance the pleasure of eating. In general, all aromatic vegetable products that are used for flavouring foods and drinks are known as ‘spices’. They are characterized by pungency, strong odour, and sweet or bitter taste.Sometimes the terms spices and condiments are used together. Infact it is very difficult to draw a distinction between the two. Spices used, in a pulverized state primarily for seasoning or garnishing foods and beverages. Condiments, on the other hand, are other flavourings materials having a sharp taste and are usually added to food after cooking. However, when the aromatic vegetables products comes from a temperate plant, it is considered as a culinary herb as in the case of bay leaves, coriander, cumin, dill, fennel, fenugreek, mustard seeds, parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme, to mention a few. Besides imparting flavour to foods and drinks, they also stimulate ‘appetite’ increase the secretion and flow of gastric juices and help digestion because of their carminative properties. For this reason, they are commonly known as ‘food adjuncts’ or ‘food aecessories’. Most of them are used in different medicines. They also play an important part in various industries and are used in perfumery, soaps, incense, dyes etc. The value of the spices is due to mainly to the presence of the essential oils and occasionally to other aromatic principles. The importance of spices in our daily diet is as follows : (a) to give an agreeable flavour and aroma to otherwise monotonous or insipid food mainly of starchy grains or roots, thereby adding greatly to the pleasure of eating. (b) to stimulate the appetite and increase the flow of the gastric juices and for this reason they are often termed as “food accessories” or food adjuncts. (c) to disguise the slightly unpleasant taste of many dried means. (d) to increase the rate of perspiration, thus having a cooling effect on the body. Spices are employed whole or in powdered form depending upon the requirement of the dish. The flavouring, preservative and antiseptic properties of some of these spices are primarily due to the presence of volatile oils, but are occasionally due to other aromatic substances such as alkaloids as pepper. Uses of Spices The use and cultivation of spice go back to the beginning of history. Spices have played a prominent part in all the civilization of antiquity in ancient China and India and have promoted international relations amongst the various countries all over the world. Spices in ancient times were so extraordinarily expensive that only wealthy persons could afford them. Spices with strong and pungent flavours have not only been used in cooking, but also 3 for preserving food. Aroma and flavour have been a part of the magical rites and have been employed for various ‘purification’ ‘ceremonies’ “During the visit of royal guests’’ the streets were often fumigated with spices. Ancient Egyptians used them to perfume the person and to embalm the dead bodies to preserve from decay. In the middle age, spices were considered important medicines, but today they are used primarily for imparting a pleasant taste to otherwise disagreeable medicines. A number of spices have antiseptic and carminative properties. Apart from their culinary value, spices are also used as flavouring agent in beverages, as active ingredients in Ayurvedic medicines, as colouring agents for textiles and as important constituents in cosmetics and perfumery products. In medieval Europe, at one time, customs duties rents, taxes and even court fines were paid in terms of pepper. THE QUEST FOR SPICES The story of spices, condiments and other flavouring materials is one of the most romantic and fascinating chapters in the history of vegetable products as they are connected with many important events in man’s history, including geographical discovery, economic warfare, annexation of territories and all the vices of theft, envy and hatred of which man is capable. The craving for spices has been one of the great factors in human progress, and has done much to change the course of history and geography and to promote international relations. Majority of spices originated in the Asiatic tropics and were among the first objects of commerce between the East and the West. The quest for spices was once a powerful force in world history. The first traders were the Persians who transported the products of India and the neighbouring Molucca islands by camel caravans and sold them to the Phoenicians who traded them all along the Mediterranean coast from Alexandria to Rome. Indian and Greek traders held the monopoly from the first to the eighth century A.D. The Arabs controlled the traffic in these spices up to the 14th century, selling them to Egyptian, Greek and Venetian traders. The magic of the spice trade lured adventurers from the Western world to the Indian Ocean Island and brought fame to many of them such as Da Gama, Columbus, Vasco de Gama, and reached India by sea in 15th century. Following the circumnavigation of Africa, Portuguese gained control of much of the Indian Ocean and extended their trade as far as China, Goa in India. For 300 years afterwards, the nations of Western Europe (Portugal Spain, France, and Holland & Great Britain) fought wars for spice producing colonies and control of the spice trade. Only in early part of the 18th century, spices were smuggled and planted around the world especially in the West-Indies, Madagascar, Malaysia and Sri Lanka. Nowadays, substantial plantations are grown in the America. The best quality cardamoms come from Guatemala, the finest nutmeg and mace from Grenada, black pepper from Brazil. However, the vast majority of spices are still obtained from the tropics chiefly from the smaller islands rather than from the greater land masses. The United States of America is one of the largest importers, although several other countries like the Soviet Union, Australia, Great Britain, Canada and some European nations also import spices. 4 Of the hundreds of spices used today some of them are listed in the table and selected are described below under roots, stem, leaves, barks, buds and flowers, fruits and seeds categories. Table 1 - List of Spices A. Spices obtained from root & underground stem. Name Botanical Name Family Plant Uses Root Angelica Apiaceae Flavouring food Angelica archangelica stuffs & beverages Heeng (Asafoetida) Ferula asafoetida Apiaceae Flavouring food stuffs & beverages Horse Radish Armoracia lapathifolia Brassicaceae Used as condiment Rhizome / Bulb Kulinjan (Galangal) Alpinia officinarum Zingiberaceae Source of essential oil & Flavouring liquors. Adrak (Ginger) Zingiber officinale Zingiberaceae Source of Essential oil for flavouring Ban-adrak Zingiber zerumbet Zingiberaceae Source of Essential oil for flavouring Haldi (Turmeric) Curcuma longa Zingiberaceae To flavour & Colour Ama-haldi Curcuma amada Zingiberaceae As spice & (Mango-Zinger) medicinal Kachura Curcuma zedoaria Zingiberaceae Medicinal, perfumery cosmetices Sarsaparilla Liliaceae Medicinal, Smilax aristolochiaefolia flavouring Garlic Liliaceae Spice, Medicinal Allium sativum B. Spices obtained from bark Name Botanical Name Family Plant Uses Dalchini (Cinnamon) Cinnamomum Lauraceae Curry powder, medicinal zeylanicum Sassafras Sassafras albidium Lauraceae Flavouring C. Spices obtained from leaves Name Botanical Name Family Plant Uses Tejpat (Indian Cinnamomum tamala Lauraceae In curries. Cassia) Marva (Marjoram) Majorana hortensis Lamiaceae Flavouring food 5 Name Botanical Name Family Plant Uses stuffs. Podina (Mint) Mentha longifolia Lamiaceae Flavouring agent Peppermint (Vilayti Mentha piperita Lamiaceae Flavouring agent Podina) Japanese Peppermint Lamiaceae As spice Mentha arvensis var. piperascens Spearmint Mentha spicata Lamiaceae Ingredient of soup, sauces Sage Salvia officinalis Lamiaceae Oil used in perfumery Savory (Summer) Satureja hortensis Lamiaceae Culinary product Thyme Thymus vulgaris Lamiaceae In perfumery. Sweet Bay Laurus nobilis Lauraceae Flavouring & medicinal. Tarragon Artemisia dracunculus Asteraceae Essential oil in perfumes Parsley Apiaceae Flavouring soups, Petroselinum crispum sauces. Wintergreen Gaultheria fragrantissima Ericaceae Volatile oil for flavouring food stuffs. Potmarjoram Origanum vulgare Lamiaceae Volatile oil flavour foods, medicinal. Rosemary Rosmarinus officinalis Lamiaceae Volatile oil in flavouring food stuffs. Meethi neem Murraya koengii Rutaceae Flavouring food stuffs. D. Spices obtained from-flowers, fruits and seeds Name Botanical Name Family Plant Uses Laung (clove) Syzygium aromaticum (=Engenia Myrtaceae Culinary, caryophyllus) medicinal Kabra (Capers) Capparis spinosa Capparidaceae In meat, sauces, pickles Kesar (Saffron) Crocus sativus Iridaceae Dried stigmas used as spice & dyestuff Lalmirch (Chilies, Capsicum frutescens Solanaceae Culinary Peeper) Kali mirch (Black Piper nigrum Piperaceae Seasoning freshly 6 pepper) cooked food Lendi-peepal (Long Piper longum Piperaceae In pickles Pepper) Pipli Vanilla Vanilla planifolia Orchidaceae Confectinary,