Herbs & Spices

Credit to: http://www.wowwoo.com/?s=indian+cuisine

I can never imagine my life without spices. What about you? Can you imagine the same? As a Malaysian, I imagine most of us will enjoy our meal with  reasonable amount of that adds fragrance and hints of spiciness in our dish. As a Malaysian Indian, I've seen how my mother adds spices to almost every dish that she cooks. All those spices that she have added contributes to each and every unique flavor in the curries, be it, chicken or fish, or even mutton. 

Spices has been revolving around us as early as 2000 years before century. There are plenty of types of spices available in the world, and be used for various purposes such as for cooking, medicinal purposes, religious ritual as well as for cosmetics. In Malaysia, most of our dish consist of spices and it has been a routine for us to include necessary spices and enjoy the dish. No matter it's Chinese, Malay or Indian dish, there is a must to sprinkle a little bit of spices to give the dish an extra kick!

There are abundant kind of spices are being used for cooking, after a thorough interrogation with my mom on what are the spices that she use regularly in cooking, I've managed to get hold on couple of spices that she simply can't live without. So, here goes,

CARDAMOM

It is one of the most beneficial spice for our health. At the same time, it is also ranks as third most expensive spices in the world.  Cardamom, originated from India, Sri Lanka, and parts of Southeast Asia, are made from the cardamom plant's seed. A whole cardamom pods are priced at RM21 for 100 grams! That's quite pricey, don't you think? BUT, there's a valid reason for its costly price. The pod of cardamom has to be hand-picked to ensure the freshness of the seeds' before they fully ripe. 

My mother never failed to add couple of cardamom into her dish that she finds quite 'heavy', say 'Briyani' or mutton curry? Whenever one of these slip into my dish, I will quietly put them away, unable to take the sweet, gingery and slightly peppery taste. However, my mom will make me eat them anyway, and never fail to add the punchline, "They are very good for your digestion, and will prevent your tummy to be bloated!"

SAFFRON

I can't believe my eyes when I discover that Saffron ranked as the most expensive spices, pricing at RM 68 for as little as 10 grams! Why on earth are Saffron so expensive? Here's why. 

The saffron stands from reddish-orange sex organs, named stigma, originating from a crocus flower. However, each crocus has only three of these tiny threads, and will take over 4,600 saffron threads, equivalent to 1,500 crocuses- just to gain a mere 10 grams.

Saffron's maiden land are the Middle East and Mediterranean area, in fact most saffron is still grown there. Presently, Iran is the largest saffron producer, growing about 94 percent of the world's saffron. 

How would  you know that you've found a good quality saffron? The best kind of saffron is deep red, with a fine, yet musky and earthy, taste like honey. It is used in cooking risotto, and at times even in Briyani! 

Psst! Let me tell you a secret. My mom told me numerous times that Saffron has the power to add fairness and brightness in baby's skin if the mother consume a glass of milk, mixed with a pinch of saffron throughout her pregnancy. However, my mother did not took her own advice while she was expecting me. That explains a lot on my dark skin, Geez, thanks Mom!

CINNAMON

I'm sure most of you have heard of cinnamon before, in fact cinnamon makes regular appearances in our desserts such as doughnuts and apple pie, every now and then. The spice are commonly used for sweet and savory food. The name "cinnamon" origin from the Greek  kinnámōmon from  Phoenician.

Cinnamon also has its own medicinal values, in ancient times, they were used for various traditional medicines. It is believed to have control over type 2 diabetes by controlling its blood glucose level. 

As I mentioned earlier, cinnamon are also added in dessert recipes as well. Apart from apple pies, you can find hint of cinnamon in several other food and beverages such as  spicy candies, tea, and hot cocoa. However in Middle East, cinnamon are used for savory dishes such as lamb and chicken. 

After all these research on various spices, I can't help but to crave for something full of spices. Hopefully my in-depth explanation on couple of significant spices has been helpful for you! Have a good day!