- Volatile oils are obtained from water or stream distillation. Essential oil gives only the odour of the spice.
- Oleoresin is a concentrated, viscous, resinous extract obtained by solvent (alcohol) extraction of the plant material. Oleoresin represents the true flavor complex of a spice.
- The processed products of spices are convenient to use free from contamination, have better storage life and are easy to transport.
Ajwain(omum)
With its characteristics aromatic smell and pungent taste ajwain is widely used as a spice in curries. The essential oil present is a natural source of thymol. It is used in biscuits, namkeen, ompodi, rusks, pickles ,beverages and pan mixtures.
- Medicinal value
It is a household remedy for indigestion. Ajwain is much valued for its antispasmodic, stimulant and carminative effects.
Aniseed (somfu)
The flavouring principle of it is a volatile oil. The chief compound of which is anethole. It is chewed after meals and used as mouth freshener. It is used in cakes, breads, cookies and candies, vada curry, kurma,non-vegetarian dishes, biryani, kachori and in pickles.
- Medicinal value : An infusion of fennel is used to counteract flatulence. It is mildly carminative and used in treating colic pain.
Asafetida
It is an oleo gum resin exuded from the rhizome or root of ferula asafoetida.The odour components consists of a ferulic ester and sulphur containing volatile oil. Asafoetida is available in the market mixed with starch to dilute the strong flavor. It is used in seasonings of rasam, sambar and lemon rice.
- Medicinal value: Asafoetida is used as an antimicrobial agent. It is also used in treating chronic bronchitis and whooping cough.It is used in counter acting intestinal flatulence.It increases the levels of detoxification enzymes in the body.
Bay leaves (birinj leaves)
They are the dried aromatic leaves of laurel tree. They contain 1-3 percent of highly aromatic volatile oil. Oil of bay leaves is used in the preparation of pickling spice and in the flavouring of vinegar. The leaves are used for flavouring meat preparations, pulav, soups, kadi, chowders, stews, fish, tomato pickle and birinj sweet.
Cardamom
The fruit contains brownish black seeds which have about 2-10% volatile oil with the characteristic pleasant odour.The active principles present in the oil cineole, terpinyl acetate, pinene, sabinene and porneol. It is mainly used for flavouring sweet preparations, cookies, breads, cakes and preserves.
Chilies
They occur in different sizes, shapes and colour shades.The red colouring matter of chillies is due to a carotenoid pigment, capsanthin. The pungency of chilli extracts are expressed in terms of “Scoville value”. Ground chilli is used in most of the Indian gravies and vegetable dishes. It is used in making chutneys, pickles, dehydrated chilies and in day-to-day preparations. Dry chillies are used for seasoning. In Chinese cookery chilli and vinegar are used as a side dish. Chilli chicken, chilli fish, chilli mutton and chilli sauce are also used in Chinese cookery. Powder or fresh ground chilli is used in gravies.Smaller the chilli more is the pungency. Sometimes chilli powder may be adulterated with saw dust, brick powder and coloring matter.
- Medicinal Value
Chillies contain a substance called capsaicin which increases the gastric secretion and it causes the destruction of the mucosal cells. Capsaicin present in chillies stimulates digestive system.
Cinnamon
It is thin inner bark of the cinnamon tree. The bark contains about 1% essential oil. The active principles are eugenol, cineole and cinnamaldehyde. It is used in stick form in fruit preserves. It is used in ground form in cakes,cookies and puddings,sauces and pickles.Cinnamon is used for making garam masala powder. Methyl hydroxyl chalcone polymer present in cinnamon is a flavonoid which acts as antioxidant.
Clove
It is the dried flower bud of the clove tree. It contains about 15% essential oil. Eugenol, the major component of clove oil is a phenolic compound, a naturally occurring antioxidant which prevents foods from turning rancid. Eugenol esters are used as flavouring agent. Cloves are used whole is meats,pickling and fish.It is used ground in cakes,cookies and puddings.It is used as flavouring agent in pulav,rice puttu and fruit cake.
Due to strong aroma and hot pungent taste, cloves are used as flavouring and dietary additives, particularly in meats and bakery products.
- Medicinal value: Cloves and clove oil are extensively used in many households as an aid to combat minor ailments like indigestion, flatulence, tooth ache etc. Its bactericidal and fungicidal properties favour its use in human medicine as an antiputrescent.
Coriander seed
Seeds contain 0.5-1% essential oil which has an active principle coriander an isomer of geraniol.The roasted powdered seeds are used as an ingredient of curry powders.It is used as flavouring and thickening agent in cookery. In the form of powder it is used in rasam,all curries and vegetables and chutney powders. It is also used as whole in kamandhokla, samosas and kachori.
- Medicinal value: Dhania seeds are chewed to correct foul breath. An infusion of coriander seeds is used in flatulence, vomiting and intestinal disorders. Coriander seeds contain thalides which increase the levels of anticancer protective enzymes.
Cumin seeds
It is pungent sharp and astringent. It contains 2-4% essential oil. The active principle is an aldehyde cumino. The seeds are used in soups, cheese-spreads, candies, lassi, pongal, pulav and rava pongal. It is also used as part of curry powder, sambar powder and rasam powder.
- Medicinal Value: It is used as stimulant and carminative agent. Cumin seeds contain bio-active substances called pthalides which increase the levels of anticancer protective enzymes in the body.
Fenugreek seeds
It is hard lentil seed. Its colour is dark fawn and has astringent aroma. Seed contain 5% bitter fixed oil. It is bitter in taste and used in small quantities in seasonings like sambar and kadhi. In pickles, this improves flavor and keeping quality. To reduce bitterness it is always used in cookery with sour substances
- Medicinal value: Fenugreek seeds aid in maintaining the blood glucose levels in non-insulin dependent diabetics. The fibre present in the seed may be responsible for this. It is also used with butter milk in the treatment of dysentery.
Garlic
Garlic contains an antibiotic principle “allin” (inactive form) which is converted to allicin (active form) by the enzyme allinase. Allicin further breaks down to allyl disulphide, which is responsible for characteristic flavour It is used in recipes like rasam, pickle,chutney,pulav, sauces, most of the non-vegetarian dishes and in soups.
- Medicinal Value: Garlic is used to treat various digestive disorders. It has antibacterial properties against gram positive and gram negative bacteria. The extracts of garlic and onion are known to inhibit growth of many pathogenic fungi belonging to aspergillus and candida.
Ginger
It is the root of the plant Zingiber officinale Roscoe.The volatile oil present is ‘gingerol’.It is mainly pungent with lemony or camphory note. The flavouring compound has sharp burning sensory stimulation. Dry ginger is more pungent and valuable for the zest it gives to blander spices.Whole root is used for curries, pickles, chutney, preserves dried fruit. Ground ginger is used as masala, in preparations like pulav, pongal,all non-vegetarian dishes, as chutney, pickles, salad ( mango salad). It is also used in beverages like tea, lime juice and buttermilk. Ginger is used as preserve in murabba.
- Medicinal Value: Ginger is known to have antioxidant properties. Ginger is reported to reduce inflammation and pain in joints. The gingerol in ginger act as natural cough suppressant.It also as potential prophylactic use in treating migraine headaches.It may also be effective in alleviating nausea.
Mustard
These are the small reddish black seeds of annual herbs. The leaves of this plant are consumed as vegetables. Mustard seeds have a pungent flavor. The characteristic flavour of mustard seed is due to an allyl iso thiocyanate. The mustard paste is used to flavour hotdogs, sandwiches, cheese, eggs, meat and salad dressings. Dry mustard is used in meat, sauces, gravies and mayonnaise. It is used in the powdered form in pickles. It is used in the vegetable preparations and raitha. It is used mainly for the seasoning. Mustard oil is also used in cookery.
Mustard seeds are rich in sulphur containing compounds namely the dithiol thiones which protect against the toxic effects of aflatoxin. The dithiothione is also used as antischistosomal drug.
Nutmeg and mace
Nutmeg is the dry hard wrinkled seed or pit of the nutmeg fruit. Mace is the orange red fleshly covering of the nutmeg kernel. They contain 7-14% essential oil. This essential oil contains highly toxic compound known as myristicin. Nut Meg and mace are used in small amounts to flavour puddings and fruit pie. Mace is more delicate and used for flavouring fish sauces, certain meat and fish dishes.It is used in gram masala.
Myristicin present in nutmeg seeds could lead to delirium and deep stupor. Smaller amounts of nutmeg may cause vomiting and colic.
- Medicinal value
Nut Meg has antimicrobial property. The volatile components of these spices are believed to be responsible for this property.
Onion
It is used as a flavouring agent in food preparations. It contains an essential oil the active principle of which is responsible for the characteristic cooked flavour is allyl propyl disulphide.It is used in cookery to improve the flavour or to mask undesirable flavours and to increase the thickness of the gravies.
- Medicinal Value
Consumption of raw or cooked onion is believed to aid in maintenance of normal glucose levels. Onion has antibacterial properties.The sulphur containing compounds from these plants strongly act against both gram positive and gram negative bacteria.The extract of onion are known to inhibit growth of many pathogenic fungi belonging to aspergillus and candida. Onion can lower blood cholesterol and lipid levels and is also useful in preventing heart diseases. Onion has stimulative, diuretic and expectorant properties. It is good for flatulence and dysentery.
Poppy seeds
They are tiny dark cream colour seeds of poppy plant which are used for topping of bread, cake,rolls or fillings for buns. Oil extract is used for salads. Poppy seeds are used as thickening agent in the preparation of gravies. It is also used in korma, non-vegetarian dishes and sweets.
Pepper
They are the dried small round berry of a tropical vine with small white flowers. Pepper owes its characteristics pungency and aroma ti its oleoresin. The alkaloid peperine is considered to be the major constituent responsible for the biting taste of black pepper. The characteristic aromatic odour of pepper is due to the presence of volatile oil in the cells of pericarp.
Pepper corns are used whole or crushed. Ground pepper is used for seasoning many dishes and is also used as a condiment at the table.Pepper corns are generally used whole in pickling meat and stews.It is used ground for general seasoning of meat fish, poultry, vegetables and salads. White pepper, for which black coat removed, is used in dishes that require a less pungent flavour. It is used in making bonda, pongal, rasam,kolambu,vadai and fried rice, and also used as substitute for chilli powder. It is also used in marinating the non – vegetarian foods. Flavour can be improved by the addition of pepper powder to omelettes, sandwich,salads, papads, soups and chips. Sometimes it is adulterated with papaya seeds.
- Medicinal value
It is used along with hot milk for throat infections. The active principle piperine increased the bioavailability of other medicines by increasing their absorption and delaying their metabolism.
Saffron
This is the name given to the fragrant stigmata found in the crocus flower. It is a regal spice of matches aroma and the most costly in the world.75,000 flowers are needed to make one ounce of pure saffron. Each filament can colour 700 times its own weight in water. It is used mainly for its yellow colour. Saffron has a pleasant aroma and an essential oil crocin and the colouring principle crocerin. It is used in soups,sauces especially rice dishes to give them bright yellow colour and distinctive flavour. It is used in sweets, like sandesh, rasmalai, thandai,kesar milk,ice cream,halwa and srikhand.
It may be adulterated with styles, anthers and parts of corolla of saffron and various materials coloured with coal tar dyes.
Tamarind
This spice is the pulp of the tamarind fruit after the outer shell and seeds are removed. The extract is used in making rasam and sambar. It is used as souring agent in chutneys,chat,pickle,pani puri and in tamarind rice. It is also used as thickening agent in gravies. Tamarind puree and tamarind powder are available in the market.
Turmeric
It is the ground dried aromatic root. It contains 5% essential oil. The colouring substance present is known as curcumin .
Its natural aroma is most appetizing and on its own without the use of other spices, can produce delicious food. It is used ground in curry powder, meat and egg dishes, in pickles and as a colouring agent in cakes and rice, It is used in lemon rice, sambhar, dhal,kadi and kichidi and in marinating meat. Sometimes turmeric may be adulterated with metanil yellow or lead salts.
- Medicinal value: Protective factors in turmeric help in detoxifying harmful drugs or chemicals that are converted to toxic metabolites.Turmeric help in increasing the mucin content of gastric juice and reduce irritation in stomach. It is also used to relieve sore throat, cough, cold and against flatulence. Turmeric can be a potent anticancer agent. The active principle of turmeric, curcumin is known for its inhibitory action on bacteria and arresting the growth of fungi.
Vanilla
The active principle is “vanillin”. Synthetic vanilla is much cheaper than that of the natural product. It imparts the flavour and it is used in ice-creams, custards, puddings and cakes.
Vinegar and monosodium glutamate are not spices ,but they improve taste and flavour of food . Vinegar
It is used in Chinese cookery and also as souring agent in preserves.
Monosodium glutamate
Ajinomoto is a Japanese brand name for MSG. Monosodium glutamate is the sodium salt of the amino acid, glutamic acid. It is believed to stimulate the taste receptors of the tongue enhancing perception of the flavour.
Monosodium glutamate is known to cause MSG syndrome, symptoms of which include a burning sensation, headache, weakness and coronary palpitations.
Though use of spices has many advantages sometimes spicy food may suppress the subtle natural taste and odour and sometimes may cause gastric disturbances.
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