How2Day: Standard Spices

Although no longer the cause of wars, spices are still important to chefs. Martin Child/Photodisc/Getty Images
When science fiction author Frank Herbert wrote, "The Spice must flow," he meant a mystical drug that the characters in his novel "Dune" used as an aid for navigating through space. However, he could just as easily have been writing about the spices that flavor our foods. People have used them as money and they have made fortunes, caused wars and launched the age of exploration. Although no longer as valuable as some other commodities, spices are still valuable in kitchens everywhere.

Originating in India, pepper was once the most valuable spice in the world. It served as a medium of trade and was collected as a tribute from the Romans by both Alric I, king of the Visigoths, and Attila the Hun. In the Middle Ages, pepper became the main component of the spice trade and the Italian city-states Genoa and Venice built up powerful pepper monopolies. Pepper fueled the 15th century quest for sea routes to Asia. Pepper is the dried fruit of several species of vine and comes in several varieties including black, green and white.The pungent and fiery peppercorns are ground directly onto food toward the end of cooking.

Nutmeg and mace come from the same tropical evergreen tree from the Moluccas, the Spice Islands of Indonesia. Nutmeg is derived from the seed while mace comes from the seed's fibrous, bright-red covering. Known for its spicy sweet flavor, cooks use nutmeg in pudding, spice cakes, pies and cookies. Mace has a similar flavor but is stronger. Mace has a lighter color and is better suited for light-colored dishes where brown specks of nutmeg would seem unsightly. Mace adds a pleasant aroma without adding an imposing flavor and is common in milk and cream based dishes such as custard, cream sauce and soups. Nutmeg was once so valuable that the sale of just a few nutmeg nuts could make the seller financially independent for life.

Cloves are the immature flower buds from a tropical tree that originated in the Moluccas. The dried, brown buds resemble small nails. Whole cloves add flavor to ham, stock and soups. Cooks use cloves ground into a powder in meat dishes including ham, venison and wild hare. They are also an ingredient in several spice mixtures including pickling spice, mulling spice and curry. They are common in North African and Middle Eastern cooking, especially meat and rice.

Native to Egypt and the Middle East, cumin also grows in the Americas, China, North Africa and India. It comes from the seed of a flowering plant. The ground seeds form a slightly oily powder that's a common ingredient in Spanish, Portuguese, Indian, Mexican and Middle Eastern cuisine. Cooks use it in curry powder, grilled meat dishes, rice, chili con carne and enchilada sauce.

Cinnamon comes from the inner bark of one of 50 to 250 species of a tropical evergreen tree. People harvest it during the rainy season when it is still flexible and then roll it into "sticks" or grind it into a fine powder. The versatile spice is known for a sweet, warm flavor and appears in beverages, baked goods, puddings, stews and sauces. It is also popular in Middle Eastern, North African and Indian cuisine including lamb, curry and garam masala. Mexico is one of the major importers of cinnamon. Mexican cooks use it in chocolate, tea and coffee.

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