The Best of Spices for Your Kitchen

The term spice generically refers to certain substances of vegetable origin that are used to flavor and flavor foods and drinks. Especially in the past they were also used in medicine and in pharmacies.

Spices in history

Spices have played an important role in history since their discovery.
In ancient times, the use of spices was widespread among the Egyptians, already around 2600 BC, spicy foods were supplied to the workers employed in the construction of the pyramid of Cheops, the purpose was to keep the workers in strength, in fact, it was thought that the addition of spices would protect against epidemics.
Texts have also been found in which numerous remedies based on aromatic herbs and spices are described and among the archaeological findings there are traces of anise, fenugreek, cardamom, cassia, cumin, dill and saffron. Already at this time, most of the spices came from India.

In the ancient and medieval world, they were among the most valuable products, which alone justified the opening of new trade routes.
In the Middle Ages, the maritime republics of Amalfi, Venice, Gaeta, Pisa, Ancona and Ragusa played a leading role in the spice trade, from the East to Europe.
In the Genesis of the Old Testament, Joseph is sold into slavery by his brothers to spice merchants. In the biblical poem Song of Songs, the narrator compares his beloved with different spices.
All this testifies to the great importance assumed by these products since ancient times.

The search for spices and for new ways to trade them was the reason that led many navigators to travel, including Vasco da Gama and Christopher Columbus, opening new routes and giving rise to famous discoveries.
So here is how spices have played a fundamental role in history, since ancient times.

Spices: properties and benefits

In addition to flavor, spices give your dishes many health-promoting properties.
The nutritional characteristics obviously vary from spice to spice, but they tend to be a source of minerals, vitamins, fibers and antioxidants.

An example of this is turmeric, characterized by a high concentration of antioxidants and in particular curcumin, a yellow-orange pigment from the polyphenol family, which gives the spice its characteristic warm and bright color.
Turmeric has anti-inflammatory properties and according to Ayurvedic medicine it also performs a hepatoprotective action, helping to promote the proper functioning of the liver.
This spice is used, in addition to cooking, also for skin care and to treat irritations and burns.

Pepper is considered the “king of spices”, in fact it is the spice most used in cooking. In addition to this, it is also used a lot in medicine and cosmetics. Thanks above all to piperine, a bioactive compound also responsible for its spicy taste, it has many beneficial effects and antimicrobial, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and digestive properties. It does not damage the gastric mucosa and, on the contrary, seems to perform a protective action.

Saffron is also one of the best-known and most used spices in cooking. It is nicknamed "red gold “, because it is very precious, since to obtain a single gram you need as many as 200 Crocus Sativus flowers, which explains its rather high cost.

There are endless varieties of spices, and they all provide health benefits. Their colors, aromas and flavors that characterize them, in addition to enriching each dish giving it a unique flavor, also bring many