Spices and Herbs

Spices and Herbs form one of the pillars of our Indian Food Culture. For centuries herbs and spices have played an enormous role in flavoring dishes all over the world. The Spice industry is a flourishing market and has gained a lot of popularity around the globe over time. With so many spice companies opening one after another, one thing that is going downhill is the quality and authenticity of original spices.

Importance of Herbs and Spices

Spices and herbs have been playing a magical role in food since ancient times. Not only do they add unique flavors to our food, contribute to its color, fragrance, and appearance. While certain spices and herbs enhance flavors on their own, there are blends and compositions of spices mixed with salts and sugar. Let us discuss the importance of this rapidly growing part of the food industry.

Any product of a plant that is useful for seasoning food is called spice and herbs. Spices come from tropical plants, while herbs come from aromatic plants. In the case of herbs, the leaves of the plants are most used, like dill, cilantro, oregano, etc. In the case of spices, the product comes from barks, buds, seeds, and other parts of plants, such as peppercorns, cinnamon, cardamom, etc.

The primary use of spices and herbs is to add flavor to food. However, there are medicinal uses as well. Cinnamon helps to lower blood sugar levels and acts as an anti-diabetic addition to your food. It has numerous health benefits, including improving our digestion. Sage is widely used to improve brain function and enhance memory. The product gets used on individuals with mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease. Peppermint helps to reduce nausea. Turmeric is used as an antioxidant; it also helps better the effectiveness of our digestive tracks. Cayenne Pepper is used as a cure for cancer in many medicines.

The nutrition value provided by herbs and spices is not much. They are generally low in sodium, calories, or fat. However, some seeds are rich in oil, like sesame, poppy, etc. herbs like parsley, celery has high sodium content. Spices, when added in a limited and specified quantity enhance the flavor of the food to a greater extent.

Let us look at some of the natural spices available.

What are some herbs and spices that are good for our health?

Mustard Seeds – These seeds come from a plant called Black Mustard. Mustard leaves, seeds and flowers, and oil derived from the plant are useful in treating several diseases. It is useful for treating the common cold, arthritis, joint pain, lung illnesses, and other conditions. It is a great natural healer. Seeds of black mustard plants are high in calcium, Omega 3, magnesium, iron, zinc, unsaturated fat, and proteins.

The seeds are used in various food recipes throughout the world. It is used as a spice and to flavor mustard condiments. The mustard plant offers up to 40 different spices. Black mustard is the most pungent-smelling and tasting spice among them. In some places, it is also called Sarson. The oil derived from the plant is also pungent and is used for various cooking items for frying, dressing, etc. Mustard oil is also a great pain killer. If you are looking for good-quality natural mustard seeds, check out Jain Marketplace. It offers authentic spices at great prices.

Turmeric Powder – Turmeric or Haldi is one of the most essential and effective spices used in food and medicinal purposes. Haldi Powder gets obtained from the roots of a plant called Curcuma Longa. It contains a chemical called curcumin which helps to reduce pain and provide a calming effect. Turmeric has a warm, bitter taste and is widely used in curries to give color and flavor.

A small amount of turmeric is usable in medicines. Curcumin and other chemicals help to reduce swelling. Turmeric is often for treating pains and inflammations. Turmeric helps with Hay Fever, fatty liver disease, depression, nasal congestion, cough, sneezing, and many other such problems. It is an antioxidant, which also improves our digestion. You can find natural, high-quality turmeric at various spice stores.

Rock Salt- Rock Salt is an incredible spice with tons of health benefits. People suffering from hypertension and cholesterol, unable to consume food with salt, it is the best option. It is unprocessed, raw salt present without any environmental pollutants or processed chemicals.

In Ayurveda, it is considered a superior category of salt. Unlike normal table salt, rock salt is cooling. It helps to boost metabolism, improve digestion, strengthen our immunity, treats problem like Sinus, obesity, helps the body to relax, improves sleep, promote better hair and skin, etc. It provides all the essential nutrients our body needs but is not as harsh and coarse as regular salt. It is unprocessed, most of the time rock salt is present as chunky, crude salt, completely unadulterated, and chemical-free. Check out the rock salt from Jain Marketplace, which is of unmatched quality, at a very reasonable price.

Fennel Seeds – Saunf, as we call it here in India is one of the most famous spices used in the world. It provides a very fresh, earthy taste to the food. Apart from Indian cuisine, this spice is also used a lot in Italian dishes. Fennel seeds are used as refreshments offered after the meal.

Apart from the flavors, this spice has a high medicinal potential. Fennel is highly wealthy in Vitamin C, Vitamin K, Vitamin E, and Minerals like Calcium, Zinc, Magnesium, Potassium, Selenium, and Iron. It also contains Antioxidants such as polyphenol. This spice is a storehouse of nutrients. Some of the best health benefits of fennel seeds are it helps with bad breath, improves digestion, regulates blood pressure, helps with lactation, helps with asthma and several respiratory diseases, purifies blood, helps as an anti-cancer medicine, improving the quality of our skin and provides tons of other health benefits.

Coriander Power – This is one of the best and oldest spices that has been in use for flavoring food across centuries. Coriander leaves are used in almost every Indian dish to garnish them. The seeds derived from the plant get incorporated as a spice in several delicacies. It is one of the common spices used in many Indian curries, giving a unique flavor to many cuisines. Along with incorporating a mouth-watering taste in the food, this spice also increases the nutritional value of the food. Coriander is from the Apiaceae family, in the genus Coriandrum.

This aromatic herb has tons of culinary importance across the globe. It is high in fibers that promote digestion and helps to improve bowel movement. It acts as anti-diabetic medicine and enables the growth of insulin in our bodies. Coriander and the spices derived from it are also known for their medicinal properties, such as curing allergies, anemia, eye infections, etc. It also helps with diseases like a polycystic ovarian disease. If you suffer from heavy menstrual flow, one of the best remedies is to get hot water infused with coriander seeds. Therefore, Dhania Powder is of immense importance in the flavor and health aspects.

This aromatic herb has tons of culinary importance all across the globe. It is high in fibers that promote digestion and also helps to improve bowel movement. It acts as anti-diabetic medicine and promotes the growth of insulin in our bodies. Coriander and the spices derived from it are also known for their medicinal properties, such as curing allergies, anemia, eye infections, etc. It also helps with diseases like a polycystic ovarian disease. Therefore, Dhania Powder is of immense importance in the flavor and health aspects.

Conclusion 

We understand and improvise the authenticity of flavors and reimburse the cuisines of different places. With our best quality spices, handpicked by experts all around the country, we promise you a delightful tour of flavors in one place. We are proud to cater to the delights of millions of people who are willing to try out authentic cuisines and diversity in cultural flavors that Indian Food temperament has to offer. Visit our website and join our family.

It is a chef’s paradise, that offers a plethora of various spices, raw, blended, roasted, in every form to enhance the quality of life you lead. Spices are an essential part of Indian culture and cuisine. Without proper spices and herbs, no food or snack gets completed. It provides the much-required tanginess and spicy tinge to your food. Not only do spices and herbs enhance the flavor of food, as mentioned in the article, but it is also of great health benefits. From the common cold to cancer, spices are a cure for tons of diseases.

One might wonder why it is crucial to add various seasonings. Remember, the aroma and effect of the herbs & spices allow the conjugal of different ingredients leading to a culinary masterpiece.