SPICES AND HERBS

Some spices from Indonesia as medicine or cooking spices.

Spices are aromatic or strongly flavored plant parts that are used in small amounts in food as preservatives or flavorings in cooking. Spices are usually distinguished from other plants used for similar purposes, such as medicinal herbs, aromatic vegetables, and dried fruits.

Spices were the most valuable trade goods in pre-colonial times. Many spices were once used in medicine, but this is now diminished.

Spices were one of the reasons why the Portuguese explorer Vasco Da Gama reached India and the Moluccas in Indonesia. These spices also caused the Dutch to follow to the Moluccas, while the Spanish under the Portuguese navigator Magalhães had already sought a way to the East via another route, namely through the Pacific Ocean and finally landed on the island of Luzon, Philippines.

Some of the most important spice producing areas in the world are India, Zanzibar, and the Moluccas. However, most countries in the world import spices from India because India is the world's largest spice center.

History

Early history

The drying process of nutmeg, a spice thought to originate from the Banda Islands, Maluku.

The spice trade in the Indian subcontinent began at least in 2000 BC. The types of spices traded were mainly cinnamon and black pepper. Meanwhile, nations in East Asia traded herbs and pepper. The practice of mummification and other needs of the Ancient Egyptians encouraged trade between countries. Until 1000 BC, herbal-based medical treatments began to be used in China, Korea, and India. In addition, spices were initially also used for ritual, religious, and traditional purposes.

Cloves were used by the Mesopotamians in 1700 BC. The Ancient Romans used cloves in the first century AD, as evidenced by Pilinius the Elder's writings about the spice. The Ebers Papyrus dated 1550 BC from Ancient Egypt describes eight hundred medical treatment procedures using herbs.

Traders from Indonesia traded spices including nutmeg. The areas they were sold to included China, India, the Middle East, and the east coast of Africa. Meanwhile, Arab traders brought spices from the east to Europe for trade. This caused the city of Alexandria in Egypt to become an important port city in the world spice trade at that time. The discovery of the monsoon caused trade routes to shift from land routes to sea routes.

"The Mullus" harvesting spices. The illustration is from the French edition of The Travels of Marco Polo.

Spices were among the most expensive and sought-after products in the Middle Ages. The most commonly traded commodities were black pepper, cinnamon (and its alternative, Chinese cinnamon), cumin, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves. In relation to the main theory of medieval medicine, humoralism, spices and herbs were considered important in balancing the "humors" in food. In addition to their use in medieval medicine, the European elite also enjoyed spices. One example is the King of Aragon who devoted considerable resources to bringing spices to Spain in the 12th century. He was not the only European monarch to seek spices for the purpose of adding them to wine. Most spices were imported from Asia and Africa, making them quite expensive. From the 8th to the 15th centuries, the Republic of Venice held a monopoly on the spice trade with the Middle East. Monopolies on the spice trade were also held by other maritime republics and cities in Italy. This trade made Venice

and its surrounding areas rich. It is estimated that 1,000 tons of pepper and 1,000 tons of other spices were imported into Western Europe during the Late Middle Ages. This commodity had a value equivalent to the grain of 1.5 million people. The most exclusive spice at that time was saffron which was used as a flavoring and a reddish-yellow food coloring.  

From left to right: Turmeric powder, mustard seeds, chili powder, and cumin seeds.

The main function of spices is as a food flavoring. Spices are also used as raw materials for cosmetic perfumes and incense. Since their discovery, spices have also been one of the important things in medical treatment. Their expensive, rare, and exotic nature is often associated as a symbol of wealth and social class.

Food coloring

In addition to providing aroma, taste, and texture to food, spices also function as natural coloring agents that do not have side effects on humans. Some spices that function as natural dyes are saffron flowers, paprika, turmeric, and saffron. Saffron flowers contain active compounds, namely crosine and crosethin, which can produce a natural yellow-orange color. The yellow-orange color is also produced from turmeric which contains curcuminoid color pigments with curcumin compounds. Saffron can also provide a brick red color because its seeds contain color pigments, namely bixin compounds. In America, paprika is also used as a food coloring, such as orange juice, cheese, sauces, and egg yolks. However, the use of saffron as a dye is very limited due to the high price of the spice. So in some countries, the use of saffron is replaced with safflower as a dye.

Food preservation claims

There is a popular claim that spices can be used to preserve food or hide the taste of rotten meat. This claim began in the early 1500s, when there was no refrigerator technology to preserving food. In some countries such as Greece, they use garlic to prevent food from spoiling. Likewise in India, using ginger, garlic, turmeric and cloves to preserve meat and fish. The mummification process in ancient Egypt also used spices such as Sri Lankan cinnamon, garlic, and cumin.

In fact, spices are not effective enough to preserve food when compared to salting, pickling, smoking, and drying. Spices are also not effective in hiding the taste of stale meat. 

Indonesia is known for its abundant wealth of spices. It is no wonder that Indonesian cuisine is also rich in flavor because it uses various herbs and spices. However, spices can not only be used as cooking spices. Spices also store a myriad of health benefits. The following is a list of various spices that are beneficial for human health. Spices and Their Health Benefits

1.    Turmeric

BENEFITS OF TURMERIC FOR HEALTH (pexels) Turmeric (Curcuma domestica) is a type of plant that has been used for a long time in Indonesia. Thousands of years ago, people have used turmeric as a cooking ingredient. Turmeric functions as a natural dye, namely yellow. As one of the ingredients for making herbal medicine, the benefits of turmeric have antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral properties. Turmeric contains the chemical compound curcumin which has properties to relieve inflammation, such as swelling and pain. The most famous turmeric processing is turmeric and tamarind herbal medicine. Turmeric and tamarind concoction consists of turmeric, tamarind, and brown sugar. People consume turmeric and tamarind in their daily lives even though they are not sick. This herbal medicine is believed to have properties to maintain stomach health. Turmeric and tamarind herbal medicine is also commonly consumed by women during menstruation. The curcumin content helps relieve pain. Turmeric also has the benefit of facilitating digestion, especially in the large intestine, so that digestion will remain healthy.

2. Nutmeg Nutmeg (Myristica fragrans)

is a plant that is useful for adding flavor. Nutmeg is usually processed into sweets, while the seeds are used as a spice in cooking. In addition to being delicious as a cooking spice, this spice contains essential oils that are components of a mixture for perfume and soap. For health, nutmeg can also help relieve colds, digestive disorders, and stomach aches. Nutmeg can also be used to help stop diarrhea. There is a compound called myristicin in nutmeg which can help improve memory by stimulating nerves in the brain. In addition, the compounds contained in nutmeg can help improve concentration. Nutmeg also has properties to maintain dental and oral health. The antibacterial properties of nutmeg can help kill harmful bacteria in the mouth, thereby preventing tooth decay and preventing and overcoming bad breath.

3. Cinnamon

Cinnamon has a distinctive aroma. This spice is very famous in the culinary world, starting from being used for cooking spices, cakes, to hot drinks. Cinnamon (Cinnamomum zeylanicum) has a function to add flavor and freshness to drinks. Cinnamon can also help cure various skin diseases and infections. The fragrant aroma of cinnamon can eliminate body odor and remove dead skin cells and stimulate the growth of new skin cells. The effect of the aroma of cinnamon can calm and relieve fatigue. Other benefits of cinnamon are as an antifungal, anti-inflammatory, and antiseptic. Cinnamon can relieve diarrhea, colds and flu, stomach aches, hypertension, loss of appetite, and bronchitis.

4. Sesame

Sesame is usually processed for one of the important components of vegetable oil by extracting the seeds. Sesame is also an important ingredient for decorating onde-onde and other foods to make them look beautiful and have a savory taste.

13. Kencur

Kencur. (Pexels.com/Joris Neyt.)

This spice always has a special place in the kitchen, alongside turmeric and ginger because it has many benefits. Usually, when used for herbal concoctions, kencur will work together with finely ground rice, so it is called beras kencur. The health benefits are numerous. Kencur can increase appetite, treat digestive inflammation, and provide a sense of calm in the body. In addition, kencur is useful for relieving fever, gout, stomach ache, and swelling. A concoction consisting of kencur, lemongrass, and salt can be used to treat swelling. Kencur is also used by Indonesians to relieve coughs.

14. Coriander Leaves

Cilantro leaves have a distinctive fragrant aroma and make a dish fresher. Usually used for seasoning soup dishes, such as soup and meatballs. Simply chop it and sprinkle it on the dish when it is going to be served. 15. Coriander Seeds

Coriander (Coriandrum sativum) is a plant that has a calming aroma. The well-known benefits of coriander are to overcome digestive problems, including stomach ache, nausea, diarrhea, intestinal cramps, and bloating. This herb is also useful for relieving symptoms of measles, hemorrhoids, toothache, worms, joint pain, and infections caused by bacteria and fungi. Some breastfeeding women also use this herb to increase breast milk production. 

Coriander is also rich in iron which can help increase and smooth blood circulation in the body.

16. Kluwek

If you eat rawon or konro soup, that's where kluwek is used. This spice is indeed able to give a black color to the dish. One requirement in consuming kluwek: soak it for a long time and then boil it. This is because kluwek contains cyanide acid which is poisonous and makes you drunk if consumed raw.

17. Galangal

Galangal is one of the plants that has been used in the world of medicine since around the 6th century. This plant first entered Indonesia in the Palembang area, South Sumatra. Galangal is processed into a herbal medicine called kudu laos. This herbal medicine has a function for stomach problems, colds, and to increase appetite. Kudu laos concoction consists of garlic, mengkudu, white pepper, tamarind, granulated sugar, Javanese sugar, and salt. In addition, there is also a concoction consisting of galangal, galangal leaves, and white pepper. The benefits of this concoction are good for people who have skin problems such as herpes.

18. Star Anise

Star anise is also called star anise because of its star-like shape. Its aroma is very distinctive and provides a delicious taste in cooking. Usually, star anise is used as an additional component for brewing tea. Star anise contains almost no macronutrients (carbohydrates, fats, proteins) or micronutrients (vitamins and minerals). Even so, this spice contains a lot of bioactive compounds that are beneficial for the body, such as tannins, anethole, linalool, limonene, flavonoids, such as quercetin, kaempferol, and anthocyanins, shikimic acid and gallic acid. These compounds have been proven to have many health benefits. Seeing the many bioactive compounds contained in star anise, it is not surprising that this spice can provide various health benefits.

19. Pepper

Pepper has the main benefit of warming. In addition, it can kill parasites and help remove gas in the body. There are two types of pepper, namely white pepper and black pepper. The benefits of white pepper are to help smooth the release of urine. White pepper can also treat skin disorders, such as leprosy and eczema. Meanwhile, black pepper has the function of removing phlegm, improving blood circulation, and treating rheumatism or gout. Pepper also has benefits for the brain. Consuming black pepper can help reduce the risk of Alzheimer's disease (a disease characterized by decreased memory, thinking and speaking abilities, and behavioral changes caused by disorders in the brain).

20. Vanilla

Vanilla is known as one of the famous spices, because of its sweet aroma and is often mixed into various dishes. For hundreds of years, vanilla plants have often been used as a flavor enhancer for food and drinks. On the market, there are types of vanilla extract that are processed synthetically and some that are completely natural. Usually, the price of natural vanilla extract is much more expensive than synthetic ones. In the health sector, vanilla also has many benefits. This spice is antibacterial, contains antioxidants and antidepressants. Another study in 1994 stated that aromas like vanilla can reduce anxiety levels in patients undergoing MRI procedures for cancer examinations. That is why vanilla aroma is one of the popular and favored perfume types by many people.

21. Andaliman

Andaliman has the nickname "Batak pepper" because it is often found as a spice in many typical Batak dishes, such as arsik and saksang. Uniquely, when you accidentally bite this spice, your tongue will suddenly feel numb because andaliman contains hydroxy-alpha-sanshool.

22. Bay Leaves

Curry, soto, lodeh, and many other dishes use bay leaves as a spice. No need to grind or crush them in any other way. Simply tearing the leaves, this spice will spread a very delicious aroma and taste.

23. Tamarind

As the name suggests, this spice has a sour taste. Tamarind is usually used as a seasoning in sour vegetables to pempek sauce. In addition, tamarind is also processed into traditional drinks such as herbal medicine.

24. Cumin

Cumin is oval, small, and flat. Usually, this spice is used to add flavor and aroma to soupy foods, such as curry and gulai. Not only that, cumin is also very efficacious for digestion. In fact, for mothers who are breastfeeding, cumin can be useful for facilitating breast milk.

Thus, there are 24 types of spices and their health benefits. Spices not only enhance the taste of food, but also play an important role in maintaining body health.