Throughout Israel King Soloman sang about the stimulus of spices and Marco Polo wrote about them.

Throughout Israel King Soloman sang about the stimulus of spices and Marco Polo wrote about them. The mightiest monarchs of Ancient Babylon prized them as highly as rare jewels. The search for seasonings changed the face of history. Efforts to obtain spices caused wars, made countries and merchants wealthy and supported smugglers and dishonest customs officials in style. In the 19th century Austria, salt mines were forbidden territory. They were only accessible to those who had a “salt pass”. This white mineral was so valuable to Kaiser. Now, seasonings from all parts of the world are found on our grocery shelves. Seasonings are parts of plants that usually grow in the tropics – like bark, leaves, seeds, stamens, shells, or any other aromatic part suitable for seasoning or preserving. For most part, the word spice covers the whole gamut of seasonings, herbs, seeds, vegetable seasonings, and blends.

Seasonings should be full bodies and fresh; they do not improve with age. Exposure to air even for a brief time or standing over a long period of time even when not exposed cause deterioration in spices. There is no extravagance in renewing seasonings several times a year.

Herbs are always leaves of temperate – zone plants. Not only are rosemary and basil herbs, but so are such familiar favorites as parsley and mint. Herbs should be chosen with care and used with discretion, so as not to overwhelm the dish. Crush and experiment a little to find which herbs suit your taste buds. Fresh herbs from the garden can be used in cooking as successfully as handy dried herbs. You just need to use less of the dried than the fresh. The aroma of herbs, sometimes identify certain areas or even countries. Parisian cooking has the delightful smell of tarragon. Provence is famous for the combined aromas of thyme, lavender and garlic. Roman cooks use a lot of sage, and northern Italian cooks use basil. Many English foods have the smell of mint. Scandinavia is known for dill and parsley is treated as a national plant in Germany. All these herbs can be smelled throughout America.

An important step to fine cooking is knowledge of herbs and seasoning. A skillful use of them is the secret of distinctive flavoring in salads, sauces, meats and desserts. They will make a difference in all forms of cooking. Seasonings and herbs are perishable and should be used soon after purchasing them, while their flavors are at their strongest and best.

Herbs tend to lose flavor a little faster than ground pepper, ginger, cinnamon, and cloves. We use herbs more generously than we do pungent seasonings. Properly stored, a few ounces of herbs in the average container retain good flavor almost indefinitely, so it is safe to buy stick cinnamon, whole gloves, and such seasonings in large quantity.

In buying spices and herbs, look for strength and color. Your best guarantee of freshness and flavor is the brand name of the distributor.

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