WHAT ARE PEPPERCORNS? The most popular spice in the world is actually a fruit yielded by the Piperaceae vine! Originally from Asia over 4,000 years ago, this spice is available in a rainbow of colors. The classic black peppercorn is picked when it’s starting to change from an immature green to a yellow color. It’s then […]
Archaeology of Herbs & Spices
ARCHAEOLOGY OF HERBS & SPICES – Black Pepper
WHAT IS BLACK PEPPER? This spice is actually a dried berry! It comes from a flowering vine whose fruit is harvested white still unripe. The same plant is the source of both black, white and green peppercorns. The difference between the three is that with black peppercorns the fruit is cooked and dried. With white […]
ARCHAEOLOGY OF HERBS & SPICES – Curry Leaves
WHAT ARE CURRY LEAVES? The delicious Indian stew known as “curry” is the product of 2 different colonial empires . Originally the term was coined by Portuguese traders in the 1400’s from the Tamil word “Kari” to describe southern Indian stews. These consisted of fresh curry leaves along with meat and a blend of spices. […]
ARCHAEOLOGY OF HERBS & SPICES – Garam Masala
WHAT IS GARAM MASALA? The Hindi name literally translates as a “blend of spices” and that’s exactly what it is! While popular in Indian cuisine, this recipe has spread throughout Pakistan and Asia. There are many different regional variations of garam masala depending on which ingredients are locally available. The classic recipe consists of peppercorns, […]
ARCHAEOLOGY OF HERBS & SPICES – Cloves
WHAT ARE CLOVES? Originally from Indonesia, this spice is popular both in savory and sweet recipes. The crimson flower buds of a clove evergreen tree are dried and ground into a powder. In some French recipes, instead of grinding the buds their hard, sharp stalks are used to pierce a whole onion or fresh fruit […]
ARCHAEOLOGY OF HERBS & SPICES – Garlic
WHAT IS GARLIC? This plant is a bit confusing when deciding if it’s a spice or an herb. Garlic has leaves and so could qualify as an herb. However it’s the bulb that is actually used, making this a spice! Technically a vegetable, it is thought to have originated in Siberia over 5,000 years ago. […]