Spices are substances that come from plants such as seeds, fruit, roots, barks, or many other objects that can be consumed or added to flavor or color food. In contrast to herbs, spice is a collection of leaves, flowers, or stems of plants used for flavoring or as a garnish. It is differentiated from herbs by their structure. The use of spices may include medicine, rituals, cosmetics, or the production of perfumes, among other things. In the manufacturing of fragrances, vanilla is one of the most commonly used ingredients.
There are several forms in which a spice may be found, including fresh, whole dried, and pre-ground powder. In the majority of cases, spices are dried. In order to make the use of spices as convenient as possible, spices can be ground into powder. Since whole dried spices have the longest shelf life, it is possible to purchase and store them in larger quantities, which allows you to save money on a per-serving basis by purchasing large quantities at once.
Usually, a fresh spice, such as ginger, has a much stronger flavor than its dried form, but fresh spices are much more expensive and have a much shorter shelf life than dried spices.
For example, turmeric, which is one of the most commonly used spices, is often not available as a fresh or whole spice. Instead, it has to be purchased in ground form. It is quite common for small seeds, such as mustard seeds and fennel seeds, to be used both whole and powdered, depending on their size.
It is true that some people claim that spices have health benefits, but there is no good evidence to back up these claims at this time.
Approximately 75% of the world’s spice production comes from India. Their cuisine is a reflection of this cultural heritage. Over the course of history, the spice trade spread from the Indian subcontinent to areas of East Asia and the Middle East as well. During the early modern period, the demand for spices in Europe was one of the main factors which encouraged exploration by people like Vasco da Gama, as a result of economic and cultural factors.
