Spice

[Rasputin]

A spice is a dried seed, fruit, root, bark or vegetative substance used in nutritionally insignificant quantities as a food additive for the purpose of flavoring.

Many of the same substances have other uses in which they are referred to by different terms, e. g. in food preservation, medicine, religious rituals, cosmetics, perfumery or as vegetables. For example, turmeric is also used as a preservative; licorice as a medicine; garlic as a vegetable and nutmeg as a recreational drug.

Spices are distinguished from herbs, which are leafy, green plant parts used for flavoring purposes. Herbs, such as basil or oregano, may be used fresh, and are commonly chopped into smaller pieces; spices, however, are dried and usually ground into a powder.

Spices have been prominent in human history virtually since its inception. Spices were some of the most valuable items of trade in the ancient and medieval world. In the story of Genesis, Joseph was sold into slavery by his brothers to spice merchants. In the biblical poem Song of Solomon, the male speaker compares his beloved to many forms of spices.

Spices were the primary reason that Portuguese navigator Vasco Da Gama sailed to India. Around that same time, when Christopher Columbus happened upon the Americas, he was quick to describe to investors the many new spices available there.

[Rasputin]

The spice trade has been of major economic importance throughout human history and it particularly helped spur the Age of Exploration. Spices brought to Europe from distant lands along the so-called spice route were some of the most valuable commodities for their weight, sometimes rivaling gold. The word spice derives from the Latin species, which in its later history came to mean goods or products, often of small volume and high value .

Trade in the East Indies was dominated by Portugal in the 16th century, the Netherlands in the 17th century, and the British in the 18th century.

Spices have been prominent in human history virtually since its inception. In ancient times spices were used for magical rites and spells, purification ceremonies, embalming, cosmetics and perfumes, medicinal benefits and even poison as well as cooking, preserving and flavouring food.

Spices were some of the most valuable items of trade in the ancient and medieval world. It has been claimed that this was primarily as a result of the need to disguise the taste of spoiled food (a lack of refrigeration and poor standard of hygiene meant that food often spoiled quickly), but there is no evidence to support this claim, and historians view it as highly unlikely: in the Middle Ages, spices from the East were a luxury item, affordable only to the wealthy, who certainly had unspoiled meat available as well. The actual reason for the huge demand for spices in Europe during the High Middle Ages remains a point of debate.

In the Bible, Joseph was sold into slavery by his brothers to spice merchants. In the biblical poem Song of Solomon, the male speaker compares his beloved to many forms of spices.

The pepper trade reached its first peak under the Roman Empire. In the last remaining cookbook from Latin antiquity, the De re coquinaria of Apicius, pepper appears in 349 of the 468 recipes, including dormice stuffed with pepper and nuts. The trade survived the collapse of the western Roman empire and, when it was revived, carried associations of ancient luxury and civility.

As with all trade in ancient and medieval times, the spice trade strongly influenced patterns of settlement along its routes. Whether by land routes or coastal sea routes, travel occurred one day at a time, with a stop for the night, resulting in a chain of settled way stations, many of which became towns or cities. (Braudel, 107)

In the Middle Ages (roughly 700-1000 AD), the spice trade was largely controlled by Muslim or Gujarati merchants, according to Abu'l Qasim Ubaid'Allah ibn Khordadbeh, with European merchants confined to trading mostly within Europe. Ibn Khordadbeh also reported that spices were brought from the east to Europe by Jewish merchants known as the Radhanites; in other sources, such as the writings of Gregory of Tours, Jews are reported to have enjoyed a virtual monopoly on the trade in Western Europe during the late Merovingian and early Carolingian periods.

The spices that were most popular with Europeans at this time included cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and pepper. True cinnamon came only from Ceylon, while the closely related cassia could be found in China and Burma (it was used not only for flavour but also for cosmetics, drugs, balms, oils, and perfume). Nutmeg came from the Banda Islands. Cloves came from only two islands: Ternate and Tidore in the Moluccas (south of Indonesia) - sometimes known as the Spice Islands. Pepper was grown exclusively in India, although there were inferior substitutes to be found in other places. Pepper was used extensively in cooking but was also used as a tonic, a stimulant, even as insect repellent and an aphrodisiac.

Vasco da Gama sailed to India to bring back spices.Marco Polo's expedition to China was also an attempt to open up a "spice route" with the East. Spices were the primary reason that Portuguese navigator Vasco Da Gama sailed to India. Around that same time, when Christopher Columbus happened upon the New World, he was quick to describe to investors the many new spices available there.

[Rasputin]

How to Adapt to Spicy Food

Spicy food is enjoyed the world over. However, it can take some getting used to. This is best done in stages. To start your own journey into the world of spicy food, begin by:

Start with foods that are only slightly more spicy than what you are currently used to. As you eat these foods, note which spices you like, which you don't, and whether they cause any side effects such as heartburn or gas.
Once you grow comfortable with the new level of spice in your food, move up to the next. As you move up, go with those spices, whether for heat or flavor, that you prefer.

Continue increasing the amount of spice in your food as you adjust to each new level. However, give yourself time to adapt to each increase in flavor and heat. As you do so, you will open up a wide range of food options you might never have considered trying.

Do a bit of research on the different spices used in foods and their health hazards and benefits. For instance, cayenne pepper (which is very hot if overused) has been shown to improve heart health.

If you eat something that is overly spicy, have a glass of milk handy. Milk will more effectively relieve the burn on your tongue than water. The reason for this is that the burn is caused by oils in the spices. Milk washes away the oils; water doesn't.

Sugar is also useful for killing heat, although it isn't as easy to consume in large quantities as milk.

Yogurt can also be pretty handy in cooling your stomach down after eating spicy food. It brings down the body temperature, making it easier for your body to handle the food and you will have fewer problems the morning after. Plain is best, but a cup of vanilla will do also.

It can be helpful to incorporate new spices into foods that tend to mask or dilute the spice, like a sandwich or a soup.

Bread, bananas, and strawberries can help reduce the "fire" from spicy foods.

If you have any sort of health problem, such as ulcers, that might be aggravated by eating spicy foods, please talk to your doctor about the limits you need to put on this exercise.

Do not allow any juice to get on your lips, eyes, or anything else sensitive as the burn can last at least 15 minutes.

Overeating spicy foods can numb your taste buds, disabling your sense of taste for a while.

[donsaeid]

i just love good spiced food! yani az hendia bishtar ghazam tonde

[Rasputin]

i just love good spiced food! yani az hendia bishtar ghazam tonde

Try Mediterrean food... veg+spice=sex

[donsaeid]

looooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo ooooooooool

Greek and italian ? im with you lets have that! loool i will take one of each loooooooooooooool

[Rasputin]

looooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo ooooooooool

Greek and italian ? im with you lets have that! loool i will take one of each loooooooooooooool

I am tellin' that very serious... Shoma negah kon ki ha va cheh kasani dar Europe bishtarin Sex ro anjam midan ,Mediterrean Zone.

kamtarin ham Scandinavian Zone

[donsaeid]

khob inja sarde looooooooooool