In order to stay healthy and fit, one doesn’t only need to do the outward springs like exercising but also watch the inward diet. Especially in today’s age and day one’s diet should be healthy and should comprise of herbs and spices that benefit the body. Yes, the main focus of this article is going to be on herbs and spices, and the best ones to use in everyday diet.
Of course, we all know that spices and herbs have been used for a very long time. They play a very important role in the way food churns out and how healthy the final product really is. Apart from just adding some nice flavors, they also add color to the food!
Hence, our article is going to focus on herbs and spices – there is a need to know that they are used basically for flavoring and coloring. In terms of health benefits, they are very low in calories, sodium, fat and do not contain any cholesterol. Even if some herbs and spices do contain the above, one should know that they are used in a very minimal amount and hence don’t have much reaction on people.
Let us unearth some of the top herbs and spices for home cooking
Allspice
This is regarded as one of the nice herbs and spices. It contains flavors similar to cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and pepper. This is a very healthy spice and honestly, the taste it brings about in the dish is not only tasty but very healthy
Basil
There is no doubt that basil is one of the most common herbs that are used in one’s kitchen. It has a very nice tinge to it as it lets out a sweet and an earthy flavor and smell. This herb goes along well with chicken, meat, vegetables, and soup.
Cardamom
Cardamom is one of the healthy herbs and spices. Even though it is very strong and has a pungent smell, it also contains a pinch of lemon and mint. There are several recipes that one can cook at home which involves cardamom!
Cayenne pepper
This is from a chili family, and hence if one wants to put a flavor of spice in your dish then this is the best herb and spice to use. One can use this ingredient in fish, chicken, salads and many more dishes to make it tasty and chilly!
Cilantro
This is a very confusing herb as one can either like it or just dislike it from the very first taste. People take differently to cilantro, while some like it in their soup, others say it tastes like mild tasting parsley with citrus zest. These delicate leaves can be eaten raw or be added to a certain dish.
Cinnamon
This is a very good spice and is known due to adding warmth to a number of spicy desserts and food eaten during breakfast! One dish which most people enjoy is the cinnamon apple pancake. Many people enjoy the taste of it and this is one of the common herbs and spices used today!
Chives
Chives are very commonly mistaken for green onions and scallions. One should learn the difference as they are very slender, and can be added to various dishes including baked potatoes, salads, eggs. Apart from just adding them into dishes, chives can also be mixed with butter, vinegar, and various other sauces!
Cloves
Of course, these are very tasty and give about a good aroma. These can be used in various dishes to enhance the flavor such as in meat, curries, marinades. Cloves are particularly known for their usage in pumpkin pies. Thus, there are many benefits of cloves including high nutrients, rich in antioxidants, kills bacteria, promotes bone health, and reduces stomach ulcers!
Turmeric
When we talk about turmeric spice benefits there are many. It is so beneficial because it contains curcumin. This is a very healthy ingredient. We all know that it is yellow in color and spice that can also be added to eggs and rice dishes.
Cumin
In addition, cumin is a delicious seed that is added to cuisines. It has a very nutty flavor. This is very much liked by people in curry recipes. In fact, if one wants to prepare a Thai recipe then cumin should be added. If one wants to enjoy its flavors then add some to the pumpkin curry shrimp recipe. Adding cumin to the above recipe makes one worth eating a dish!
Dill
These green leaves are one of the best herbs and spices! This is a recipe that should be added in soups, stews and in pickles! There are many ways in which dill can be used in various recipes – these include grilled carrots with lemon and dill, zucchini with yogurt dill sauce, and salads that have a tinge of dill in them.
Garlic
Garlic is one of the most popular herbs and spice that can be added to a lot of recipes. One can add this to a garlic chicken and many other chicken recipes. This has a strong taste – which when mixed with different recipes gives a natural and a tasty tinge to the dish
Ginger
Thus, ginger is one of the very good herbs and spices. In fact, the root or stem of the ginger plant is usually consumed fresh, dried and also in a powdered form. Due to its pungent and spicy flavor – ginger works very well with Chinese cuisine. In fact, ginger is very good to aid digestion and help one to lose weight.
Mint
Mint is a very good tangent to add to dishes and different recipes. Mint actually does well with flavors like a chocolate mint smoothie and blueberry mint drink. This particular herb also has various health benefits.
Nutmeg
If one eats cinnamon then nutmeg should also be added to it. This is a brilliant herb and spice that makes one addicted to it. In fact, a lot of people add nutmeg to cinnamon spiced mashed sweet potatoes recipe!
Oregano
This is one of the herbs and spices that should not be said no to. This is so yummy and a herb and spice that can be added to all varieties of food. The good part is that it’s always fresh and can be used anytime and every time. One can add this to sauces, dressings, salads, and poultry
Parsley
Nevertheless, this herb adds a fresh spring-like flavor to things like stocks, stews, and soups. Apart from being added in food items, these can also be used as dips, with casseroles and in other ways like in salads, hummus, in lobsters, fish, and many other recipes! Thus, never say no to Parsley, always say yes!
Rosemary
Rosemary has a certain taste that goes very well with eggs, potatoes, and steak. In fact, this herb and spice are good not only for the flavor but also has a lot of protein which does one good in every way! Hence, rosemary should be included almost every day in one’s diet
Saffron
Saffron comes along with a sweet flavor and adds a yellow-orange tinge to a number of dishes and cuisines. Saffron can be added to various dishes like chorizo and shrimp paella to lemon buttermilk pie. Hence, not only is it yummy and tasteful – it also is healthy, especially if one adds some of it to milk and milk products! One must have definitely heard about saffron milk
Sage
This particular herb and spice is seen as the sister of rosemary. This is basically a herb that displays gray and green leaves. In fact, sage leaves are best served with fish and poultry dishes, along with a combination of various vegetables and sausages. This is definitely one of the very healthy herbs and spices. Everyone should include this in their everyday diet
Tarragon
This contains a flavor that most people find hard to describe. They are an edible herb which can be paired with fruits, poultry, seafood, and different sauces. This is a very healthy herb, and apart from being just healthy it also provides one with ample flavor
Thyme
Thyme adds a very subtle flavor to a number of soups, stews and roasted dishes. Thyme can also be absorbed with wheat and is exceptionally yummy to taste.
Some fun and surprising facts about herbs and spices
Lavender
Apart from being used as a herb and spice in different teas and eatables, lavender has other uses as well. It had started being used as a perfume long way back maybe as back as ancient Egypt. It has been said that Cleopatra wore lavender scent. Also, when people could not take a shower every day – they wore upon themselves the lavender touch to do away with the unpleasant body odor
Rosemary
Rosemary has been seen as a symbol of fidelity, marriage, and fertility. In ancient times women would carry rosemary in their hands which would exemplify that they were married. There is also a belief that if women slept with rosemary under their pillow – then they would see an image of their future husband
Oregano
Apart from being consumed as a spice and herb, oregano was used as an antiseptic and would help to cure other things like headaches, acne, sores, and even toothaches. Apart from that oregano oil was used with steam to clean the lungs and clear congestion.
Turmeric
Turmeric is seen as a vital part in religious ceremonies. It is basically considered as the sacred plant. It was a tradition that before getting married, many Hindu women would wear a necklace that was endowed with the turmeric color. Today there has been research and study in turmeric to prove its role as an antioxidant and how it can help fight cancer.
Pepper
Pepper was seen as a very important ingredient hundreds of years ago during the spice trade. At one time in Europe, it was so highly priced that it was used as a currency for trade. Apart from just seasoning peoples food, pepper was also used medicinally. It helped one during congestion. Till date, pepper is considered very valuable.
Saffron
Altogteher as far as the history of saffron is concerned – it is regarded as one of the exotic spices that have an Arabic twist to it. It was first grown in Greece thousands of years ago. In fact, saffron was well known and used for dyeing fabrics, flavoring the food and also cleansing the body. At one time traders would try to increase their profits by enhancing saffron with ingredients like marigold petals.
Nutmeg
As far as the history of nutmeg is concerned it was a very expensive spice. In fact, there were some people who believed that nutmeg prevented people from catching the Black Death. This had made its way through Europe in those times. Portuguese were the first ones to gain control of nutmeg in 1511. Nutmeg was fought extensively for by the Dutch and English as well. The country that finally took over control was Holland.
Cinnamon
In addition, Cinnamon is known for its taste and properties that help to preserve meat. However, during the middle ages, it was quite expensive and very difficult to obtain in Europe. Thus, it was seen as a prestige symbol. Countries who started making their voyages – it was mainly in dire need of spice. It was in 1518, that explorers from Portugal landed in Ceylon (now called Srilanka) where cinnamon grew naturally. Portugal made way into the cinnamon trade and controlled the prices for many years
Conclusion
Thus, above have been laid down various herbs and spices that are used in India and elsewhere. These are not just healthy but help to provide flavor and taste in the food. The most prominent and most used ones include turmeric, rosemary, cinnamon. Hence, if one wants to add in a little flavor to the delicacies then the above herbs and spices are the way to go about it. We hope that this article has been worthwhile and has given one all the information that is