FOODS OF PLANT ORIGIN AND THEIR USEFULNESS- HERBS AND SPICES

SPICES AND HERBS: 

Spices and herbs come from various parts of plant. Botanically, the distinction between them is frequently obscure.

However, spices are defined as products essentially of tropical plants origin which are used for the purpose of seasoning foods.

Herbs on the other hand are considered as the leaves of aromatic annual or perennial plants grown mainly in the temperate region.

Spices and herbs have long been used to season foods. They are similar in that they owe their flavouring properties to small amounts of volatile constituents.

These volatile constituents can be removed as highly aromatic liquids known as "essential oils" or dilute essences by steam distillation.


USES OF SPICES AND HERBS

The availability of a wide range of spices and herbs in ready to use form has encouraged interest in and making of different types of dishes.

In seasoning food, only enough spice or herb is used in a dish to enhance the natural flavour as excessive amounts tend to over power the natural flavour of the food and make the user concious of the specific spice or herbs used.

When used, they are added during the last minutes of cooking to avoid destroying the flavour by heat.

Dried herbs are more compact than fresh or frozen ones. About one teaspoon of the dried herb or spice is equivalent to about three teaspoons of the fresh or frozen herb or spice.

The uses of some spices and herbs are as shown below:

SPICES
1. Allspice - Used whole in pickles, roast meats, and fish. Used ground in cakes, puddings and preserves.

2. Cayenne - Used ground in many foods, stews, sauces, meat and soups.

3. Cinnamon - Used ground for baked goods, pickles, candies, puddings and preserves.

4. Clove - Used whole in meats, fish, pickles. Used ground in cakes, cookies, puddings, stews, gravies, pork products.

5. Garlic - Used in sauces, soups, stews, dressings, meats.

6. Ginger - Used in soft drinks, baked goods, pickles, puddings.

7. Mace - Used whole in fish sauces, pickles and preserves. Used ground in cakes, cookies, pies and chocolate dishes.

8. Mustard - Used in meats, sauces, gravies, salad dressings.

9. Nutmeg - Used ground in baked goods, meats, sauces, gravies, salad dressings.

10. Pepper - Used ground for general seasoning of meats, fish, sauces, soups, gravies, salads, jollof rice.

11. Paprika - Used to garnish many goods. Also used to season chicken, fish, meat, gravies, vegetables, salad dressings.

12. Curry powder - Used for seasoning various dishes.


HERBS 
1. Basil - Used in stews, soups, sauces, egg dishes.

2. Bay leaf - Used in soups, sauces, stews, fish, tomatoes, pickles.

3. Anise - Used in baked goods, candies.

4. Caraway - Used in poultry, mixed pickles, baked goods.

5. Coriander - Used for stuffings, green salad, sausages, fresh pork.

6. Marjoram - Used in salads, meat, poultry stews, soups, sauces.

7. Parsley - Used in soups, sauces, stews, meat, salads and for garnishing.

8. Sage - Used in sausages, meat products, poultry, pork and pork products, and for stuffings.

9. Thyme - Used in soups, sauces and for stuffings.

10. Curry leaf - Used in meats, stews, sauces.


REFERENCES

Egbekun K. M. and Onimawo A. I. (1998) Comprehensive Food Science and Nutrition. Ambik press publishers, Nigeria.

Okaka J. C. (1997). Tropical Plant Perishables: Handling, Storage and Processing. Silicon Valley Publishers, Enugu, Nigeria.

Passmore R. and Eastwood M. A (1987). Human Nutrition and Dietetics. 8th Ed. Churchill Livingstone, London.

Pomeranz Y. and Meloan C. E. (1980). Food Analysis: Theory and Practice. Revised Ed. AVI Publishing Co. Westport C. T.

Potter N. N. (1980). Food Science. 3rd Ed. AVI Publishing Co. Westport C. T.

Pyke M. (1981). Food Science and Technology. 4th Ed. John Murray, London.