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Aromatic Herbs & Spices
Spices and aromatic herbs are ingredients that are increasingly used in the kitchen, giving a unique flavor to their dishes. Sometimes it happens to confuse one with the other, even if they are different products, but their function is usually the same, that is to flavor the dishes, enhancing their flavor. The taste and benefits of aromatic herbs With the expression aromatic herbs, we generally refer to vegetables or herbs grown in pots and in the garden, but also available in the wild. There are several types, but among the best known products stand out bay laurel, basil, borage, oregano, parsley, thyme and sage. The aromatic herbs in the kitchen are used in many countries: for example pasta with tomato and basil is an indispensable must of Italian cuisine. The nutritional value of aromatic herbs is in itself rather poor, but these are very important ingredients because they vary the palatability of the foods and allow some useful substitutions for the body's well-being, such as spicy herbs as an alternative to salt. The aromatic herbs for sale on Natura d’Oriente are products of the highest quality, ideal for making your dishes tastier and to amaze your guests with unforgettable recipes. The taste and the benefits of aromatic spices The term spices indicate dry vegetable products that generally come from tropical countries or in any case from quite distant places, widely used since the past to preserve and flavor foods. Aromatic spices are obtained from different parts of the plants: cinnamon, cardamom, turmeric and ginger stand out among the most appreciated. Spices and aromatic herbs can give any recipe a unique touch, whether it is a meat dish or a tasty side dish: the secret is to find the right balance!
Green pepper is used to flavor fish and meat dishes (chicken, turkey, pork, beef). The recipe for fillet with green pepper is famous. It is particularly appreciated for its spicy, fresh and delicately herbaceous flavour. Green pepper also goes well with other spices, including nutmeg, coriander and juniper.
Cinnamon in bark is the spice preferred by cooks to give a particular flavor to their recipes. In healthy terms, cinnamon helps keep blood sugar in balance, helps prevent cholesterol, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, triglycerides and ulcers. Tip: do not cook it too long, it can become bitter.
A spice famous for its sweet, delicate, intense and musky flavor and the warm scent that flavors desserts and dishes. Whole Ceylon cinnamon flavors sweets and baked goods, fruit, creams and pastry specialities. The aroma is enhanced by contact with hot drinks such as tea, milk, punch and mulled wine; it becomes special mixed with chocolate. 25g - approximately 5/7 small sticks.
Cassia ground cinnamon has an intense flavor that goes well with salty foods and flavors meat. In the Middle East it accompanies stews, lamb, goose and duck meat; in Thailand pork and dried fruit; in Morocco it is combined with pigeon pastilla; in Yorkshire it is excellent in braised ham. A pinch of cinnamon is perfect in mashed potatoes, ravioli and pumpkin risotto. It gives a unique aroma to vegetable pies or natural yoghurt.
Sichuan pepper is a red berry native to China. It has a very fresh, spicy and citrusy taste. It should be added to cooking, whole, or toasted and ground (except the seeds). We recommend toasting only the amount needed for the dish being prepared, once toasted it tends to quickly lose flavor and intensity.
Chinese five spice powder is a traditional spice blend, used in Chinese cuisine. This mix gives the dishes a light hint of minty taste, which still includes all the five flavors in cooking: sweet, sour, salty, spicy and bitter. A special taste to flavor meat and fish dishes, marinades and exotic sauces.
Ingredients:
star anise, cloves, cinnamon, Sichuan pepper, fennel.
The cumin plant, is one of the oldest medicinal plants, it produces seeds that have a spicy flavor and a rich and singular aroma. Some research is also testing its slimming power. The scientists involved compared the effects of using cumin extracts on overweight and blood sugar.
Chives are an aromatic plant. Like the other most used spices, chives have a decidedly particular taste, although lighter and more delicate than that of garlic or onion. It has diuretic, antiseptic, cardiotonic, hypoglycemic, vermifuge properties. Use it directly dried to flavor many dishes like a normal spice.
Herbs of Provence are a blend of fresh or dried aromatic plants. Unmissable in the recipes of local cuisine, these herbs are used to give the final touch in vegetable-based dishes, in stews, sauces, ragu and in grilled fish and meat, such as that of Sisteron lamb.
Sichuan pepper is a green berry native to China, also called Sancho Pepper. It has a very fresh, citrusy, spicy and sparkling taste that gradually envelops the palate. It should be added to cooking, whole, or crushed in a mortar always in small doses because. Once toasted, it tends to quickly lose its flavor.
Fenugreek grains have strong properties that make them a tasty and beneficial spice. They are used in cooking for many recipes, for a soothing action on the digestive system and to stimulate the metabolism of carbohydrates and triglycerides.
Chia seeds have excellent quantities of good fats, fiber, proteins, calcium, magnesium etc. Among these properties, anti-colitis, anti-cholesterol and slimming properties stand out, as well as the preventive action of diabetes and osteoporosis, and the anti-inflammatory one for the gastric mucosa and rebalancing of hormones for women in pre and menopause.