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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!
Pink pepper or false pepper, delicately spicy, has a sweet and slightly resinous aftertaste. It is used to flavor fish dishes (especially salmon), roast meat, risottos and more. It allows you to create high-impact plating, playing on the contrast of colors. This particular variant has numerous beneficial properties. Particularly sensitive to high temperatures, it is good practice to add it at the end of cooking in hot dishes, so as not to alter their delicate flavor.
The sweet and warm flavor of cinnamon, the intense and unmistakable aroma, make Ceylon cinnamon a famous spice in the kitchen. Used to flavor desserts, creams, fruit, it is also excellent in baked specialties and savory recipes. The aroma stands out in hot drinks such as tea, infusions, milk, punch and mulled wine; Its taste is famous and makes chocolate delicious. A cinnamon stick is approximately 25 cm long.
Cloves have a very particular scent, penetrating and warm, and give dishes a pungent taste with a sweet and balsamic aftertaste. The intense aroma attenuates with cooking, dominates over other spices but harmonizes the flavor in many sweet and savory dishes. Whole cloves make roasts, broths and stews more aromatic. They facilitate good digestion, perfume the breath and give balsamic virtues to infusions.
The ground clove powder has a decidedly unmistakable penetrating scent, with a pungent flavor with a sweet and balsamic aftertaste. The strong, warm aroma attenuates a little with cooking, dominating other spices but balancing other odors in sweet and savory dishes. In particular, cloves flavor roasts, broths and stews. They contribute to good digestion, perfume the breath and give balsamic notes to the infusions.
Voatsiperifery pepper is a little known pepper variety. This delicious rare pepper is particularly suitable for meat lovers, but also for vegetarians. Voatsiperifery has a woody, spicy flavor with a refreshing lemon note.
Ingredients: Mascareigne Voatsiperifery pepper or Madagascar pepper. Origin: Madagascar
Black pepper is more than just a spice, and used daily it is a real natural drug. Used for healing purposes for millennia, it goes beyond the idea of a simple spice. Black pepper would stimulate the production of natural endorphins by acting as a kind of natural antidepressant. Characteristic is the brown color of the large and full-bodied grains.
The beneficial properties of juniper berries were known from the time of the ancient Egyptians. They were in fact used for embalming and for disinfecting rooms. The numerous active ingredients contained in juniper berries give them important therapeutic benefits. Widely used in folk medicine to treat various ailments.
Wild fennel flowers are the small inflorescences that form the umbrella of the plant, highly appreciated as a condiment in cooking. They are collected at the beginning of flowering, dried and then "shelled" in order to obtain this fragrant spice, with a complex and balanced taste. The fennel flower is particularly suitable for flavoring pork, mushrooms, aubergines, olives and typical dishes such as snails in a pan.
These small and aromatic seeds are known for their excellent properties, used both in cooking and for beneficial infusions. They give a very intense aroma and a slightly bitter taste to many recipes, appreciated in Asian, French and Cajun cuisines. Celery seeds are excellent for soups, broths, sauces, flavoring meat and the famous celery salt. They contain precious nutrients and antioxidants, useful for our well-being.
The organic vanilla pod is highly appreciated for its intense and natural aroma; mainly used to flavor desserts and to make excellent pastry creams. The pods of the Bourbon vanilla variety have a high concentration of the aromatic principle vanillin, and complex flavor notes. It is versatile on desserts, savory dishes and refined culinary creations. In addition, the pod provides antioxidant properties and a calming scent that combats stress and promotes rest.
Tonka beans are an exotic and strongly aromatic ingredient, adding a complex, unique spicy scent to your sweet or savory recipes. Furthermore, they have a high content of coumarin, a beneficial antioxidant substance.
Zahatar is a mixture of spices well known and used in the Middle Eastern countries. This combination of spices is ideal for flavoring meats such as chicken and lamb, vegetables, cheeses, stewed potatoes and onions, mozzarella and tomatoes.