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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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
The crusco pepper is a variety of pepper typical of Basilicata, a region in southern Italy. Once harvested, the peppers are dried in the sun or in special dryers, becoming crunchy and maintaining a sweet and intense flavour. Cruschi peppers are a versatile ingredient in the kitchen, used both whole and in powder form, to enrich traditional dishes such as pasta, soups and side dishes, giving a unique and characteristic taste.
