lubystok.com » Spices Encyclopedia
Mustard
(Sinapis alba)
(Sinapis alba)
Mustard is a favorite and most common seasoning for meat dishes, homemade mayonnaise and sauces. This is a perfect spice for meat rolls, sausages, fish dishes, poultry, pork and veal. And due to mustard seeds pickles become specially crispy and flavoury. Add mustard to mistures for vegetable, mushroom, fish and meat marinades to give them pleasant taste and special delicate aroma.
Mustard seeds are enriched with protein, essential oils and useful microelements. Regular use of mustard in food improves memory, stimulates ingenuity, helps to restore the nervous system.
Ginger
(Zingiber officinale)
(Zingiber officinale)
Ginger is originally from Ancient India. In translation from Sanskrit name of the plant means “universal medicine”, but Ginger has also amazing cooking properties. Sauces with ginger are perfect for meat dishes, vegetables and fruit marinades, stewed meat and poultry. This spice makes meat softer and adds a special flavour to fish and seafood dishes, vegetables and pasta. Also adding ginger to tea will enhance its flavor.
Ginger is an invaluable source of useful and medical properties. It is enriched with vitamins A, B1, B2 and C, micro- and macroelements — zinc, sodium, potassium, ferrum, phosphorus, calcium. Ginger has anti-inflammatory, antispasmodic, analgesic, tonic effects, also useful for the prevention of cancer.
Cardamom
(Ellettaria cardamomum)
(Ellettaria cardamomum)
In ancient times cardamom was considered to be one of the most expensive oriental spices. It has a pungent aroma with hints of eucalyptus, camphor and lemon. Use cardamom baking biscuits, cakes, cookies; add to meat dishes, brines, punch, mulled wine. While making Turkish or Arabic coffee, add a pinch of cardamom for a special taste.
Cardamom is famous not only for its original aroma and taste, but also for the amazing healing properties. The use of spice in food clears your organism, removes slags and toxins, improves appetite, strengthens the nervous system, relieves fatigue and apathy. The smell of spices has a positive effect on mentality, improves mood, stimulates brain activity.
Cumin
(Carum carvi)
(Carum carvi)
Cumin has been known to mankind for its special spicy flavor for a long time. Therefore, it is good for cooking first hot courses and meat dishes. Also add cumin seeds, while baking bread, cooking pilaf, goulash, stews, vegetable dishes, stewed or sour cabbage.
Cumin is enriched with calcium, potassium, phosphorus, ferrum, vitamin B complex. The spice is an excellent antidepressant, rebalances metabolism, fortifies the immune system, relieves acute allergic reactions, helps with hormonal disorders and even improves the skin condition.
Cinnamon
(Cinnamomum verum)
(Cinnamomum verum)
Warm, bitter-sweet aroma of cinnamon is unusual and piquant. It is one of the oldest and most popular spices that matches either sweet or spicy dishes.Cinnamon is used for cooking in all national cuisines. It is also used as a flavor for pastries. Cinnamon perfectly blends with cherries, apples and pumpkins in sweet dishes and with lamb, pork and chicken in meat ones.
The cinnamon aroma stimulates the brain and mental activity, improves attention concentration. The spice has anti-inflammatory and warming effect. Therefore, to prevent the cold-related diseases during cold seasons, it’s useful to drink tea with lemon, honey and cinnamon.
Coriander
(Coriandrum sativum)
(Coriandrum sativum)
Coriander originally comes from Asia and the Mediterranean world. The spice has surprisingly sweet-spicy taste. Coriander gives the marinades and brines the special fragnant aroma. Add it to dishes made from dough – French bread, crisp bread, cookies. Coriander enriches soups and fish dishes with fresh spring scent.
The spice is a source of vitamin C, magnesium, calcium, phosphorus, organic acids and other useful nutrients. The use of coriander in food has a positive effect on the digestive and cardiovascular systems, improves liver function and its cleansing, improves brain activity.
Dill
(Anethum graveolens)
(Anethum graveolens)
Dill, known for us scince childhood, is widely spread around the world. The aroma of this fragnant plant perfectly matches your favourite first and second dishes. Dill has a good taste is salads and sauces, is perfect for marinading and pickling vegetables.
Dill is rich in vitamins and micro elements and preserves its useful properties both in dries and pickled state. It improves digestion, lowers blood pressure, calms the nervous system, normalizes sleep.
Cumin
(Cuminum cyminum)
(Cuminum cyminum)
Cumin is named the king of eastern spices. It has a strong aroma and slightly bitter nutty taste. Use cumin to give a special aroma to bread and confectioneries, dairy products. Cumin is an important ingredient for pickling cabbage, cucumbers, tomatoes and mushtooms. It gives a delicious flavour to potato soups, vegetable salads, fish and meat dishes. It is an essential ingredient for cooking pilaf.
The usage of cumin in your favorite dishes activates brain activity, improves eyesight, it is helpful for insomnia, nervous exhaustion or migraines.
Sesame
(Sesamum indicum)
(Sesamum indicum)
Sesame has been known for its rich mineral and and vitamin formula long ago. In cooking both sesame oil and sesame seeds are used, which get a special aroma after being fried. Sesame perfectly blends with pastries — bread, buns and cookies. Sesame is used for making rolls and salads dressings. You can fry meat, fish or vegetables in sesame coating.
The spice is a source of calcium, magnesium, zinc, ferrum, phosphorus, vitamins E, C, B and cellulose. It fortifies the immune system, normalizes metabolism, rejuvenates the body, improves skin color and its structure.
Turmeric
(Curcuma longa)
(Curcuma longa)
Turmeric not only gives the dishes unusual flavor, but also has a number of properties that have a positive effect on human organism. Its delicate aroma resembles pepper and orange. The spice blends well with white sauces, salads, soups, soups-purees, stews and seafood – crabs, lobsters and oysters. Turmeric gives a special flavor to the rice, pasta, beef and lamb dishes, omelets and puddings. Also use the spice to color butter, margarine, cheese and liqueurs, for pickling vegetables with vinegar.
Turmeric is considered to be a natural antibiotic, which also does not have any harmful effects on the digestive system and liver. It normalizes cardiovascular system, fortifies the immune system, removes slags and toxins from the body.
Bay leaf
(Laurus nobilis)
(Laurus nobilis)
Bay leaf is originally comes from countries of Mediterranean world and Central Asia. This spice has been known to the mankind for a long time. Bay leaf is the legendary plant, which was famous in ancient Greece and the Roman Empire and considered to be sacred. Bay leaf is a symbol of goodness and prosperity. The spice can be widely used in cooking. Add bay leaves to soup or borshch and fish dishes for pleasant delicate aroma and to jellies, lamb, beef or pork dishes – to get special flavour. Use bay leaves while pickling vegetable and mushrooms to preserve the products’ useful properties and to make preservations tender and savoury.
The rich aroma of bay leaves improves appetite, tones the body, strengthens the immune system.
Marjoram
(Origanum majorana)
(Origanum majorana)
Marjoram has a delicate distinguished aroma and bitter spicy aftertaste. Such a contradictory combination surprises even the most demanding gourmets. Marjoram adds the special flavour to salad dressings and vinegars. You may add marjoram to the first and secon meat, fish and vegetable dishes, sausage products, pickled cucumbers, tomatoes, squashes and zucchinis. Dieticians recommend using marjoram herb instead of salt.
The spice improves appetit and stimulates digestion, has a tonifying and antiseptic properties.
Nutmeg
(Myristica)
(Myristica)
Popular in cooking nutmeg has a bitter-sweet taste and a strong spicy aroma. Add nutmeg into salads, mashed potatoes, vegetable soups, pasta, mushroom and fish dishes and your favorite sauces. Cook compotes, jams, puddings and pastries with nutmeg.
Nutmeg is a very valuable for health product. The usage of nutmeg in favorite dishes saturates the body with energy and rejuvenates it, enhances memory, improves brain activity.
Oregano
(Origanum vulgare)
(Origanum vulgare)
Oregano is a versatile spice which perfectly matches various dishes. Fresh and dried oregano leaves are very popular in Greek and Italian cusines. For example, it is one of the most important spices for pizza. Oregano makes kebab, pasta, casseroles and vegetables dishes specially delicious. With oregano hot sandwiches, soups, meat dishes, salads and sauces gain a unique taste and aroma.
The spice is actually a source of vitamins A and C, calcium, manganese, ferrum, and essential oils. Oregano has a positive effect on the nervous system, has a calming effect and improves memory.
Paprika
(Capsicum annuum)
(Capsicum annuum)
Sweet paprika is a perfect spice for the national dishes of Mexican, Hungarian, Spanish and German cuisines. Add paprika into sauces, pilaf and marinades to get and attractive color and pleasant aroma. Roast meat and poultry, homemade sausages, goulash and soups will be especially delicious with paprika.
Rich in flavour and at the same time law in calorie paprika is a favourite spice for people who their food ration, folowwing the principles of healthy diet. The spice fortifies the immune system and activates the body’s metabolism.
Allspice
(Pimenta dioica)
(Pimenta dioica)
The fragnant aroma of allspice has a shades of cinnamon, black papper, nutmeg and clove. Use allspice for cooking soupes (mixed meat Solyanka, spicy meat and vegetable soup Kharcho), btoths, fish, meat, vegetable and mushroom marinades, sauces, meat and fish apetizers and for canning. The spice can be used instead of black pepper, it blends well with garlic, bay leaf, basil, dill, parsley and clove.
The spice is rich in useful for human organism essential oils, which give the positive energy, vitality and strength, have antiseptic properties.
Black pepper
(Piper nigrum)
(Piper nigrum)
The pungent taste and delicate aroma of black pepper perfectly matches meat, fish and vegetable dishes. Add black pepper to marinades, pickles, meat pastes, mincemeat, homemade sausages and soups.
Black contains more vitamin C than oranges. Also, black pepper is rich in ferrum, phosphorus, calcium and B-group vitamins. The spice fortifies the nervous system, burns off calories, improves appetite and stimulates digestion.
Parsley
(Petroselinum crispum)
(Petroselinum crispum)
Parsley is one of the most popular spices in Ukrainian cuisine. It has a delicate sweet aroma and a pleasant taste. The spice goes well with various favorite dishes, salads, sauces.
It preserves all its useful properties even in dries state. Parsley as also valued in cosmetology for its whitening, anti-inflammatory and rejuvenating effect, it relieves swelling and redness, tonyfies the skin.
Arugula
(Eruca sativa)
(Eruca sativa)
The most valuable thing in arugula leaves is its nice spicy flavor. Italy gave the world the most famous recipes with arugula, where the leaves of the plant are added to various dishes — pizzas, sauces, salads. In cooking arugula is used both as separate ingredient and as a seasoning for favourite dishes. Arugula is specialy delicious in salads. The only thing this plant «does not like» is a high temperature, so it’s not recommended to fry or boil it because in the process of thermal heating arugula loses its useful properties.
Arugula is a law-calorie product, rich in cellulose, vitamins, calcium, magnesium, iodine, phosphorus and manganese. The usage of arugula stimulates the digestive system, metabolism, increases the level of hemoglobin in the blood and fortifies the immune system.
Celery
(Apium graveolens)
(Apium graveolens)
Celera tastes good both in raw, boiled and fried state. It goes well with mushrooms, fish and meat. Add it into soups and salads for spicy and delicate taste.
The unique properties of celery were mentionned by Hippocrates. The regular usage of celery has the general strengthening and rejuvenating and tonyfying effect on the body. Celery increases working capacity, improves sleep and calmes the nervous system.
Fennel
(Foeniculum vulgare)
(Foeniculum vulgare)
Fennel is also called a sweet dill. Its useful properties have been known in the ancient world. Fennel herb is added to vegetable dishes, soups and preservations; fennel seeds are added to pickles, pastries and tea. Fennel almost doesn’t lose its useful properties, so you can dry it for winter or store its springs in the wet sand.
Fennel is rich in ascorbic acid, B-group vitamins, carotene and minerals. Fennel has antispasmodic and antiseptic effect, it reliefs coughing, insomnia, stomachache.
Horseradish
(Armoracia rusticana)
(Armoracia rusticana)
Horseradish is widely known as a hot spice. We used to add it as a seasoning to meat, ham and jelly. Horseradish leaves are excellent spice for pickling and marinating cucumbers, tomatoes, mushrooms and sauerkraut. Serve fresh grated horseradish to roasted and smoked meat, sausages, fat pork and boiled beef. A mixture of grated horseradish with sour cream on.
In addition to the unique flavour properties, horseradish is also a wonderful medicine. In alternative medicine, horseradish is recommended to use in food during a cold, absence of appetite, physical or mental fatigue. It has an exceptional strong antibacterial properties, it contains large amount of ascorbic acid and phytoncids.
Leeks
(Allium porrum)
(Allium porrum)
Leeks is a delicious nourishing useful product. The plant has been valued antient Roman, Egyptian and Greek empires and now it’s popular in modern cooking. Leeks goes well with different dishes in fresh, boiled, fried and even pickled state. Leeks is rich in calcium, potassium, sulfur, ferrum, and protein, essential oils.
Rich in vitamin C, the plant fortifies the immune system and overall organism protection. The usage of leeks improves metabolism, digestion, blood circulation, perfectly supports the body perfectly in case of vitamin deficiency.
Onion
(Allium cepa)
(Allium cepa)
Onion is an important product in various cuisins around the world. Onion is used in cooking in fresh, boiled, fried. Pickled and even dries state. The dishes with onion are very popular in various countries, because it presrves its useful properties in the process of thermal heating.
Onion is overall strengthening, antivirus, antibacterial products, it improves appetite, reduces cholesterol and blood sugar levels. Onion enrishes your food ration with potassium and calcium, and helps fight the cold.
Savory
(Satureja)
(Satureja)
Savory is popular in all European countries, especially in Scandinavia, England and Germany. It has distinguished fragnant aroma and pungent, spicy, delicate taste. Fresh green savory leaves are used in salads, sauces and soups. It can be used for for pickling mushrooms, cucumbers, tomatoes, green peas, zucchini and other vegetables. Add dried savory to fish, meat, mushrooms and beans dishes, to cheese, potato and meat salads.
Savory is rich in vitamin C, carotene, mineral salts, phytoncids and essential oils volatile. Adding fresh savory in dishes disinfect food. The usage of fresh savory in dishes literally disinfects the food.
Garlic
(Allium Sativum)
(Allium Sativum)
Garlic is not similar to any other spices because of its unique properties. It perfectly matches all dishes of Ukrainian cuisine meats, for preparing soups, jellies, homemade sausages, add it to salads. It is recommended to use garlic for pilaf, fried chicken and sauce. Before cooking meat rub it with garlic — it will give a pleasant aroma and exquisite taste to the dish.
Garlic has tonic effect on the body, its antiviral, antibacterial, antiseptic properties help to overcome colds, to relieve inflammatory processes.
Thyme
(Thymus)
(Thymus)
Thyme is a plant that is known from many legends. It is said that it was born from tears Helena Belle, and the first mention of thyme dates from the third millennium BC. Our grandmothers believed that this herb is gaining all its strength and power on the eve of the Trinity, so it was usually picked at the time of Trinity. Cooking properties of thyme is especially appreciated by the French. This herb enhances the flavor and aroma of compotes, soups, pastries. Thyme tastes well with meat, chicken, fish.
Thyme is rich in vitamin C, essential oils, carotene. Tea with thyme helps to cure colds and respiratory diseases, improves working capacity and tones the body.
Saffron
(Crocus sativus)
(Crocus sativus)
Saffron was considered as the most expensive spice for many centuries; 1 gram of saffron cost more than 1 gram of gold in ancient times. Spice has an exquisite aroma and rich flavor and that is why it is widely used in cooking. Adding saffron in pastries, soups, fish makes dishes aromatic and easy for digestion.
Spice has a reputation for being panacea for all illnesses. Saffron nourishes the cells of the human body, brain, blood plasma, affects positively the digestive and nervous systems, helps to clear the kidneys, liver and blood of toxins, normalizes blood pressure, helps to recover from depression and so on, it is also useful for stomach diseases and rheumatism.
Clove
(Syzygium aromaticum)
(Syzygium aromaticum)
Clove is a flavoury spice the fragnant aroma of which we know since childhood. That’s why we add this spice with trust and love to our favorite dishes. Clove gives special piquancy to marinades and brines, enriches the taste bouquet of sauces and ketchup. Add the spice to meat, fish and vegetable dishes and use for making sweet dishes: puddings, fruit desserts and syrups.
Clove with its piquant taste is enriched with vitamins and microelements also has many useful properties: soothes a sore throat, relieves toothache and fatigue, headache, insomnia and neurosis, freshens breath.
Basil
(Ocimum basilicum)
(Ocimum basilicum)
«Fresh» flavor of basil is amazing by its gourmet hints of lemon, mint, pepper. Due to its versatility this spice perfectly matches Italian cuisine, favorite sauces, gravies, omelets and salads. Fresh basil leaves provide freshness and delicacy of taste for dessert and drinks.
Basil defines antibacterial and disinfectant properties, it perfectly tones the body, provides its overall strengthening and even improves hair and skin condition.