Transcript Why spices are important - Northern Kentucky Herb Society

Spices & Herbs
in Turkish Cooking
Ancient History of Silk & Spice
Routes
•
•
•
•
•
Turks
Greeks
Romans
Arabs
Romans
Trade between the empires of Asia and Rome
Why were spices popular for trading?
• very lucrative
• improved food & health
• very popular with the upper classes
– spicy food considered classy, sign of wealth
Piper nigrum
(black & white pepper)
• Climbing vine native to India
and East Indies; in Piperaceae
(pepper) family
• Berries picked green, darken
& shrivel upon drying.
• Biting flavor due to volatile
oils, flavor dissipates after
grinding.
• White pepper – berries ripen
on vine, outer hull removed.
• The most widely used spice
today.
Cinnamomum zeylanicum
(cinnamon)
• Parts used- oil & bark
• Evergreen tree native
to India & Sri Lanka; in
Laurel family
• PropertiesAstringent, stimulant,
anti-infective, antifungal, digestive aid
• One of the oldest and
most valuable spices
Cumin Plant as Herbal Medicine
Extensively used in Turkey for cooking, antioxidant
Eugenia caryophyllata
(clove)
• Parts Used: closed flower buds
• Active Compounds: Clove oil
is 60 to 90 percent eugenol,
which is the source of its
anesthetic and antiseptic
properties.
• An evergreen tree, 15 to 30
feet tall; in Myrtaceae (Myrtle)
family
• Native to the Spice Islands and
the Philippines, but also grown
in India, Sumatra, Jamaica, the
West Indies, Brazil, and other
tropical areas.
Myristica fragans
(nutmeg & mace)
• Part used- dried kernel of the
seed.
• Tree is about 25 feet high, has a
greyish-brown smooth bark,
abounding in a yellow juice.
• Native to Spice Islands;
Myristicaceae (nutmeg) family
• Fruit is source of 2 spices,
nutmeg & mace.
• Mace is derived from the net-like
aril that is wrapped around the
pit.
• Within the pit is a single seed,
the source of nutmeg.
Zingiber officinale (ginger)
•
•
•
•
•
Member of “ginger” family
Perennial native to tropical Asia
Plant part used = Rhizome
name from Sanskrit word stringa-vera,
which means “with a body like a horn”, as in
antlers.
In English pubs and taverns in the
nineteenth century, bar-keepers put out
small containers of ground ginger, for
people to sprinkle into their beer — the
origin of ginger ale.
Capsicum species
(hot & sweet peppers)
• Members of tomato family (Solonaceae)
• Many are cultivars of Capsicum annum
– E.g., bell pepper & cayenne
• Four other common species
– E.g., C. clilense includes habenero and C. fructescens
includes tabasco pepper
• Many varieties
• Origin = New World; used by 9000 y. ago
• “Hot” due to seven related alkaloids, including
capsaicin (mostly in seeds & fruit)
Scoville ratings
(for pepper “hotness”)
16,000,000: Pure capsaicin
100,000-350,000: Habanero
30,000-50,000: Cayenne
pepper
5,000-23,000: Serrano pepper
2,500-5,000: Tabasco sauce
/Jalapeno
1,000-2,000: Poblano pepper
100-500 Pepperoncini pepper
Ca. 0: Sweet Bell pepper
Vanilla planifolia (vanilla)
•flavoring comes from the seed pod, or the ‘bean’ of the vanilla plant
•member of orchid family (Orchidaceae); perennial vine
•behind saffron and cardamom, vanilla is 3rd most expensive spice
•non-culinary uses, including aromatizing perfumes, cigars, & liqueurs
•Europeans prefer the bean, while N. Americans the extract
•extract made by percolating alcohol & water through chopped cured
beans
Chamomile
Matricaria sp.
• Better than counting
sheep
• Beat anxiety and
insomnia
• Relieve indigestion
• Soothe irritated skin
Onions
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Originated in Asia
Ancient Egyptians worshipped the onion,
believing that its spherical shape and
concentric rings symbolized eternity. Of
all the vegetables that had their images
created from precious metals by Egyptian
artists, only the onion was made out of
gold.
Ranks sixth among the world's leading
vegetable crops.
You can get rid of onion breath by eating
parsley.
Yellow onions make up more than 75% of
the worlds production of onions.
The official state vegetable of Georgia is
the Vidalia onion.
The official state vegetable of Texas is the
Texas Sweet onion.
According to the National Onion
Association, onion consumption in the
U.S. has increased approximately 50%
over the past 20 years.
Chives
• Onion benefits without
tears
• Help lower blood
cholesterol levels
• Help reduce blood
pressure
• Help prevent certain
types of cancer
Dill (Anethum graveolens)
A tall, self-seeding, with feathery
leaves and open umbrella-shaped
Easily grown from seed
Oregano (Origanum
heracleoticum)
Popular in cooking, and
antioxidant
Thyme (Thymus vulgaris)
Small, moundforming,
shrub-like of
different cultivars
Select either French
or English cultivars
Start from seed,
dividing clumps, or
cuttings
Garlic
•
•
•
•
•
Culinary, medicinal, and religious use dates
back more than 6000 years.
Chicago got it's name from the American
Indian word for the wild garlic that grew
around Lake Michigan - "chicagaoua".
California produces more than 250 million
pounds of garlic each year. One farm in
Monterey County (near Gilroy, "The Garlic
Capital of the World") plants 2000 acres of
garlic and produces almost 25 million
pounds annually.
There is an all-garlic restaurant in
Stockholm where they offer a garlic
cheesecake.
There is an all-garlic restaurant in San
Francisco where they offer a garlic ice
cream. The name of the place is a nickname
for garlic...The Stinking Rose!
‘raw’ garlic
• Prevent & cure infection
– 1 clove contains substances equivalent to
100,000 units of penicillin (1/5 avg dose)
• Help prevent cancer & heart disease
• Make lean foods taste robust
• Eat sprig of fresh tarragon for temporary
relief of garlic breath or ‘odorless garlic’ in
capsules
Parsley
Petroselinum crispum
• Related to wild parsnip
(Pastinaca sativa) (in the
Umbel family, along with
carrots, celery, dill,
parsnips, fennel, caraway,
anise, coriander, cumin,
poison hemlock)
• Has low levels of same
toxin as the wild species
• Many of these look
gorgeous in the garden.
Mint Family
(Lamiaceae)
• Native to Mediterranean region
• Includes thyme, sages,
marjoram, oregano, rosemary,
savory, hyssops, basil, the
various mints, catnip, and
horehound.
• Common garden mint is
spearmint, not peppermint .
• Square stems & aromatic
simple leaves with oil glands.
TURKISH PEASANT SALAD
by Zeyda Üstün
4 tomatoes
2 cucumbers
1 green pepper
1 medium sized onion
parsley, mint, extra virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar or lemon, salt
Peel and dice the cucumbers and tomatoes, sprinkle some sea salt, add extra virgin
olive oil, vinegar or lemon juice and put it in the refrigerator. Cut the onion in half, slice
thinly, and cut into smaller pieces. Add onions, diced cucumbers, chopped peppers and
parsley to the salad in the refrigerator and stir. Optional You can grate white cheese or
feta. If you have warm french bread, I suggest using it to wipe out the delicious sauce of
the Çoban salad.
RED LENTIL SOUP
•3 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
•2 onions, finely chopped
•1 cup red lentils, washed and picked over
•2 Tablespoon flour
•1 Tablespoon coriander
•1 Tablespoon cumin
•2 Tablespoon oregano
•3/4 Tablespoon black pepper
•1/2 Tablespoon salt
•½ Teaspoon turmeric
•6 cups vegetable or beef stock
•1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes
•1 Tablespoon dried dill, crumbled
Heat the oil in a large saucepan and saute the onions over
low heat until they are golden--about 15 minutes. Stir in the
flour, then add lentils. Add stock, and spices. Bring to a boil,
and cook until soft and creamy--about an hour.
Jan14, 2010
Hasan & Jo Ann Tezduyar
859 371 7426
[email protected]
SARI BURMA DESSERT
If you are talented you roll very thin sheets from the pieces of your prepared dough. In
Turkey they say, for baklava the sheets should so thin that you could read an newspaper
below it and a baklava should have 40 layers. For sari burma the sheets can be thicker;)
n the side to near you(long side) strew from the chopped walnut sugar mixture in a line.
With the very thin (special) rolling pin roll the sheet in a very tight roll. The end of your
sheet should be straight. Pinch the roll from both edges. Pull the sheet carefully from the
rolling pin. Set it on the baking tray. When your tray is filled you cut your rolls into smaller
pieces with a sharp knife. Heat up the butter and the oil together. Sprinkle the rolls with
the warm oil. Bake it till it is golden brown at180-200°C.
Meanwhile boil sugar, water, and lemon juice. This boils for about 20 minutes till gets
syrupy. Cool it and pour it on the sari burmas after baking.
Either your syrup or your baklava must be cool!
The measures for the ingredients will be written soon. My mother unfortunately has no
exact measures. She has a feeling for it.