Description
Black and White Pepper are both obtained from the small dried berry of the vine Piper nigrum. For Black Pepper, the berries are picked while still green, allowed to ferment and are then sun-dried until they shrivel and turn a brownish-black color. They have a hot, piney taste.

Uses

Black Pepper adds flavor to almost every food of every nation in the world. It is used in rubs, spice blends, salad dressings, and peppercorn blends.

Origins

The principal exporters for Black Pepper are India (Malabar and Tellicherry Pepper), Indonesia (Lampong Pepper), Brazil and Malaysia. Tellicherry is actually a special type of Malabar Pepper designated for its bold size and uniform appearance. Both have excellent flavor, aroma and pungency properties. The flavor and aroma of Lampong Pepper is similar to the Malabar type. The Malaysian and Brazilian varieties are relatively milder in flavor.

Folklore

Because pepper can be stored for many years without losing its flavor and aroma, it has long been known as the master spice. Pepper was so precious in ancient times that it was used as money to pay taxes, tributes, dowries, and rent. It was weighed like gold and used as a common medium of exchange. In A.D. 410, when Rome was captured, 3,000 pounds of pepper were demanded as ransom.

Description

Cardamom is the dried, unripened fruit of the perennial Elettaria cardamomum. Enclosed in the fruit pods are tiny, brown, aromatic seeds which are slightly pungent to taste. Cardamom pods are generally green but are also available in bleached white pod form. It is available both in the whole pod and as decorticated seeds with the outer hull removed.

Uses

Cardamom is used in Danish pastries, Saudi Arabian, North African, Asian, and Indian cooking and in spice blends such as garam masala, curry powder, and berbere.

Origins

Whole Cardamom pods come from India while the decorticated seeds are imported from Guatemala. Two varieties are indigenous to India but are also cultivated in Guatemala and Sri Lanka. Indian Cardamom is considered to be of premium quality. The Malabar type, rounded in shape, has a pleasantly mellow flavor generally regarded as superior. The Mysore type, ribbed and three cornered, has a slightly harsher flavor but retains its green color longer.

Folklore

Throughout the Arab world, Cardamom is one of the most popular spices, with Cardamom coffee being a symbol of hospitality and prestige. The spice is also very popular in the Scandinavian countries where it is used more extensively than cinnamon.

Description

Cilantro is the dried leaves of the herb, Coriandrum sativum, an annual herb of the parsley family. Also known as Chinese parsley, Cilantro has a distinctive green, waxy flavor. Cilantro is the usual name for the leaf of the plant that is otherwise identified as Coriander, and from which Coriander Seed is obtained.

Uses

Used in salsas, chutneys, salads, dips, beans, and soups. Cilantro is used in Asian, Mexican, Indian, Tex Mex, Caribbean, and North African cuisines, and is used in seasoning blends such as masala, curry, salsa, and recados.

Origins

Cilantro is believed to have been one of the earliest plantings in North America, where the cilantro leaves, rather than the seed, became more popular. Today, it is cultivated in the Mediterranean region of Southern Europe, Mexico and the U.S.

Folklore

Cilantro is mentioned in the Medical Papyrus of Thebes written in 1552 B.C. and is one of the plants which grew in the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. Ancient Hebrews added Cilantro to an herb mixture used in the ritual of Passover. Greek and Roman physicians hailed its medicinal powers. The Coriandum sativum herb is believed to have been one of the earliest plantings in North America - dating back to 1670 in Massachusetts - and it soon appeared in Latin America where the Cilantro leaves, rather than the seed, became most popular.

Description

Cinnamon is the dried inner bark of various evergreen trees belonging to the genus Cinnamomum. At harvest, the bark is stripped off and put in the sun, where it curls into the familiar form called "quills."

Uses

Cinnamon in the ground form is used in baked dishes, with fruits, and in confections. Cassia is predominant in the spice blends of the East and Southeast Asia. Cinnamon is used in moles, garam masala, and berbere.

Origins

Cinnamomum burmannii is primarily imported from Indonesia and is the most common form of Cinnamon in the United States. Once again, Vietnam has become the source for Cinnamomun loureirii, referred to as Saigon Cinnamon, and considered the finest Cinnamon available. Cinnamomum zeylanicum, grown in Sri Lanka, is actually "true Cinnamon" but is not widely used in the United States due to its unique flavor.

Folklore

Cinnamon was one of the first known spices. The Romans believed Cinnamon's fragrance sacred and burned it at funerals. Because Cinnamon was one of the first spices sought in the 15th Century European explorations, some say it indirectly led to the discovery of America.

Description

Cloves are the dried, unopened, nail-shaped flower buds of the evergreen Syzygium aromaticum. They are reddish-brown in color and have a strong, aromatic flavor and aroma.

Uses

Cloves are an important ingredient in the spice blends of Sri Lanka and North India. They are used in garam masala, biryanis, and pickles. In the U.S., cloves are used in meats, salad dressings, and desserts. Clove is a key flavor contributor to ketchup and Worchestershire sauce seasoning blends. Chinese and German seasonings also depend on Cloves to flavor meats and cookies.

Origins

Cloves are believed to be native to the Molucca Islands of Indonesia. Although Indonesia is the largest producer of Cloves, Zanzibar and Madagascar are the major exporters, where Clove trees cover thousands of acres of the islands. Historically, Cloves originating from Madagascar have been considered superior.

Folklore

The name Cloves comes from the French "clou", meaning nail. The first references to Cloves are found in Oriental literature in the Han period in China under the name "chicken-tongue spice". From the 8th Century on, Cloves became one of the major spices in European commerce. When the Clove forests were first discovered in Indonesia, all were enchanted with the fragrance and beauty of this tropical evergreen tree which "must always see the sea" in order to thrive. Cloves were extremely costly and played an important part in world history. Wars were fought to secure exclusive rights to the profitable Clove business. In the Moluccas, where Cloves were first found, parents planted a Clove tree when a child was born.