National cuisine always has its own subtleties and peculiarities in cooking. Spices, herbs and seasonings are of particular importance for the variety of flavors. Many people think they are the same thing. There is actually a difference.
Spices are considered to be a certain set, which is used in the preparation of various dishes. They include seasonings, sugar and salt, and spices (mustard, pepper, bay leaf, etc.).
Seasonings are one of the ingredients in a dish that form the main flavor and add piquancy. They can often act as a spice, such as wild garlic, garlic, onion or celery.
Spices are a vegetable product. In this capacity, various parts of herbs and vegetables with a pronounced taste can act - roots, inflorescences, peel, stems, leaves, etc. Spices are able to gently set off the taste of a dish, adding piquancy and certain nuances to it.
Archaeologists agreed that the spices are about the same age as mankind. There is an assumption that they were used in order to drown out the not too pleasant smell and taste of spoiled food. In addition, in a stuffy climate, these supplements increased sweating, thereby saving the body from overheating.
The ups and downs of various outstanding personalities, wars and deaths, intrigue and politics - all this accompanied the spice in different eras. They were valued at all times on a par with silks, furs, gold, and some are much more expensive. Pirates often attacked ships that were carrying cloves, cinnamon or peppers, even though they were under the protection of a combat squadron.
In Europe, until the 19th century, spices were available exclusively to wealthy citizens. Often they were a means of mutual settlements and capital accumulation. Interestingly, in the UK in the 12th century, eight cows could be purchased for just a pound of nutmegs.
Already in the 18th century, red pepper was almost a distinctive feature of the national cuisine of the South Slavs, Romanians and Hungarians. Great geographical discoveries were also often made thanks to spices. “I do my best to get where I can find gold and spices,” the famous Christopher Columbus wrote in his diary.
The cost for exotic spices can be equivalent to several thousand dollars per 100 grams. In November 1979, a record was set. Buyers paid up to $ 700,000 per 100 grams for wild ginseng, which was grown in the mountainous region of Chan Pak. It should be noted that the annual supply of this spice to the world market, as a rule, does not exceed 4 kilograms.
Prices for spices began to fall only by the beginning of the 19th century. Today their main suppliers are Azerbaijan, Greece, Madagascar, Mexico, Indonesia, Malaysia, India, Vietnam.
