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| Medicine in the Spice Cabinet
Most
of us keep several dried spices handy in the kitchen. A bit of oregano in the
tomato sauce, a pinch of ground ginger in the matza ball batter, a shake of
cinnamon over a bowl of oatmeal… we don't think twice about using these spices
to perk up the taste of our food, for we have been used to kitchen spices all
our lives. Yet
it's because of home cooks like us that some of history's greatest commercial
enterprises were born. Long before the Crusaders introduced the fragrance and
taste of the East to the unsophisticated European cuisine, people in India,
Asia, and the Far East traded more spices than we have time to discuss tonight.
One of Christopher Columbus's goals in setting sail for India was to
bring back pepper, cinnamon, and other flavorful dried herbs, for Europe did not
supply the need of its populations for them. Why
the big call for spices? Well, not only do spices enhance the taste of food, the
aroma of them arouses the appetite. You know how when you walk into a Chinese
restaurant that smell of hot, spicy food makes you hungry right away? Spices
themselves provide many trace minerals which some populations, especially
impoverished or vegetarian ones, depend on to maintain health. History tells us
that the European hunt for pepper, ginger, and other "hot" spices grew
out of a need to preserve meat, or to disguise the taste of meat which had
gotten a little to old to be pleasant by itself. The antiseptic properties of
several spices will be discussed tonight. Who
knows when people first observed the effects of culinary spices on the way we
feel? Some warm the body (pepper, turmeric); stop inflammation (sage, turmeric
again); cool a high temperature (bay leaf, mint); stimulate the memory (za'atar);
relieve indigestion (mint, cinnamon), and much more. Apart
from all those reasons, you will see as we discuss the properties of spices that
many, if not most, of our ordinary kitchen spices benefit digestion. My
own mother always keeps chamomile, mint, and bay leaf in her kitchen cabinet.
When I was growing up, teas of chamomile and mint helped relieve summer diarrhea
or indigestion, and bay leaves simmered briefly and served as fragrant tea, gave
her adolescent daughters real relief from menstrual cramps. Indeed, it was my
mother, following the tradition of her own mother and grandmother, who first
taught me the use of culinary herbs as medicine. In my turn, I have taught my
daughters what I know of these gifts from Heaven. So
let's take a closer look at some common kitchen spices. All the spices
we'll be discussing are to be found in supermarkets and grocery stores, and
what's more, none are expensive. Anise
can be
used as a treatment for coughs,
bronchitis and asthma. The
herb helps loosen bronchial secretions, making it easier to cough them up. In
addition, an infusion made from the seeds relieves indigestion in children and
grownups, as well as colic in infants. For colic, cumin and fennel seeds are
also used. The breastfeeding mother can drink a cup of seed tea just before or
during nursing, and the benefit will pass through her milk to the baby.
Otherwise, a teaspoon of very weak seed tea can be given directly. For older children and people over 65, begin with low strength preparations and increase strength if necessary. To
make an infusion, gently crush 1 teaspoon of anise seeds per cup of boiling
water. Steep for 10-20 minutes and strain. Drink up to 3 cups a day. If you want
a weaker infusion, use 1/2 teaspoon and steep only 10 minutes. Do
not exceed the recommended strength: high or very strong doses of anise may
cause nausea and vomiting. Basil Basil
also treats nervous headaches or anxiety. In this case, I suggest both drinking
the tea and inhaling the steam of it under a towel tent. A
wash of basil tea is antiseptic and especially good for treating acne. Basil
is one herb that loses a lot of its beneficial properties once dried, so it's
worth keeping a small pot of basil in the kitchen windowsill, to pinch off
leaves for cooking and for tea. As
I said, mint goes well with basil and it's easy to grow. Infusion
of fresh herb, good for tea and inhalations: 1 teaspoon of fresh, chopped herb per cup of boiling water. Steep 10-20 minutes, strain, and drink. For an inhalation, gently reheat the infusion and place it on a table. Lean over the steaming infusion and cover both pot and your head with a large towel. Breathe in the herbal steam for at least 5 minutes. This
method is best known for treatment of respiratory and sinus conditions.
Bay
Leaves Bay
is also diuretic. Tea from the leaves will promote sweating, which is useful
when seeking to break a fever. Its antiseptic properties are useful when
creating a skin wash for treating acne and small wounds and scrapes. Bay
leaves repel insects, and are often scattered around closets where grains are
stored. Caraway
Use as described for anise seeds in treating both adults and children; however use 2-3 teaspoons of caraway seed. Caraway
is also a powerful appetite
stimulant and a standard infusion can be drunk half an hour before a meal. Warning:
As caraway appears to have anti spasmodic properties and
might relax the uterus, pregnant women should be careful not
to use the herb Chamomile The
fresher the herb, the better. Chamomile grows, unnoticed, sometimes right under
your feet in springtime. Identify the herb and pick the fragrant little flowers
while still fresh; dry them in the shade and keep them in a glass jar, away from
the light, for your teas. Chamomile
is part of every "sleepy-time" tea, as it calms down nerves. Hand a
grouchy teenager a cup of chamomile as he or she walks in after school, and you
will see a more relaxed individual within 15 minutes. Strong
tea of chamomile, used as a hair rinse after shampooing, brings out blond
highlights. A
soothing oil for earache can be made by opening a teabag of chamomile and
simmering it in olive oil to cover it well for a few minutes. Allow the herbal
oil to steep, covered, for 20 minutes, then strain well through fine cloth or
something similar like a coffee filter (you do not want herb particles in the
ear!). Heat over a candle and when it is pleasantly warm, drop 1-3 drops into
the affected ear. Cover with cotton wool and rest for at least 5 minutes. This
same oil is lovely for massaging babies, children, and anyone in need of
relaxation. Chives
are said to stimulate the appetite and relieve high blood pressure. Chives are high in vitamin C and iron. The iron content is
useful against The sulfur
compounds in chives have antibiotic
properties. This is true of all the allium family: onions, leeks, garlic. All
are antiseptic, help to relieve cough and phlegm, and significantly lower blood
pressure if consumed regularly. Cinnamon, by the way, is one of the spices that stimulated the birth of the great spice trade in the 15th and 16th centuries.
Cloves:
increase circulation: treat nausea & vomiting. Placed between the
gum and a painful tooth, it will reduce the pain of toothache till you
can get to the dentist. Coriander:
appetite stimulant, digestive stimulant. The fresh green leaf, also commonly
known as cilantro, is currently said to chelate, or draw out, deposits of heavy
metals from the tissues. The seed has properties similar to cumin and anise in
that it restores digestive peace and helps make mother's milk. Cumin: helps
expel intestinal gas; stimulates production of breast milk; appetite and
digestive stimulant. Garlic Use a teaspoon of the fresh, crushed bulb,
covered in honey, to treat stubborn cough and for preventing colds in winter. Oil of garlic, made as described for
chamomile, will relieve earache efficiently. To prevent infection in small wounds, apply
fresh, crushed garlic (it does hurt) and leave on for a few minutes. Vegetable
peelers often have offensive bacteria sitting on the knife part and I have known
several women wind up in hospital after having cut themselves with one. Apart
from washing the wound well, I would definitely suggest a garlic poultice. The
wound will heal up amazingly well, too. Ginger Onions Onions
are strongly antiseptic and can be used to poultice wounds. I have used both
onions and garlic, roasted in the oven and mashed, to poultice lymphatic
swelling and cysts. Oregano Oregano is also a
headache remedy, taken as tea made from the fresh plant. Pepper To relieve hoarseness,
try grinding 6 or 7 peppercorns and taking them in honey. The honey helps the
pepper go down smoothly and the mixture opens up the throat and chest. Rosemary Nursing mothers may safely
benefit from its high calcium content. One-half cup twice daily for no longer
than three days, is the usual guideline. However,
rosemary in not safe in pregnancy, as it's ability to move blood may cause
miscarriage. The other side of this is that a daily sitz bath of rosemary
infusion is useful in tonifying the uterus after birth. Sage I personally
found that gargling with sage infusion twice daily drastically prevents
vulnerability to colds and flu. The infusion is not pleasant but doesn't need to
be drunk to be effective; just gargle and spit it out. Sages's
astringency will help stop bleeding, diarrhea, and lactation. Warning: because
of sage’s slight hormonal properties, young girls, pregnant and nursing women
should not drink sage tea, nor eat food cooked with large amounts it. Thyme Turmeric Mint Mint
is stimulating and makes a good morning wake-up drink, especially with a pinch
of rosemary. Mint
leaves have more vitamin C by weight than oranges. A surprisingly tasty, and
very healthy winter salad is fresh mint leaves layered with thinly sliced
tomatoes and oranges, and dressed with vinaigrette. Give
your kids lots of mint tea in the winter to prevent runny noses. Mint has the
interesting property of warming the body if drunk hot, and cooling the body if
drunk cold. A
really lovely winter bath can be made by infusing mint, bay leaves, rosemary,
and orange peel together and adding a liter or so of this hot, strained liquid
to the water in the tub. Pregnant women should leave out the bay leaves and
rosemary and substitute lemon peel, dried roses, or lavender flowers. Parsley Parsley
has a high vitamin and mineral content, as by the way so does coriander leaf.
Drop a whole bundle of the washed leaf into soup during the last 10 minutes of
cooking: your family will benefit. If they won't eat the leaf, just fish it out
before serving. Za'atar
(Majorna syriaca) But at this time I want to describe the single, dried or fresh herb, not the Middle Eastern spice mixture bearing the name of the spice.. Za’atar is traditionally said to improve
memory and concentration. Traditional Jerusalem families serve it to their kids
for breakfast on days that there will be exams at school. The tea is good for colds with cough and for
hoarseness. Antiseptic like all members of the mint family, it makes a good
inhalation for sinus and laryngitis. Za'atar, according to Middle Eastern
folklore, stimulates libido. I must say that although za'atar with olive oil and
garlic appears regularly on my table, I haven't noticed any great increase in
either memory capacity or libido around here…I just enjoy the taste. Links to herb sites I love: Henriette's Herbal Homepage: "One of the
oldest and largest information sites on the Net." Plants for a Future: "A resource center
for edible and other useful plants." Gernot Katzer's Spice Pages: "Spicing Up
Food and Life." Mrs. Maude Grieve's "A Modern
Herbal" online, expanded with many articles, links, and supplier info: Spices, exotic flavors and medicines"
from UCLA: Edible Flowers Chart: Over 44,000 images of plants, useful for
identifying: ~ Miriam Kersh
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