Apologies, Dear viewers. Lately, there has been much work as of late. Due to that, I would be unable to post any new contents for the next few weeks. How long this would last is currently unknown. Apologies for any inconveniences.
P.S: After this Hiatus, I would still try to post, but the posting schedule would be not constant. In any case, I might decide to make my posts become monthly instead of weekly. Hopefully this is alright.
Sunday, 11 December 2016
Tuesday, 29 November 2016
History of Herb: Wasabi
Hello there, dear Viewers! Man, to think this will be my 5th post on this blog.... Time sure flies, doesn't it?
Anyway, for my third weekly post, I will be talking about the herb "Wasabi"!
DESCRIPTION
Wasabi (also known as Eutrema japonicum, Wasabia Japonica or Japanese Horseraddish) is a perennial plant which grows around to the height of an average person's knee. It is a semi-aquatic plant and produces a thickened stem in a similar fashion to a small brussel sprout.
As the stem of the Wasabi plant grows, the lower leaves fall off. The stem is used in the preparation of the Wasabi condiment.
HISTORY
The cultivation and usage of Wasabi is said to have first began in Japan, Nara prefecture, during the tenth century.
Wasabi, written as 和佐比 then, appeared in 918 in The Japanese Names of Medical Herbs,(本草和名) written by Honzō Wamyō.
Japanese history has it that Wasabi used to grow wild in the valleys of Mt. Heike, Mt. Mizuo, and Mt. Bahun, in the Kitani-Kyo watershed. Then, in the 8th century, a war occured between two Japanese clans; the Heike clan and the Genji clan. The Heike clan had lost the war, and the survivors fled to other parts of Japan. Some of them fled near Mount Bahun, and decided to settle there. At Mount Bahun, it is said that these survivors had gathered wild Wasabi to use as a seasoning for slices of raw yamame (a kind of trout), and raw venison. Thus, Wasabi was said to be first used during this period.
According to one Japanese legend:
Anyway, for my third weekly post, I will be talking about the herb "Wasabi"!
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| A drawing of a wasabi plant, published in 1828 by Iwasaki Kanen |
DESCRIPTION
Wasabi (also known as Eutrema japonicum, Wasabia Japonica or Japanese Horseraddish) is a perennial plant which grows around to the height of an average person's knee. It is a semi-aquatic plant and produces a thickened stem in a similar fashion to a small brussel sprout.
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| The leaves and stem of the Wasabi plant. |
HISTORY
The cultivation and usage of Wasabi is said to have first began in Japan, Nara prefecture, during the tenth century.
Wasabi, written as 和佐比 then, appeared in 918 in The Japanese Names of Medical Herbs,(本草和名) written by Honzō Wamyō.
| The Japanese Names of Medical Herbs,(本草和名) written by Honzō Wamyō. |
Japanese history has it that Wasabi used to grow wild in the valleys of Mt. Heike, Mt. Mizuo, and Mt. Bahun, in the Kitani-Kyo watershed. Then, in the 8th century, a war occured between two Japanese clans; the Heike clan and the Genji clan. The Heike clan had lost the war, and the survivors fled to other parts of Japan. Some of them fled near Mount Bahun, and decided to settle there. At Mount Bahun, it is said that these survivors had gathered wild Wasabi to use as a seasoning for slices of raw yamame (a kind of trout), and raw venison. Thus, Wasabi was said to be first used during this period.
According to one Japanese legend:
"Wasabi was first discovered hundreds of years ago in a remote mountain village by a farmer who decided to grow it. He reportedly showed it to Tokugawa Ieyasu, a Japanese warlord of the era. Ieyasu, who later become Shogun, had liked it so much he declared it a treasure only to be grown in the Shizuoka area."
ETYMOLOGY
Wasabi was originally written in Kanji as 和佐比 ("wasahi") in Japan. However, nowadays, the plant’s name is usually written in Hiragana [わさび] , in Katakana [ワサビ] or in Kanji [山葵].
( [山葵] refers to the mountain Asarum, as the plant's leaves resemble those of a member of Asarum species, along with its ability to grow on shady hillsides)
The modern Japanese Kanji writing [山葵] is said to be similar to the Chinese writing.
The single kanji [山] (yama) means "mountain" and [葵] (aoi) "hollyhock".
(One thing to note is that the plant name "hollyhock" refers to "Althea rosea", an ornamental plant that is unrelated to wasabi.)
(Another interesting thing to note is that the two kanji characters "山" and "葵" do not correspond to their pronunciation: as such it is an example of gikun (meaning, not sound). Spelled in this way, the particular Kanji are used for their phonetic values only, known as ateji (sound, not meaning – opposite of gikun)
USAGE
Through history, Wasabi has always been used as a condiment. Although lately, it has also been used in skincare products.
RECIPE
Wasabi, just like in Japan, is used to improve the taste of sushi. Thus, the recipe below uses Wasabi to do exactly that; make great-tasting sushi.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/quickandeasysushimak_67796
Did You Know?
- Due to the scarcity of the wasabi plant, horseradish (sometimes along with mustard and a green food colouring) is generally used as a substitute for wasabi.
Wasabi was originally written in Kanji as 和佐比 ("wasahi") in Japan. However, nowadays, the plant’s name is usually written in Hiragana [わさび] , in Katakana [ワサビ] or in Kanji [山葵].
( [山葵] refers to the mountain Asarum, as the plant's leaves resemble those of a member of Asarum species, along with its ability to grow on shady hillsides)
The modern Japanese Kanji writing [山葵] is said to be similar to the Chinese writing.
The single kanji [山] (yama) means "mountain" and [葵] (aoi) "hollyhock".
(One thing to note is that the plant name "hollyhock" refers to "Althea rosea", an ornamental plant that is unrelated to wasabi.)
(Another interesting thing to note is that the two kanji characters "山" and "葵" do not correspond to their pronunciation: as such it is an example of gikun (meaning, not sound). Spelled in this way, the particular Kanji are used for their phonetic values only, known as ateji (sound, not meaning – opposite of gikun)
USAGE
Through history, Wasabi has always been used as a condiment. Although lately, it has also been used in skincare products.
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| A Garnier face-wash foam, which is said to use Wasabi as an active ingredient. |
RECIPE
Wasabi, just like in Japan, is used to improve the taste of sushi. Thus, the recipe below uses Wasabi to do exactly that; make great-tasting sushi.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/quickandeasysushimak_67796
Did You Know?
- Due to the scarcity of the wasabi plant, horseradish (sometimes along with mustard and a green food colouring) is generally used as a substitute for wasabi.
-Wasabi (the condiment) is made by grating Wasabi with a metal oroshigane, but some other chefs prefer to use a more traditional tool made of dried sharkskin with fine skin on one side and coarse skin on the other. A hand-made grater with irregular teeth are sometimes used as well.
Difference between Herbs and Spices.
Hello there, dear Viewers! Have you all ever wondered what is the difference between a "Herb" and a "Spice"; I mean, they are both from plants, right? So, why these two different classification?
Well, the (often cited) difference is that "Herbs" comes from the leaves of the plant, while "Spices" comes for the other section of the plant. (The parts that can be a Spice are as follows; the root, the stem, the seed, the fruit,the flower or the bark of the plant.)
Reference
Thursday, 24 November 2016
History of Spice: Saffron
Be warned though, as due to the fact that Saffron is widely used during the past (and in the present), there is a ton of information regarding it, so this post would be quite lengthy!
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| Harvested Saffron stamens. The stamens are considered to be the Saffron spice. |
The Saffron plant that is used to attain the spice "Saffron", Saffron Crocus (also known as Crocus Sativus, or Autumn Crocus), is an perennial plant that is not seen in the wild. Its flowers have 6 violet petals, with 3 yellow styles and 3 lengthy crimson stamens (25-30 mm in length) growing out from the flower's center.
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| The Flower of the Saffron plant, Saffron Crocus. |
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| Saffron Crocus. Note the pale-white cataphylls, which surrounds the Saffron flower and its leaves. |
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| Drawing of Crocus Sativus, from the book Köhler's Medicinal Plants |
The Saffron plant grows from a clusters of corms; underground, bulb-like, starch-storing brown-colored organs. Due to the fact that Crocus Savitus is sterile, these corns must be dug up, divided, and replanted in order to allow the different corms to grow into individual Saffron plants. A corm survives for one season, producing via this vegetative division up to ten "cormlets" that can grow into new plants in the next season. The compact corms are small, brown globules that can measure as large as 5 cm (2.0 in) in diameter, have a flat base, and are shrouded in a dense mat of parallel fibres; this coat is referred to as the "corm tunic". These Corms also bear vertical fibres, thin and net-like, that grow up to 5 cm above the plant's neck.
HISTORY
SUMMARY
Saffron is reputed to have been used by humans for 3,500 years. The earliest discovery, usage and documentation of Saffron is often credited to have occurred during the 7th century BC, in an Assyrian botanical reference compiled under Ashurbanipal, an Assyrian king. However, some researchers claim that Saffron was documented much more earlier; from 1500 BC to 1600 BC; Frescoes dated during those times were supposedly found at Thera (a Greek island), where a Goddess presiding over the creation and usage of a drug derived from the Saffron flower is depicted, along with a mural of a woman using said drug to heal her bleeding leg. Aside from that, 50,000-year-old Saffron-based pigments have been found in northwest Iran, where those dyes were used in cave murals.
IN PERSIAN CULTURE
Three millennia ago, Saffron was mentioned to be a sweet-smelling spice in the Hebrew Tanakh.
During the 10th century BC, The Persian Achaemenid Empire had cultivated Saffron at the areas Derbena and Isfahan. At those locations, Saffron has been found interwoven into ancient Persian royal carpets and funeral shrouds.
Saffron was also used by ancient Persian worshipers, either as a ritual offering to their deities, as a bright yellow dye, as a perfume, or as a medicine.
Saffron threads would often be scattered across beds, or mixed into hot teas and food as a curative for bouts of melancholy.
In fact, due to the extensive usage of Saffron threads then, they were soon widely suspected by foreigners to be a drugging agent and an aphrodisiac. These fears soon grew into cautions warning travelers to refrain from eating Saffron-laced Persian cuisine.
IN GRECO-ROMAN AND MINOAN CULTURE
Saffron was widely traded across the Mediterranean by the Phoenicians during Greco-Roman times.
At Thera, frescoes which are dated from the 15th century to the 16th century BC (although Experts say that they may have been created from 300 BC to 1100 BC ) were found, where a Goddess presiding over the creation and usage of a drug derived from the Saffron flower is depicted, along with a mural of a woman using said drug to heal her bleeding leg.
The ancient Greeks and Romans then had prized saffron for its usage as a perfume and deodoriser. They scattered it about public spaces such as royal halls, courts, and amphitheatres. It was recorded that when Emperor Nero entered Rome, Saffron was spread along the streets to aromatise it.
Wealthy Romans then used Saffron in their baths. They also used Saffron as mascara, stirred Saffron threads into their wines, strewn it across their halls along with other herbs and spices, and offered it to their deities.
For the Greeks, Saffron was widely associated with that of professional courtesans and retainers. In fact, Saffron was used as a dye, as large dye works operating in Sidon and Tyre used Saffron baths as a subsitute for purple dye; robes worn by Royalty were triple-dipped in deep purple dyes, while the robes worn by royal pretenders and commoners, are double-dipped in a saffron dip instead, which gave a less intense purple colouration.
There are dated accounts of Ancient Greek legends, which speaks of "sailors embarking on long voyages to the remote land of Cilicia, in order to try and obtain what they believed was the world's most valuable saffron".
There also exists another Greek legend, regarding the Saffron; Crocus and Smilax.
(Note: As with many Legends, there exists many variation. However, the gist of it is that Crocus (Or some remains of him) became the Saffron plant)
Such evidence proves that saffron was an article of long-distance trade before Crete's Minoan palace culture reached a peak in the 2nd millennium BC.
IN EAST AND SOUTH ASIAN CULTURE
In India
There are various conflicting accounts that speaks of Saffron's first arrival in South and East Asia.
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| The corms of the Saffron plant. |
HISTORY
SUMMARY
Saffron is reputed to have been used by humans for 3,500 years. The earliest discovery, usage and documentation of Saffron is often credited to have occurred during the 7th century BC, in an Assyrian botanical reference compiled under Ashurbanipal, an Assyrian king. However, some researchers claim that Saffron was documented much more earlier; from 1500 BC to 1600 BC; Frescoes dated during those times were supposedly found at Thera (a Greek island), where a Goddess presiding over the creation and usage of a drug derived from the Saffron flower is depicted, along with a mural of a woman using said drug to heal her bleeding leg. Aside from that, 50,000-year-old Saffron-based pigments have been found in northwest Iran, where those dyes were used in cave murals.
IN PERSIAN CULTURE
Three millennia ago, Saffron was mentioned to be a sweet-smelling spice in the Hebrew Tanakh.
During the 10th century BC, The Persian Achaemenid Empire had cultivated Saffron at the areas Derbena and Isfahan. At those locations, Saffron has been found interwoven into ancient Persian royal carpets and funeral shrouds.
 |
| An example of an ancient Persian carpet. |
Saffron threads would often be scattered across beds, or mixed into hot teas and food as a curative for bouts of melancholy.
In fact, due to the extensive usage of Saffron threads then, they were soon widely suspected by foreigners to be a drugging agent and an aphrodisiac. These fears soon grew into cautions warning travelers to refrain from eating Saffron-laced Persian cuisine.
Saffron was widely traded across the Mediterranean by the Phoenicians during Greco-Roman times.
At Thera, frescoes which are dated from the 15th century to the 16th century BC (although Experts say that they may have been created from 300 BC to 1100 BC ) were found, where a Goddess presiding over the creation and usage of a drug derived from the Saffron flower is depicted, along with a mural of a woman using said drug to heal her bleeding leg.
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| One of the Frescoes found at Thera. This fresco shows a lady gathering Saffron. |
The ancient Greeks and Romans then had prized saffron for its usage as a perfume and deodoriser. They scattered it about public spaces such as royal halls, courts, and amphitheatres. It was recorded that when Emperor Nero entered Rome, Saffron was spread along the streets to aromatise it.
Wealthy Romans then used Saffron in their baths. They also used Saffron as mascara, stirred Saffron threads into their wines, strewn it across their halls along with other herbs and spices, and offered it to their deities.
For the Greeks, Saffron was widely associated with that of professional courtesans and retainers. In fact, Saffron was used as a dye, as large dye works operating in Sidon and Tyre used Saffron baths as a subsitute for purple dye; robes worn by Royalty were triple-dipped in deep purple dyes, while the robes worn by royal pretenders and commoners, are double-dipped in a saffron dip instead, which gave a less intense purple colouration.
There also exists another Greek legend, regarding the Saffron; Crocus and Smilax.
(Note: As with many Legends, there exists many variation. However, the gist of it is that Crocus (Or some remains of him) became the Saffron plant)
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| Crocus and Similax |
Such evidence proves that saffron was an article of long-distance trade before Crete's Minoan palace culture reached a peak in the 2nd millennium BC.
IN EAST AND SOUTH ASIAN CULTURE
In India
There are various conflicting accounts that speaks of Saffron's first arrival in South and East Asia.
The first of these are from historical accounts obtained from dated Persian records. These records states that Saffron, along with other spices, was first spread to India via the current Persian rulers' efforts to stock their newly built gardens and parks with said spices. They accomplished this by transplanting the desired cultivated spices across the Persian empire. In the 6th century BC, Phoenicians began to market the new Kashmiri saffron by utilizing their extensive trade routes.
On the other hand, a traditional Kashmiri legend states that saffron first arrived in the 11th or 12th century AD.
The legend goes as such;
"During the 11th (or the 12th) century AD, two foreign travelling Sufi ascetics, Khwaja Masood Wali and Hazrat Sheikh Shariffudin, wandered into Kashmir.
The foreigners, having fallen sick, beseeched a cure for illness from a local tribal chieftain.
When the chieftain obliged, the two holy men reputedly gave them a saffron crocus bulb as payment and thanks."
"During the 11th (or the 12th) century AD, two foreign travelling Sufi ascetics, Khwaja Masood Wali and Hazrat Sheikh Shariffudin, wandered into Kashmir.
The foreigners, having fallen sick, beseeched a cure for illness from a local tribal chieftain.
When the chieftain obliged, the two holy men reputedly gave them a saffron crocus bulb as payment and thanks."
Due to that legend, to this day, some places, like the saffron-trading village of Pampore, India, offers grateful prayers to those two Sufi ascetics during the saffron harvesting season in late autumn. In fact, they have a golden-domed shrine and tomb dedicated to them in said village as well.
However, Mohammed Yusuf Teng, a Kashmiri poet and scholar, disputes this legend by stating of how Kashmiris had cultivated saffron for more than two millennia.
Another account regarding the arrival of Saffron into East and Southeast Asian culture was made by Ancient Chinese Buddhists. In these accounts (from the mula-sarvastivadin monastic order), Saffron was said to have arrived in India during the 5th century BC, as according to those accounts, there is a legend that an Indian Buddhist missionary by the name of Madhyântika (or Majjhantika) was sent to Kashmir in the 5th century BC. Upon his arrival, he seemingly sowed the first Kashmiri saffron crop. From that point onwards, it is said that the usage of Saffron spread throughout the Indian subcontinent.
In India, Saffron is used as a dye for Buddhist robes and Mantles.
According to Hindu religion, Lord Krishna used Saffron to put Tilak (a mark on one's forehead) daily.
In China
Some historians believe that saffron first came to China through Mongol invaders by way of Persia.
Although around 300 AD, the Chinese had referred to Saffron as having come from Kashmiri.
During the Ming dynasty, around 1600 BC, A tome, known as the "Bencao Gangmu pharmacopoeia" (Translated to as "Great Herbal pharmacopoeia") is written by Li Shizhen. In that tome, Saffron is mentioned, proving that Saffron was used for its medicinal properties during the Ming Dynasty.
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| The cover of "Bencao Gangmu pharmacopoeia" |
The Chinese medical expert Wan Zhen had once wrote that "the habitat of Saffron is in Kashmir, where people grow it principally to offer it to the Buddha". He had also written on how saffron was used to aromatise wine during his time.
Lately, Saffron cultivation has spread to Afghanistan, due to the efforts of the European Union and the United Kingdom to offer an alternative to the farmers there; there are some farmers there whom illegally cultivate opium to earn money. By making them cultivate Saffron instead, the European Union and the United Kingdom hopes to reduce the production of opium in Afghanistan.
IN POST-CLASSICAL EUROPEAN TIMES
In France, Saffron cultivation is presumed to have started during the 13th century, when the Saffron plant was (presumably) introduced from Spain and from the Middle-East by pilgrims, merchants, and Knights. Its first uses are documented in the south-west of the Kingdom around 1250.
Saffron was rare, expensive, and in demand in France then.
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| A 13th-century Medieval European illuminated manuscript, which depicts the assassination of the Archbishop of Canterbury, Thomas Becket. Note how for this manuscript, Saffron dyes are used to provide hues of yellow and orange. |
By the 14th century, Saffron was widely used to spice and color food. This is documented in recipe books such as the "Viandier de Taillevent", written by the King's cook. Local saffron farming also becomes taxed by the religious powers then. For example, in 1478, the saffron tax levied by the Bishop of Albi reached 1/12th of saffron production.
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| A 15th-century edition of "Viandier de Taillevant" |
In 1347, the demand for Saffron skyrocketed when the Black Death of 1347–1350 struck Europe, as Saffron became coveted by plague victims due to its medicinal properties.
In subsequent years, Saffron was fleetingly cultivated throughout England. Norfolk, Suffolk, and south Cambridgeshire. Rowland Parker,an author and social historian, have wrote that during the 16th and 17th centuries, cultivation of Saffron in the village of Foxton were done "usually by people holding a small amount of land"
In France, during the 17th and 18th centuries, Saffron production became very important. By then, saffron farming had spread throughout the entire Kingdom. During the 18th century, Saffron suffered from a mysterious decline. Historians stated that it is possibly due to a pandemic of fungal diseases destroying bulbs and crops, to particularly cold winters, or perhaps due to the farmers themselves, as competing Saffron markets from the Mediterranean countries made growing Saffron less lucrative than what it used to be.
In England, cultivation persisted only in the north Essex countryside, due to said area's land being optimal to grow Saffron. In fact, the Essex town of Saffron Walden got its name as a saffron growing and trading centre (The town's name was formerly Cheppinge Walden) and the culinary name change was made to highlight the importance of the crop to the townsfolk. In fact, the town's logo features blooms from the Saffron plant.
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| The logo of Saffron Walden. Note the flowers of the Saffron plant being depicted. |
However, as England emerged from the Middle Ages, rising puritanical sentiments and new conquests abroad endangered English saffron's use and cultivation.
As puritanical partisans preferred unspiced foods, this results in less demand for spices in general. Also, Saffron is a labor-intensive crop, which became an increasing disadvantage as wages and time opportunity costs rose. Also, due an influx of other exotic spices from the far East (from the resurgent spice trade) meant that the English (as well as other Europeans) can select other new (and cheaper) spices to use instead of Saffron. In addition, the elite living in Europe ,whom traditionally had been the main consumers of Saffron, were now becoming increasingly interested in other new spices such as chocolate, coffee, tea, and vanilla. This resulted in a steep drop in demand for Saffron, and thus a sharp decline of Saffron cultivation in Europe.
This has thus resulted in only some areas still cultivating Saffron. (These areas include Italy, Spain and the South of France)
IN NORTH AMERICAN TIMES
Pennsylvania Dutch saffron was soon being traded to Spanish colonists in the Caribbean, while strong demand for Saffron elsewhere around the world ensured that its listed price on the Philadelphia commodities exchange was equivalent to that of gold. However, Saffron trade with the Caribbean later collapsed in the aftermath of the War of 1812, when many Saffron-bearing merchant vessels were destroyed. Despite that, the Pennsylvania Dutch people continued to grow saffron, albeit in lesser amounts, for local trade and use in their dishes. Thus, even till now, American saffron is still being cultivated, mainly in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.
ETYMOLOGY
Regarding the origin of the English word "Saffron", there is a degree of uncertainty. Some people believes that the English word "Saffron" might have its roots from the 12th-century Old French term "safran", which either comes from the Latin word "safranum" (Which has its origins from the Persian word "Za'farān" [زرپران] ), or from the Arabic word "az-za'faran" [الزعفران] (Which is said to have its origins from a Semitic root "ṣpr", which means "be/become yellow". Likewise, the Semetic root is said to have a root word from the Sumerian word "Azugna", which is used to denote an unidentifiable plant during Sumerian times)
One thing to note is that some people claim that the Arabic word "az-za'faran" [الزعفران] is the arabicized form of the Persian word "Za'farān" [زرپران]. If this is true, this would mean that both the Latin word "safranum" and the Arabic word "az-za'faran" [الزعفران] have the same origin; From the Persian word "Za'farān" [زرپران].
USAGE
The Sumerians had used saffron as an ingredient in their remedies and magical potions.
The Arabians have supposedly used Saffron as an anesthesia.
The Persians had used Saffron by dissolviing it in water, along with sandalwood, to be used as a body wash after heavy work and perspiration under the hot Persian sun.
It was recorded that Persian saffron was heavily used by Alexander the Great and his forces during their Asian campaigns, where they mixed saffron into teas and dined on saffron rice. In fact, Alexander was reputed to have bathed in Saffron-infused warm bath water, as he believed it would heal his wounds.
Persian saffron threads have been found interwoven into ancient Persian royal carpets and funeral shrouds.
Saffron was used by ancient Persian worshipers, either as a ritual offering to their deities, as a bright yellow dye, as a perfume, or as a medicine.
In the Persian empire, Saffron threads would often be scattered across beds, or mixed into hot teas and food as a curative for bouts of melancholy.
Egyptian healers used saffron as a treatment for all varieties of gastrointestinal ailments. For example, to treat internal hemorrhaging, an Egyptian treatment consisted of "Saffron seeds mixed and crushed together with aager-tree remnants, ox fat, coriander, and myrrh." This ointment was applied to the body, with the hopes that this ointment would be able to "expel bad blood through the mouth or rectum."
Urinary tract conditions were also treated with an oil-based emulsion of premature saffron flowers mixed with roasted beans; this was used topically on men. Women ingested a different version of said medicine.
The ancient Greeks and Romans had used Saffron as a perfume and deodoriser. They scattered it about public spaces such as royal halls, courts, and amphitheatres to aromatise the areas.
Wealthy Romans then used Saffron in their baths. They also used Saffron as mascara, stirred Saffron threads into their wines, strewn it across their halls along with other herbs and spices, and offered it to their deities.
The Chinese medical expert Wan Zhen had written on how saffron was used to aromatise wine.
Kashmiri saffron was used in the treatment of melancholy and also as a fabric dye.
For many centuries, Saffron stigmas are often soaked in water to yield a golden-yellow solution that was used either as a fabric or a manuscript dye.
RECIPE
Saffron can be used as a condiment to improve the taste of poultry. The bottom link links to a recipe titled "Chicken Scallopine with Saffron Cream Sauce ." In that recipe, Saffron is used as a condiment to improve the taste of the Chicken.
- http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/chicken-scallopine-with-saffron-cream-sauce-recipe.html
Did You Know?
-The Saffron plant is a genetically monomorphic clone that is native to Southwest Asia. It was probably first cultivated in or near Greece.The wild precursor of domesticated saffron crocus is presumed to most likely be Crocus cartwrightianus. C. thomasii or C. pallasii are considered to be other possible ancestors of Crocus Sativus.
-Due to the deliberate cultivation of certain Saffron breeds, the Saffron plant, Crocus Sativus, is now a plant that is sterile; it cannot reproduce. The only way it can propagate is through vegetative multiplication via manual "divide-and-set" of a starter clone or by interspecific hybridisation. Thus, to facilitate the reproduction and cultivation of the Saffron plant, farmers must dig up the clusters of corms, divide them, and plant them separately. Thus, every single Saffron plant is technically a clone of the very first Crocus Sativus.
-From the start of the Spice trade, and even till now, due to the fact harvesting Saffron is so laborious, An ounce of Saffron is more expensive than Gold. Thus, Thieves then plying Mediterranean waters would often ignore Gold ships and instead steal Venetian and Genoan-marketed Saffron bound for Europe. In fact, some unscrupulous Spice merchants (then and now) would sell either sell Adulterated Saffron (Saffron soaked in honey, mixed with marigold petals, or kept in damp cellars in order to add weight to those Adulterated Saffrons, and thus sell them at a higher price than what they are worth.) or pass off red-coloured strands of plastics as Saffrons. Due to this, Nuremberg authorities passed the Safranschou code to de-louse the saffron trade. Under this code, Spice merchants caught trying to sell Adulterated Saffron were thus fined, imprisoned, and executed by immolation. One particular punishment in ancient times involves tying up such Spice merchants, where their "Saffron" would be deliberately burnt in front of them, and those bound spice merchants would then be forced to inhale the fumes from the burnt "Saffron".
-In 1374, the theft of a Saffron shipment bound for Basel sparked a 14-week-long conflict between Basel and Austria. This event became known as the "Saffron War".
Other References
Regarding the origin of the English word "Saffron", there is a degree of uncertainty. Some people believes that the English word "Saffron" might have its roots from the 12th-century Old French term "safran", which either comes from the Latin word "safranum" (Which has its origins from the Persian word "Za'farān" [زرپران] ), or from the Arabic word "az-za'faran" [الزعفران] (Which is said to have its origins from a Semitic root "ṣpr", which means "be/become yellow". Likewise, the Semetic root is said to have a root word from the Sumerian word "Azugna", which is used to denote an unidentifiable plant during Sumerian times)
One thing to note is that some people claim that the Arabic word "az-za'faran" [الزعفران] is the arabicized form of the Persian word "Za'farān" [زرپران]. If this is true, this would mean that both the Latin word "safranum" and the Arabic word "az-za'faran" [الزعفران] have the same origin; From the Persian word "Za'farān" [زرپران].
USAGE
The Sumerians had used saffron as an ingredient in their remedies and magical potions.
The Arabians have supposedly used Saffron as an anesthesia.
The Persians had used Saffron by dissolviing it in water, along with sandalwood, to be used as a body wash after heavy work and perspiration under the hot Persian sun.
It was recorded that Persian saffron was heavily used by Alexander the Great and his forces during their Asian campaigns, where they mixed saffron into teas and dined on saffron rice. In fact, Alexander was reputed to have bathed in Saffron-infused warm bath water, as he believed it would heal his wounds.
Persian saffron threads have been found interwoven into ancient Persian royal carpets and funeral shrouds.
Saffron was used by ancient Persian worshipers, either as a ritual offering to their deities, as a bright yellow dye, as a perfume, or as a medicine.
In the Persian empire, Saffron threads would often be scattered across beds, or mixed into hot teas and food as a curative for bouts of melancholy.
Egyptian healers used saffron as a treatment for all varieties of gastrointestinal ailments. For example, to treat internal hemorrhaging, an Egyptian treatment consisted of "Saffron seeds mixed and crushed together with aager-tree remnants, ox fat, coriander, and myrrh." This ointment was applied to the body, with the hopes that this ointment would be able to "expel bad blood through the mouth or rectum."
Urinary tract conditions were also treated with an oil-based emulsion of premature saffron flowers mixed with roasted beans; this was used topically on men. Women ingested a different version of said medicine.
The ancient Greeks and Romans had used Saffron as a perfume and deodoriser. They scattered it about public spaces such as royal halls, courts, and amphitheatres to aromatise the areas.
Wealthy Romans then used Saffron in their baths. They also used Saffron as mascara, stirred Saffron threads into their wines, strewn it across their halls along with other herbs and spices, and offered it to their deities.
The Chinese medical expert Wan Zhen had written on how saffron was used to aromatise wine.
Kashmiri saffron was used in the treatment of melancholy and also as a fabric dye.
RECIPE
Saffron can be used as a condiment to improve the taste of poultry. The bottom link links to a recipe titled "Chicken Scallopine with Saffron Cream Sauce ." In that recipe, Saffron is used as a condiment to improve the taste of the Chicken.
- http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/chicken-scallopine-with-saffron-cream-sauce-recipe.html
Did You Know?
-The Saffron plant is a genetically monomorphic clone that is native to Southwest Asia. It was probably first cultivated in or near Greece.The wild precursor of domesticated saffron crocus is presumed to most likely be Crocus cartwrightianus. C. thomasii or C. pallasii are considered to be other possible ancestors of Crocus Sativus.
-Due to the deliberate cultivation of certain Saffron breeds, the Saffron plant, Crocus Sativus, is now a plant that is sterile; it cannot reproduce. The only way it can propagate is through vegetative multiplication via manual "divide-and-set" of a starter clone or by interspecific hybridisation. Thus, to facilitate the reproduction and cultivation of the Saffron plant, farmers must dig up the clusters of corms, divide them, and plant them separately. Thus, every single Saffron plant is technically a clone of the very first Crocus Sativus.
-From the start of the Spice trade, and even till now, due to the fact harvesting Saffron is so laborious, An ounce of Saffron is more expensive than Gold. Thus, Thieves then plying Mediterranean waters would often ignore Gold ships and instead steal Venetian and Genoan-marketed Saffron bound for Europe. In fact, some unscrupulous Spice merchants (then and now) would sell either sell Adulterated Saffron (Saffron soaked in honey, mixed with marigold petals, or kept in damp cellars in order to add weight to those Adulterated Saffrons, and thus sell them at a higher price than what they are worth.) or pass off red-coloured strands of plastics as Saffrons. Due to this, Nuremberg authorities passed the Safranschou code to de-louse the saffron trade. Under this code, Spice merchants caught trying to sell Adulterated Saffron were thus fined, imprisoned, and executed by immolation. One particular punishment in ancient times involves tying up such Spice merchants, where their "Saffron" would be deliberately burnt in front of them, and those bound spice merchants would then be forced to inhale the fumes from the burnt "Saffron".
-In 1374, the theft of a Saffron shipment bound for Basel sparked a 14-week-long conflict between Basel and Austria. This event became known as the "Saffron War".
Other References
http://gernot-katzers-spice-pages.com/engl/Croc_sat.html
http://edenaromata.edenaromata.com/About/AllAboutSaffron/HistoryofSaffron
http://www.paghat.com/saffronmyth.html
http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/food-and-drink/news/something-smells-odd-in-the-lucrative-world-of-saffron-2180285.html
https://herbologymanchester.wordpress.com/tag/saffron-war/
http://www.leffingwell.com/download/saffron.pdf
https://web.archive.org/web/20051227004245/http://www.crop.cri.nz/home/products-services/publications/broadsheets/020Saffron.pdf
http://www.idosi.org/wasj/wasj4%284%29/7.pdf
http://edenaromata.edenaromata.com/About/AllAboutSaffron/HistoryofSaffron
http://www.paghat.com/saffronmyth.html
http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/food-and-drink/news/something-smells-odd-in-the-lucrative-world-of-saffron-2180285.html
https://herbologymanchester.wordpress.com/tag/saffron-war/
http://www.leffingwell.com/download/saffron.pdf
https://web.archive.org/web/20051227004245/http://www.crop.cri.nz/home/products-services/publications/broadsheets/020Saffron.pdf
http://www.idosi.org/wasj/wasj4%284%29/7.pdf
Sunday, 20 November 2016
History of Spice: Capers
DESCRIPTION
The Caper plant is a shrub-like plant, with many branches. It has leaves of varying sizes, with some thick, some shiny, some round and some ovate. Its flowers has 4 asymmetrical white-colored petals, with many long violet-coloured stamens and a single stigma (violet with a rounded green tip) which rises well above the other stamens.
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| The flower of the Caper plant. Note its stigma, which is much more taller and larger than the other stamens. |
The spice known as "Caper", is in fact, the unbloomed flower bud from the plant known as Capparis Spinosa. It is also known as the Caper Bush, Caperberry or also known as Flinder's rose. Except for its flower, the entire Caper plant has in fact been used in cusines.
 |
| A flowering patch of Caper plants. |
 The unbloomed buds and leaves of the Caper plant. |
The Caper plant is believed to have originated from the dry regions in west or central Asia. In the last few decades, it has been introduced in some European countries, and has now become a staple spice in some of them.
The Caper plant has its earliest documented origins in that of ancient Greece; it was used to combat flatulence then. In those works, it is represented as carbonated seeds.
In De Materia Medica, a medicinal book written by Dioscorides (a Greek Physician, Pharmacologist and Botanist.), it was mentioned that the Caper plant was a marketable product of the ancient Greeks.
Capers are also mentioned in the works of Pliny the Elder, a Roman scholar.
In 1885, a detailed drawing of Capparis Spinosa was published in a book written by Otto Wilhelm Thomé.
ETYMOLOGY
The root word for its name "Capers" can be traced to that of the Classical Latin word capparis. The root word for the Classical Latin word capparis, in turn, was borrowed from the Greek word "kapparis" [κάππαρις].
A theory suggests that the origins of the Greek word "kapparis" [κάππαρις] is based off the name of the island Cyprus (Kypros [Κύπρος]), where the Caper plant grows abundantly.
USAGE
The Caper plant has been said to reduce flatulence and to be anti-rheumatic in effect. In ayurvedeic medicine, the Caper plant is recorded as a hepatic stimulants and protectors, and is said to be able to improve liver function.
The Caper plant have been reportedly used to treat arteriosclerosis; used as diuretics, kidney disinfectants, vermifuges and tonics. Infusions and decoctions from Caper root bark have been traditionally used for dropsy, anemia, arthritis and gout. In fact, the Caper plant contains considerable amounts of the anti-oxidant bioflavinoid rutin.
The Caper plant that are sold commercially are often immature flower buds which have been pickled in vinegar or preserved in granular salt. The semi-mature fruits of the Caper plant (known as caperberries) and its young shoots, along with its small leaves may also be pickled for use as a condiment.
The Caper plant; the pickled flower bud, has a salty taste (due to it being pickled), and has a sharp piquant flavor. It is used often in foodstuffs such as pasta sauces, pizza, fish, meats and salads.
To be specific, the flavor of the Caper plant may be described as being similar to that of mustard and black pepper. In fact, the strong flavor of the Caper plant comes from mustard oil (methyl isothiocyanate) which arises when the Caper plant is crushed.
The tender young shoots of the Caper plant, including that of the small leaves, can be pickled, or be cooked and eaten.
More rarely, mature and semi-mature fruits of the Caper plant are also eaten as a cooked vegetable.
Additionally, ash from burned caper roots has been used as a source of salt.
RECIPE
The Caper plant can be used in the cooking of Spaghetti alla puttanesca (It is also known as Harlot Spaghetti.)
Here is a link to a recipe made by Jamie Oliver:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/jamie-oliver/spaghetti-puttanesca-recipe.html
Did You Know?
- The taste of the Caper plant is considered to be a classic Mediterranean flavor.
Capers are also mentioned in the works of Pliny the Elder, a Roman scholar.
In 1885, a detailed drawing of Capparis Spinosa was published in a book written by Otto Wilhelm Thomé.
 |
| A picture of Capparis Spinosa, drawn by Otto Wilhelm Thomé. Circa 1885. |
The root word for its name "Capers" can be traced to that of the Classical Latin word capparis. The root word for the Classical Latin word capparis, in turn, was borrowed from the Greek word "kapparis" [κάππαρις].
A theory suggests that the origins of the Greek word "kapparis" [κάππαρις] is based off the name of the island Cyprus (Kypros [Κύπρος]), where the Caper plant grows abundantly.
USAGE
The Caper plant has been said to reduce flatulence and to be anti-rheumatic in effect. In ayurvedeic medicine, the Caper plant is recorded as a hepatic stimulants and protectors, and is said to be able to improve liver function.
The Caper plant have been reportedly used to treat arteriosclerosis; used as diuretics, kidney disinfectants, vermifuges and tonics. Infusions and decoctions from Caper root bark have been traditionally used for dropsy, anemia, arthritis and gout. In fact, the Caper plant contains considerable amounts of the anti-oxidant bioflavinoid rutin.
The Caper plant that are sold commercially are often immature flower buds which have been pickled in vinegar or preserved in granular salt. The semi-mature fruits of the Caper plant (known as caperberries) and its young shoots, along with its small leaves may also be pickled for use as a condiment.
 |
| Commercially sold Capers that are pickled in salt |
To be specific, the flavor of the Caper plant may be described as being similar to that of mustard and black pepper. In fact, the strong flavor of the Caper plant comes from mustard oil (methyl isothiocyanate) which arises when the Caper plant is crushed.
The tender young shoots of the Caper plant, including that of the small leaves, can be pickled, or be cooked and eaten.
More rarely, mature and semi-mature fruits of the Caper plant are also eaten as a cooked vegetable.
Additionally, ash from burned caper roots has been used as a source of salt.
RECIPE
The Caper plant can be used in the cooking of Spaghetti alla puttanesca (It is also known as Harlot Spaghetti.)
 |
| A picture of Spaghetti Alla Puttanesca. |
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/jamie-oliver/spaghetti-puttanesca-recipe.html
Did You Know?
- The taste of the Caper plant is considered to be a classic Mediterranean flavor.
- Caper extracts and pulps had once been used in cosmetics, but there has been reports of it causing skin inflammation from their usage. Thus, they are no longer used in cosmetics.
Other References
http://gernot-katzers-spice-pages.com/engl/Capp_spi.html
-A webpage on the caper plant,which is more in-depth regarding its description, genus and usage in cusines
https://hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/CropFactSheets/caper.html
-A webpage on the Caper plant; it talks about the Caper plant from a more scientific viewpoint. It also has information regarding the way it is cultivated and also the types of viruses and bugs that may affect it.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/05/30/what-are-capers_n_1276491.html
-A brief description of Capers, along with links to other recipes that utilizes Capers.
http://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/herbs/caper/growing-caper-bush.htm
-A webpage that gives a brief overview on the Caper plant. It talks about the health benefits of Capers, as well as the ways to grow and take care of one.
Other References
http://gernot-katzers-spice-pages.com/engl/Capp_spi.html
-A webpage on the caper plant,which is more in-depth regarding its description, genus and usage in cusines
https://hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/CropFactSheets/caper.html
-A webpage on the Caper plant; it talks about the Caper plant from a more scientific viewpoint. It also has information regarding the way it is cultivated and also the types of viruses and bugs that may affect it.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/05/30/what-are-capers_n_1276491.html
-A brief description of Capers, along with links to other recipes that utilizes Capers.
http://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/herbs/caper/growing-caper-bush.htm
-A webpage that gives a brief overview on the Caper plant. It talks about the health benefits of Capers, as well as the ways to grow and take care of one.
Wednesday, 16 November 2016
My First Post
Hello there! To any readers out there; Welcome to my blog! This is my first time doing this, so I'm going to try my best in building up and improving this blog.
Anyway, allow me to introduce myself. My name is Koh Aik Hu. I am currently a Polytechnic student as of this time of writing.
Recently, I had an interest regarding spices; how they can be used to improve the taste and nutrition value of food. Thus, I began to wonder; when, and where exactly were herbs and spices documented and used by early civilization? Those very question led me to try and compile a detailed guide on the history of herbs and spices, thus creating this blog to do so. I will try my best to create a new blogpost every week, so please look forward to it!
If I had made any mistakes in my blogposts, do kindly point it out to me.
Thank you for your kind attention. May you enjoy your time here!
Anyway, allow me to introduce myself. My name is Koh Aik Hu. I am currently a Polytechnic student as of this time of writing.
Recently, I had an interest regarding spices; how they can be used to improve the taste and nutrition value of food. Thus, I began to wonder; when, and where exactly were herbs and spices documented and used by early civilization? Those very question led me to try and compile a detailed guide on the history of herbs and spices, thus creating this blog to do so. I will try my best to create a new blogpost every week, so please look forward to it!
If I had made any mistakes in my blogposts, do kindly point it out to me.
Thank you for your kind attention. May you enjoy your time here!
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