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Presented by Kathy FitzHenry Founder Juliet Mae Fine Spices All About Spices The History and Science Behind Our Sense of Taste

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“ Whoever controls the spice controls the universe.” <ul><li>Throughout history, the most powerful country of its time has dominated world (spice) trade. </li></ul><ul><li>Regardless of their political aspirations each </li></ul><ul><li>power expanded its culinary culture. Often nourishing its population with the valuable food stuffs they brought from conquered lands </li></ul>Baron Harkonen

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Influences on European/American Cuisine <ul><li>The Egyptians: </li></ul><ul><li>Their obsession with the afterlife drove their discoveries of the use of spices in mummification/perfumes and the cultivation of crops like garlic to ensure a healthy workforce for pyramid construction. </li></ul>

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Influences on European/American Cuisine <ul><li>The Romans </li></ul><ul><li>Their love of luxury and sensational fests often lasting several days, informed their desired for exotic foods and expensive imported spices. </li></ul><ul><li>Emperor Nero was said to have commanded that the funeral pyre for his wife be made of cinnamon. Something would cost over several billion dollars in today’s currency. </li></ul>

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Influences on European/American Cuisine <ul><li>The Spanish Empire was driven by its monarchs’ lust for power and treasure. </li></ul><ul><li>After the Unification of the Iberian Peninsula, the Spanish expanded into the first true world empire. By 1550 it had colonies in Africa, Asia, Oceania, the Americas and dominated Europe. </li></ul><ul><li>The Spanish trade routes brought gold to Spain, maize to Africa, chilies to Asia, oranges and horses to the Americas, while the Spanish nobility zealously keep chocolate a secret for many years. </li></ul>

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Influences on European/American Cuisine <ul><li>Present day: </li></ul><ul><li>Through the allure of its political and economic position, the US has </li></ul><ul><li>attracted immigrants from around the world, nurturing a uniquely diverse </li></ul><ul><li>ethnic and regional groupings of cuisines. California, Cajun, Mexican, French, Caribbean, Spanish, Asian , NY Deli etc . </li></ul><ul><li>The Chinese emergence on the world stage is exemplified by its </li></ul><ul><li>growing domination of manufacturing and food exports. </li></ul><ul><li>Through inexpensive garlic imports, China has reduced the market share of California garlic growers and now dominates the US garlic market. </li></ul>

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What Made Spice So Valuable ? <ul><li>In olden days…locally produced was it </li></ul><ul><li>No refrigeration </li></ul><ul><li>Meat was salted </li></ul><ul><li>Crops were harvested once a year </li></ul>

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Spices Were Valued Like Gold <ul><li>Black Pepper </li></ul><ul><li>The English used it as currency during medieval times. </li></ul><ul><li>The French had a salt tax </li></ul><ul><li>The origin of word salary comes from the French word for salt, Sel. </li></ul>

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Before the 16 th century <ul><li>Europeans did not have access to: </li></ul><ul><li>Tomatoes, Potatoes, Avocados </li></ul><ul><li>Corn, Beans, Squash, Peanuts </li></ul><ul><li>Vanilla and Chocolate </li></ul><ul><li>Chili </li></ul><ul><li>Very limited access to sugar </li></ul>15 th Century French Spice Merchant at Work. A Dash Of Spice. Hawkins & Duff. The European diet was based on plants like wheat; meats were rarely consumed outside of elite circles .

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Before the 16 century <ul><li>The People of the Americas did not have access to </li></ul><ul><li>Small Domesticated Animals: sheep, cows, pigs </li></ul><ul><li>Horses </li></ul>The American diet consisted mainly of farmed plants, fish, select insects, even pond algae and opportunistic hunting. Source: http://ushistoryimages.com/sources.shtm

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1492 <ul><li>Prior to 1492 not one food crop had crossed the Atlantic </li></ul><ul><li>Columbus’ “discovery” of the Americas resulted in a exchange of both culture and food. </li></ul><ul><li>This “Columbian Exchange” DOUBLED the number of food crops available in Europe. </li></ul><ul><li>The development of distinctive regional cuisines dovetailed with the emergence of nationalism in Europe, leading to the distinctive cuisines we know today. </li></ul><ul><li>Tomatoes were cultivated in the sunny climate of Italy Potatoes were adapted in Ireland, Germany, and most of Europe. </li></ul><ul><li>Chilies became an integral part of Hungarian and Spanish Cuisine </li></ul>

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The Columbian Exchange Source IACP

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The Impact of the Columbian Exchange <ul><li>The adaption of the “new” nutritious crops, like potatoes lead to larger, better fed populations: Ireland, Germany for example. </li></ul><ul><li>The increase in European population assisted in the advance of the Industrial Revolution. </li></ul><ul><li>Using horses, the Indians were able to hunt big game more efficiently and helped the Plains Indians to defend their lands during the 19 th century. </li></ul>

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What Is… A Spice Or An Herb? <ul><li>The leaf of a plant = herb (ex: cilantro) </li></ul><ul><li>The balance of the plant = ( ex: coriander) </li></ul><ul><li>Spices typically come from tropical climates </li></ul><ul><li>Herbs are grown all over the world </li></ul>

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Spice Comes In Many Forms <ul><li>Clove - Bud </li></ul><ul><li>Galangal - Root </li></ul><ul><li>Cinnamon- Tree Bark </li></ul><ul><li>Cumin- Seed </li></ul><ul><li>Saffron- Stigma </li></ul>

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Most Spices Are Dried <ul><li>Drying removes water. It leaves the essential oils, allowing naturally occurring enzymes to create flavor. </li></ul><ul><li>Examples include: </li></ul><ul><li>VANILLA CLOVE ALLSPICE PEPPERCORN </li></ul>

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Drying Methods <ul><li>Drying methods can have a major effect on the </li></ul><ul><li>concentration of oils/flavor. </li></ul><ul><li>Sun dried Vanilla tends to be “fragrant” </li></ul><ul><li>Oven dried Vanilla tends to be “moist” </li></ul><ul><li>Oven dried Paprika tends to be “sweeter” </li></ul>

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Herbs <ul><li>Some herbs are better dried. </li></ul><ul><li>The concentration of oils makes them a better choice for slow cooked dishes. </li></ul><ul><li>Examples: Oregano, Bouquet Garni Tip: Finish slow cooked dishes with fresh herbs. They will add delicate top notes, color and texture. </li></ul>

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Buying and Storing <ul><li>Buy whole spices and store at 55-70 degrees </li></ul><ul><li>Grinding ruptures the cell walls/extracts essence </li></ul><ul><li>Grinding promotes evaporation of the oil/essence </li></ul><ul><li>Ground spices tend to quickly evaporate </li></ul><ul><li>Nutmeg for example looses its top notes quickly. </li></ul><ul><li>Vapor barrier packaging will greatly extend the life of </li></ul><ul><li>ground spices, rubs and spice blends. </li></ul>

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Sense of Smell <ul><li>Our sense of taste is greatly influenced by our sense of smell. It is responsible for about 80% of what we taste. </li></ul><ul><li>Without our sense of smell, our sense of taste is limited to only five distinct sensations: sweet, salty, sour, bitter and umani. </li></ul><ul><li>All other flavors that we experience come from smell. This is why, when our nose is blocked, as by a cold, most foods seem bland or tasteless. </li></ul><ul><li>Our sense of smell becomes stronger when we are hungry . </li></ul>

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Sensitivity <ul><li>Taste occurs everywhere in the oral cavity </li></ul><ul><li>But most sensitive area is the tongue </li></ul><ul><li>Highest concentration of taste are on the back </li></ul><ul><li>As we age taste bud production slows down. </li></ul><ul><li>Children often experience taste intensely </li></ul><ul><li>The intensity of the sense of taste fades for older adults </li></ul>

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Role of Receptors <ul><li>Receptors are distributed in the tongue region. </li></ul><ul><li>They work together in a cluster arrangement </li></ul><ul><li>of peptides and amino acids to communicate </li></ul><ul><li>with the brain. </li></ul><ul><li>In this regard they are unique across the sensory system. </li></ul>

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Spicy Curry or a Hamburger? <ul><li>Life’s experiences influence our sense of taste </li></ul><ul><li>Number of taste buds is the biggest determinate of taste preferences </li></ul><ul><li>Taste Buds= Number of Fungiform Papillate </li></ul><ul><li>Try the Blue Dot Test: </li></ul><ul><li>Place a ¼” circle on your tongue. Paint it with blue food dye and count your taste buds. </li></ul><ul><li>You see if you are: Super Taster: +35 taste buds/fungiform papillate or more per ¼ circle Medium Taster: 15-35 ( about 50% of population) Non Taster: 15 or less </li></ul><ul><li>Typically: Super Tasters dislike broccoli, alcohol and chilies, but love sweet! Non Tasters like big lush wines, expresso and stinky cheese too . </li></ul>biology.about.com

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5 Main Tastes <ul><li>Salty: created by sodium chloride ions of salt pass directly on the tongue </li></ul><ul><li>Sour: detects acids through hydrogen ions that detect hydronium dissociated from an acid </li></ul><ul><li>Sweetness: produced by sugars and proteins. We need 2 sweetness receptors to be activated for the brain to get “the sweet” signal: taste receptor T1R3 and the taste G protein gustducin. </li></ul><ul><li>Bitterness: like sweetness, bitterness is sensed by the G protein coupled to gustducin. Scientists think this “unpleasant” taste evolved as a way to protect us from poisoning. </li></ul><ul><li>Umani : produced by free glutamates found in fermented or aged foods ( Soy Sauce) Note: Umani /glutamate sensation is intensified with sodium. </li></ul><ul><li>Taste buds communicate with the brain through nerve fibers. </li></ul>

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Our Adaptive Palate <ul><li>The most acute flavor sensation to humans is SWEET. </li></ul><ul><li>But after the initial sensation, the intensity of the sweetness leaves. </li></ul><ul><li>Our palate “adapts” to the sensation. </li></ul><ul><li>Tip: Varying flavors should enhance a dining experience . </li></ul>

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We Don’t Just Taste With Our Tongues! <ul><li>Cells of the gut taste glucose through the same mechanisms used by taste cells of the tongue. The gut taste cells regulate secretion of insulin and hormones that regulate appetite . </li></ul><ul><li>Big implications for diabetes and diet. </li></ul><ul><li>This may f acilitate how were manage sugar uptake from our diets and regulate blood sugar levels. Cinnamon anyone? </li></ul>Source: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/08/070820175426.htm

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How To Think About Flavoring <ul><li>Spices/seasonings can be used individually or in combination to create flavor. </li></ul><ul><li>Celery Seed brings out other flavors - Cole Slaw </li></ul><ul><li>Chipotle Chili is a nice accent flavor – Mayonnaise </li></ul>

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Flavor Groupings Umani: Soy Sauce fish sauce black bean miso grilled meats Pungent: Ajowan asafetida caraway cardamom celery seed cloves cumin dill seed fenugreek Galangal juniper berry mace nigella orris root star anise Unifying: Coriander see fennel paprika poppy seed sesame seed turmeric Hot: Chilies horse radish wasabi mustard black white pepper Tangy: Amchur black lime caper kokam pomegranate sumac tamarind Sweet: Allspice anise cassia cinnamon nutmeg vanilla

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Creating Blends <ul><li>When blending you are combining Top Middle Base flavors . (much like a perfume) </li></ul><ul><li>Balanced Blend: Flavors are orchestrated </li></ul><ul><li>Cascading Blend: Flavors emerge as you taste </li></ul><ul><li>Accent Blend : Built around a flavor note. </li></ul>

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Where Is The Industry Going? <ul><li>Spices are being replaced </li></ul><ul><li>Synthetic flavors are taking over the role </li></ul><ul><li>spices have traditionally played. </li></ul><ul><li>Modern flavor enhancers are so powerful that only a tiny part per million is needed. They are fast becoming the preference of large processors </li></ul><ul><li>Why: Predicable supply, low cost, shelf stability. </li></ul>

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Health Benefits <ul><li>This is a list of some spices with reputed health benefits. </li></ul><ul><li>Cayenne pepper and Tabasco sauce can increase metabolism and fat-burning ability by up to 25%. </li></ul><ul><li>Ginger speeds metabolic rate, plus it inhibits nausea and vomiting often caused by morning sickness or motion sickness. </li></ul><ul><li>Peppermint is used to treat gastric and digestive disorders, as well as tension and insomnia. </li></ul><ul><li>Mustard is a stimulant that can be used to relieve respiratory complaints. </li></ul><ul><li>Horseradish is a relative of the mustard family that acts as a digestive stimulant. </li></ul><ul><li>Cinnamon is often used as an antidote for diarrhea and stomach upset as well as a metabolism booster. </li></ul><ul><li>Allspice is an aromatic stimulant that helps to relieve indigestion and gas. </li></ul><ul><li>Regular consumption of garlic can decrease blood pressure and cholesterol levels. It also aids digestion and prevents flatulence. Recent research shows garlic to be beneficial in the treatment of diabetes. </li></ul><ul><li>Turmeric is an antioxidant that neutralizes free radicals and therefore protects against cancer. </li></ul>© 2009 Juliet Mae, all rights reserved.