Botanical Potluck Lab

Botanical Potluck Lab

And an Introduction to Spices and Herbs

Read the Pre-Lab and then answer the Pre-Lab questions

You should be as excited as these kids!

p. 7

Fennel Seeds

Whole Chili de Arbol Peppers

Ground Cumin

Ground Cayenne Pepper

Ground Cinnamon

Fenugreek Seeds

Whole Coriander

Ground turmeric

Mexican Oregano

Difference between spice and herb?

• No clear distinction• Herbs usually leaves (sometimes seeds),

usually from temperate-origin plants• Spices usually flowers, fruits, or bark of

tropical-origin plants

spice Part of plant usedBlack pepper Dried fruits (peppercorns)Ginger Rhizome (underground stem)Nutmeg SeedMace Covering of nutmeg seedsCloves Unopened flower budsCassia and Cinnamon

Bark

Cardamom Fruits, seedsTurmeric RhizomeSesame Seeds

Herbs• Usually aromatic leaves • Used in cooking• Also, in shampoos,

cosmetics, soaps, medicines, aromatherapy (e.g., Vicks vaporub, with camphor, menthol, & eucalyptus oils)

“spice”

• Derives from the Latin word species, meaning specific kind, and later, goods or merchandise.

Plants that Changed History, Joan Elma Rhan, 1982

First use of spices & herbs

Origins pre-date ancient Greeks & Romans, etc. Today we use spices & herbs primarily to make good food

taste even better. In the days before refrigeration, spices were used to hide

the taste and odor of less-than-fresh food, and to prolong the freshness of food (especially in warm climates).

Today, some perfumes, soaps, and lotions are lightly scented with spices & herbs.

In the days before people took frequent baths, spices/herbs were used as deodorants. Those who could afford to do so had spices/herbs sown or tucked into their clothes to hide their body odors.

Plants that Changed History, Joan Elma Rhan, 1982

It is time to play everyone’s favorite game

NAME

THAT

SPICE

1. This spice is …. • A climbing vine native to

India and East Indies• Berries picked green, darken

& shrivel upon drying.• Biting flavor due to volatile

oils, flavor dissipates after grinding.

• White version- berries ripen on vine, outer hull removed.

• The most widely used spice today.

1. Piper nigrum(black & white pepper)

2. This spice is…

• Parts used- oil & bark• Evergreen tree native to

India & Sri Lanka; in Laurel family

• Properties- Astringent, stimulant, anti-infective, anti-fungal, digestive aid

• One of the oldest and most valuable spices

• Related spice, called cassia, from C. cassia.

2. Cinnamomum zeylanicum(cinnamon)

3. This spice is….• Parts Used: closed flower buds• 60 to 90 percent eugenol,

which is the source of its anesthetic and antiseptic properties.

• An evergreen tree, 15 to 30 feet tall; in Myrtaceae (Myrtle) family

• Native to the Spice Islands and the Philippines, but also grown in India, Sumatra, Jamaica, the West Indies, Brazil, and other tropical areas.

3. Eugenia caryophyllata(clove)

4. This spice is….• Part used- dried kernel of the

seed. • Tree is about 25 feet high, has a

greyish-brown smooth bark, abounding in a yellow juice.

• Native to Spice Islands• Fruit is source of 2 spices• One spice is derived from the

net-like aril that is wrapped around the pit- called mace

• The other spice is within the pit and is a single seed.

4. Myristica fragans (nutmeg & mace)

5. This spice is…• Perennial native to tropical Asia• Plant part used = Rhizome• name from Sanskrit word stringa-vera,

which means “with a body like a horn”, as in antlers.

• In English pubs and taverns in the nineteenth century, bar-keepers put out small containers of this spice, for people to sprinkle into their beer — leading to its name “_______- ale”

5. Zingiber officinale (ginger)

6. This spice is….• Perennial native to tropical Asia • Part used: rhizome• Culinary uses (e.g., Middle East &

India) • Dyes uses too (yellow)

6. Curcuma longa (turmeric)

7. This spice is…• Member of “Iris” family• From ‘zafaran’ in Arabic• From 3-parted Stigma of flower• Dried by slow roasting• Imparts delicate & distinct taste &

color• Used in French, Spanish, Middle

Eastern & Indian cooking• Each flower has 3 stigmas

– It takes 80,000 flowers (240,000) stigmas to make a pound of saffron

– 12 days to pick – cost is > $250 per ounce– (so most costly spice)– 1444: any merchant caught

selling adulterated saffron in Bavaria was burned alive (make impure by adding additional inferior ingredients)

7. Crocus sativus(saffron)

Makes sense why fancy restaurants have saffron risotto on the menu….

8. These spices are…• Members of tomato family (Solonaceae)• Many varieties• Origin = New World; used by 9000 y. ago• “Hot” due to seven related alkaloids, including

capsaicin (mostly in seeds & fruit)

Scoville ratings(for “hotness”)16,000,000: Pure capsaicin 100,000-350,000:

Habanero 30,000-50,000: Cayenne

5,000-23,000: Serrano2,500-5,000: Tabasco sauce

/Jalapeno 1,000-2,000: Poblano100-500 PepperonciniCa. 0: Sweet Bell

8. Capsicum species(hot & sweet peppers)

9. This spice is …

• flavoring comes from the seed pod, or the ‘bean’ of the plant• member of orchid family (Orchidaceae); perennial vine• behind saffron and cardamom, this spice is the 3rd most expensive

spice • non-culinary uses, including aromatizing perfumes, cigars, &

liqueurs • Europeans prefer the bean, while N. Americans the extract • extract made by percolating alcohol & water through chopped cured

beans

9. Vanilla planifolia (vanilla)

It is time to play everyone’s second favorite game…..

Name

That

Herb

1. This herb can….

• Kick a cold• Help you breathe easy• Help control oily skin• Cook with a taste of

Native America

1. Bee balmMonarda fistulosa

2. This herb is…

• The hero’s herb• Helps heal the heart• Squelches stubborn

skin inflammations– eczema

• Create stellar salads

2. BorageBorago officinalis

3. This herb is …

• Referred to as the Calm after a storm

• Take the sting out of stress

• Makes a cat happy• Enjoy a roman salad

3. CatnipNepeta cataria

4. This herb is…

• Better than counting sheep

• Beats anxiety and insomnia

• Relieves indigestion• Soothes irritated skin

4. ChamomileMatricaria sp.

Alliums (Lily family)(onion group)

• Onion- A. cepa• Garlic- A. sativum• Leeks- A. porrum• Shallots- A. ascalonicum• Chives- A. schoenprasum

• Most rich in volatile sulfur-containing compounds

• Culinary & medicinal uses• Among oldest cultivated plants

4. This herb is …• Originated in Asia• Ancient Egyptians worshipped this herb,

believing that its spherical shape and concentric rings symbolized eternity. Of all the vegetables that had their images created from precious metals by Egyptian artists, only this herb was made out of gold.

• Ranks sixth among the world's leading vegetable crops.

• You can get rid of this herbs breath by eating parsley.

• The Yellow version is the most popular.• The official state vegetable of Georgia is

the Vidalia ____________.• The official state vegetable of Texas is the

Texas Sweet ___________.• According to the National ________

Association, the consumption of this herb in the U.S. has increased approximately 50% over the past 20 years.

4. Onions

5. This herb can …

• Help lower blood cholesterol levels

• Help reduce blood pressure

• Help prevent certain types of cancer

5. Chives

6. This herb is…• Culinary, medicinal, and religious use dates

back more than 6000 years.• Chicago got it's name from the American

Indian word for the wild version of this herb that grew around Lake Michigan - "chicagaoua".

• California produces more than 250 million pounds of this herb each year. One farm in Monterey County (near Gilroy, "The ________Capital of the World") plants 2000 acres of this herb and produces almost 25 million pounds annually.

• There is an all- ______restaurant in Stockholm where they offer a _______ cheesecake.

• There is an all-_______restaurant in San Francisco where they offer a ______ ice cream. The name of the place is a nickname for this herb...The Stinking Rose!

6. Garlic

There are numerous health benefits to ‘raw’ garlic

• Prevent & cure infection– 1 clove contains substances equivalent to

100,000 units of penicillin (1/5 avg dose)• Help prevent cancer & heart disease• Make lean foods taste robust• Eat sprig of fresh tarragon for temporary

relief of garlic breath or ‘odorless garlic’ in capsules

7. This herb can …• Fight off colds and flu• Heal minor cuts &

scratches• Give your immune system

a shot in the arm• Compound echinsin,

shown to be antiviral that behaves similarly to interferon

• Echinacoside has antibiotic properties

7. “purple cone flower”Echinacea purpurea

8. This herb has…• Petals that open at night• Soothes PMS and

menopause symptoms• Help prevent high blood

pressure• Smooth & soften dry skin• Active compound:

gamma-linolenic acid (GLA)

8. Evening primroseOenothera biensis

9. This herb can….

• Sooth a migraine• Repel insects in the

garden– pyrethrin

• Keep bees at bay

9. FeverfewChrysanthemum parthenium

10. This herb can be used to …

• Create an herbal antiseptic

• Relax and rejuvenate mind and body

• Help normalize oily skin

10. English lavender(L. officinalis or L. vera)

11. This herb is …• White & yellow, Brassica alba; black (brown), Brassica nigra.

• Volatile oil derived from sinigrin/sinalbin & enzyme, myrosin.

• The plants produce about 1,000 pounds of seeds per acre.

• In one year at New York's Yankee Stadium, more than 1,600 gallons plus 2,000,000 individual packets of this herb are consumed.

• Most of the seeds used in Dijon, France are actually grown in the United States and Canada. Canada produces about 90 percent of the world's supply of this herbs seeds.

• Over 700 million pounds of this herb are consumed worldwide each year.

• The Museum for this herb is in Mount Horeb, Wisconsin. – world's largest collection of this

herb, with over 3,500 varieties.

11. Mustard (Brassicaceae)

12. This herb is…• prized for its medicinal and

gastronomic qualities for centuries.

• Same volatile oil as mustard• Mostly planted and harvested

by hand • Sales of bottled versions of

this herb began in 1860, making it one of the first convenience foods

• In the American South, this herb was and still sometimes is rubbed on the forehead to relieve headaches.

12. Horseradish(Amoracia rusticana; Brassica Family)

13. This herb is …

• Related to wild parsnip (Pastinaca sativa) (in the Umbel family, along with carrots, celery, dill, parsnips, fennel, caraway, anise, coriander, cumin, poison hemlock)

• Has low levels of same toxin as the wild species

• Many of these look gorgeous in the garden.

13. ParsleyPetroselinum crispum


• Relieve aches & pains– arthritis, rheumatism,

sciatica• help for depression• Help create soft silky

hair• Red color of oil from

hypericin

14. St John’s wortHypericum perforatum


• Calm a cough– Leptandrine, acts as

expectorant– Mix with Chinese

licorice root to balance bitter flavor

• Soften tough calluses

15. SpeedwellVeronica arvenis


• Give high blood pressure the boot

• Be a possible link in cancer prevention– Compound = rutin

16. TarragonArtemisia dracunculus

17. This herb is a ….

• Famous fever fighter• Help heal cuts &

scratches• Smooth stressed skin• Stimulate the compost

heap

17. YarrowAchillea millefollium

• Famous fever fighter• Help heal cuts &

scratches• Smooth stressed skin• Stimulate the compost

heap

18. This herb can…

• Soothe your stomach• Refresh itchy skin• Cool spicy foods• Active ingredient:

menthol

18. PeppermintMentha piperita

• Soothe your stomach• Refresh itchy skin• Cool spicy foods• Active ingredient:

menthol


• Help relieve high blood pressure

• Digestive aid– Volatile oil, eugenol,

which calms the gastrointestinal tract

• Add a lemon lift to foods

19. Lemon balmMelissa officinalis


• De-stress the stomach– rosmaricine

• Help heal a headache• Have shiny hair

– Use as hair rinse

20. RosemaryRosemary officinalis


• Sore gum soother• Subdue a sore throat• Refresh skin after

shaving• Boost flavor of low-fat

foods• Camphor & other

volatile oils

21. SageSalvia officinalis

Lab- Botanical Potluck

Documents

Botanical Potluck Lab