This delicate flower has to be handled with care to make the most expensive spice of the world.

Saffron, or Arab.za ‘faran, as it is known in the Arabic language, is manufactured from dried stigmas and part of the style of the saffron flower. It has to be done manually because of the delicacy of this flower. This is why it is the most expensive spice in the world, popularly known as “red gold”. It is used in many of the Mediterranean foods for its reddish colour and subtle flavour.

Cinnamon

Powdered and sticks of cinnamon.

It is obtained from the inner bark of several trees from the genus Cinnamomum. This spice is used in both savoury and sweet foods . Cinnamon trees are native to South East Asia. Rice pudding is, for instance, a delicious dessert in which rice will be boil with milk, a rind of lemon, sugar and a couple of cinnamon sticks. It will be pour on a plate to cool down, sprinkling its top with cinnamon powder.

Paprika

Powdered paprika may also replace saffron for colour and flavour.

It is made of grinding of dried bell peppers or chill peppers, which are fruits of the Capsicum annuum. Chili peppers are from Nahuatl chili. and also members of the family Solanaceae. It can be hot or sweet and it is widely used in cooking to add up flavour and colour. Actually, when one can’t season with saffron, one may add up a pinch of it. It isn’t the same, but it is a lot cheaper.

Chillies

In different colours and shapes, chillies are popular in supermarkets or grocery shops.

They originated in the Americas. This specie is used both in cooking as well as in medicine. Its use in cooking either stews or salads is widely popular worldwide. They come in different sizes and shapes. When dried, they used for savoury gravies such as the one of the snails.

Curry

Curry is a favourite when it comes to enhance our food, not only with a hot kick, but a delicious flavour.

It is a generic description used in different foods throughout the world. It may be from medium to hot. But not only it adds up a kick to any stew of meat or fish, but a delicate and subtle flavor. It comes from countries such as India, Bangladesk, Sri Lanka, etc., but it is widely popular in the Western world.

Black pepper

Black pepper before ripening.

Black pepper (piper nigrum) is a flavouring vine in the family of Piperacease) It is cultivated for its fruit and it is also known as peppercorn when they are dried. It is native from India, but it cultivated in most of the tropical regions of the world, being Vietnam the world’s producer and exporters. The different colours of it will tell us if it is mild , medium or hot.

These are some of the most popular spices that I think are a must in the kitchen. They should be on display at a hand’s reach when cooking. As with aromatic herbs, pinch of one of the them in whatever we are cooking will make a difference in our dish, but as with many other habits, moderation is the key. Add up way too much and one will have spoilt the food. As I once hear a cook to say “Do always be a bit mean on using spices, because one only wants a touch of them to enhance the flavor of either fish or meat”.