On food and cooking the science and lore of the kitchen ( PDFDrive ) 802

blocks,orpowders,andareusedinvarious
confections,togivecolorandflavortodark
beers,porter,andstout,andtoflavortobacco
forcigars,cigarettes,andchewing.Many
licoricecandiesareflavoredwithanise-like
anethole(p.414),butlicoricerootitselfhasa
morecomplexaroma,withalmondandfloral
notes.
Thankstoitshormone-likechemical
structure,glycyrrhizicacidhasanumberof
effectsonthehumanbody,somehelpfuland
somenot.Ithelpssoothecoughs,butitalso
candisruptnormalregulationofmineraland
bloodpressurelevels.Licoriceistherefore
bestconsumedinmoderationand
infrequently;dailyconsumptioncan
sometimescauseasignificantriseinblood
pressureandotherproblems.
Fenugreek Fenugreek is the small, hard seed
ofabeanrelative,Trigonellafoenumgraecum,
that’s native to southwest Asia and the


Mediterranean.ItsnamecomesfromtheLatin
for “Greek hay.” Fenugreek is somewhat
bitterandhasaverydistinctivesweetaroma,
reminiscentofdryhayaswellasmaplesyrup
and caramel, that comes from a chemical
called sotolon, which is also an important
volatile in molasses, barley malt, coffee, soy
sauce,cookedbeef,andsherry.Theoutercell

layer of the fenugreek seed contains a watersoluble
storage
carbohydrate
(galactomannan), so that when the seeds are
soaked, they exude a thick, mucilaginous gel
that gives a pleasant slipperiness to some
Middle-Eastern sauces and condiments
(Yemen’s hilbeh). Fenugreek is a component
ofvariousspicemixtures,includingEthiopian
berberandsomeIndiancurrypowders.
Fenugreekleavesarebitterandslightly
aromatic,andareenjoyedasafreshordried
herbinIndiaandIran.
Chillis