On food and cooking the science and lore of the kitchen ( PDFDrive ) 743

the ancient world they were more than mere
foods: they were thought to have medicinal
andeventranscendentalproperties.Sacrificial
fireswaftedthefumesofaromaticsupwardto
pleasethegods,andatthesametimeoffered
earth-boundhumansawhiffofheaven.Spices
camefromtheendsoftheearth,fromArabia
and legendary lands to the east. The growing
hunger for the aromas of paradise helped
drive the European exploration of the globe,
the discovery of the Americas, and the
biological and cultural exchange that helped
shapethemodernworld.
Fewpeopletodaythinkofherbsandspices
asemissariesfromparadiseortoheaven.Yet
they’remorepopularthanever:becauseherbs
andspicesdoindeedbringotherworldstoour
table.Theymarkthefoodsofdifferent
cultureswithdistinctiveflavors,andprovide
usatasteofMoroccoatonemealand
Thailandthenext.Theyhelpusrecapturethe
kindofsensoryvarietythatourancestors


enjoyedinfoodsbeforeagriculturemade
eatingbothmorereliableandmore
monotonous.Andbecausesmellisoneofthe
sensesthroughwhichweexperienceour
immediatesurroundings,herbsandspices
delightbylendingourfoodshintsreminiscent
oftheforest,themeadow,theflowergarden,

theseacoast.Theycanconjureafamiliarpart
ofthenaturalworldinabiteorsip.
Thischaptersurveysherbs,spices,and
threeotherimportantflavoringsderivedfrom
plants.Teaandcoffeearesuchprominent
ingredientsintheirownrightthatwedon’t
thinkofthemasherborspice,butthat’s
essentiallywhattheyare:teaisadriedleaf
andcoffeearoastedseed,andweusethemto
flavorwater(andinfuseitwithausefuldrug,
caffeine).Andwoodsmokeisaflavoring
createdwhenintenseheatbreaksplanttissues
downintosomeofthesamearomaticsfound
intruespices.