Festive flavours ... mulled wine

This festive tipple has been around in some form for centuries. A early version appears in 'The Forme of Cury' from the 14th century. It is thought that mulling wine was a way to save wine that was about to spoil.Whoever was drinking it must have been outrageously wealthy as it calls for '..cinnamon, ginger, galangal, cloves, long pepper, nutmeg, marjoram, cardamom ' - ingredients that would have been carried for thousands of miles on the Silk Road.

Mulled wine was very popular in Victorian England and appeared in several of Charles Dickens books. However its appearance in 'A Christmas Carol' that sealed its place as a Christmas tradition.
The Spice Almighty 'Merry Mulled Wine' kit includes all the warming spices cinnamon, cloves and cardamon, to give you plenty of festive cheer.

Spices for the Common Cold...

Its that time of year again when the body will succumb to the common cold with sneezes and sniffles a plenty. And for centuries spices have been used as natural 'folk' remedies to help ward off some of the effects of cold & flu.

Ayurveda recommends taking cardamom, ginger, black pepper and cinnamon in equal parts as a tea.

Cloves can help respiratory problems associated with coughs and throat infections 

Cardamom tea can be taken as a bed time drink to clear nasal congestion & induces sleep.

Ginger helps fight throat and chest infections with its anti-inflammatory properties.

Fennel is a natural expectorant, and can help clear chest congestion and soothe a persistent cough. 

Turmeric is a natural antibiotic. A pinch of turmeric added to a teaspoon of honey or a cup of hot milk helps to relieve headache, cold and throat infections.

I'm not sure if the above have been scientifically proven to work but its definitely worth a go - mainly as a  warming tea with a dash of honey to sooth the aches.

PS the above images are my own and have not been dragged off an image library or Google

Jamie Heart Curry

 This was the October issue of Jamie Magazine. It was almost entirely devoted to the humble curry- now a British staple. There with some wonderful recipes which really appealed to me...Keralan Seafood Curry, and Tamarind and coconut rice, along with Indian chopped salad

I also have to add there were great photos by David Loftus as always. I might have to find more of his photos to share with you.

Crisps and Chocolate -Duke of Delhi choc chunk delhi mix...

You would not expect crunchy savoury and choc chips to work together but the combination in the Duke of Delhi mix is simply wonderful. Someone who understands flavour combinations has certainly put a lot of thought and skill into this. It has just been launched at Fortnum & Mason.

I also love the packaging design on this product - very classy in trendy pink.

Black pepper & and the Age of Discovery

Last week I caught half of 'Michael Wood -The Story of India -Spice Routes and Silk Roads' He made it sound so romantic about the discovery of the western monsoon opening a sea route for Greeks and Romans with southern India. Most people may have forgotten one of the reasons for the early voyages of discovery...BLACK PEPPER. They were crazy for this simple vine...which became known as 'black gold'

The race for the coveted spices from Indian sub continent, and the Spice Islands of Indonesia was fought by the Portuguese, Spanish, Dutch and the English. And its also really a history of colonialism...sad but true.

However this did lead to some quite fantastic new flavours being passed around these trade routes. Most notable being the chilli pepper. Finding its way from South America to India and even as far away as Korea and the Cook Islands. I adore this subject and have numerous books on the subject, amongst all my cook books.  I simple can't imagine life without my spices...