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

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...