| Today
spices are used mainly to flavor food. In
medieval times, however, spices played a more
important role as food preserving agents. In
the absence of fridges and freezers, people used
spices to preserve meat during the long winter
months. Before the 15th century, the spice
trade was in the hands of Arab traders.
Spices grew in abundance in the east and the Arabs
took them to the Mediterranean ports via
Constantinople and then overland to the
West. The route was long and spices were
therefore a costly commodity. When European
navigators found sea routes to the East, they
broke the Arab monopoly of the spice trade.
In Ceylon, the Portuguese replaced the Arabs in
the spice trade. But they did little more
than bleed the spice growing areas. When the
Dutch took over, they tried to improve the spice
lands. One such area was Kurunduwatte or
Cinnamon Gardens - Colombo 7. They employed
the 'chaliyas' who were experienced cinnamon
peelers to peel and process the cinnamon bark
before they took it to Europe.
Cinnamon
- What we use as cinnamon today is the
bark of an evergreen tree, peeled, scraped and
sunned to a pinkish brown. It is delicately
scented and has a sweet aromatic taste. It
is used as powder or broken into sticks, to flavor
curries, jams and chutneys. Powdered
cinnamon is used in cake and confectionery.
Cinnamon oil is used in the treatment of chills
and toothaches.
Cloves are
the dried calyx of the clove flower, dried to a
reddish brown. Cloves are used in curries
and preparations where coconut milk is extensively
used, because people believe that cloves reduce
the oil content of the coconut milk. Tow or
three cloves infused in boiling water for ten
minutes is a sure remedy for stomach
disorders. Clove oil is used in the
treatment of chills and is often used by villagers
climbing Sri Pada in chilly weather. Cloves
have a pungent flavor and is excellent to temper
rice.
Nutmeg
and Mace come from the same tree - Saddikka.
It is a tall tree somewhat like the iron-wood, a
straight trunk and a crown of branches and dark
green leaves at the top. The fruits havea
green outercoat, inside which is a nut with a
brittle shell. This shell is covered with a
a red lacy membrane. This is mace.
Mace, when dried, is a pretty orange and is used
very sparingly to flavur sweetmeats; more
popularly it is chewed with betel-leaf for a tangy
aromatic flavor.
Nutmeg is
the light grey kernel inside the brittle
shell. Nutmeg is grated into custards and
puddings, eggnog and sweet dishes. Ground to
a paste with the juice of a lime, nutmeg which has
a pungent flavor is a cure for vomiting and
stomach ailments.
Allspice is
a tree whose berries have the taste and scent of
nutmeg cardamom and cloves rolled into one.
It is used in fruit-cakes, mince meat, rice and
pickles. The berries must be stored in
air-tight containers.
Cardamom
is a plump three-sided pod. Three clusters
of seeds are enclosed. The pod is dried
whole. The seeds are crushed to release a
strong aromatic fragrance and flavor and is used
in puddings and rice. It is used in the
preparation of arishtas in ayurvedic
medicine.
Ginger
is a rhizome with a warm pungent taste. The
rhizomes are pulled out when the leaves wither
away. The rhizomes are pulled out when the
leaves wither away. The rhizomes are used
fresh (green ginger) or dried. Green ginger
is used in meat dishes and pickles, in ginger tea
and ginger ale. Ginger essence is used in
confectionery. Dried ginger is used in
native medicines, in decocotions and infusions and
in ayurvedic medicines like arishtas and asavas.
Turmeric
like ginger is obtained by drying the turmeric
rhizome. Ground or powdered, turmeric is
used in all curries in Sri Lanka for its color,
flavor and therapeutic value. Turmeric is a
germicide and, powdered turmeric is sprinkled on
floors during epidemics of infectious
diseases. Raw turmeric ground with neam
leaves is a remedy for sores and itches. Saffron
is of Indian origin and should not be confused
with turmeric. Saffron is the stigma of the
saffron crocus and is sold in bunches of
'threads.' These threads are slightly
roasted and used for flavor. Mustard
is a chena cultivated plant with racemes of
yellow flowers which produce innumerable little
pods. Each pod contain lots of tiny brown
seeds. These seeds are ground to a paste
with vinegar and used in pickles and sauces.
The seed is used also to temper curries.
Mustard has a pungent smell. This plant can
be grown in home gardens and the green mustard
leaves make a fine aromatic and tasty salad.
Mustard oil is used in medication for asthma. Dill
seed - A rather squarish little seed with a
slightly bitter taste and quaint aroma. It
is roasted and added very sparingly to
curries. It is boiled with garlic and drunk
for distention of the stomach and backache. Cumin
seeds are very small. Roasted and
powdered, it is used in curries. Cumin seeds
slightly roasted and crushed and infused in
boiling water is an excellent remedy for gripes
and stomach-aches in children. Sweet
cumin or Anise seeds are slightly
bigger and have a sweeter taste with a bulbous
base. This base has a strong pungent lemon
smell and is used in meat preparations. Karapincha
- the leaves of this tree are aromatic and are
used to flavor curries. Ground to a paste
with salt, green chilies and scraped coconut,
makes a fine sambol which is a great
appetizer. Karapincha stems
boiled in water is given to allay the thirst of
diarrhea patients. It
is interesting to note that in Sri Lanka, spices
are known for their medicinal value more than as a
flavoring agent. The housewife using
turmeric for its color as well as its germicidal
value and the curry mix with its cumin, dill and
coriander knows that her preparations are insured
against indigestion and stomach disorders. Sri
Lanka boasts of a great variety of spices.
Since variety is the spice of life, a variety of
spice must make life in Sri Lanka, exuberant
indeed. |
