Tonka beans are an exotic and strongly aromatic ingredient, adding a complex, unique spicy scent to your sweet or savory recipes. Furthermore, they have a high content of coumarin, a beneficial antioxidant substance.
The cumin plant is one of the oldest medicinal plants, it produces seeds that have a spicy flavor and a rich and singular aroma. In recent years, some research is also verifying its slimming power. The scientists involved compared the effects on overweight and blood sugar levels of the use of cumin extracts.
The beneficial properties of juniper berries were known from the time of the ancient Egyptians. They were in fact used for embalming and for disinfecting rooms. The numerous active ingredients contained in juniper berries give them important therapeutic benefits. Widely used in folk medicine to treat various ailments.
Wild fennel seeds are considered a particular aromatic spice in cooking, to enrich the flavor of our dishes with a rather sweet taste reminiscent of anise. They are used as ingredients in the home preparation of bread, crackers and breadsticks. Excellent flavorings for recipes with pork, boiled potatoes, gratinated vegetables and other Mediterranean cuisine specialties.
Chili pepper is an excellent cooking flavoring but it is also a food with healing and cosmetic properties, not everyone is known. Chilli has antibacterial properties, as well as having digestive and antioxidant properties. It is rich in vitamin C, vitamin A, E, PP, potassium, calcium and phosphorus.
The sage with a pungent and camphoric flavor can be used to flavor meat, vegetables, omelettes, soups and stews. In French recipes, sage is used for the preparation of soups and flavoring white meats and salami, while in Italy it is the protagonist of recipes such as tortelloni with butter and sage, Roman saltimbocca or in the scent of porchetta.
These small and aromatic seeds are known for their excellent properties, used both in cooking and for beneficial infusions. They give a very intense aroma and a slightly bitter taste to many recipes, appreciated in Asian, French and Cajun cuisines. Celery seeds are excellent for soups, broths, sauces, flavoring meat and the famous celery salt. They contain precious nutrients and antioxidants, useful for our well-being.
Thyme is a spice that makes many preparations pleasant. With an aromatic and slightly spicy taste, it can be easily used to flavor pasta dishes, roasted or grilled meat, fish and fillings. Excellent liqueurs and vinegars are also produced. Combined with wine, garlic, onion or brandy, it is used to prepare excellent sauces for meat dishes.
Turmeric is a plant native to eastern India. The plant, introduced by sailors, is found in Europe already in the monastic writings of the 6th century. Due to the color similar to saffron, it was also wrongly called Indian saffron. The therapeutic power of turmeric is manifold.
Dried onion flakes make the properties and benefits of the bulb so appreciated in the kitchen available in a practical way. It is ideal for enriching many dishes with a pungent and astringent, slightly sweet taste. Versatile for many recipes of healthy and tasty dishes. It also has antioxidant compounds and minerals useful for well-being, purifying for the body and for the airways.
A particular Curry, a mix composed of whole spices versatile in the kitchen. It can be added halfway through cooking, or used when needed - crushed in a mortar to insert it into the recipe. Originating from the Indian region of Goa, it shows a warm, full-bodied and moderately spicy blend; with sweet notes that make it perfect for not adding too much spiciness to spicy dishes.
Laurel is also called "Laurel" or "Poets' Tree", it has been known for centuries in cooking and herbal medicine. Its dried leaves are used both to flavor dishes and as an infusion. An infusion based on bay leaves helps digestion: it avoids annoying fermentations, fights stomach discomfort and loss of appetite. Very useful in the kitchen for flavoring potatoes, stews and second courses such as white meat stew.