The Dominance of the Historical Satkahan and use of Spices
Spices; As soon as we hear the name, a picture of various food items with different colors, smells, and shapes floats in front of our eyes. This spice is a magical ingredient widely used in our daily life. There is no Hensel in the house of Bengali where all kinds of spices are not available. Bengali homemakers choose different types of spices according to the types of fish, meat, and vegetables. These spices not only enhance the taste of food but also enrich the food with various nutrients. Let’s take a look at the history of spices at a glance.
The dominance of spices in history
Since the dawn of creation, people have been using dried roots of various plants for health protection and food preservation. Over time, people have changed that usage to meet their needs in various ways. A variety of aromatic spices and condiments were once used as an exclusive part of South Asian trade. Various spices were used in cooking, food preservation, religious ritual offerings, cremation, ayurvedic medicine, beauty treatments, etc. In different civilizations and regions of the East and the Middle East, including ancient Egypt and India. There are also various Chinese sayings, including the Bible and Indian mythology, about the use and quality of spices.
Onions, garlic, coriander, fenugreek, fennel, black pepper, and many other spices predominated in the ancient Egyptian medicine system. The Egyptians of that time considered onion, garlic, and other raw spices as a symbol of good health, strong morale, and ideal eating habits. It is even rumored that these spices were kept near the coffins of the pharaohs in their pyramids. There are also great stories about spices in various Chinese proverbs and mythologies.
Ancient India will play the most powerful role in the history of spices. None of us is unaware of the rich cuisine of ancient India. Some well-known spices have played a role in that culinary work.
Mesopotamian civilization is not far behind the Chinese and Indian civilizations. All these wonderful spices like sesame, linseed, thyme, saffron, poppy seeds, and tamarind have been born in the heart of this civilization which has developed in the basins of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers.
The ancient Greek and Roman civilizations were also quite rich in the use of spices. The land of the Mediterranean region is very fertile for the cultivation of cinnamon, cassia, saffron, chili, ginger and other spices.
Spices were one of the main sources of food and other commodities in Central Europe. It is said that one pound of saffron would be worth a horse! Even one pound of nutmeg was worth seven dairy cows. Married couples receive gifts and other spices, such as pepper and saffron, as gifts and dowry. Even the landlords used to count pepper grains instead of renting the house.
The use of spices was also regulated from the point of view of religious beliefs. Churches and other places of worship played an important role in that. The wine used as an offering in religious worship contained coriander, saffron, cloves and several other spices.
Silphium: An endangered spice
Sylpium is an endangered spice that once dominated ancient Roman civilization. Surprisingly, although the spice is extinct today, it was once used in Dedarse, especially because of the widespread use of high-class and aristocratic Romans. In addition to being used as a spice in vegetables, it had a good reputation as a perfume.
In conclusion, the dominance of spices in the present age is not less than in the ancient times. On the contrary, with modern science and technology advancement, all the information about the quality and usefulness of different spices is constantly being discovered. Scientists will conduct more research on the properties of spices all over the world, like South Asia.