There are thousands of nice-smelling spices, but you must know these 5!

In modern life, whether it is food, medicine, daily shampoo and toothpaste, or perfume that shows feminine charm...everywhere we are reminded that "fragrance" occupies an important position in our lives.

Spices can be divided into natural flavors and synthetic flavors according to their sources. Natural flavors mainly come from plants and animals. Many of our common perfumes, ointments and other products contain aromatic oils and other substances extracted from spice plants.

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The use of spices is actually very old. According to literature, the earliest use of spice plants was about 4,500 years ago, when the residents of ancient Egypt used spice plants for antiseptic sterilization and preservation of corpses. The use of spices in my country began around the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, flourished in the Tang and Song Dynasties, and developed in the Ming and Qing Dynasties. In addition, spices have also been important trade items since ancient times, and to some extent they have played an important role in the development of the world economy.

No one can tell exactly how many kinds of spice plants there are in the world, but according to many literatures, there are at least 3,600 kinds of spice plants in the world, and only about 400 kinds of spice plants have been developed and utilized. Therefore, the resource development and sustainable utilization of spice plants have great prospects.

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So, what are spice plants? Plants whose roots, stems, stalks, branches, leaves, flowers, fruits, and resins can all produce fragrance can be called spice plants. Nowadays, academically, spice plants can be divided into resins, fragrant trees, fragrant fruits, fragrant roots, and other types according to the parts from which they are taken. Today, we will talk about those special spice plants that you have heard of and know about but don't know so much about.

01

Strong and long-lasting fragrant tree: Sandalwood

Sandalwood has been valued since ancient times because of its unique, strong and lasting fragrance. Sandalwood is native to South Asia and Southeast Asian islands. After being introduced to China, it has been highly respected and gradually formed into a unique Chinese sandalwood history and culture. The sandalwood we mention in our daily lives generally refers to the products made from sandalwood trees.

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Sandalwood is a semi-parasitic evergreen tree with shallow parasitic roots that can absorb water and some mineral salts from the soil, but it mainly obtains nutrients from the parasitic plant through the root suckers and cannot survive independently without the host. Once sandalwood selects a host, it will live with it for life, and is also known as the "husband and wife tree." Of course, sandalwood is also quite picky about the host plants it depends on for survival.

The suckers formed by Indian sandalwood on the roots and nodules of the host plant. Image source: Reference [5]

Ancient Indians used sandalwood as the main raw material for fumigation and incense burning, and also used it to build temples, carve Buddha statues and create furniture. In addition, sandalwood trees are also used by Indians in cosmetics. For example, Indian women and children like to put a lucky mole called "Dilger" between their eyebrows on their foreheads. It is made of a paste made of sandalwood, cinnabar, clay, volcanic ash, glutinous rice or rose petals.

The heartwood of the sandalwood tree is hard, with dense and uniform texture, and can resist the invasion of termites. The furniture in the palaces of successive dynasties was mostly made of old sandalwood. The emperor's study and bedroom were constantly burning sandalwood to show luxury. Sandalwood trees are also a top-quality material for making fine crafts and wood carvings.

Sandalwood coiled dragon button "Emperor's Treasure", Image source: Palace Museum

Sandalwood painted longevity brush, Image source: The Palace Museum

Chen Jing of the Song Dynasty recorded a kind of high-end flower ornament called "fake rose face flower" in "Chen's Incense Book". This kind of flower ornament uses sandalwood and other spices. It is not only exquisite in style, but also has a strong fragrance. It was a headdress that the royal harem and wealthy families competed to wear at that time.

Tang Dynasty clay sculpture of a lady’s head, Image source: Wang Jinhai, People’s Daily Central Kitchen·N Degree Life Studio

02

The "black gold" among fragrant fruits - pepper

It is not difficult to infer from the word "Hu" in the name that pepper, like cucumber, tomato, cabbage, etc., was introduced from the Western Regions. "Pepper" is named after the "huajiao" (a spice plant native to China) which also has a stimulating aroma and a similar appearance.

Pepper originated in India. In the 1st century AD, the Romans began to trade pepper in ports on the west coast of India. Ancient Indian Sanskrit books recorded that "Roman merchants came with gold and left with pepper." At that time, pepper could be used as currency to pay taxes, military pay, and even as a dowry. Because pepper was an important trade commodity, it was also called "black gold."

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But did you know that pepper is more than just black? Pepper berries are divided into four types: green, black, red and white, depending on the harvesting period and processing method. Fresh green pepper is picked and soaked in salt water or fruit vinegar to maintain its bright green color. It can generally only be tasted in the place of production. The unripe fruits are picked and dried naturally in the shade. The skin becomes hard and wrinkled black-brown due to dehydration. This is black pepper. When the pepper matures, the fruit turns brown-red. At this time, it is picked and soaked in water or vinegar. This is red pepper. The fully ripe fruits are soaked in water to soften the skin. After the skin is removed, the white flesh is exposed and then dried. This is white pepper with a milder taste.

Don't think that pepper can only be used as a condiment. Because of the aroma substances in its pepper essential oil, pepper is also used to make essential oil soaps and other cosmetics. In 2019, a scientific research team also developed a pepper-flavored perfume by extracting fresh pepper fruit essential oil and launched it on the market.

03

Nutmeg, a fragrant fruit with red claws

Although there is an extra word, nutmeg and cardamom are two completely different plants.

"Nutmeg is native to the barbarians. It is imported from foreign countries, but not in China." Nutmeg and pepper are both imported fruits, but they are very different in taste and appearance. For a long time, nutmeg only grew in the Maluku Islands (also known as the Spice Islands) near the equator. Despite this, nutmeg is known as a legendary spice in history.

Nutmeg, copyrighted image, unauthorized reproduction

On the one hand, from the perspective of appearance, the fruit of nutmeg looks like ripe apricots. When ripe, the fruit will automatically split open, revealing the red mesh-like aril wrapped around the core. From a distance, it looks like it is wrapped by a red claw, and the innermost seed is nutmeg. Nutmeg and its aril both emit a sweet and charming aroma, so the nutmeg tree is one of the few trees that can produce two spices.

On the other hand, as a spice, it was once very expensive, so expensive that the Dutch exchanged Manhattan Island for the trade rights of Long Island, the origin of nutmeg. Manhattan Island is later New York. It is precisely because of the importance of nutmeg that the North American island country of Grenada has designed nutmeg on its national flag.

Grenada flag, copyrighted image, unauthorized reproduction

Nutmeg is a dioecious plant, which is one of the important reasons why it was not easy to promote its cultivation in the early days. The pulp of nutmeg accounts for 65%-70% of the fresh fruit, which contains a variety of vitamins, pectin, protein, etc. It is a famous raw material for preserved fruits and candied fruits in tropical areas.

Nutmeg powder can also be used as a seasoning to remove fishy smell and enhance flavor. Some champagnes even add nutmeg spices. It is also one of the famous "Thirteen Spices".

04

Cool and refreshing herb - mint

In the summer, if people feel too hot, they often put some cooling oil on their heads or eat a mint candy, and then they feel particularly cool and refreshed. This is all thanks to mint, but do you know why mint brings a cool feeling?

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It turns out that it is menthol, a special volatile oil with the highest content in mint stems and leaves, that is at work. Menthol can activate the receptor proteins on the nerve endings of the mouth and skin that specifically sense cold, causing them to work quickly, thereby receiving a cold-like stimulus and giving people an illusion of chilliness.

Menthol, Image source: Wikipedia

The volatile oil components in the stems and leaves of mint from different origins vary greatly, so they have different mint flavors, such as champagne mint, pepper mint, lemon mint, pineapple mint, apple mint, chocolate mint, etc.

Because of its rich aromatic volatile oil components, mint has become a widely used flavoring agent, which is used in the production of food, beverages and other daily necessities. For example, you can make refreshing mint tea by washing the freshly picked mint leaves, adding sugar or honey and then brewing with boiling water; you can make mint wine with a sweet taste by adding mint leaves and lemons; mint candies made with mint as the main additive are a favorite throat soothing product; in addition, there are many delicacies such as mint cakes, mint biscuits, mint milk tea, mint soda, mint gum, mint ice cream, as well as a variety of daily necessities such as mint-flavored toothpaste, perfume, soap, shampoo, shower gel, mouthwash, etc.

Mint can also be used directly in cooking as a spice. In southwest my country, people generally prefer a mint called curly-leaved spearmint to cook and make soup. In Europe, people prefer peppermint, which has a stronger cool and stimulating feeling.

Mint tea, copyrighted image, unauthorized reproduction

It should be noted that the mint recorded in the flora is not the mint commonly seen in our daily life. Curly-leaved spearmint and peppermint are the mint varieties closest to us in real life.

Left: Peppermint; Right: Spearmint. Image source: Cool Mint is the perfect way to express your happiness. All images are provided by Li Hui.

05

Aromatic roots - Angelica dahurica

Some people have studied that more than 20 kinds of plants and trees appeared in the Li Sao written 278 BC, including many spice plants, and Angelica dahurica is one of them. In the Li Sao, Qu Yuan, the "master of perfume", wanted to "wear Jiangli and Bizhi, and wear autumn orchid as a pendant", which indirectly reflects the fragrance of Angelica dahurica. Angelica dahurica is called "Angelica dahurica" ​​because its "root is more than a foot long and white". Its plant body contains volatile oils and various coumarin derivatives.

Angelica dahurica, Image source: China Plant Image Library

In ancient times when there was no perfume, the only way to make clothes smell good was to use incense. The ancients ground Angelica dahurica and other spice plants into powder and put them in sachets or in fumigation cages, and the fragrance naturally spread to the clothes and quilts.

In addition, Angelica dahurica can also be used to make perfumed cosmetics, which are ancient cosmetics. Because of its whitening function, it is often used to make facial creams and bath beans (similar to today's facial cleansers and hand sanitizers), which can not only remove dirt, but also achieve the effect of aromatic body beauty and skin care.

Relevant literature points out that Angelica dahurica can also be used as a seasoning to remove fishy smells, detoxify, increase appetite, and add fragrance to food. It can be used with peony, jasmine, hosta, gardenia, etc. to make fragrant tea, fragrant flower dishes, and even fragrant wine. The oblong to oval white dried slices formed by drying the rhizomes of Angelica dahurica can remove fishy smells and add flavor to meat stews and roasts.

Angelica dahurica rhizome, Image source: China Plant Image Library

Among so many aromatic plants, which one do you like best?

References:

[1] Xu Long. Precious spice - pepper.

[2] Xu Long. The spice on the national flag: nutmeg.

[3] Li Jingrui and Bai Hongtong. Cooling mint is a good way to express your carefree mood.

[4] Islander Xiaoshan. The Legend of Spice.

[5] Lu Junkun, Study on the parasitic relationship between Indian sandalwood and its host plants, PhD dissertation, Chinese Academy of Forestry

Produced by | Science Popularization China

Author: Jiang Shan, Wuhan Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences

Producer｜China Science Expo

Submitted by: Computer Information Network Center, Chinese Academy of Sciences

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