VERIFIED CONTENTAuthor: Aleksandra Żyłowska-Mharrab, dietitian, food technologist, educator
Tea with orange and cloves, apple pie with cinnamon, dried ginger for pumpkin or carrot soup are the classics of autumn and winter dishes. There is a reason why you reach for such spices. Winter warming spices not only give the impression of warmth and coziness, or enhance the taste of dishes, but also protect against colds and help heal infections. Which spices will warm up best in autumn and winter?
Winter, warming spices are not only cinnamon and cloves. The choice is much greater, and the range of dishes is almost unlimited. In autumn and winter, it is worth choosing soups seasoned with spices from the list below and hot drinks - infusions, teas with cloves or ginger, chocolate or cocoa with nutmeg and necessarily Turkish coffee with cardamom or Arabic coffee with a mixture of spices. They are extremely aromatic and have many healing properties.
Cinnamon
Cinnamon is the undeniable king of winter spices. It is associated primarily with apple pie, gingerbread or banana bread with winter spices. But cinnamon can be used in many other ways, not just sweet.
If you are making coffee in a coffee maker, add some cinnamon and any other spices you like. You can be inspired by Arabic coffee with anise, cloves, turmeric and oregano next to cinnamon, or create your own unique blend.
Cinnamon also goes well with dry pumpkin-based dishes, roasted vegetables or chicken pilaf.
How does cinnamon work?
Cinnamon has a very pleasant, sweet-spicy, warming aroma that comes from the composition of essential oils.
Essential oils make up 1 to 4% of the cinnamon bark, and the main ingredient is cinnamaldehyde. Cinnamaldehyde not only provides a pleasant aroma experience, but also effectively fights bacteria and fungi. In addition, the high concentration of antioxidants makes cinnamon anti-inflammatory.
Cinnamon is helpful in the treatment of bacterial and fungal infections of the upper respiratory tract, and thanks to its aroma, it has a warming effect on the body, making it an ideal spice for winter.
Ginger
Ginger is traditionalan ingredient of many Asian dishes and one of the five most important spices in the Maghreb cuisine. Without ginger, there's no stir-fry or Moroccan tajine. Ginger gives dishes a distinctive spiciness, different from that of pepper. It is perfect as a warming addition to teas, as an infusion flooded with boiling water or as an ingredient in a drink with lemon juice. And let's not forget about the ginger cookies!
How does ginger work?
Ginger contains a blend of essential oils, of which gingerol has the strongest healing properties. Gingerol is a thermogenic - it slightly increases the rate of burning calories, but it is enough to feel its warming effect.
Ginger is very effective against RSV, a common virus that affects the upper respiratory tract and causes colds. It is also antibacterial. It can also help prevent flu.
In the fall and winter season, powdered ginger can be used not only for cooking and drinks, but also as a natural substitute for cold drops. Ginger pulled in like snuff clears the nose.
Nutmeg
A nutmeg looks like a hard, oval nut. It must be grated to be used in the kitchen. Nutmeg is a key ingredient in béchamel sauce, curry, eggnog, mulled wine, and is used in spice blends.
Nutmeg goes well with green dishes, such as spinach tarts or broccoli cream soup. This spice has a characteristic pungent smell and a slightly sweet taste. How about warm milk with honey and a pinch of nutmeg or hot chocolate with its addition?
How does nutmeg work?
The spicy-sweet taste and aroma of nutmeg come from a mixture of terpenes, which together with other active ingredients are responsible for its he alth-promoting effect. In fall and winter, you can take advantage of the anti-inflammatory and antibacterial effects of nutmeg.
After all, it is very easy to get unwanted infections in windy weather and large temperature fluctuations. Nutmeg has another property that can be extremely useful on long, dark evenings. Has a positive effect on the mood.
Although only animal studies are available so far, it appears that nutmeg has antidepressant properties. So is cocoa. Maybe you've just found your new favorite drink for a bad day and no sun?
Carnations
Goździki became so well received in Polish cuisine that it is hard to believe that they come from a distant Indonesia. The cloves used in cooking are dried tree budsclove. They are perfect for tea, mulled wine, compotes, baked goods, as well as savory dishes - roasted meats and stew with plums. The cloves can be poured over with boiling water and left covered for 10 minutes. Such an infusion will excellently stimulate and warm up a chilled body.
How do cloves work?
Cloves owe their distinctive aroma and searing taste to eugenol - a compound from the group of terpenes with an oily consistency and antioxidant properties. The sharp, spicy taste and aroma of cloves make you feel warm from the inside.
The active ingredients of cloves have antibacterial and antioxidant properties, and their volatile compounds help to cleanse the sinuses and facilitate breathing with a stuffy nose. Clove inhalations are most appropriate in the autumn and winter rhinitis.
Black pepper
Black pepper needs no introduction. It is such an elementary spice that no Pole can imagine his life without it. Black pepper is not necessarily associated with winter, a steaming mug and warm socks. And it should!
How does black pepper work?
Did you know that the he alth benefits of black pepper are mentioned in Ayurvedic medicine? The most beneficial in winter are anti-inflammatory properties, thanks to which infections may be less troublesome and increase thermogenesis and blood circulation, which is responsible for the warming effect. Black pepper owes these properties to piperine.
Cayenne pepper
Cayenne pepper, or actually powdered cayenne peppers, will not only warm you up on winter evenings, but also set you on fire. Cayenne peppers belong to the same family as chili and come from South America. They have been used in traditional folk medicine for thousands of years. Without cayenne, there is no Mexican cuisine. Everyone who likes spicy dishes knows it.
How does cayenne work?
Cayenne is one of the hottest spices that stimulates pain receptors, causing a burning sensation and warmth. Cayenne increases thermogenesis and stimulates blood circulation, making it an excellent warming seasoning for winter. Cayenne pepper contains capsaicin - one of the few substances proven to accelerate metabolism. And faster metabolism=more heat.
Kumin
Kumin (not to be confused with cumin, as it has a completely different flavor) is a spice that is not very popular in Poland. What a pity! The taste of cumin is described as earthy, nutty, spicy and warm. And that smell! Fresh cumin smells incredibly strong and stimulating.
Kumin is native to the eastern Mediterranean, Asia Minor, and is a key spicethe cuisines of many Arab countries in the Middle East and North Africa.
How to use cumin? Be sure to add it to homemade hummus, season any form of eggs (don't use pepper anymore), Mexican dishes, falafel and even Hungarian stews. You can also drink cumin infusion medicinally. Just pour boiling water over a teaspoon of seeds and leave it covered for 10 minutes.
How does cumin work?
Kumin is classified as one of the spices that warms up and speeds up the metabolism. In addition, it has anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties, facilitating breathing and soothing hoarseness. If you are looking for new, warming flavors or you want to make a culinary journey to the countries of the Orient, do not hesitate to reach for this winter's cumin.
Cardamom
Cardamom is the third most expensive spice in the world. Only saffron and vanilla are surpassed in price. Cardamom is native to Southeast Asia, belongs to the same family as ginger. It is an ingredient in the cuisines of India and the Middle East. Cardamom has an amazing flavor - sweet, smoky, lemon-mint and menthol.
You only need a pinch to feel its aroma in the dish. You can add cardamom to tikka masala, curry, chicken dishes, basmati rice and pastries. In autumn and winter, it is worth trying warming coffee with Turkish cardamom or traditional pastries derived from recipes from Scandinavian countries.
How does cardamom work?
The traditional healing properties of cardamom were described over 4,000 years ago in Ayurveda. It is caused by a mixture of essential oil ingredients, dominated by alpha-terpineol and myrcene. Cardamom essential oils perfectly warm the body and also help fight bacterial infections.