The Spice Era

By E. M. Kelley

American Cookery June/July 1941

If you were keeping house ten to fifteen years ago, you may remember that we then were passing through an era of flat and flavorless cookery, when it was the custom to publish recipes without even mention of salt and pepper! There were exceptions, of course, and some sturdy individualists kept right on seasoning their food as they always had done, but many of us fell into line and served all our meals bland enough for the baby’s diet.

Fortunately, there has been a sharp reaction within recent years, and our meals are more flavorful than ever. “Sugar and spice” --- and especially spice --- have emerged from the doldrums, to the delight of all gourmets. Spices and herbs now are recommended as a matter of course by food editors, authors of cookbooks, home economists and health experts.

There were reasons for our spiceless era. The depression played its part in the decline of the use of spices and condiments in this country. Then too, the increased use of refrigeration had done away with the necessity of employing spices, not just for flavor, but also for their preservative qualities. So we had our fling, which took the form of meals without much seasoning. But, like so many revolts, it was not much fun --- and we went back to spices and flavorings.

The average housewife, spending less than a dollar a year to stock her pantry with spices and herbs, seldom stops to realize that the same foods were once literally worth their weight in gold. In ancient history and in the Scriptures there are repeated references to spices as gifts of grea value. For instance, in I Kings, we read: “Now when the Queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon … she came to Jerusalem with a very great retinue, with camels bearing spices and very much gold and precious stones… Then she gave the king one hundred twenty talents of gold, and a very great quantity of spices and precious stones…” and so on, with five references to spices in that one chapter.

The cookbooks of our great-grandmothers contain many references to condiments, herbs and spices, which were practically staples in their day. Some delightfully nostalgic moments may be spent in skimming through an old English book, “Facts and Hints … for the Household,” which was widely circulated in the 1860’s. Cooking apparently was considered an art, not an exact science, by its practitioners, which would account for the lack of definite measurements in the recipes. Again and again, we find such vague expressions as, “A handful of flour,” “a nut of butter,” “a few drops of milk,” “throw in some cloves,” “enough water to float an egg.”

What tempting names those early delicacies had! Banbury Cakes, Barberry Cream, Flimmery Hartshorn, Ponche a la Regence, Puffs of Lark, Puffets for Tea, Pink Pancakes, Florendine of Apples, Star Gazy Pie --- these are only a few chosen from a long, appetite-teasing list.

The author obviously assumed that the larders of his readers were well stocked with flavoring materials. A typical recipe for Pickled Nectarines, calls for spring water (enough to float an egg), equal quantities of bay and common salt, and an unspecified quantity of the fruit. He recommended letting the fruit stand in the liquid three days, then taking it out and putting it into white wine vinegar, to which had been added mustard, garlic, sliced ginger, half an ounce of cloves, mace and nutmeg. If desired, he added, the stones might be removed and the hollows filled with a mixture of garlic, horse radish and ginger.

Lacking the soft-drink emporiums and soda fountains on which we rely, our great-grandmothers concocted their own beverages. Among those described in “Facts and Hints” are: Angelica Ratafia, Ching-

Ching (described as “an American drink”), Rumfustian, acidulated Lemonade and Aromatic Wine. And not so tempting, but reminiscent of “ersatz” --- substitutes to be found no in certain war stricken lands: Acorn Coffee, Hop Tea, and Pepper Water. Wassail, Britain’s famed Christmas beverage, was described as including these spices; cardamom, cloves, nutmeg, mace, ginger, cinnamon and coriander --- as well as eggs, loaf sugar, “well roasted apples,” white wine and brandy.

Those ladies of long ago who made their own soaps and lotions knew the value of spices as perfumes. The book mentioned caraway in its directions for making “Windsor Soap,” There also were directions for making “Cinnamon Soap” and a soap au bouquet,” which contained oil of cloves, sassafras and thyme. Present-day manufacturers are adopting the customs of our great-grandmothers, and some of our smartest shops no offer beauty preparations containing the same spices and herbs favored by those ladies. Even the pomander ball has come back. This is the sweet-scented sphere, made by sticking cloves into an orange or an apple and immersing it in a bath of cinnamon. Such balls again are being hung in closets and put into dresser drawers, to seen women’s clothing.

The names of may spices fall pleasantly and poetically on our ears. Rosemary suggests Shakespeare’s Ophelia; basil, a painting of a beautiful woman with a jar containing a plant of that name; sesame, “Open Sesame,” from the “Arabian Nights”; saffron, a word occurring in many poems. Even the etymology of such words is interesting. The word clove, for example, comes from clou, which is French for nail --- and why not, since the clove resembles a nail? The nutmeg was originally, in Old English, note muge. Allspice, or Jamaica pepper, earns its name through its flavor --- a combination of clove, cinnamon and nutmeg in taste.

Known to man since prehistoric times, mustard is on of the most widely used spices of our time, many tons of it being consumed annually on ham sandwiches and hot dogs. We used to get most of our supply from England, but it is now also being grown successfully in California and Montana. Its history is associated with a woman, less famous than the Queen of Sheba, but more helpful to the human race. She was a Mrs. Clements of Durham England, and she made the happy discovery that mustard could be powdered and made into a paste. Before her time, mustard seeds were served at the table and crushed on the plate. Mrs. Clements built up a thriving trade, crushing the seeds with pestle and mortar, and she had the distinction of numbering King George I, a hearty eater, among her patrons.

In Canada and the United States, pepper and mustard are the most favored spices. Other found on our panty shelves are cloves, nutmeg, paprika and ginger. As our interest in flavorful cooking rises, we are learning to combine spices with the foods that blend best with them --- for instance, curry powder with meat, fish and eggs; fennel with fish and pastry; ginger with chutney and preserves, or cakes and pies; marjoram with lamb; paprika with shellfish and in salad dressings; poppy see d with breads and cookies; basil with tomato dishes; saffron with rice.

The theory that spices irritate the digestive tract seems to be giving way to the doctrine that they actually are helpful, when used in moderation, since they increase the flow of digestive juices, stimulate the appetite, and add to the enjoyment of food. Besides, say the spice fanciers, they are important ingredients of many medicines.

Here is a parting word of advice. Do not let your spices become antiques, for age makes them lose flavor. It is best to by them in small quantities and throw them away if you have not used them up after a few months. Keep the containers tightly covered, for exposure to air weakens them. And, in using the, be subtle. For most palates, a little seasoning goes a long way.