21-25 Interesting Facts About Herbs and Spices
21. Mustard and wasabi aren’t spicy until crushed. Only when the plant’s cells are damaged can two otherwise harmless components mix and produce allyl isothiocyanate, the compound responsible for the familiar pungent taste. – Source
22. Broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, kale, and kohlrabi are a result of selective breeding of the wild mustard plant – Source
23. Mints are not only given at the end of a meal in restaurants to help refresh your breath, but herbs like peppermint help settle nausea and upset stomach (i.e. from overeating). – Source
24. Before the invention of electricity, there was a “spice clock,” a clock that opened a different compartment of spices each hour so that people waking in the night could taste the time before going back to sleep. – Source
25. The reason spicy food gets spicier after freezing and reheating is because capsaicin is stored in fats, which don’t evaporate during reheating like the water in a food, so there is a higher percentage of the spice than in the food before, causing it to be spicier – Source
26-30 Interesting Facts About Herbs and Spices
26. Anise, the herb that flavors traditional absinthe, Jagermeister, Ouzo, etc. can relieve menstrual cramps. – Source
27. A chemical in the spice, Star anise, is a major component of Tamiflu. Shortages of the spice often leads to shortages of Tamifu and likewise, increased production of the drug can drive Star Anise prices up. – Source
28. Werner Herzog, best known for the documentary, ‘Grizzly Man’, ate his own shoe after asking a friend to create ‘Gates of Heaven’, stating , “If you make this film, I’ll eat my shoe.” It got made, and so the shoe was eaten, after being cooked in garlic, herbs, duck fat, Tabasco sauce, and stock for 5 hours. – Source
29. Contrary to the popular belief, spices weren’t used to cover the taste of rotten meat – Source
30. Fennel seeds and fennel tea contain volatile oils that have antispasmodic properties and help prevent gastrointestinal problems like bloating, IBS and gas. – Source
31-35 Interesting Facts About Herbs and Spices
31. Allspice is a berry, not a blend of spices. – Source
32. Western Kung Pao chicken tasted different because it was illegal to import Sichuan peppercorns into the United States until 2005. – Source
33. The Canna Indica seed and peppercorns were used as shotgun pellets. – Source
34. In 2003, a 17-year old kid died after drinking “tea” made from soaking poppy seeds in lemon juice. The cause of death was found to be opium overdose. – Source
35. There is an herb called epazote, which can reduce the gassy effects of eating beans – Source