Sure, spices add flavor and flair to a variety of our favorite dishes, but they also help to promote healing and wellness. Maybe it’s time to start incorporating a bit of spice into your everyday cooking routine. We spoke to a few local experts to find out the easiest way to get started. By Cynthia McFarland Photos by John Jernigan
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ocalastyle.com ocala
jan’11
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he rich vanilla in hand-churned ice cream on a blistering August afternoon. The scent of a perfectly seasoned roast hot from the oven. The taste of warm gingerbread during the holidays. Ask anyone to name a special childhood memory and chances are food will play a role. Whether it’s a beloved family recipe, a favorite cookie or a classic holiday dish, spices are invariably one of the reasons we remember them with fondness. Yet spices are far more than just flavorful. From the earliest days of recorded history, spices have been used in trading and as signs of wealth and extravagance. At times, they were considered more valuable than silver or gold. The ancient Egyptians treated spices with such reverence that they buried them along with their pharaohs. The Romans used spices in cooking, but also as perfume. The