There
are humble spices such as chili powder or garam masalas that barely cost
anything, and then there are those worth more than their weight in silver. Yet,
there’s a chance that you’ll find both ends of the spectrum in your pantry.
Which ones should be used sparingly?
SAFFRON
Price per kg: US$11,000 (S$15,300)
Move
over, truffle. Did you know that saffron is among the most expensive food on
Earth?
Native
to Central Asia, this Indian / Middle Eastern spice is actually extracted from
the stigma (female bits) of the Crocus sativus flower. Large harvests are
required to yield a sufficient amount of saffron threads; each flower only has
three stigmas, so it takes 110,000 - 165,000 flowers to produce one kilogram of
dried saffron threads. This makes saffron production an extremely labor-intensive
and time-consuming process.
Today,
saffron is grown mainly in Spain, Italy, Greece, India and Iran, with the best
quality saffron originating from Kashmir. Traditional uses for the saffron
threads included using it for its color and to spice food, and using saffron
water to perfume baths, houses and temples.
Saffron
is still undeniably considered a culinary treasure and used in cooking,
cosmetics, staining, medicines (believed to be the cure for almost 100 diseases
and illnesses in the Middle East and Asia), and is also used to create
signature perfumes thanks to its soft and intimate odor profile. While several
different varieties and brands of this vibrant spice exist, if you come across
saffron that is not expensive, then it’s not pure saffron.
VANILLA
Price per kg: US$440 (S$)
Considered
the second most expensive spice in the world, vanilla commands a handsome
price. The extract of the "little pod" (what the word means) is
everywhere: cookies, ice cream, desserts and the majority of sweet treats. Do
note that this princely sum doesn't apply to artificial vanilla or vanilla
extracts - only to natural vanilla from Mexico and Madagascar, which produce
the best quality pods.
Why
the high cost? Well, the flowers have to be artificially hand-pollinated. Once
ripened, the fruits also have to be hand-picked. This is a labor- intensive
process that requires daily harvesting.
CARDAMOM
Price per kg: US$66 (S$92)
When
is the last time you spared a thought for the contents your spiced chai? Native
to Southwestern India, Guatemala is said to be the world’s largest exporter and
producer of this spice, followed closely by India. The hefty price tag is once
again due to the high amount of man hours needed to harvest these small seed
pods.
Black
cardamoms are larger and tend to have a smoky aroma, and are used for heavily
spiced dishes such as curries and briyanis. Its lighter and more common cousin,
the green cardamom, is used to spice the sweet dishes and add flavor to
coffees, teas and baked goods. Green cardamoms also have medicinal value and
are used to treat digestive disorders, gum and teeth infections, pulmonary
tuberculosis and eyelid inflammation.
CLOVE
Price per kg: Up to US$22 (S$31)
Native
to Maluku Islands of Indonesia, cloves are also grown in Zanzibar, India,
Madagascar, Pakistan and also the tropical Sri Lanka for several different
purposes, including being an excellent ant repellent. Used since the middle
ages for trading, cloves are now considered the 4th most expensive spice in the
world.
The
intense aroma of cloves are used for flavoring most Indian, African and Middle
Eastern dishes, lending its spicy flavor to meats, curries, marinades, hot
beverages, spiced cookies and pies using fruits such as apples, pears and
rhubarb. Clove essence is also an important part of many perfumes because of
its warm, sweet and aromatic taste. Finally, clove oil is a natural antiseptic
and analgesic; which explains its wide use in Indian Ayurvedic medicine and
Chinese medicine as a dental painkiller, and for aromatherapy to help cure
digestive problems.
CINNAMON
Price per kg: US$13 - $14 (S$19)
Cinnamon
has been around for a long time, with the ancient Egyptians using it for its
healing properties, its flavoring, its medicinal benefits and its versatility
as a precious embalming agent. Obtained from the inner bark of Cinnamomum
trees, cinnamon is native to Sri Lanka, but is also grown in India and
Indonesia. True cinnamon is known as Cinnamomum verum, but several species of
cinnamon exist, with the most common type being cassia (or Chinese cinnamon).
In
ancient times, cinnamon was used to cure the common cold, freckles, snakebites
and kidney troubles. Nowdays, it is used as a condiment and fragrant spice to
add its sweet aroma and flavor to anything from hearty desserts such as
doughnuts, chocolate and cinnamon buns, to drinks such as coffee and hot cocoa.
Whole cinnamon sticks have been used for flavoring teas and curries in India
and the Middle East for centuries. Cinnamon oil is used in food processing,
fine perfumes, aromatherapy, Asia medication and disinfectants.
TURMERIC
Price per kg: US$6-7 (S$9)
A
member of the ginger family, the humble turmeric is native to Southwest India,
and is most commonly used as a spice in Bangladeshi, Indian, Middle Eastern and
Pakistani cuisines, but also for dyeing (due to its vibrant yellow hue),
cosmetics and for its antiseptic properties.
Turmeric
is also a key constituent of many curry powders, resulting in consistent demand
in South Asia and from enclaves around the world.
PEPPER
Price per kg: US$6-7 (S$9)
Often
mistaken for being as simple as salt, black pepper is actually the most traded
and most used spice in the world. Known for its intense spiciness, it is native
to South India, where it is extensively cultivated. and elsewhere in tropical
regions like Vietnam (currently the world's largest producer and exporter of
pepper).
Dried
ground pepper has been used since early times for both flavor and as a
traditional medicine, while peppercorns were a much-prized trade good, often
referred to as ‘black gold’, used as a form of money.
By Priyanka
Elhence & Liao Xiangjun/ The Peak Magazine