Turmeric

Life imitates art and art imitates life. But food is one of our most basic preoccupations. Therefore it makes perfect sense that the wonderful and unique colors of spices should be inspiring to the palette – the color palette that is! Here we explore a few flavors that are adding a kick to the table and the interior.

TURMERIC - Turmeric (Curcuma longa) is a vivid orange yellow, not dissimilar to pumpkin and the flavor is described as floral, citrus and ginger that is just a tad bitter and sour. The plant originated in the Orient but today it is grown around the globe. And is one of the most popular, abundant and low-priced spices in the world today.

Turmeric may very well be the first spice that also became well known as a color. Curcumin, a yellow coloring agent, is actually derived from turmeric. Curcumin is used to color food as well as houses and even cows which are painted with the spice. This use of turmeric as paint occurs in parts of India and Africa where it is believed that the spice has an antiseptic quality. Talk about a "clean color!" Ironically, when cutting the fresh plant, be careful as it will stain your hands and clothes.

CINNAMON - This warm rust red/ brown is perked up with a hint of orange; the color, not the fruit. Cinnamon (Cinnamomum zeylanicum) is actually the inner bark of an evergreen tree from the laurel family. It was originally indigenous to Sri Lanka, the Malabar Coast of India and Myanmar Burma. Throughout the Spice Trade, cinnamon was one of the most prized commodities; highly sought after by the Portuguese, Dutch and English. By the18th century the plant had been transplanted to Java, India, and the Seychelles.

In the Bible, cinnamon is mentioned several times and is referred to as an ancient spice. Cinnamon was among the Queen of Sheba’s gifts to King Solomon, and Emperor Nero was chastised for burning a year's supply in his wife's funeral pyre. Cinnamon is the second most used spice in North American kitchens, next to pepper and is prized for its warm, woody flavor with a hint of clove and citrus. It is most commonly used for sweet desserts but in the Far East and the Middle East it is used to flavor meats.

Paprika

CORIANDER - Coriander (Coriandrum sativum) is a sandy yellow-brown, the color of toasted mustard, similar to the color of cumin. In the herb form the favoring is called cilantro or Chinese parsley. When the seeds are dried and ground it becomes coriander. Coriander is one of the oldest known spices in recorded use; the Romans used it to flavor bread. The spice has culinary, medicinal and household uses and it is used to mask unpleasant tastes and odors of pharmaceuticals.

The ancient Chinese believed that anyone who ate coriander could become immortal. In the Middle East and Europe it was thought to be a love potion or aphrodisiac. It was one of the ingredients in the love potion prepared by the hashish seller in the story of Ala-al-Din Abu-al in the Arabian Nights.

Cinnamon

PAPRIKA - A bold red that is slightly lighter and brighter than chili powder, paprika (Capsicum annuum species) is a ground pepper harvested from an annual shrub of the nightshade family. The flavor can range from sweet to bitter to red hot. Although the spice is a favorite of Eastern Europeans and the Balkans, as it is a central ingredient in goulash, it originated in the Western Hemisphere. Columbus brought the spice to Spain where it spread to Turkey and then "Turkish pepper", as it became known, was introduced in Hungary in 1604.

Paprika peppers contain seven times as much Vitamin C as oranges and taking capsicum is thought to improve the immune system's defenses against infection and cancer. In 1937 the Hungarian scientist Dr. Szent Gyorgyi won a Nobel Prize for his work with paprika pepper pods and Vitamin C research.

Coriander