Did you know that there are some spices which can give your body warmth? These are commonly known as winter spices. Adding these spices to your diet on a daily basis can make a big difference in how warm your body temperature is, especially during those cold winter days.

You’ll be surprised at how many winter meals incorporate these ingredients without you even realizing. Some warming spices may not be a shock. Others will leave you wondering if they really do make a difference. Here are just a few:

Nuts and Seeds
Peanuts and almonds are the easiest of the items on this list to incorporate into your diet. Have a few soaked almonds or a handful of peanuts as a snack and give your body a deep warmth that stands up to the coldest winter winds.

Eat some seeds such as sesame, pumpkin and fennel. Sesame seeds are found in many dishes, like green beans or chicken. Pumpkin seeds make for a tasty snack. Seeds are also good for the digestive system.

Spices
Cinnamon, cloves, ginger and pepper are great examples of a warming bulk spice. Ground cinnamon is frequently added for a delicious and sweet flavor to many of our baked foods. Cinnamon sticks provide a wonderful taste to warm beverages, like tea.

Cloves are warming and also a useful mouth freshener. Cloves hold many antiseptic properties. Not only do they fight bad breath, but they also keep other parts of your body healthy. Next time you make soup or cook vegetables, add some ginger to help include this spice into your daily diet.

When we think of pepper, we think of nothing but warmth. Add a touch of pepper onto your foods instead of salt.

These are just a few of the items known as winter spices so frequently used to ward off that cold winter chill. The next time you come in from the cold and curl up under a warm blanket to fight off the winter chill consider purchasing wholesale spices to have on hand for use in in daily cooking. You will definitely be amazed at how great they work.

Thankfully the holiday season is finally over. I don’t know how many more dinners and holiday cookies I could possibly eat. If you are anything like me, then you are scrambling for a way to lose those extra holiday pounds we all manage to put on. The good news is there are many ways to do just that with the right combination of herbs and spices in bulk.

The first one you can try is Cayenne. Full of vitamin A, vitamins C and B6, Cayenne also is a great source of fiber, vitamin K and manganese. It is nutritious and is a thermogenic food, meaning it burns calories through increased metabolism. This is why it is such a good tool for weight loss.

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What we know as saffron spice comes from a plant called Saffron crocus, which is indeed a type of spring-blooming crocus. The parts of the plant that are used in saffron spice are the stigmas and the styles in the center of the flower. These are dried, and thus turned into a culinary wonder. Although it is an expensive spice, a little bit of it goes a long way in flavoring a variety of dishes.

Saffron rice makes a lovely accompaniment to meat dishes. You simply cook white rice with butter and onion, and then add chicken stock, salt and saffron spices and let it cook.

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Anise seed are the seeds of the herbaceous annual herb known in Latin by the name Pimpinella anisum, which is native to southwest Asia and the eastern Mediterranean. It is a different spice from star anise, which is also a seed but comes from a completely different plant known as Illicium verum, an evergreen tree. Anise seed is most commonly used in cooking, for popular dishes such as anise sugar cookies and anise seeds in white rice.

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In ancient times, spices of all kinds were literally as valuable as gold; derived from plants in remote parts of the world, they had to be transported by pack animal and sailing ship to their destinations. Obtaining spices was an arduous and often dangerous enterprise.

History

Today, most of the world’s most popular spices are fairly inexpensive, but one has remained incredibly valuable: saffron. Derived from a species of crocus that originated in the arid regions of the eastern Mediterranean, saffron has been domesticated since the Bronze Age; it was valued among the Minoans of pre-Hellenic Crete, who used it as a medication. Saffron crocuses have also been used as an ingredient in perfume and as a pigment. Princess Cleopatra, the last Ptolemaic ruler of Egypt (and arguably the world’s most infamous hedonist), reportedly used saffron in her bathwater as an aphrodisiac. In the Indian state of Karnataka, adherents of the Jain religion anoint a large statue with saffron paste during the Festival of the Bhagwan Bahubali. In Europe during medieval times, a merchant found guilty of “cuttingâ€� saffron with other cheaper ingredients could be put to death.

Still As Valuable as Gold

Now, consider that even today, saffron commands a price of between $450 and $500 an ounce. The reason is that the cultivation, harvesting and processing of saffron is extremely labor intensive; it requires a field of crocuses the size of a football field and forty hours of labor to produce one pound of saffron.

Most of the world’s saffron is produced in Iran and and southern Spain; a small amount is grown and processed in the U.S.

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We enjoyed this selection of organic fall and winter recipe delights from Yankee Harvest and wanted to pass these organic recipes along to our readers. Remember to look to Starwest for your selection of the finest organic culinary spices. We are a certified organic herbs processor and carry a fantastic selection of organic herbs and organic spices for all of you cooking needs.

Yankee Harvest Organic Kitchen Recipes >>

Spice rubs are unique in that while there are many different ways to add spices to food, before, during and after cooking, spices are most effective when added prior to the cooking process. The most popular way to do this is by allowing the food to marinate in spices mixed with some kind of liquid, such as olive oil, citrus juice or wine. Another delicious to add extra flair to your cooking methods are to use a spice rub.

What are Spice Rubs

A spice rub is really quite simple; it is nothing more than a mixture of spices and herbs that are literally “rubbed� on to the surface of the food before it is cooked. One of the oldest and most common spice rubs is coarsely-ground black pepper.

For Spice rubs, the grind is important; unlike table spices and those added during sautéing or boiling, these spices are of either of a fairly coarse grind or simply crushed. Spice rub may be applied to the food several hours prior to cooking in order to impart the flavors; it may be left on during the cooking process or removed just prior to applying heat.

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A recent news article from local ABC news station WLS-TV in Chicago announced earlier this year that Dr. Marcia Schurer a 56-year-old woman lost 35 pounds – 20 percent of her weight – four years ago and has kept it off ever since. The secret in her success lies in a low fat diet. This is the entire recipe for Grilled Chicken with Chili Spice Rub they share.

For those who want to purchase pre-mixed spices and seasoning blends Starwest also offers a selection of all natural organic rubs including Organic Mediterranean Seafood Rub, , Organic Savory Beef Rub, and Organic Roasted Pork Rub. Starwest all-natural rubs are each made from a delicious combination of certified organic spices, seasonings, and herbs that add unique flavor to meat, seafood and vegetables.

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Although “pumpkinâ€� comes from the Greek word pepon – meaning “melonâ€� – pumpkins are not Greek, nor melons. Although they are now grown in many parts of the world, the pumpkin is a North American native and a member of the squash family.

Because pumpkins are usually ripe and ready for harvest in October and November, pumpkin pie has become a tradition during fall holidays. Not only is its nutty, sweet flavor excellent for pies and other pastries, pumpkin is also an excellent source of lutein and beta carotene (which gives pumpkins their characteristic orange color). In addition, a recent study in China suggests that consuming pumpkin may help mitigate some of effects of diabetes (from the London Daily Telegraph, 9 July 2007).

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Known worldwide for the spectacular Taj Mahal, India not only boasts fabulous architecture but also an exquisite cuisine. There are several herbs and spices used in Indian dishes, with a few reaching common use and becoming the most popular.

There are several ingredients that are commonly found in Indian cuisine. They include rice, wheat flour, lentils and split peas, as well as vegetable oils and ghee, or clarified butter. Some of the most popular Indian food spices are chili peppers, mustard seed, turmeric, fenugreek seed, ginger root, coriander seed, cumin seed and garlic. There is a spice blend known as garam masala that is widely used in Indian cooking, and although the exact recipe varies according to geographical region, it often consists of cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, pepper, cumin and coriander. Curry powder is also used as one of the most popular Indian spices for cooking.

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