Sometimes people who like spicy, smelly foods, or salt foods will worry that their health is going to suffer if they start to spice up their jerky (or fish sticks), but it seems that whenever you start to spice up food, the world does indeed become a little less tasty. Common spices have been around for centuries, and we have had a pretty good run at using them to flavor foods. However, if you think that these foods all have natural resources that are available to you, and that you cannot just go off the Internet and buy x amount of oregano, please consider the following.
For starters, red peppers and chili are very spicy. You may not want to use them in every dish, but they along with other spices, can make almost any dish super spicy. Not to mention that if you live by yourself, and do not have a natural source of chili, a little spice will not hurt you. Although I can’t imagine a world where people are drinking pepper spray non-stop, I can imagine it being very unpleasant for anyone who was not raised to be a part of this eclectic culture.
Basically, if you are going to be eating and drinking super spicy food, it is important to understand that your body, and your taste buds, have been designed to take in increased amounts of capsaicin. The amazing thing about this is that it is completely non-toxic, and thus easy to ingest. And yes, it really does burn your tongue, as well as your mouth, but with time, you will learn to enjoy it.
It is important to get information from your healers regarding possible risks of consuming super spicy foods, and to examine your diet and your level of spice intake. The American Medical Association and the American Spice Association have good websites for that. One important web site to visit is “Eat Spice” by JohnCF Brown. It could be a great tool in determining your spice intake needs.
It is also important to be consistent, portion control, and to understand if your body prefers more sweet or hot foods. One thing to note is that while Indian food can be very hot, it is always a moderation. Remember, Indian food is not a low calorie meal. However, it can be high in fiber, and therefore moderate in calories. So, it important to pay attention to your calorie intake, especially if you are not used to Indian food.
To understand if you are or are not a fan of Indian food, it is important to understand some of the main Indian spices and how they can benefit your health.
Turmeric – This spice has been used for centuries not only as a condiment but also as a powerful spice known as the “masalata”. The traditional Indian diet was mainly based on lentils, along with bay leaves, and garlic, and few other spices. This would make the food delicious, but extremely spicy.
However, use of Turmeric had not Yet been coinced to the point that it made it’s way to the United States. Christopher Columbus was Rather famous for his actions in the Americas, and also had brought with him a lot of spice.
This made it big business for the spice, and lucrative for those who were able to sell it. A lot of the early flavored versions of Indian food were created with Turmeric, and this is because until the 19th century, the name of the spice never really been explained to the Western culture. The reason being that until the 19th Century, Indian food was thought of as peasants food, and the thinking being, nasty.
But as time went by, the idea of Indian food, the spices, and the delicacies they were known for began to find their way into formal Indian dinners. And thus, the first white circuses appeared with names like “La Varenne” and “thechemist’s shop”. From these places Indian food was marketed to the Western world. And thus, the Indian curry was introduced to the United States and the rest of the world.
Now, most people don’t go out to eat Indian food. But there are a lot of people who have found it their passion and sought after to pursue a career in cooking. This can be a very rewarding profession, especially since you can make a difference to your family, by cooking good Indian food for them.
About The Author
Helena Eater
How much does the quality of food really matter? If you eat food that tastes good, your life will be better. If you eat food that tastes bad, your life will be worse. The difference between good and evil is partly subjective: what tastes good to me might taste bad to you. The difference is also partly objective: what restaurants I think serve good food might serve lousy food to you. But if we stick to objective measures — measures such as how much weight people gain or lose — we can cut through some of the subjectivity.
