SIFAR...nothingness

౪ Spice It Up ౪

An ABC of spices - could not cover all, but most are here, I suppose.

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Asafoetida, commonly known as Hing, ,
A pinch in hot oil, adds quite a zing.

Bay leaves, brittle brown when dried,
An intense aroma it releases when fried

Caraway seeds, tiny and black,
Must find a place in your rack.

Cardamom, brown or green, large or small,
Its deep fragrance does one enthrall.

Cinnamon stick, brittle, woodsy and dark,
Who knew the flavours hidden in this bark?

Clove is a tiny black dried flower bud,
For its versatility you must applaud.

Coriander whether dried seed or fresh leaf,
Flavours everything, from veggies to beef.

Cumin, whole or roasted or ground,
With its robust tang it does surround.

Curry leaves, glossy, in oil does sizzle,
pour in water, and it creates a mizzle.

Dill seeds, sweet and slightly bitter
The chopped leaves make great fritters

Epazote, an essential Mexican medicinal herb
Helps the gas, from beans, to curb.

Fennel, crunchy and slightly sweet,
Cooked or raw, anyway you can eat.

Fenugreek, though slightly bitter seed,
Dry and fresh leaves are also useful indeed.

Garlic, white pungent aromatic bulbous root,
Like or dislike, its benefits, you cannot refute.

Ginger, another root, both spice and medicine,
Used in curries, cookies, and many a cuisine.

Hemp seeds are full of fibre and protein,
Useful in nutrition, construction and in between

Immortalitea, is actually a green tea blend
With herbs and flowers, a floral taste does lend

Jalapeno, green chilli, pungent and hot,
Spices up anything cooking in the pot

Kaffir lime grass, fragrant and rare,
Expensive to obtain, use with care.

Lemongrass another grass, used in soups and teas,
A subtle lemony smell, can also lure ants and bees.

Mace reminds you of defensive pepper spray,
It is just the dried aril of nutmeg peeled away.

Mint, how can we forget this aromatic perennial herb,
Apple, spear, bergamot, pennyroyal, cousins of this shrub.

Mustard seeds, whole, ground, cracked or bruised,
The oil is rich and leaves too are widely used.

Nigella, what it lacks in aroma, makes up in taste,
Tiny black seeds, better whole than made into paste.

Nutmeg, a soft nut, ground or grated,
Sweets or savoury dishes can be created.

Onion, garlic's cousin, humble and common,
Unimaginable any dish without it, it is an icon.

Pepper and peppercorns, white, black or green,
Careful how much you use, it can be quite mean.

Poppy, seeds or paste, used across the world,
Remembers the poppy field of Wizard of Oz?

Quatre Espice, a classic French four spice mix
Cloves, ginger, nutmeg, black pepper give the kicks

Rosemary, culinary herb and decorative shrub,
Mixed with Thyme or sage, makes a great rub.

Saffron, the emperor of them all, with grassy notes,
Used in dishes, medicine, dye, perfumes and as antidotes.

Salt, from sea or rock, is essential for life,
Seasoning and preservative, its use is rife.

Sesame, one of the oldest oilseed known,
Roasted seeds do pop, be they white or brown.

Star anise, flavours biryani, liquor and tea,
Steeped for long, enhances the flavour of coffee.

Turmeric, colour, spice and beauty aid,
Nothing more needed, enough said.

Uva Ursi, not a spice more of a medicine
Infusion of its dried leaves has a diuretic action

Vanilla, derived from an orchid fruit pod,
And its aroma is fit to be offered to God.

Wasabi, Japanese horseradish powder,
Sharp and hot, add an Asian twist to your chowder.

Xylitol, substitute for natural sugar sweet,
Also used in chewing gum, ain't it neat?

Yellow cheddar cheese powder, not a true spice,
Its inclusion makes this list cheesy but nice.

Zaatar, a spice blend with olive oil makes a good spread,
Use it in dip, hummus, meat, salads or plain bread.

And with this, the ABC of spices is listed and done,
There are still more, maybe I can make another one.

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This was fun, when I first wrote it out, it only had till Vanilla and I have now added the ones from W to Z - they are not spices in the true sense, but then they do flavour our foods so do match one definition of a spice.