Spices that Build Flavor and Better Health

Your tongue has built-in taste receptors that identify five basic flavors: bitter, sweet, salty, sour, and umami. These receptors help make eating a pleasure. Adding spices to your foods can enhance them and help them smell and taste better.

 

There are thousands of ways to combine foods and spices to create mouth-watering dishes and build their flavor. At the same time, adding specific spices can provide health benefits too. Take a look at how these spices that taste great can also improve your health-

 

Bitter Spices:

Bay Leaf

Turmeric

Thyme

Marjoram

Celery Seed

Mustard

 

Tasting bitter foods can be a bit intense, but bitterness can be helpful when eating rich foods, or ultra-sweet foods. The bitterness can cut some of the intensity and even flavors out. From a health perspective, bitter spices are great for starting digestion, producing saliva, and boosting the absorption of food.

 

Sweet Spices:

Allspice

Cloves

Dill Seeds

Nutmeg

Poppy Seeds

Star Anise

Cassia Cinnamon

 

Sweet flavors tend to be universally pleasing. Foods that are sweet are some of the most sought after and addictive. Refined sugar can add sweetness to foods, but isn’t the healthiest choice. Using sweet spices is a better alternative, plus they can boost your health. Spices like cinnamon can help stabilize blood sugar after meals and cloves are anti-oxidant and anti-bacterial.

 

Salty Spices:

Pink Himalayan

Sea Salt

Kosher Salt

 

Salt is used to enhance flavor and to preserve foods. The health benefits of salt can be controversial since sodium is a chief contributor to high blood pressure and heart disease. However, some salt is higher quality than others and used in small amounts boosts flavor very well.

 

Sour Spices:

Dried citrus peel

Sumac

Tamarind

 

The tongue’s sense of sour plays an important part in sensing if a food is rancid, but all sour tastes are not dangerous. Some people enjoy sour candies or the intensity of a sour key lime pie or lemon curd. In addition to tasting great, sour spices like dried citrus peel are an excellent source of vitamin C. Many sour spices aid in boosting immunities, increasing energy, and improving digestion.

 

Umami Spices:

Roasted Garlic

Mushroom Powder

Tamari Soy Powder

Dried Tomato   

 

Umami refers to the savory and rich flavors that have incredible mouth feel. These flavors are often found in high-protein foods and adding umami spice to them takes them to another level. Spices like garlic are anti-fungal and anti-bacterial. Sun dried tomatoes are rich in vitamins and minerals, especially lycopene which is an antioxidant.  

 

Every time you cook, you can choose to add spices that will enhance the flavor of your dishes, but also provide added health benefits. Choose the spices that taste best and give you the most benefit.