Začinske note

Spices can be hot, but they are also vectors of freshness. The bright pink fruits of Schinus molle are often sold as pink peppercorns, although the tree is unrelated to black pepper.

Eugenol is a colorless to pale yellow, aromatic oily liquid extracted from certain essential oils, especially from clove, nutmeg, cinnamon, basil and bay leaf. Clove leaf oil consists of 70-82% eugenol, and some amounts of beta Caryophyllene and alpha Humulene. Cinnamaldehyde gives cinnamon its flavor and odor. Cinnamaldehyde constitutes about 90% of cinnamon bark essential oil. Cinnamon also contains eugenol, found in the oil from leaves or bark of cinnamon trees.

The spiciness of black pepper is due to piperine, a different kind of spiciness from that of the capsaicin of chilli peppers. Black pepper contains between 4.6 and 9.7% piperine by mass, and white pepper slightly more than that. Caryophyllene is a natural bicyclic sesquiterpene that occurs widely in nature. Caryophyllene is one of the chemical compounds that contributes to the aroma of black pepper.

Zingerone is a major flavor component of ginger, providing the sweet flavor of cooked ginger. Fresh ginger does not contain zingerone, but it is produced by cooking or drying of the ginger root. Myristicin is a naturally occurring allylbenzene found in common herbs and spices such as nutmeg. Cardamom is a spice made from the seeds of several plants in the genera Elettaria and Amomum in the family Zingiberaceae. In the 21st century, cardamom is cultivated mainly in India, Indonesia, and Guatemala. The essential oil content of cardamom seeds depends on storage conditions and may be as high as 8%. The oil is typically 45% α-terpineol, 27% myrcene and 8% limonene.

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Related: Allspice · Anethole · Anise · Asafoetida · Baking Spices · Bay Leaf · Biryani · Caraway