Spices
Back in times when conservation, refrigeration and other complicated processes going by the names ending with 'tion' haven't yet been invented, people used to garnish their monotonous food with spices – every kind of seed, fruit, root, bark and other dried greenery went into the game for long-term storage means. Spices were used not only as a food additive for the purpose of flavouring, but also as a preservative through killing or preventing the growth of harmful bacteria. Many of the spices were used for other reasons, such as medicine, religious rituals, cosmetics and perfumery.
In Ancient time and Middle Age in Europe spices were one of the most luxurious products to be craved for. Explorers and adventurers like Vasco da Gama, Magellan, Columbus and others had commercial ends in mind while setting their travelling plans, seeking shorter routes to spice production centres. World's biggest empires strived for spices.
No fighting is required any more, all you need is to reach out for the Georgia's Natural Spices, blend of selected plants and vegetables mixed to make relish your food and improve your health all at the same time.
Some of the historical evidence points to Caucasus as the origin of coriander. Indeed, it has been cultivated in the region from times immemorial. Sanskrit writings refer to coriander, whilst its seeds were the part of funeral dowry for Egyptian mummies.
Coriander, or as it is known in Georgia, Kindzi, always has been one of the extensive importance in Georgian cuisine. Both fresh leaves and dried seed pods are used in cookery, and whilst leaves have strong flavour, ripe dried seeds have aromatic smell with well-blending spicy taste.
Georgia's Natural Spice Coriander is produced of fresh premium ground seed-pods and constitute great seasoning for meat and fish dishes as well as for steak casserole, vegetable and meat soups and sauces. It is rich in vitamins A, B, B2, C and iron, being good for stomach helping digestion, increasing secretion and even being able to ease fever and bring feeling of coolness.
Georgia's Natural Spice Fenugreek Blue is made of fresh premium grade fenugreek blue seeds, carefully dried and ground to preserve fine aroma and taste.
Fenugreek blue, clover like plant, got its name from Latin foenum graecum meaning Greek hay and nicknamed blue for the colour of its flowers. Georgian name – Utskho Suneli, translates as foreign spice, but despite this it is one of the most common condiments of Georgian cookery. Fenugreek makes a fine seasoning for meat and fish dishes, as well as for steak casserole, vegetable and meat soups and sauces.
Fenugreek blue contains the considerable amount of polyphenol substances, having P-vitamin activity, vitamins C, E and B6, ß-carotene.
Georgia's Natural Spice Khmeli Suneli is unique traditional blend of Georgia seasonings and salt, made of blended coriander, fenugreek blue, dill seeds, garlic, red pepper, bay leaf and salt.
The name translates as dried spice.
Georgia's Natural Dry Ajika is made from dried fresh red peppers and piquant spices, carefully selected to produce unique aroma and taste. This traditional Georgian blend of spices is sometimes called svanuri marili, meaning Svanetian Salt, named after the Western Georgian highland region of Svaneti. Dry Ajika goes well with every kind of beef, mutton and chicken dish. This 'salt' adds particularly delicious flavour to roast meat, beefsteak, chops, meat broth, steak casserole and fried potatoes. Just one drop is sure to make any soup, pasta or even sandwich piquant meal.
Ajika sauce can be prepared from Georgia's Natural Dry Ajika, the recipe being quite easy – all it takes is mixing of 3 parts of hot water with 1 part of Dry Ajika and thorough stirring. The sauce is to be left to be cooled for hour and a half. Adjust the taste by adding vinegar as per your preference.
Saffron has earned the title of King of Spices for the very price alone – 1 gram of it is worth more than equal weight of gold. And there are reasons for it to be so coveted: saffron itself being red-orange stigma of the small Crocus flower, and each flower containing only 3 stigmas, it takes 300 flowers to get 1 gram of saffron. Another reason is pleasant yellow-orange hue that gives to food and fabric – the very name 'saffron' having been derived from Arabic word 'yellow'. In ancient China yellow was the colour of Emperors. And no one but the Emperor had the right to wear this color.
In the prehistoric times men had learned to appreciate unique properties of saffron. First records mentioning this spice come from Mesopotamia and date back to 3,000 B.C. Modern medicine prizes saffron for its cancer-suppressing, mutation-preventing, immunomodulating and antioxidant properties.
Georgia's Natural Saffron is dried ground spice made from best Georgian stuff. It is good for heart and is helpful in reducing level of harmful cholesterol, being able at the same time to improve digestion and clean skin.