Join Ken and Chris on a journey around the world as they explore the fascinating history of quintessential holiday spices. In this episode of the Good Growing Podcast, you will learn about the origins of nutmeg, cinnamon, clove, peppermint, allspice, and ginger, and how they made their way to our spice cabinets. You will also discover what parts of the plants are harvested to produce these spices. And, if you’re a fan of the Spice Girls, you won’t want to miss Chris’s attempt to name them all!
Skip to what you want to know:
0:35 Hey Ken, Spice Girls and how Taylor Swift impacted the Christmas tree grower industry
3:13 What’s the difference between a spice and an herb?
4:27 The history of the Spice Trade.
8:19 Nutmeg, what is it, where was it found, how is it used?
9:19 Nutmeg vs. mace
11:48 Harvesting nutmeg
14:40 The history of what the Dutch did to the people of the Banda Islands in the name of nutmeg
16:50 Cinnamon, what is it, where does it come from?
19:00 The different types of cinnamon
21:30 The human labor involved in getting cinnamon to the table.
22:50 Can we grow any cinnamon tree in Illinois?
24:08 Cloves, what is it and where does it come from?
26:15 How are cloves harvested and processed?
29:11 What is an orange pomanders? And other historic clove uses.
32:47 Allspice, what is it and where does it come from?
35:18 What is allspice used for in cooking? Cincinnati-style chili?
36:48 Harvesting and processing of allspice.
37:37 Growing allspice and the other spices we’ve talked about so far at home.
39:34 Peppermint, how is this different from other mints?
42:33 A cautionary tale of growing mints in the ground.
45:11 Ginger, both a spice and an herb!
47:00 Ken’s experience growing ginger this past year and what how he uses it in the kitchen.
48:25 The commercial growing of ginger and the process of growing it in Illinois vs. the tropics.
51:35 Thank yous, happy spicey holidays, and coming up next week.
Contact us!
Chris Enroth: cenroth@illinois.edu
Ken Johnson: kjohnso@illinois.edu
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Any products or companies mentioned during the podcast are in no way a promotion or endorsement of these products or companies.
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