Secret Obsessions is Atlas Obscura’s new column, in which we ask wondrous people to take us down a rabbit hole. As told to Atlas Obscura Editorial Fellow Sarah...
Tag - Spices
Herbs and spices figure big in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) thanks to their natural healing properties, which make them a balm for everything from indigestion and...
Ginger (Zingiber officinale) is a super useful plant. But no matter how potentially useful a plant is, its usefulness is only actualized when you learn to use it...
Garlic has been used all over the world for thousands of years. Records indicate that garlic was in use when the Giza pyramids were built, about 5,000 years ago. Richard...
The spice that we call cloves comes from the clove tree, Syzygium aromaticum. This evergreen herbal tree is in the Myrtle (Myrtaceae) family and is native to the Molucca...
By Susan Belsinger Greetings and Happy Autumn! I am writing this on the evening of the full harvest moon—it is shining bright in the night sky just over the treetops. We...
By Amy Forsberg I had what seemed like a simple question: How and why did cardamom, the spice native to southern India, become such an essential and beloved baking spice...
Nothing adds a spicy kick to your meal like some cayenne pepper. Historically used by many societies including the Americas and China, cayenne pepper is a powerful plant...