A world full of spices

In olden times: saffron, vanilla, mace and other exotic spices were weighed using golden weights, they made cities and their rulers rich, drove colonial powers to go to war over the best spice trade routes. And some people literally lost their heads over them, if illegal trading was discovered. And many stories have grown up around spice plants, stories which tell of superstitions, love and, over and over again, of their special healing powers.

Nowadays: exotic grains, seeds and pods add that extra something to our cuisine. They only affect our heads if we go overboard and throw in too many of these lovely spices. If you want to enhance your dishes with a distinctive flavour all you need is a little sensitivity. As well as: a spirit of adventure and the ABC of spices from Kotanyi.