Warming Up Winter: Spices to Comfort, Nourish & Heal
The Nyoongar Makuru season is here in Perth, Western Australia and if you’re anything like me, you’ll be wanting to find ways to keep your body warm from head to toe – and that’s not just what we wear, but also what we consume – those richer, heartier meals.
To make these meals a powerhouse of a dish, there are a variety of natural spices that we can incorporate into our daily meals that not only add huge flavour, but also provide plenty of health benefits to support our bodies and mind this winter.
Here are some of my favourite winter spices with useful tips on how you can use them in your meals this season.
Allspice
These may be tiny, dried berries but they pack a big punch of flavour with their all-round aromatic combination, including tones synonymous with earthy and warming cinnamon, clove, and nutmeg.
In their ground form, you can throw them into baked fruit pies or crumbles, carrot cake, granola, porridge and pastries, and are a great go-to for baking when you’re pressed for time to blend your own spice mix. But they are also delicious in savoury foods. Use them as a rub to marinate meat - they add a beautiful flavour when chargrilling or roasting.
Did you know allspice is just one of the spices found in a Jamaican Jerk spice rub?
ln its whole form they can be added to casseroles, stews, and soups for a spicy-kick, or to spiced teas or cocktails.
The compounds found in allspice are said to contain a number of health benefits, including anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties that are perfect for warding off those nasty winter germs, as well as containing the elements - manganese, calcium, and iron, all essential for our bodies to function at their best.
Cinnamon
There are two types of cinnamon - Ceylon and Cassia types, but here I discuss the Ceylon cinnamon. It has a sweetly aromatic flavour that’s perfect for both sweet and savoury dishes.
Sprinkle into cakes, muffins, baked fruit pies, sweet pastries, porridge, smoothies, dust over desserts, or add to curries, rice dishes, tomato-based sauces, herbal teas, and cocktails – their use is endless!
Studies show that cinnamon is a superfood in its own right that even outweighs that of garlic! They are known to possess powerful antioxidant properties which reduces cell damage for protection against infections, in addition to having anti-inflammatory, anti-diabetic, and anti-bacterial properties.
Cloves
Cloves have an earthy, yet sharp, almost eucalyptus like pungency that tingle your tongue’s taste receptors initially, but then their warming essence encapsulates all your senses.
They are another versatile spice for use across savoury to sweet dishes. When whole, they can be added to warming herbal teas, cocktails, or for pickling; you can also incorporate them into rice, casseroles, stews, or curries to add a beautiful aromatic earthiness to your meal.
In their ground form, use them for baking cakes, pastries, fruit pies, and tarts, or add to spiced marinades or pastes for meats or vegetables to further enhance the spicy flavours.
There are a number of health benefits associated with cloves, including their efficacy as an antioxidant, with properties that are said to be 5 times more effective than Vitamin E; they are high in manganese and act as an antimicrobial – in fact, I personally use these instead of gum to freshen up my palate, and I often chew on them to prevent nausea (a little trick my Mum taught me!). Another benefit is that I find their cooling effect great for muscular pain, so I actually pop a pinch of these into a running hot bath – together with its aromas, they are perfect to use for relaxing.
Allspice, cinnamon, and cloves are included in my Mulled Wine Spice Blend and you’ll find the latter two in my Hot Toddy Blend - a wonderful concoction to ward those flu-like feelings!
*Like with all foods, consume in moderation. The health advice provided is from my own lived experiences and research, for any prescribed treatments, please always seek professional medical advice.
