Spiced-Up Baking

There’s nothing like the warm, spicy smell coming from kitchens around the holidays. Here’s the scoop on spices that give gingerbread cookies their kick! 

There’s nothing like the warm, spicy smell coming from kitchens around the holidays. Here’s the scoop on spices that give gingerbread cookies their kick! 

Don’t let the name fool you: Allspice is a single spice made from the dried berries of a species of tree that grows in the Caribbean and Central America. The spice was brought to Europe by Christopher Columbus. The 15th-century explorer mistook the berries for the similar-looking fruits used to make black pepper. Allspice got its name because its flavor contains hints of the spices cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg. 

Don’t let the name fool you! Allspice is a single spice. It’s made from the dried berries of a certain species of tree. This tree grows in the Caribbean and Central America. Christopher Columbus brought the spice to Europe. Columbus was an explorer in the 15th century. He thought the berries were the fruits used to make black pepper. Allspice berries look similar to black pepper fruits. Allspice’s flavor has hints of the spices cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg. That’s where it got its name!

Nutmeg seeds look like a peach pit. They’re from a variety of trees found in Indonesia. Once the seed’s shell is removed, the kernel inside is ground into spice. Rather than blend in with the other, warmer gingerbread spices, the citrusy notes in nutmeg provide a contrasting flavor. This helps the flavors of each spice in the recipe stand out. 

Nutmeg seeds look like a peach pit. They’re from a variety of trees found in Indonesia. First the seed’s shell is removed. Then the kernel inside is ground into spice. Nutmeg doesn’t blend in with the other, warmer gingerbread spices. Nutmeg has notes of citrus. These notes provide a contrasting flavor in many recipes. This helps the flavors of each spice in the recipe stand out.

Cinnamon is the dried inner bark of a type of tree called Cinnamomum. It’s native to southeast Asia and India. It contains a compound that activates a warm feeling in your face, nose, and mouth. Chili peppers cause a similar reaction. They give a burst of fiery heat. Cinnamon’s warmth is milder and longer-lasting. 

Cinnamon is the dried inner bark of a type of tree. This tree is called Cinnamomum. It’s native to southeast Asia and India. Cinnamon contains a compound that creates a warm feeling in your face. The warmth spreads across your nose and mouth. Chili peppers cause a similar reaction. They give a burst of fiery heat. Cinnamon’s warmth is milder. It also lasts longer.

You can’t have gingerbread without ginger. It’s the knobby root of an herb that’s been grown in Southeast Asia for thousands of years. Once harvested, ginger is dried and ground into a powder. Dried ginger has a sweet, spicy flavor that quickly creates a warming sensation in your mouth. Traders eventually introduced the spice to Europe. Historians credit Queen Elizabeth I of 16th-century England for coming up with the idea for the first gingerbread man.

You can’t have gingerbread without ginger. Ginger is a knobby root. It comes from an herb in Southeast Asia. People have grown the herb for thousands of years. First the ginger is harvested. Then the ginger is dried. Finally, it’s ground into a powder. Dried ginger has a sweet, spicy flavor. It quickly creates a warming sensation in your mouth. Traders eventually introduced the spice to Europe. Historians credit Queen Elizabeth I for coming up with the idea for the first gingerbread man. She ruled 16th-century England.