The name spice is derived from the word species, which was applied to groups of exotic foodstuffs in the Middle Ages. Aromatically scented herbal products have been used since ancient times to flavor foods and for preparing incenses and perfumes. Today, many of the valued old spices, such as nutmeg, have lost their fabulous attraction, while others such as garlic, peppers and other commonplace kitchen herbs have become, paradoxically, increasingly popular. It is now impossible to give a strict definition of a spice, the word suggests an imported tropical herbal plant or some part of it that is valued for providing color and aromatic flavoring along with stimulating odour for use in cooking and in condiments, as well as in candies, cosmetics, fragrances and medications. A host of such products utilize spicy herbs varying from Ajwain and aniseed to wasabi and zedoary. Indeed, the term spice could include chocolate, coffee, kola nuts, tea, wine and olive oil, since these mouthwatering delicacies are generally imported from tropical or sunny countries into the more temperate countries of northern Europe and North America to give a zestful taste to food products and beverages.

SPICES CARDAMOM

Properties
Cardamom (large) tastes sharp, is an appetizer, light, dry and hot. It has curative effects in excessive phlegm, excessive bile humors in the body, and blood disorders, itches, breathing problems, thirst, nausea, poison, disease connected with urinary disorders, disease connected with mouth, vomit and cough. Cardamom (small) tastes sharp but is cool and small. It is very beneficial in flatulence, phlegmatic disease, cough, breathing problem, stomachache and urine disorders.

Uses:

·   Small cardamom is mainly used as mouth freshener. Both large and small cardamoms are used in the preparation of vegetables to increase its flavour.

·       Large cardamom when mixed with Palmyra palm and honey if taken in small quantity cures cough, asthma and weakness.

·         Powdered large cardamom, powdered rock salt mixed with ghee and honey cures disease connected with phlegm.

·         Large cardamom if taken along with either "Amla" juice or powder of "Amla" cures inflammation, it also cures the burning sensation in hands and feet and inflammation while urination.

·       Six "rattis" of powdered large cardamom, one "ratti" of asafetida (hing). After roasting these mixtures of powder, mix it with lemon juice and have it, it will cure flatulence, abdominal pain etc.

·        Mixing equal quantities of powdered large cardamom and powdered fig roots and having it daily in the morning with "honey", cures heart disease.

·         Powder of large cardamom if taken with honey cures "Uremia".

·        Powder of four seeds of large cardamom when taken with honey stops vomit due to excessive humor of bile in the body.

·      Powder of large cardamom when taken with curd neutralizes the poison of a mongoose.

SALT

Properties
Salt is considered as the king among all the tastes. It is found in many provinces. There are many types of salt out of which five types are main.

Common salt:

This salt is an appetizer, only if taken in small quantity, increases virility and controls foul breath. It cures indigestion, worms in the stomach, hernia, and excessive humor of phlegm and gastric troubles.

Uses

·         Gargles done with hot salted water cures throat pain and throat swelling. It also cures dry cough influenza and tonsils.

·         One hundred and twenty grams of salt dissolved in water, if taken, acts as a stomach cleaner by causing vomit. This method can extract out even the poison from the stomach.

·         A mixture of salt and powdered black pepper stops vomit.

·         Salt roasted in a copper vessel till it becomes red and then had with warm water, cures fever of all variation, gastric troubles and indigestion.

·         A mixture of salt and powdered thymol, if taken cures stomach ache.

·         Salt mixed in the juices of ginger and lemon if taken daily during morning and evening time, has curative effects in many diseases like pain due to gastric trouble and enlargement of skin. It also strengthens the digestive system by purifying the humor of the wind in the body.

·         Salt dissolved in hot water and one spoonful of lemon juice added to it, has beneficial effect on the person suffering from influenza.

CLOVE

Properties & Uses

·         If the handkerchief wet with clove oil is sniffed, it cures cold.

·         Clove oil put on a piece of cotton cures the tooth ache if it is kept at that place.

·         Swelling of any type gets cured if clove oil is massaged on it.

·         A pregnant woman stops vomiting if the water in which cloves were boiled is taken by her.

·         Sucking of clove controls cough and if roasted clove is kept in the mouth, it cures swelling of the throat.

·         Massaging the clove oil on the head cures headaches and rheumatism.

·         While traveling in buses or trains, if it is given to nauseating person, it controls the vomit.

·         If there is fever due to heat, and the quantity of urine has decreased, then taking the paste of seven rubbed cloves cures the disease.

WISHEP'S WEED OR AJOVA SEED (Ajwain)

Properties
The wishep's weed is "hot", "sharp", "light", helps in digestion, is an appetizer, destroys worms and germs in the body, etc.

Uses

·         Chucking Wishep's weed into the mouth cures cough.

·         If a pregnant woman takes wishep's weed then it helps her in digestion of food, increases her appetite, controls her flatulence and her uterus gets purified.

·         Taking powdered wishep's weed along with powdered sesame, cures diabetes.

·         If three "rattis" of the flowers of wishep's weed and along with ghee and honey is taken thrice a day, it cures cough by clearing out the phlegm from the body.

·         If wishep's weed is taken with hot water, it cures cough too.

·         If 3 Grams of powdered wishep's weed is taken with hot water, flatulence gets cured.

·         If powdered WISHEP'S weed is made into paste and then pasted on to a cold body, it regains temperature.

·         If a bundle of wishep's weed is heated on a heating pan and applying this heat on the cold hands and feet of a person suffering from cholera or asthma, helps in regarding the temperature.

·         Drinking warm water after having wishep's weed, cures indigestion, flatulence, pain and excessive formation of saliva.

·         Eating the flower of wishep's weed controls the development of worms in the intestines.

·         Use of wishep's weed by a woman who has just given birth to a child, helps her in producing milk.

·         If the oil of wishep's weed is massaged on the part of the body having swelling, it gives relief.

CORIANDER

Properties
It is an appetizer, helps in digestion, is diuretic, relishing, cures fever, retains stool, pacifies bile and destroys inflammation.

Uses

·         It is widely and variedly used from diet to the worship of deities.

·         Six grams of coriander boiled in water and then taken with milk and sugar, helps in improving the digestive system.

·         A mixture of powdered coriander and powdered aniseed taken with water, controls inflammation, thirst, uneasiness, inflammation while urinating and gives relief from fever by causing excessive perspiration.

·         If a partial suffering from fever due to malaria is vomiting frequently then giving to him, the filtered water in which half grinded coriander has been mashed, one spoonful of this juice at regular interval checks his vomit.

·         If three grams of powdered coriander and twelve grams of sugar if mixed in rice water, is given to a pregnant woman, it checks her vomit. It also cures the cough and breathing problem in children.

·         Mashed coriander, which has been soaked in the water for the whole night. If the water is applied to the eyes, then it gives relief from inflammation in the eyes, red eyes and prevents the occurrence of small pox in the eyes.

·         If the water in which coriander has been mashed and soaked for 10-12 hours is mixed with sugar, is given to a person affected by sunstroke, it cures him instantly.

·         The use of coriander neutralizes the effect of intoxicants.

BLACK PEPPER

Properties
Black pepper is scented, a stimulator, helps in digestion, an appetizer, is relishing, causes sweat and destroys worms. It causes excessive urine and is also beneficial to people suffering from gonorrhea.  It is considered to be the destroyer of all kinds of bacteria and viruses.

Uses

•  It is beneficial in many diseases. If taken in adequate quantity, a man never suffers from flatulence.
• It helps in digesting the food of those people, who are accustomed to having rich food.
• Using rice in the diet with kidney beans, neutralizes its power of causing the formation of excessive wind. It becomes cool and gives complete nourishment.

FENUGREEK (Methi)

Properties
Fenugreek is scented an appetizer, milk developer,uterus contractor and eliminator of excessive wind humor in the body.

Uses

• Fenugreek eliminates the excessive wind humor in the body. It also eliminates phlegm. It cures fever.
• Eating a "laddu" of fenugreek (methi) made by fenugreek flour, raw sugar and ghee drives away the gastric problems.
• 4 Gms of fenugreek mixed with 4gms of dry ginger and raw sugar is beneficial in disease related with wind humor.
• The vegetable prepared from the delicate leaves of fenugreek prevents constipation. It also purifies the blood and gives strength. It is also beneficial for people suffering from piles.
• Fenugreek soaked in the water for whole night and mashed up in the same water in the morning. If this water is given to a patient suffering from diabetes daily, he is cured.

CUMIN SEED

Properties Cumin seed is an appetizer, eliminates formation of excessive wind humor and bile humor. It cures enlargement of skin and colic in stomach. Cumin seed strengthens the stomach, liver and intestines. It eliminates the worms, which are present in the intestines. It also cures flatulence, stomachache etc. Cumin seed is also very beneficial for a woman after childbirth.

Uses

• It increases the capacity of producing milk in a woman.
• A daily use of handful of cumin seeds, cures night blindness and decreases the level of temperature in the body.
• A mixture of powdered coriander seeds, powdered cumin seeds and sugar, cures acidity and inflammation in the chest due to it.
• Use of cumin seeds checks hiccups, eliminates colic in stomach, swelling of intestine due to indigestion.
• Six grams of powdered cumin seeds mixed with old raw sugar and after making small pills of one gram each, if taken, it cures fever.
• A baked mixture of cumin seeds, black pepper and rock salt (all in powdered form), dissolved in butter milk or whey, if taken after lunch, cures diarrhoea, piles .

ANISEED

Properties Aniseed is scented, an appetizer, helps in digestion and eliminates the causes for the formation of urine in the stomach.

Uses

• It is beneficial in dry cough and stops foul breath.
• If its grinded powder is mixed in water with some sugar, it cures the inflammation caused during urination.
• If the filtered juice made from powdered aniseed mixed in water is given to children, it cures their stomach pains.
• Its use is beneficial in diarrhea, indigestion, fever, cough, kidney diseases, and in enlarged spleen.

Most spices and many herbs are used in the preparation of the fragrant components of scents, perfumes, cosmetics, body creams and lotions, hair preparations and air fresheners. Increasingly, these aromatic essences from plants are being utilized in aromatherapy, where their odiferous properties are fancifully related to specific physical and psycho logic effects.