Regarded as both a force for good and evil, folklore and superstition abound when it comes to this little but poignant member of the onion family. A garland of garlic kept evil spirits and vampires away in the west. In an eastern Islamic myth, garlic...
Small but potent, mustard seed's penetrating warmth enlivens agni, supports circulation, and clears heaviness from the system. Its hot, sharp, aromatic qualities dispel stagnation and are Ideal for cold, damp, or congested states.
Turmeric is a warm, yellow, earthy, slightly bitter spice used in ritual, medicine, and cooking. Turmeric paste is applied to bride and groom before marriage in some places of India, Bangladesh, and Pakistan. Although a deep yellow color, turmeric...
Salt brings out the flavor in food and brings enthusiasm for life. While contraindicated for Kapha and high blood pressure, salt is also one of the most important medicines for Vata
The word 'pepper' is dervied from the South Asian word 'pippali'. Pippali (long pepper) is a famous herb in Ayurveda for lung and heart conditions, and is a close relative of black pepper. The word pepper gradually came to include the unrelated New...
Raw olive oil is pungent & bitter. It's oily and bitter qualities act as a cholagogue, flushing the liver and gall bladder. In the United States, most olive oil is pasteurized. When cooked, olive oil loses its cleansing properties and sadly, its taste.
Introduction You'll feel warmed to the bone and relaxed after eating molasses. The gooey and thick nature of this sweetener gave rise to the famous phrase "as slow as molasses." Molasses is not your average sweetener. Its...
Star anise is a small evergreen tree native to China that closely resembles anise in flavor. Its licorice-flavored start shaped fruit is also grown in Japan and Vietnam. It has a dark brown color and contains six to eight seeded petal-like segments. ...
Cinnamon is a small evergreen tree in the Lauraceae family native to Sri Lanka. Other members of this family include sassafras, avocado, camphor, and spicebush. Trees of the laurel family, including cinnamon, predominate in the world's laurel forests....
Also known as devil's dung, stinking gum, food of the gods, and giant fennel, hing has a varied and suprising diversity of uses. Along the Tex-Mex border hing was used for wolf bait. The odor attracts wolves. In Jamaica, hing is used to protect the...
The origin of lemons are a mystery. Do they come from southern india? burma? or china? Speculation abounds. Genetic study reveals lemons are a hybrid of a sour orange and a citron.
Native to the dry hills of the Middle East and Central Asia, these little gems are among the world's oldest harvested nut trees, cultivated for over 9,000 years. Ancient Persians called them the "green gold," prized by kings and travelers alike for...
Egg whites are a great source of protein. The egg yolks are a hearty and nourishing tonic pacifying Vata but aggravating Kapha. Egg yolks are high in cholesterol. Egg yolks are heating, and mildly aggravating to Pitta. Some people are allergic to the...
Eggplant has inspired colorful sayings and stories wherever it spread from its origins in South Asia. In India, where it was domesticated, it is sometimes called the "king of vegetables" (baingan ka raja) because of its ability to absorb spices...
Found in Tutankhamun's tomb, black cumin is a famous as an Old World spice and medicine. The 'Tibb-e-Nabavi" or "Medicine of the Prophet (Muhammed)", reports the only disease it cannot cure is death. It's many uses have earned it the nickname "seed of...
Thyme tea has been used to stop gastric fermentation. It may be mixed with honey for sore throats. It's diaphoretic properties make it useful to sweat out a fever.
Rosmarinus, is from the latin "dew" (ros) and "sea" (marinus), and means "dew of the sea". Rosemary grows in arid Mediterranean conditions and, as its name implies, can survive on the humidity carried by the sea breeze.
"Open sesame" was the secret password in the medieval Arabic adventure tale Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves. These magic words revealed a cave rich with treasures secreted by thieves. Sesame seeds and oil are a food treasure rich with myriad health...
Alcohol is a hot depressant. Initially, the heat combined with the relaxing qualties of alcohol dilate blood vessels, an aid to circulation. The heart, which is a naturally affectionate and social organ, predisposes one to fun and perhaps risky social...
Parsnip is native to the Mediterranean, where it is cultivated like carrots.
"A tale that begins with a beet will end with the devil", wrote Tom Robbins in Jitterbug Perfume. For good reason too - cooking with red beets leaves the hands looking blood-stained. A chef who slaughters beets cannot hide - only run from the scene of...
Sweet and heavy, cashews calm the nerves and satisfy your belly. The crescent shaped cashew is dense and warm, building strength and leaving you feeling sustained, particularly in cooler months. Initially crunchy, these nuts become creamy and...
The country of Georgia is famous for its walnut sauces. Walnuts also exude a golden yellow oil when pressed that is used as a garnish in Georgian dishes. Discover more about walnuts from one of my favorite authors, Paula Wolfert, in "The Cooking of the...
Like a salty bean cheese, tangy and sour with a funk. Used mainly in soups as a flavorful stock.
Aromatic, pungent, astringent & sedating. A soporific digestive spice famous for its use in insomnia and cold type diarrhea. It is popular in spiced desserts such as egg nog. Excessive doses can cause hallucinations.
If you've ever tasted peanut butter and chocolate together, you know why peanuts are addictive. John, our founder, had a client who loved peanuts so much she consumed a jar of peanut butter every evening.
Tangy and moldy, like gym socks but glorious all the same.
Hot and stimulating, dried ginger kindles the digestive fire, supports healthy circulation, and melts away sluggishness.
Cloves are native to India and Indonesia. They are the aromatic dried flower bud of a tree in the same family as Eucalyptus and Guava (Myrtaceae family). Cloves resemble a nail in shape. The English name 'clove' derives from the latin 'clavus'...
When I think of pine nuts, I remember New Mexico, which celebrates their arrival every year!
The zest is the orange skin of the orange. The rind is the white part of the orange beneath.
The richness of cheese promises nourishment, comfort and contentment. However, as it mixens and thickens mucus in the digestive tract with a thick, creamy layer of dairy, it bogs down digestion, and encourages candida growth. Once the richness enters...
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Founder of Joyful Belly Ayurveda, John Immel, answers the question ‘What is Ayurveda?’
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