Form of Spices
- Whole Spices: These spices are used in their original
form after being throughly cleaned. These spices are used both for
garnishing as well as flavoring. eg: Cloves, Cinnamon, Black Pepper.
- Ground Spices: Grinded spices are used as they deliver flavor quickly and also they blend easily into a product; this is so, because grinding a spice breaks down the protective cell structure .
| Barks | eg: Cinnamon |
| Berries | eg: Black Pepper, Chilli |
| Buds | eg: Cloves |
| Bulbs | eg: Garlic, Leek |
| Pistil (female part of flower) | eg: Saffron |
| Kernel | eg: Nutmeg |
| Leaf | eg: Basil, Bay Leaf, Mint, Marjoram, Sage, Curry Leaf |
| Rhizome/Roots | eg: Ginger, Turmeric |
| Roots | eg: Ajowan, Aniseed, Celery |
| Seeds |
Spices Extraction Methods
There are a number of extraction methods of spices being used depending on the technology and also the kind of spice being extracted. Some of the popular extraction methods are:
- Steam Distillation
- Hydrocarbon Extraction
- Chlorinated Solvent Extraction
- Enzymatic Treatment and Fermentation
- Carbon dioxide Extraction
Spices are used mainly for food flavoring and preservation. However, spices have medicinal, aromatic properties that also make them useful in a number of industries including:
- Perfumes
- Cosmetics
- Medicine
- Beverages
Spice trade has always held major economic importance throughout the human history. The international trade in various forms of spices has grown tremendously in the last decade. According to an estimate, 85% of the international trade in spices is dried and is used after cleaning but without further processing. Pepper is one of the most valuable spice in the global trade. Countries including China, India, Madagascar, Indonesia are emerging as the leading spice traders.











