Herbs and Spices

1. Herbs and Spices Group members: Nurul Atiqah Bte M.Hafiz (13) Andrea Seah Xianglin(1) Peh Jin Chang(15) Lin Jing (11) 2 Devotion

2. Cymbopogon Lemon Grass is an aromatic herb, that has robust, lemon scented linear leaves growing up to 3 feet tall. Lemongrass essential oil may irritate sensitive skin and for this reason should be used with care during pregnancy. It has a citrus flavour and can be dried and powdered, or used fresh. The stalk itself is too hard to be eaten except for the soft inner part. However, it can be finely sliced and added to recipes. It may also be bruised and added whole as this releases the aromatic oils from the juice sacs in the stalk. The main constituent of lemongrass oil is citral

3. Internal use Treats problems with the digestive system, usually in children and is also useful for relieving muscle spasms. It furthermore has a positive effect on nervous conditions and provides a gentle boost when exhausted. External use Lemon grass can be used externally to treat ringworm, lice, athletes foot, arthritis and scabies. Itis used to normalize and balance overactive oil glands, dandruff and similar skin problems. Aromatherapy and essential oil use This reviving oil will re-energize a person and helps the body recover after illness by invigorating the glandular system and boosting the digestive system. It eases muscle pain and cramps and helps to remove lactic acid and increase circulation. For jet lag this oil is a must. On the skin, it helps to balance oily conditions and to clear inflammation and fights fungal infections. It has antidepressant, antiseptic, bactericide, carminative, deodorant, digestive, diuretic, fungicide, galactagogue, insecticide, prophylactic, stimulant and tonic properties.

4. Lemongrass is easy to grow from seed, but if you find some at the grocery or specialty store, choose a stalk with a few roots still attached and you can put that in water and root it there to be transplanted into the garden later. Lemongrass prefers a sandy-type soil, but likes the soil evenly moist, so a good layer of mulch is a must for this plant.  A bog type situation also works well for Lemongrass Lemongrass is not frost-hardy, so in the colder climates it should be dug and potted to be grown indoors in a sunny window for the winter.  Use it in chicken and seafood dishes, curries, casseroles, soups, and stews.  Ground stalks can be added directly to dishes.  It can be frozen, dried, or used fresh.  Lemongrass has insect repellant properties and is an ingredient in citronella.

5. In India, lemon grass is a popular remedy for skin infections of ringworm. But lemon grass is most commonly used to treat digestive problems such as cramps and gas. It can also be used to reduce fever and can be applied to joints to relieve arthritis. Applications: Antifungal/Antispasmodic Lemon grass is primarily used to treat digestive problems. Cramps and gas: Lemon grass is particularly helpful in treating upset stomach and intestines. It helps to relieve cramps and also relieves gas and prevents problems with flatulence. Fever: Lemon grass can be used to help reduce fever. Ringworm: Lemon grass paste can be applied directly to skin to treat ringworm. Arthritis: Lemon grass can be applied to joints to reduce arthritic pain.

6. Flavour: lemony with hints of ginger Preparation and StorageIf using fresh lemon grass, use only the lower bulbous portion of the stem. It can be pounded and used whole or cut in slices. When using the ground powder (sereh) use one teaspoon as an equal to one stalk of fresh. It is advisable to soak dried sliced lemon grass for two hours before using.When wrapped in a paper bag, lemon grass stems can last 2 to 3 weeks in the refrigerator. The stems can also be frozen for several months. Always wrap and store separately, as lemon grass will impart its flavour to other foods Culinary UsesLemon grass features in Indonesian, Malaysian, Sri Lankan and Indian cooking and is widely used in savoury dishes and meat, poultry, seafood and vegetable curries. It harmonizes well with coconut milk, especially with chicken or seafood, and there are countless Thai and Sri Lankan recipes exploiting this combination. The stems are also used in teas or used in pickles and in flavouring marinades

7. BAY LEAVES Aromatic uses If eaten whole, bay leaves are pungent and have a sharp, bitter taste. The flavor of the California bay leaf is a bit more intense and bitter than the Turkish variety. As with many spices and flavorings, the fragrance of the bay leaf is more noticeable in cooked foods than the taste. When dried, the fragrance is herbal, slightly floral, and somewhat similar to oregano and thyme. Myrcene, an essential oil used in perfumery can be extracted from the bay leaf. The flavor and aroma of bay leaves owes in large part to the essential oil eugenol. Use leaves in flour, cereals, etc. to keep bugs out. Also used to repel fleas and lice.

8. Culinary uses Bay leaves are a fixture in the cooking of many European cuisines (particularly those of the Mediterranean), as well as in North America. They are used in soups, stews, meat, seafood, and vegetable dishes. The leaves also flavor classic French dishes such as bouillabaise and bouillon. The leaves are most often used whole (sometimes in a bouquet garni), and removed before serving. In Indian cuisine, bay leaves are often used in biryani and many salads. Bay leaves can also be crushed (or ground) before cooking. Crushed bay leaves impart more of their desired fragrance than whole leaves, and there is less chance of biting into a leaf directly. Cosmetic uses Oil soothing to skin. An infusion of leaves used in bath or as lotion. Other uses AROMATHERAPY:In Russia some nursing home residents are encouraged to smell bay leaves as an aid to memory.

9. Medicinal uses Astringent, bitter, carminative, diuretic, emetic, emmenogogue, narcotic, nervine, aromatic, stimulant, digestive aid, locally antiseptic, antiparasitic, expectorant (use assteam inhalation therapy). Believed to assist the body in utilizing insulin more efficiently. In experiments, the leaves have lowered blood sugar levels in animals. Tea was once used for its gentle tonic effect and to ease headache, stomach upset or flatulence, colic, indigestion (taken with meals), poor appetite, to remove obstructions, to promote menses and colic. Is considered alkalizing for overacidity. The leaves and fruit are rarely used internally now except in veterinary medicine. They were also used at one time for hysteria. A powder was also made of the berries and used for the same purposes as well as for ague. Contains parthenolides which help prevent migraines. Leaves, berries and oil have excitant and narcotic properties Lesser doses are diaphoretic while large doses are emetic.

10. Chemical components CONTAINS: The leaves contain 1 to 3 percent of a greenish-yellow volatile oil produced by distillation, and which contains a high percentage of oxygenated compounds.Berries contain fixed and volatile oils. The fixed oil known as Oil of Bays contains laurostearene (ether of lauric acid). Laurin can be extracted with alcohol. The volatile oil contains pinene, geraniol, eugenol, cineole, terpenes, glyceryl laurate. Berries also contain stearic and other acids.Contains parthenolides. The plant also contains tannic acid and bitters.Bay oil contains methyl eugenol (4% of bay oil) and is narcotic and sedative in mice.One teaspoon of leaves contains 5 mg calcium, 0.26 mg iron, 1 mg magnesium, 1 mg phosphorus, 3 mg potassium, trace of soidum, 0.02 mg zinc, 0.28 mg ascorbic acid, trace of thiamine, 0.003 mg riboflavin, 0.012 mg niacin.

11. Curry Leaves

12. Curry leaves are very tender and best used fresh. They can be frozen and kept for future use also, but should not be removed from the stalk in that case, or will use their flavor. In cooking, it is best to use a fresh piece, fried in hot oil and ghee for the aroma. Contrary to popular belief, the curry leaf does not come from the curry plant, nor is it the secret behind the flavor of the curry powder. While some people may add it to their curry powder, it is largely a seasoning leaf, to be used only in specific curries to provide specific tanginess. Very rarely it is used ground along with other spices, more often than not, it is the first thing in the oil to be used to make the curry itself. Not surprisingly, the curry then acquires a personality of its own, aptly flavored by the little pointy leaf. The curry leaf plant, is a native of Tropical Asia, southern India and Sri Lanka. Belonging to the Rutaceae family, the Murraya Koenigi plant grows to a height between 2 and five meters, depending on various factors. The leaves are small, pointed and in clusters, giving of a strong aroma faintly reminding one of citrus and anise. The aroma is delightful when added to curries and while frying spices, and lends that extra something to south Indian dishes.

13. As a skin medicine, curry leaves boiled in cow’smilk can be applied on a heat rash or a milk skin infection. It can also be ground into a paste with some turmeric and applied on acne infected skin for a few days. The result is a glowing, clear skin. Curry leaves boiled with coconut oil can be an effective hair colorant which causes minimum damage and maximum benefit to graying or thinning hair. South Indian women have, for centuries, mixed with the leaves of the China Rose and fenugreek, and applied as a paste to keep hair long, back and gleaming. It is an essential ingredient of almost all traditional medicine systems of peninsular India, sometimes with amazingly good results. Unani, Ayurveda and other systems use it to cure ailments such as piles, to allay heat of the body and are useful in leucoderma and blood disorders, and this has been proven by experts of western medicine also. In India, the curry leaf is used to prevent conditions such as nausea and stomach upsets. It is also used in treating skin irritations and poisonous bites. Its oils are invaluable as repellants and to cure skin disorders common to the tropics

14. URL http://www.ageless.co.za/herb-lemon-grass.htm http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lemon_grass http://www.herbco.com/p-375-lemongrass-cs-b64.aspx http://www.theepicentre.com/Spices/lemongrs.html http://www.florahealth.com/flora/home/Canada/HealthInformation/Encyclopedias/Lemongrass.htm http://www.gardensablaze.com/HerbLemonGrass.htm http://www.aromaweb.com/essentialoilsgo/lemongrass.asp