In order for a food to whet a person’s appetite, two requirements are necessary: ​​appearance and aroma. With that, certainly, the desire to consume a particular dish already increases considerably. For them to be achieved, first comes the question of creativity to provide that eye-catching appearance, then the use of herbs and spices help to bring out the aroma.During the time of the great navigations, herbs and spices were highly valued in Europe, because, due to the climate, some of them could not be cultivated there. It was then that two countries started to stand out in this market, as one of the main suppliers of these spices, they are: India and China. The monopoly of these spices belonged to merchants from Genoa and Venice, two Italian cities.

Hoping to circumvent this monopoly, the Portuguese invested in discovering an alternative route to reach the east, and have access to all these spices. It took place across the African coastline. This made the Portuguese buy directly from the place where they were produced, causing the Italian monopoly to fall to the ground.

Use of aromatic herbs in cooking

Aromatic herbs are of great importance in cooking. They can be used fresh or dried to give that special touch. Used alone or combined with each other, herbs give the final touch to dishes and can also be used in their decoration. While there are many recommendations for using herbs with a particular food, in order to match flavors, they do not necessarily need to be followed. See the main herbs used:

Saffron – Saffron is the pistil of the saffron plant, which is harvested the night before the bees or birds take it away;

Rosemary – herb that has a sweet and fresh scent, ideal for use with meat, stews, poultry, fish and sauces;

Laurel – leaf with a striking face, ideal for use in beans, sauces, roasts and stews;

Thyme – leaves a strong flavor to the food. Its use is most common in sauces, meat, fish and poultry. One of the meats that best suits the herb is pork;

Sage – ideal to use in chicken or pork seasoning. Its use is also highly recommended to give a special touch to soups that contain garlic;

Mint – to be consumed in the form of tea, chopped in fruit salads or used in yogurt-based salad dressings;

Basil – the herb is marked by its aroma. It combines perfectly with tomatoes and is also used in sauces. To preserve all aroma and flavor, it always enters dishes at the last minute;

Parsley – there is, for sure, a food that best matches parsley. It can be inserted into almost any dish, depending on each person’s preference;

Chives – due to the ease with which they can be grown and found, chives are used on a large scale in omelets, soups and purees.

Coriander – the herb is used in spicy dishes, but due to its strong flavor it can also be used in fish;

Oregano – due to its striking aroma, oregano is widely used in the preparation of pastas, breads, salads and meats.