MALTESE SPICES and HERBS

Traditional

Maltese 

Spices and Herbs

When it comes to distinguishing herbs from spices we tend to confuse which is which. Indeed, while both spices and herbs are derived from plants, each of the two is distinguishable in various ways.

Some maintain that herbs are normally derived from the fleshy green parts of plants, while spices are derived from the roots, stalk, bark, seeds or fruit, very often already dry or dessicated by the harvester. But this is just a broad definition; there are instances when this is not the case.

Some have defined herbs and spices by different criteria. For instance herbs may be those plants that contain a moderately strong pleasant scent. On the other hand, spices would include those dried pieces of plants that contain oils or that produce a distinct sharp tang.

Some plants may actually be termed both as a spice as well as a herb. Take for instance, the fennel plant. This plant has its green leaves harvested and serves as an aromatic herb. The Italians love to consume the leaves raw or else savoured as a condiment with a pasta dish such as penne with cream. Meantime, if the plant becomes parched by the sheer hot temperature, its seeds can be flicked off from its dry twigs and collected to be used for seasoning on a variety of foods such as roast potatoes, fish and meat dishes to spice up the food. These seeds may well be used as herbal infusion – note that the term here is not a spicy infusion but herbal infusion.

Others have provided other definitions to distinguish spices from herbs. For instance, in his book Dangerous Tastes, Andrew Dalby refers to spices as those dried plants that are preserved and traded across geographical distances. On the other hand, he states that herbs are those aromatic plants that are grown at home by gardeners. Such definition may have taken root (pun not intended) by historians when discussing medieval trade across continents, or else, by novelists who conjured romantic images of commercial desert caravans and maritime journeys undertaken to trade exotic spices. So the definition of both herbs and spices may cling, after all, to a semantic rather than to a scientific fact.

Other publications by same author: https://kliemustorja.com/informazzjoni-dwar-pubblikazzjonijiet-ohra-tal-istess-awtur/

Spices have also been traditionally used to maintain the longevity of certain foods which would otherwise rot or else become bland and inedible by time it is consumed. Sure enough, certain foods, such as meats when cured or sun-dried for months require spices to help them achieve a longer shelf life.

Whilst herbs have been traditionally regarded as condiments that go with daily food, often consumed by the poor, spices have been regarded as a commodity that enrich meals served on the tables of the more opulent classes of society. This has  been true when taking into consideration those spices that originate in countries afar as these often fetch a higher price.

One must also not forget that both herbs and spices were – and still are – used in medicine as  ‘traditional, herbal remedies’. The Maltese term spiżjar, a pharmacist, comes from the Italian speziale, one who dealt in spezie, that is, spices.

In his book, L’Histoire de Malte (1841), Dominique Miège who lived in Malta for several years in the early decades of the 19th century mentions both herbs and spices, some growing wild, while others were cultivated. Miège was quoting the works of the Maltese doctor and naturalist Dr. Stefano Zerafa, Floree Melitensis Thesaurus, which had been compiled between 1827 – 1831:

– caper bush – cloves – coriander – sweet and chili peppers – black garlic / broad leaved leek – anise – wild leek – melissa – rosemary – lavander – sweet marjoram – black mustard – mint – bay laurel – myrtle – parsley – vanilla.

Hereunder are two lists, one of herbs, the other of spices and their usage. Both types of plants or their parts have been traditionally harvested by the Maltese for ages. Some of these grow locally in the wild and therefore have been consumed for hundreds of years. This is evinced by their Semitic name. The more recent plants, that were or are still consumed and have an Italian or English sounding term are often imported.

HERBS

English & scientific name	Name in Maltese	Uses in cooking or seasoning	Medical uses	Availability
FennelAnaethum foeniculum	Bużbież	Meat – fish – roast or boiled potatoes	Good for stomach ailments	Grows in the wild
Basil Ocimum basilicum	Ħabaq	Fish and meat dishes		Cultivated locally
Bay leavesLaurus nobilis	Rand	Sauces such as one that goes with rabbit dish		Cultivated in Malta
CamomileMatricaria recutita	Kamumilla		Stomach ailments mental relaxation. Tea infusion	Grows in the wild
CapersCapparis spinosa	Kappar	Fish dishes and bread and bread sanwiches or ftira with tomato paste		Grows in the wild
ChivesAllium schoenoprasum	Kurrat irqieq	Popular with salads		Cultivated locally
GarlicAllium	Tewm	Fried rabbit dish pasta and bruschetta	Good for healthy intestines	Cultivated locally
OnionAllium cepa	Basla	Fried or boiled with all sorts of food and sometimes eaten raw		Cultivated locally
MintSc. n. mentha	Nagħniegħ	Very popular with fish dishes and bread snacks, lamb.		Cultivated locally
ParsleySc. n.  Petroselinum crispum	Tursin	Very popular with all dishes particularly fish dishes		Cultivated locally
RosemarySc. n. Rosmarinus officinalis	Klin	Many dishes amongst which chicken red neat and fish		Cultivated locally
SageSc. n.  Salvia officinalis	Salvja	Meat dishes		Cultivated locally
Sweet marjoramSc. n.  Origanum majorana	Merdqux	Good for meat and fish dishes		Cultivated locally
Wild leekSc. n. Allium porrum	Kurrat	Same like onions		Grows in the wild but also cultivated locally

SPICES

AniseSc. n. Pimpinella anisum	Ħlewwa	Mixed with sweet dough rings (qagħaq)		Used to grow  in the wild – now imported
Cinnamon	Kannella	Apple pie Christmas cake		Imported
ClovesSyzygium aromaticum	Msiemer tal-qronfol	Very popular with foods and as tea infusion	Tooth aches and digestion	Imported
CorianderCoriandrum sativum	Kosbor	To spice Maltese sausage		Used to grow in Malta – now imported
Curry (mixture of spices e.g. tumeric	Curry	Very popular to spice various sauces		Imported
Fennel seed Anaethum foeniculum	Bużbież	Used with food of all sorts, such as meats and fish dishes and roast potatoes	Relieves stomach indigestion	Grows in the wild
Black mustardSinapis nigra	Mustarda	Meat dishes		Imported
LavanderLavandula angustifolia	Sombor		Very popular as essential oil for relaxation	Used to grow in Malta – now imported
PeprinPapaverum dubium	Żerriegħa tal-peprin	Boiled or roast potatoes		Grows in the wild – but is imported for use.
SesameSesamum indicum	Ġunġlien	Used as condiment with bread-like soft cake (qagħaq)		ImportedImported
Sweet chilli peppersCapsicum annuum	Bżar aħmar	Used to spice all sorts of food		Is grown locally
Wild ThymeThymus capitatus	Sagħtar	Chicken dishes	Antiseptic	Grows wild locally

Martin Morana

27.11.2020

Bibliography

Dalby Andrew, Dangerous Tastes – The Story of Spices. The British Museum Press. 2000.

Gambin Kenneth & Buttigieg Noel, L-Istorja tal-Kultura tal-Ikel f’Malta. PIN 2003.

Lanfranco Guido, Ħxejjex Mediċinali u Oħrajn fil-Gżejjer Maltin. Media Centre. 2000.

Miège Dominique, Histoire de Malte, Gregoire V. Wouters et Co., Brusselle 1841.

Tedesco Carmen, Ħxejjex Aromatiċi u Ħwawar. (leaflet).

Thanks to Joseph Aquilina and Terry Morana.

Other publications by same author: https://kliemustorja.com/informazzjoni-dwar-pubblikazzjonijiet-ohra-tal-istess-awtur/

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