[Illustration: A NATIVE OF JAMAICA ISLAND]
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SPICES
AND
HOW TO KNOW THEM
BY
W. M. GIBBS
[Illustration: Decoration]
MCMIX
COMPOSITION, PRESSWORK, AND BINDING
BY THE MATTHEWS-NORTHRUP WORKS
BUFFALO, N. Y.
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Copyright, 1909, by
W. M. GIBBS, DUNKIRK, N. Y.
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TO THE PROGRESSIVE PLANTER AND HONEST MILLER OF SPICES, TO THE
SCRUPULOUS AND CONSCIENTIOUS WHOLESALE AND RETAIL DEALER, TO
THE EARNEST COMMERCIAL MAN, AND TO THE CONSUMER WHO IS
PARTICULAR: THIS BOOK IS RESPECTFULLY DEDICATED.
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CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION, 5, 6
CHAPTER I.
EARLY HISTORY OF SPICES, 7-9
CHAPTER II.
ADULTERATION OF SPICES 10-14
CHAPTER III.
HOW TO DETECT ADULTERATIONS IN 15-34
SPICES—THEIR FORMATION AND
ANALYSIS,
Potato Starch, 21
Maranta Starch, 22
Circuma, 22
Leguminous Starches, 23
Nutmeg Starch, 23
Capsicum Starch, 23
Pepper Starch, 23
Cinnamon Starch, 24
Buckwheat Starch, 24
Maize or Corn Starch, 24
Rice Starch, 24
Wheat Starch, 24
Barley Starch, 25
Rye Starch, 25
Oat Starch, 25
Reagents and Apparatus, 30
The Determination, 32
CHAPTER IV.
BLACK PEPPER, 35-58
CHAPTER V.
WHITE PEPPER, 59-61
CHAPTER VI.
LONG PEPPER, 62-65
CHAPTER VII.
CAPSICUM, OR CAYENNE, 66-74
CHAPTER VIII.
PIMENTO, OR ALLSPICE, 75-80
CHAPTER IX.
CINNAMON AND CASSIA, 81-107
Chemical Composition of 107
Cassia and Cinnamon,
CHAPTER X.
CLOVES, 108-121
CHAPTER XI.
GINGER, 122-135
CHAPTER XII.
NUTMEGS, 136-151
CHAPTER XIII.
MACE, 152-156
The Chemical Composition of 155
Mace
CHAPTER XIV.
MUSTARD, 157-168
Wet Mustard or French 161
Mustard
CHAPTER XV.
HERBS, 169-179
Sage, 169
Marjoram, 171
Parsley, 172
Savory, 173
Thyme, 174
Seed, 176
Caraway, 176
Coriander, 177
Cardamom, 178
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INTRODUCTION
IT is with a certain feeling of helplessness and loneliness that I am
venturing upon the attempt to trace out the history of spices, as I have
not a spice grove or garden to step into for my information; but I must
depend upon a far-distant country, where intelligence is but little
above what it was five hundred years ago, where may be found the lair of
the lion and the jungles of the tiger, where the elephant is used as a
beast of burden, where the people file their teeth and color them black
because they think natural white teeth too much like dogs’ teeth. The
fact that such ignorance is general in the Spice Islands obviously makes
my information the more difficult to obtain. Moreover, the camera and
its uses are not known among the Malays, and the painter’s art is not
among their imaginings. For these reasons, the illustrations I have
obtained have been secured only at great cost, but they are as true to
nature in color as it is possible for printer’s ink to make them. I hope
they will aid me in realizing my purpose of making dealers in spices
more familiar with their goods.
It was not until after long and careful consideration of the fact that
the mass of people know but little about the condiments which are to be
found on almost every table, and of the further fact of the “inhumanity
of man to man” in adulterating, that I was bold enough to attempt to
write upon a subject never before written upon, except in a meager way.
And although I do not expect to interest all who may read my pages, I
hope to create a wish in some to know more of the flavors which so
tickle the palate, the fruits of that far-distant county, the Straits
Settlement, and neighboring regions.
If I succeed in creating a desire among the retail dealers in spices to
know the goods better, and to sell only those which are pure and
wholesome, I shall feel that my work has not been a failure. In placing
the same before the public, I believe it to be the most complete work
ever written upon the subject with which it deals.
THE AUTHOR.
I am much indebted to the United States Department of Agriculture,
Bulletin 13, by Clifford Richardson, for information in Chapter 3,
on Adulterations and Analysis of Spices. Also to the United States
Consulates of the cities of Penang, Singapore, and Colombo, to whom
I extend thanks.
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CHAPTER I
EARLY HISTORY OF SPICES
“Be still! oh North winds, and come, oh Southern breezes, and blow upon
my garden, that the spice trees therein may blossom and bear fruit!”
“His cheeks are as a bed of spices, of sweet flowers.”
—_The Song of Solomon._
THE terms spices and condiments are applied to those articles which,
while possessing in themselves no nutritious principles, are added to
food to make it more palatable and to stimulate digestion. They are of
an exclusively vegetable origin, and occupy an important position in the
diet of the human race.
A ride of thirty-five days by ocean steamer from New York City brings us
to the city of Singapore, situated on a small island of that name, the
principal exporting city and the metropolis and capital of Malaysia, the
Straits Settlement, India. The islands that constitute the Straits
Settlement are crowned with spice forests. Here the noonday sun is truly
vertical twice each year, and for many days it passes so near the zenith
that change is scarcely perceptible. Here the grand constellation Orion
passes overhead, while the Great Bear and Pole Star lie low down in the
horizon. To the south may be seen the Southern Cross, and the planets
high in the zenith.
[Illustration: ASIATIC ARCHIPELAGO]
No autumn tints, like those of our Northern woods, deck the spice
forests. There is no purple and yellow dying foliage which rivals, and
even excels, the expiring dolphin in splendor, and the long, cold sleep
of winter and the first gentle touch of spring are unknown. But instead,
we behold a ceaseless round of active life, which weaves the fair
scenery of the tropics into one monotonous whole, the component parts of
which exhibit in detail untold variety and beauty; and no one component
part impresses us more forcibly than the spice trees. It is said that
sailors, several miles at sea, in favorable weather, with a gentle land
breeze, can tell they are nearing land long before they come in sight of
the islands by the fragrance of the spice gardens. Singapore has a
population of only 200,000, and the small island on which it is built
contains but 145,000 acres, yet the city does a business of $200,000,000
a year and can count its millionaires by the score. Eighty years ago,
the place where it stands was simply a jungle for tigers.
Singapore has ships from every port of the world going in and out of its
harbor, and its streets are as lively as those of New York. You can go
from it to the continent in a rowboat in one-half hour. Close
connections are also made at Singapore for Siam, Borneo, Australia,
China, Japan, Sumatra, and Ceylon, and it is the half-way station of the
voyage around the world. The Island of Ceylon, with Colombo as its
capital and chief city of export, also produces many fine spices. What
could India do without her Spice Forests? This is a question which
remains unanswered. We might as well ask what the United States could do
without its wheat fields.
The different grades of spices take their names from the country or city
from which they are exported, each different kind having a flavor of its
own. Our best grades come mostly from Penang, and are called “Penang
Spice,” while spice of nearly as good a quality comes from parts of
Malabar. Other chief cities of export are Bombay, Batavia, Calcutta, and
Cayenne, South America; but the most important is Singapore, as has been
before mentioned.
[Illustration: A PLANTATION ON JAMAICA ISLAND]
[Illustration: A PLANTATION IN INDIA]
The declared value of all spices shipped direct to this country averages
about $12,000,000 worth annually. Among the cities that import spices
New York stands first, probably receiving more than three-quarters of
all importations. In 1898, 5,000,000 pounds of ginger were received at
New York—19,000 bags being from Calcutta, 9,010 from Africa, 65,000 from
Cochin, 3,608 barrels from Jamaica. There were 6,000,000 pounds of
pepper received at New York, and probably nearly as much more at other
ports. This may seem a large amount, but when we consider the quantity
used in prepared meats and pickles, and the fact that pepper is on every
table which can afford a pepper-box or caster, and that pepper enters
into some of our food at nearly every meal, the above amount, which
gives less than one-sixth of a pound per capita, is not large. A larger
sum is paid for pepper than for any other spice. The amount paid for
spices in this country annually does not fall much short of one dollar
per capita at retail prices.
Four and one-half days by ocean steamer from New York brings us to the
Island of Jamaica; and this chapter would not be complete if I did not
mention that gem of the West Indies, the home of the Pimento and the
famous Jamaica Ginger. Xaymaca (the Indian name for Jamaica) is like a
huge mountain standing alone in the Caribbean Sea, with its hard, white
coral beach and ideal climate. The ride from Kingston, the capital of
the island, with its 50,000 population of picturesque folks (Americans,
Europeans, West Indies women, gorgeously arrayed, and the coolie women
loaded with ornaments), to beautiful Montego Bay and Port Antonio is an
experience never to be forgotten.
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