AGRI 116 1nd Edition Lecture 10 Outline of Last Lecture I. Early Spice History (Egypt and the Crusades)II. Spice Obsession TheoriesIII. Spice Obsession – Spotlight PepperOutline of Current Lecture II. Pepper TodayIII. PepperIV. CinnamonV. CassiaVI. SaffronCurrent LecturePepper Today- Economically speaking, pepper is the world’s most important spice.- Global pepper production set at about 223,000 metric tons (mts) in 2010.- America is the world’s biggest importer of black pepper.- In 2008, the U.S. imported 5.1 million kilos of whole black peppercorns at an average price of just $1.59 per kilo, less than a nickel an ouncePiper nigrum- A woody, perennial, tropical climbing vinePerennial- lasts 3 seasons or moreAnnual- completes its entire life cycle within the space of a yearPepper is native to the monsoon tropical forests of the Malabar coast of Southwest IndiaMalabar coast means “pepper coast”Heat VS AromaHeat AromaThese notes represent a detailed interpretation of the professor’s lecture. GradeBuddy is best used as a supplement to your own notes, not as a substitute.- Burning sensation is caused by alkaloid irritants- Found primarily witin the hard inner core (seed) of the peppercorn (though present in pericarp too).- Chiefly piperine, but also chavacine and piperidine- Aroma comes from the essential oils- Located mainly in the pericarp, or outer shell, of the peppercorn.- The aroma is released when pepper is cracked or groundiClicker Question: Green, white and Black peppercorns are all harvested from the same species of pepper vine.PepperGreen pepper- Comes from the unripe berries- Least hot- alkaloids do not have time to developBlack pepper- Berries are picked at the half-ripe stage (faintly red)- Drying blackens the fruit skin which wrinkles around the white seedWhite pepper- Produced by removing the skin from ripe red berriesCinnamonA series of banquets on the occasion of the 1476 marriage of Duke George “theRich" of Bavaria to Princess Jadwiga of Poland required:– “386 pounds of pepper, 286 of ginger, 207 of saffron, 205 of cinnamon, 105 of cloves,and a mere 85 pounds of nutmeg"The king of Scotland visited Richard the 1st of England– Daily allotments of 2 pounds of pepper and 4 pounds of cinnamonCinnamomum verum (also C. zeylanicum) – small evergreen tree in the laurel family– Native to Sri Lanka (Ceylon) and India– Ceylon cinnamon = True cinnamonSpice– Two-year-old branches are cut in 3 foot sections and soaked in water for 24+ hours– Branches are fermented for 24 hours and then the bark (2 layers) is peeled off. The outer layeris removed (may be used later to makecinnamon oil)– The inner bark dries to form cinnamon quillsCassia – The “imposter” revealed!Evergreen tree native to southern China, Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, and VietnamClosely related to cinnamonThe terms are interchangeable in the USMost of the world views-World trade in true cinnamon (AKA Ceylon cinnamon) is between 7,500to 10,000 tons annually-world trade in cassia is between 20,000 to 25,000 tons annuallySeveral types of Cassia– Cinnamomum aromaticum (Chinese cinnamon)– Cinnamomum loureirii (Saigon cinnamon, Vietnamese cinnamon)– Cinnamomum burmannii (Indonesian cinnamon)A quick Side Note:Coumarin– Secondary plant metabolite found in many plants including cassia and cinnamon– has appetite suppressing properties– United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA)o among “substances generally prohibited from direct addition or use as human food”Cinnamon – Current Uses– Food– Medicine/Researcho Antioxidanto Antimicrobialo Type II Diabetes Insulin Resistance SaffronSaffron – Current MarketMajor Exporter– Iran (94 % of world total)– Spain, Kashmir, Greece, Azerbaijan, Morocco, and ItalyCurrent price– $3-$5,000/lb – market fluctuates– 50-75,000 flowers (150 -250,000 stigmas)/lb. of saffron spiceOriginally: Crocus cartwrightianusCrocus sativus (Family: Iridaceae)– A perennial bulb – flowers in the fall, usually with 2 flowers perbulb– Completely domesticated– Corms (reproductive organs)– Crocus sativus (Family: Iridaceae)– A perennial bulb – flowers in the fall, usually with 2 flowers per bulb– Completely domesticatedo Corms (reproductive organs)– Three stigmas (Saffron)225,000 stigmas / lb of saffron; Approx. 75,000 flowersSaffron – 21st centuryWorlds most expensive spice by weight– Why?Manual harvest of the stigmaSaffron – Current usesFood, Dye, Medicine– Antioxidant– Anticarcinogen– Anti-mutagenic– Carcinoma, sarcoma, and