Herbs, spices and olive oil

For thousands of years, spices were traded across long distances. Routes over land and sea linked Asia, the Middle East, Africa and Europe. Spices such as pepper, cinnamon and cloves were light to carry and highly valued.

Along these routes, people exchanged more than goods. Ideas, languages, foods and beliefs travelled too. The spice trade helped shape cities, ports and cuisines. It also brought conflict, and powerful countries sometimes took control of the lands where spices grew.

Herbs are usually the leaves of plants, such as parsley, basil, coriander or mint. Spices usually come from seeds, bark, roots, buds or berries, such as cumin, cinnamon, ginger or pepper.

Every cuisine has its own favourite flavours and mixes. Many families have their own blend, passed down and adjusted to taste. The same spice might be used in sweet dishes in one place and savoury dishes in another.

Olive trees have been grown around the Mediterranean for thousands of years. In many places there, olive oil became part of cooking, lamp lighting, trade and religious and cultural ceremonies.

Today olive trees also grow in other parts of the world, including Australia. Some families have their own traditions, such as picking olives together each year or sharing oil from a home region. For many people, olive oil carries strong memories of place.

A single ingredient can hold a whole story. It might be linked to a place, a season, a festival or a person. A herb grown in a pot on the balcony, or a spice bought at a favourite market, can carry deep meaning.

To explore an ingredient’s story, start with a few simple questions. The answers can become a short talk, a piece of writing or a photo.

Describing smell and taste can be hard, but it gets easier with practice. Aroma words include earthy, fresh, smoky, floral, woody and sharp. Flavour words include sweet, sour, salty, bitter, savoury, hot and mild.

Colour words help too, such as golden, deep red, bright green and pale yellow. Every language has its own rich words for food. Sharing those words is a lovely way to learn from each other.