5 Super Spices To Fight Off Cold This Winter Season
The most wonderful time of the year doesn’t always feel like that when you’re trying desperately to stay warm. Winter can be a tough time for everyone, and fighting the urge to get back in bed is hard enough without having to face the cold. This is why we have prepared a list of warming spices that you can add to your winter special foods. These not only make your winter foods all the more delicious but healthier too.
Are Spices Good For Health?
Over the years research has shown that spices have a myriad of health benefits but even before then, our ancestors were very aware of how spices could affect us positively. Warm spices not only help us to remain warm during the cold seasons but also have health benefits that protect us from the effects of winter. So here is our list of 5 super spices to fight off the cold this winter season.
1. Pepper helps reduce coughing
The winter months can seem long and hard to bear because of the drop in temperatures, but you do have one easy way to deal with that.
Both white and black pepper have wonderfully warming properties and are excellent in soups, curries and even sweet dishes for some added warmth.
Aside from its warming properties, black pepper has amazing health benefits which can help you during the winter or at any time of the year.
It is an immunity booster spice as it helps you absorb nutrition from other foods and generally helps activate the immune system through its heat.
You can also use black pepper for coughs as it can be infused in tea or coffee to help treat sore throats. Badshah’s black pepper powder and white pepper powder are jam-packed with these health benefits which makes them excellent choices for this purpose
2. Consuming Red Chillies in certain amounts helps in maintaining blood pressure
While these have more of a kick than pepper, Red chillies have a distinct flavour and colour that enhance any dish that they are included in. They can be used in curries or in chilli oil which makes an amazing topping.
A major benefit of having chillies is the capsaicin that they contain. Consuming capsaicin helps your body decongest and can be vital during the winter months to keep you breathing in the winter air.
Red chilli contains potassium, which relaxes blood vessels and thus helps to maintain blood pressure.
Luckily Badshah has both a spicy Red Chilli Powder as well as Kashmiri Chilli Powder which helps add both flavour and colour to your dishes while keeping you healthy.
3. Ginger / Adrak is an immunity booster
Ginger is a staple of just about every winter dish because of its deep and comforting warmth.
No cup of masala chai is complete without it.
It has a huge variety of health benefits making it a great immunity booster spice and can easily be incorporated into meals to enhance its flavour and to keep you warm inside no matter what is happening outside.
While freshly grated ginger is excellent, it is not always feasible to have ginger throughout the year which is why it is beneficial to have Badshah’s Ginger Powder on hand. It has all the health benefits and flavours of ginger and is much more convenient for adding to your dishes and hot tonics.
4. Clove improves oral health
The pungent flavour and odour of clove is not the only aspect that makes it stand out. It has long been used as a home remedy for a host of illnesses.
Many people have wondered if cloves are good for coughing?
As it was often chewed on to help soothe sore throats. The oils from cloves have all sorts of benefits and it is known to be an immunity booster spice. It also has a generally warming effect on the body though not to the extent of some of the other spices on this list.
A side benefit is that it also has a myriad of oral benefits. Due to its powerful anti-microbial properties, chewing/sucking cloves can remove bacteria in your mouth, helping you keep your mouth bacteria-free.
5. Cinnamon boosts metabolism
This spice is used in a wide variety of winter dishes because of its warming effects and wonderful aroma.
It is the perfect companion to a number of winter special foods like pecan pie or similar warming desserts.
In India, it is an essential addition to garam masala which forms the base to a myriad of dishes that warm you from the inside out, making cinnamon an ideal winter spice.
Conclusion
We hope you learned something about these amazing spices and that you will be able to incorporate them into your daily foods. An apple a day might keep the doctor away but having some of these spices in every meal is sure to keep the cold away.
FAQ on Winter Spices
1. What is the rarest spice?
Ans. Saffron is one of the rarest spices and has a wonderfully warm flavour as well as its trademark yellow colour.
2. What spices should everyone have in their pantry?
Ans. Spices like ginger, cinnamon, and clove are essential because of their versatility. They can be used in sweet and savoury dishes alike.
3. What spice smells like Christmas?
Ans. Warming spices are what we typically associate with Christmas as they are ideal to keep us healthy during the winter months
4. Is cinnamon a winter flavour?
Ans. Cinnamon along with other spices like nutmeg, cloves and star anise are all labelled Christmas flavours.