Other articles you might enjoy:

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2. An Herb Gardener's Diary--Part Three

3. All About Chervil

4. The Pleasure of Fresh Herbs

5. A Book Review: The Mistress of Spices

Make the most of culinary herbs and spices.

Is the caraway a health seasoning? What is it good for? JB

Caraway has long been thought to aide digestion. I checked the Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center's informative pages on using botanicals for healing and they didn't even have it listed.

Hi, I am very allergic to any thing pepper. My questions is ....Is CUMIN part of the pepper family? Can you give me a list of any or all spices that are? I know of several but some I have questioned. Thanks for your response. ID

As always, I urge you to seek out such important information from your allergist. In answer to your question, cumin is a member of the Apiaceae (formerly known as Umbelliferae) family. Black pepper is a member of the Piperaceae family while chile peppers are capsicums, a genus from the Solanaceae family.

My daughter consumes a whole packet of cardamon pods each day, eating them like sweets uncooked. .... she seems to have an addiction because if there aren't any in the house she becomes very irritable. Is it dangerous to the body to eat such large amounts? Thank you so much for your help. CH

Women who are pregnant or nursing as well as people who have trouble with gallstones should avoid large amounts of cardamom. Your daughter's consumption sounds excessive to me (and expensive!) and I think you should check with a health professional about the potential danger of such a habit.

Hello: Can you tell me if there is a difference in nutritive value between fresh garlic and garlic powder? And is there a difference in nutritive value between fresh ginger and ginger powder. There is a distinct difference in taste between fresh and powdered forms in both garlic and ginger. The powdered form is bland. Thank you very much and very much obliged. SCW

You're right about the distinct difference in flavor of fresh or dried ginger and garlic, but I suppose that is true about most foods. Anyway, here's what I learned about the nutritional values at a nifty site called NutritionData.com. In garlic, measuring 1 ounce fresh vs. 1 Tablespoon garlic powder: total weight 28g/8g; calories 42/27; no fat; protein 2g/1g; carbohydrates 9g/6g; dietary fiber 1g/1g. For 1 ounce of ginger root vs. dried ground ginger: total weight 28.35g/5g; calories 22/18; no fat; protein 1g/0g;carbohydrates 5g/4g; dietary fiber 1g/1g. Interesting, isn't it? Thanks for asking.

My daughter-in-law is allergic to ground cinnamon. What would be a good substitute for ground cinnamon if any? EH

Allspice or nutmeg would provide the warm flavor that cinnamon imparts but you should check with her allergist before trying to substitute them. Faithful reader KJ offers this insight into spice allergies: "It is common for people that have celery allergies to present Celery Mug Wort/Birch Spice Syndrome. I cannot drink Chai because this syndrome can cause allergies to cinnamon, nutmeg, pepper and vanilla of all things. All of these ingredients are used to make Chai."

I have several salad dressing recipes that call for dried spices. My granddaughter has food allergies and I wonder if there are substitutions that can be used for thyme, basil, marjoram and rosemary. PJ

It's difficult to suggest a substitution since you don't say what it is about these particular herbs that she is allergic. Your best bet would be to talk to an allergist.

Hi. I'm trying to find information about the nutritional value of herbs, and also, or should I say mainly, if they work synergistically with other foods when you add them to recipes. Do you have any info? Can you point me in the right direction? I'd really like to know if the nutritional value is more than the sum of its parts. I've recently joined a herb gardening group and would like to share any info I gather. Thanks, CF

I'm not aware of any studies that have been done on the synergy of herbs but I can point you to some nutritional information. The World's Healthiest Foods website has many herbs and spices listed if you search on the individual ingredient.

I’ve just recently had two severed allergic reaction with shrimps but I love seafood and never had a problem. Could it be the old bay seasoning? CR

Hard to say. You should take this matter up with an allergist.

Are nutmeg, cinnamon and cloves considered tree nuts? AMM

The short answer is no but you should be aware that these spices may be processed for packaging at places that are also processing tree nuts and sesame seeds. I found an interesting discussion on the topic at the Allergic Living website's forum. I encourage you to talk to a health professional about this question.

Hi! I was wondering if anyone can tell me if I take cinnamon directly I get irritation in my mouth, if I take small pinches when added to tea it's ok. Shall I continue taking it or internally is it going to harm me? PS

This is a question for your doctor or naturopath. I can see, however, how the intense essential oils of cinnamon taken by itself could cause irritation but cinnamon is generally recognized as safe. We are all different so do see a professional about this question.

Is it true that cinnamon raises blood pressure? I

This is way out of my league so I refer you to a website I respect: The World's Healthiest Foods for more information about cinnamon's health properties. And, don't forget, your doctor is the best person to ask about blood pressure.

Was interested in trying epazote until I read on your site that it is poisonous in large quantities...could you elaborate on this...how much is a large quantity...thank you. D

The essential oil from the seeds of epazote is considered toxic and should not be taken internally. Pregnant and lactating women should stay away from even epazote leaves. I have searched and searched for a definitive answer to how much is too much but didn't come up with an answer. WHO studies have shown that 1/2 cup of a decoction given for 4 days had no side effects. In my mind, anything more than a Tablespoon (which weighs in at .1 ounce) might be considered a large amount for one person to consume. Most recipes that serve 4 to 6 people don't even call for that much. One source recommended using the leaves only rather than whole stems to avoid the strongest essential oils.

Just wanted to let the poster who mentioned Old Bay know that I had a severe reaction to it and called the company to find out that Cayenne Pepper is one of the ingredients. I've had reactions to cayenne pepper before and now know to avoid Old Bay. Sad, since I live in Baltimore! SC

Thanks for the info.

My husband has a severe milk allergy - not lactose intolerance, but allergic to anything with milk protein. (You would not believe the amount of prescription and over-the-counter medications that contain milk!) The hives he experiences are horrible. We have been told to avoid natural and artificial flavorings, because of potential milk proteins. Can you tell me what natural and artificial flavorings to watch? Thanks so much - MR

You will probably get a good deal of help from the FoodReactions.org website. I found an article there specifically dedicated to "hidden milk."

We had the opportunity to taste sumagh (Iran possible spelling) or sumac. We thought it might be a nice substitute for salt which we are trying to cut back. Please advise if there is a potassium level to this spice and any moderation advice on usage. Thank you, FG

My goodness, this question sent me on a real quest. I wandered about the internet into unhelpful sites that said 1 sumac had no potassium. Who knows just what 1 sumac might be: a gram? A berry? Hmmmp. Other sites didn't mention potassium on the nutritional information lists. Then I landed in the middle of a very scientific study that was more baffling than anything. From what I could glean, a half gram sample of sumac berries has 7963.35 (plus or minus 47.85) parts per million potassium. I hope this means more to you than it does to me. I didn't find any warnings against eating the spice in general. I suppose that you have seen the article "All About Sumac?"

Can eating poppy seed muffins cause children to become hyperactive and change their behavior? RG

I can't find any information that indicates that sort of problem. Depending on the recipe, there is probably more sugar than poppy seeds in a muffin so it might be hard to tell.

Please: I have a serious allergy to cinnamon. What can I substitute for it. Allspice and nutmeg are almost as bad as cinnamon. Thanks. WPS

In this case it's important to know what it is in cinnamon that causes your allergic reaction. I encourage you to speak with your doctor or a registered dietitian in this case.

Good day, I would love to have poppy seeds included in my curries cooking. My questions: Does it have any bad affects if eaten in excess? If yes, what's the maximum dosage like in sauce cooking? Hope to hear from you soon. Thanks! Cheers + regards, JL

 Aside from possible false-positive results on a drug test and as long as you are eating culinary poppy seeds derived from the opium poppy, Papaver somniferum, you should be safe even in large amounts. Other garden varieties of poppy are grown as ornamentals and are not safe to ingest.

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