If your knowledge of fall spices is limited to the pumpkin spice latte at your favorite coffee shop, then you’re in for some schoolin'. Pull up a chair, take some notes, and head out to the farmer’s market to stock up on some of fall’s tastiest and healthiest spices.
Sexy Cinnamon
Not only is cinnamon de rigueur in the season’s best treats (apple pie, pumpkin brownies, pear tarts), if nostalgia had a scent, this would surely be it.
But did you know it has beneficial health properties beyond happy memories? Cinnamon can help stabilize blood sugar, which is vital for losing weight or maintaining it, because when your blood sugar levels go wonky, it’s easier to overeat. It also has antifungal and pain-relieving properties. Because cinnamon can also lower blood sugar and cholesterol, it’s particularly useful for people with type 2 diabetes. Throw some in your banana-pumpkin smoothie, coffee or even your water (which is said to help raise your metabolism), and you're good to go.
Good Ol' Ginger
A little bit sweet, a little bit spicy and a whole lot of delicious flavor, ginger is bursting with healthful benefits. It soothes an upset stomach, has antimicrobial properties, and a teaspoon has antioxidant levels similar to those found in one cup of spinach. Try it freshly grated or ground in sweets for a real treat. It’s essential in stir fries and absolutely heavenly where it’s least expected, like caramelized banana pancakes.
Nuts About Nutmeg
Warm and inviting, nutmeg doesn’t just smell like Christmas or make a necessary addition to baked goods--it helps detoxify the liver and kidneys, so much so it’s used in preventing and dissolving painful kidney stones. Because it’s also thought to be an aphrodisiac as well as a sleep aid, it deserves a coveted spot in your spice cabinet. A dash of it--particularly freshly grated--is unexpectedly wonderful on sauteed spinach or kale or sprinkled onto roasted winter squashes.
Cool Cloves
What you thought was just your grandma’s favorite thing to stuff into the skins of oranges is actually the most antioxidant-rich spice of them all. Cloves are packed with free-radical fighting agents. These not only help combat aging, but degenerative conditions such as heart disease, cancer, macular degeneration, Alzheimer’s and diabetes. They are also a good source of vitamins K and C, omega-3 fatty acids, magnesium, calcium and dietary fiber. Cloves are fantastic in desserts like rice pudding, as well as more savory dishes like stews.
Classy Cardamom
Seductively spicy and sweetly floral--who knew vitamins and minerals could taste like this? Cardamom is full of the minerals potassium, calcium and magnesium, as well as vitamins riboflavin and niacin. Cardamom is essential in fall’s other ubiquitous caffeinated beverage, chai tea, as well as coffee cake.
Keeping these spices on hand will not only help you make the lip-lickin’ most of the season’s best eats, but they’ll also help keep you in your best shape.
What fall spices do you love cooking with? Share them in the comments section!
Brook Bolen, Contributing Writer
Born and raised in Appalachia, Brook Bolen is a bona fide country girl who now lives in the heart of the Dirty South. When she's not cooking, eating, or writing, she's scouring the Internet for videos of baby animals. A flawlessly manicured freelance writer and proud pitbull mama and advocate, Brook eats like a rabid vegan wolverine. And her garden kicks major ass.
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