MEDICINAL USES OF MOROCCAN SPICES
I’m kicking off a week of posts focusing on natural ideas and recipes. I have been wanting to do these posts for a while. I have to make a confession here – I was a total skeptic about traditional/natural medicine before my last trip to Morocco. I was a skeptic up until the day I had gotten a serious bout of digestive issues and couldn't keep anything down. My mother shoved a spoonful of cumin in my mouth and all of the nastiness stopped. Just like that!!! Moroccan food is full of different spices and traditional medicine, shops can be found in every market in Morocco. Here’s a little rundown and history of some of the most common spices used in Morocco (note the Darija word in brackets) and their medicinal uses.
Cumin {Kamoon}
Cumin has been used as a flavoring and medicinal herb since ancient times. Seeds have been found at archaeological digs dating to the 2nd millennium BC! Ancient Greeks, like Moroccans of today kept cumin on their table much as other cultures do with salt and pepper. The plants are grown and harvested during the hot summer months in Morocco. The seeds can be used whole or ground to powder to use. This spice is heavily used in Moroccan cuisine. It is supposed to increase lactation and reduce nausea in pregnancy. It also has been shown to be effective in treating carpal tunnel syndrome, as well as diarrhea, indigestion, and morning sickness. Cumin tea is also brewed. A teaspoon of cumin seeds steeped in a cup of hot water for 5 minutes releases the healing properties. For indigestion problems a teaspoon of cumin powder swallowed directly aids in the reduction of symptoms. While not always a pleasant taste in such high quantities, it does work!
Cinnamon {Dar al Cini}
Fenugreek {L’halba}
Ginger {skinjbir}
Nigella Seeds {Sanouj}
Nigella seeds also were brought to Morocco from the Indian subcontinent. They are now domestically grown and harvested for use in traditional medicine and with some dishes. Nigella seeds are found in the hadith and heralded as a cure for everything except death. The seeds are used extensively to cure simple things such as a rash or cold or to use as an anti-inflamatory for joint pain. The seeds are often found in breads or cheeses in the Middle East, but it also can be made into a tea and drank as an elixir.
Turmeric {Quekoum}
These are just some of the spices used in Moroccan food to help with ailments. Walking into a herboristerie one will be confronted with hundreds of jars of ingredients, all that have some medicinal property. Next time you are out of your favorite over the counter medication, maybe you'll want to give one of these natural remedies a try!