Substances possessing practically no nutritive value, but consumed either for their stimulating effects or for their flavor, are known as food adjuncts. Tea and coffee belong under this head, as do condiments which increase the appe- tite and stimulate the flow of digestive juices. Condi- ments are largely aromatic fruits, seeds, and leaves, con- taining volatile oils. Little children are considered better off without spiced foods, as natural, unstimulated appetite is the best guide to the amount of food which should be eaten. Then, too, the spices which are preservatives may hinder digestion and so cause difficulty. The flavorings vanilla, orange, and lemon are usually considered harmless. ALLSPICE. The fruit of an evergreen tree which grows in the West Indies and belongs to the same family as the clove. The fruit is gathered when it is full grown, but before it is ripe, and is dried in the sun. The name comes from the supposed resem- blance in taste to a mixture of cinnamon, clove, and nutmeg. ANISE, coriander, cumin, dill, and fennel, are all fruits of various plants. BAYLEAF, marjoram, mint, and summer savory are dried herbs. CAPERS. These are the flower buds of the caper bush. They are picked and dried, and stored in vinegar, but afterwards re- moved and packed for shipping without the vinegar. CONDIMENTS 87 CARAWAY. These so-called seeds are the fruit of a plant growing in northern and central Europe and Asia ; it is also cultivated in this country, especially in California. CAYENNE. Cayenne or red-pepper is the fruit of the capsicum, not a true pepper, several species of which are grown in the tropics. They belong to the same family as the potato and tomato. CINNAMON. True cinnamon is the inner bark of a plant native to Ceylon. Cassia is a thicker bark, resembling cinnamon in flavor, but less delicate, coming from India, China, and the East Indies. Much so-called cinnamon is really cassia. Both have a right to the botanical name cinnamon. CLOVE. The flower buds of an evergreen grown largely in Zanzibar, British East India, and the West Indies. The buds are dried in the sun or treated with wood smoke. Dark, well-formed cloves are best. Ground cloves deteriorate more quickly than do whole cloves. GINGER. The root of a plant native to southern Asia. The plant, not unlike the iris in appearance, grows freely in moist places in tropical countries. The root is gathered when the stem withers, is scalded, or washed and scraped, to prevent sprouting, and is sometimes bleached. Preserved, Canton, and crystallized ginger are made from young roots. HORSE-RADISH. This is the root of a plant related to the cress or nasturtium family. It is ground 88 FOOD STUDY MACE. MUSTARD. NUTMEG. PAPRIKA. PEPPER. SALT. for use, and is sometimes mixed with vinegar.

AI-modernized reading of the original text

Substances possessing practically no nutritive value, but consumed either for their stimulating effects or for their flavor, are known as food adjuncts. Tea and coffee belong under this head, as do condiments which increase the appetite and stimulate the flow of digestive juices. Condiments are largely aromatic fruits, seeds, and leaves, containing volatile oils. Little children are considered better off without spiced foods, as natural, unstimulated appetite is the best guide to the amount of food which should be eaten. Then, too, the spices which are preservatives may hinder digestion and so cause difficulty. The flavorings vanilla, orange, and lemon are usually considered harmless. ALLSPICE. The fruit of an evergreen tree which grows in the West Indies and belongs to the same family as the clove. The fruit is gathered when it is full grown, but before it is ripe, and is dried in the sun. The name comes from the supposed resemblance in taste to a mixture of cinnamon, clove, and nutmeg. ANISE, coriander, cumin, dill, and fennel, are all fruits of various plants. BAYLEAF, marjoram, mint, and summer savory are dried herbs. CAPERS. These are the flower buds of the caper bush. They are picked and dried, and stored in vinegar, but afterwards removed and packed for shipping without the vinegar. CONDIMENTS CARAWAY. These so-called seeds are the fruit of a plant growing in northern and central Europe and Asia ; it is also cultivated in this country, especially in California. CAYENNE. Cayenne or red-pepper is the fruit of the capsicum, not a true pepper, several species of which are grown in the tropics. They belong to the same family as the potato and tomato. CINNAMON. True cinnamon is the inner bark of a plant native to Ceylon. Cassia is a thicker bark, resembling cinnamon in flavor, but less delicate, coming from India, China, and the East Indies. Much so-called cinnamon is really cassia. Both have a right to the botanical name cinnamon. CLOVE. The flower buds of an evergreen grown largely in Zanzibar, British East India, and the West Indies. The buds are dried in the sun or treated with wood smoke. Dark, well-formed cloves are best. Ground cloves deteriorate more quickly than do whole cloves. GINGER. The root of a plant native to southern Asia. The plant, not unlike the iris in appearance, grows freely in moist places in tropical countries. The root is gathered when the stem withers, is scalded, or washed and scraped, to prevent sprouting, and is sometimes bleached. Preserved, Canton, and crystallized ginger are made from young roots. HORSE-RADISH. This is the root of a plant related to the cress or nasturtium family. It is ground MACE. MUSTARD. NUTMEG. PAPRIKA. PEPPER. for use, and is sometimes mixed with vinegar.

Food study