Spice raw material available in the domestic grocery trade

Abstract

Spices are a group of plants represented in every corner of the world by numerous species and used in a variety of ways. The analyses show that over 80 spice ingredients from plants belonging to 33 families are available in grocery trade in Poland. The most numerous families are: Apiaceae, Lamiaceae and Zingiberaceae. Both spices based on domestic plants and those found naturally in other climatic zones can be found on markets. The most spice raw materials come from plants that grow naturally and are grown in Asia and the Mediterranean countries. Some of the species, e.g. caraway (Carum carvi L.), wild celery(Angelica archangelica L.), oregano (Origanum vulgare L.), occur in the wild state in Central and Eastern Europe. In Polish grocery trade, spices are available mainly in dried and ground form, and the most sold ones are: black pepper, bay leaf, allspice, cumin, garlic, paprika, marjoram, fennel, parsley, nutmeg and cinnamon. Recently, mixtures of spices for specific meals such as pizza, fish, chicken, barbecued dishes and sauces, are also eagerly bought.