Cold. Catarrh. Cough. You leave your friends and family members worried whenever you speak on the phone with them. You know who you are. You are an African visiting or living in the diaspora. You caught ‘japa’ syndrome and some flu too. Never mind. We’ve got you covered. Africa, like some parts of Asia, boasts of some spices that will free up your airways and make it easier to breathe.
Here are a few recipes you need to be winter-worthy:
Cameroon Pepper
This has piperine which accounts for its distinctive flavour. When blended into powder form, it can be used to spice up your delicacies whether it’s soup, fish, meat or chicken. The benefits of Cameroon Pepper include eliminating bloating and aiding the cardiovascular system. Be sure to know the right measurement to take otherwise your visit to the toilet may be more frequent than necessary.
Ginger
Some people don’t know that ginger is spicy till they attempt to eat it raw. It is good to peel and blend it and use as spice for food. You can also mix it with warm water and serve as tea to improve your lungs’ wellbeing.
Sweet Basil Leaves
The leaves are so underrated that many African women reserve it for soups when one becomes ill. But this is changing now. Many healthy diet freaks have made this a staple in preparing soups such as black soup. You can get the seeds and plants in your garden. It’s great for a woman’s womb to heal after childbirth, according to older African women.
Berbere
This is popular in East Africa. Berbere contains dried red chillies, allspice, ajwain seeds, cinnamon, peppercorns, ground ginger, cloves, coriander seeds, cardamom seeds, and fenugreek. Berbere spice blend is typically added to soups and stews.
Curry Leaves
Extracted from the foliage of the curry tree, curry leaves can be used for both medicinal and culinary applications. They are highly aromatic and have a unique flavour with notes of citrus. Aside from being a versatile culinary herb, they offer reduction of your cholesterol levels, controlling your blood sugar levels, helping you with pain-relief, offering anti-inflammatory effects and offering antibacterial properties. It is also packed with carbohydrates, fibre, calcium, phosphorus, irons and vitamins like vitamin C, vitamin A, vitamin B, vitamin E which can help your heart function better. It can liven up your hair and skin with vitality.
