Spices

Botanical name: Zingiber officinale

Physical description: Ginger is a plant with leaf stalks and yellowish green flowers. The ginger spice comes from the roots of the plant. The ginger root is beige in color with a knotted, rough appearance.

Taste description: Ginger makes a delicious, fragrant and tangy cup of tea. Simple ginger tea is neither sweet nor savory. It has a more herbal taste, like a slightly grassy tea without bitterness. Ginger teas are often mixed with citrus and other fruits that blend in well with the earthy flavor.

Other Notable Facts / Info: Ginger comes from warmer parts of Asia such as China, Japan, and India. Now it is also grown in parts of South America and Africa. It is used as a flavoring in foods and beverages.

Used in Premsoul product: Bio Chai – Traditional, Bio Chai – Rooibos, Bio Chai Essence – Traditional, Bio Chai Essence – Rooibos

Botanical name: Cinnamomum verum

Physical description: Cinnamon is a spice extracted from the inner bark of several species of trees in the genus Cinnamomum. It is golden yellow in color.

Taste description: Cinnamon tea is a tisane, or herbal tea, which is made by brewing cinnamon bark in hot water. It’s generally made with cinnamon sticks, but crushed bark, powdered cinnamon, or cinnamon extract can also be used. Cinnamon is an earthy, woody spice that gives it a warm, spicy and subtly sweet taste. Cinnamon tea can also be made from tea leaves and refined with other flavors or spices.

Other Notable Facts / Info: Did you know that, along with black pepper, cinnamon is one of the most widely used spices in the world? Cinnamon is mainly used as an aromatic spice and flavoring additive in a variety of cuisines, sweet and savory dishes, breakfast cereals, snacks, tea, and traditional foods. The aroma and taste of cinnamon come from the essential oil.

Used in Premsoul product: Organic Chai – Traditional, Organic Chai – Rooibos, Organic Chai Essence – Traditional, Organic Chai Essence – Rooibos, Organic Turmeric masala, Organic Golden Milk Essence

Botanical name: Piper nigrum

Physical description: Black pepper is obtained from the small dried berries of the Piper nigrum vine. In the case of black pepper, the berries are picked while still green, left to ferment and then sun-dried until they have shrunk to a brownish-black color. The black pepper plant is a woody climbing plant and can reach a height of 10 meters due to its aerial roots.

Taste description: This hot spice has a distinctive aroma and a pungent taste on the tongue that warms the body. Black pepper gives herbal tea a strong, spicy bite.

Other Notable Facts / Info: Black pepper is also known as the “King of Spices” and “Black Gold” because of its stature, which it had centuries ago in the global spice trade. Black pepper comes from India’s Malabar coast and is one of the earliest known spices. It is a widely used spice around the world. The black pepper vine comes from India, but is also grown in almost all tropical regions.

Used in Premsoul product: Organic Chai – Traditional, Organic Chai – Rooibos, Organic Chai Essence – Traditional, Organic Chai Essence – Rooibos, Organic Turmeric masala, Organic Golden Milk Essence

Botanical name: Syzygium aromaticum

Physical description: Carnations come from the tropical evergreen tree of the Myrtaceae family. The small red-brown flower buds are used as a spice. Externally, the cloves are brownish, rough and irregularly wrinkled with short breaks and a dry, woody texture.

Taste description: The taste of cloves is strong, sweet & almost hot. They are one of the most pervasive of all spices, and their bitter, astringent taste leaves your mouth feeling numb. Cloves are also sometimes used to make tea.

Other Notable Facts / Info: During the late Middle Ages, cloves were used in Europe to preserve, season, and garnish foods. They are used to flavor many foods, especially meat and baked goods.

Used in Premsoul product: Bio Chai – Traditional, Bio Chai – Rooibos, Bio Chai Essence – Traditional, Bio Chai Essence – Rooibos

Botanical name: Pimpinella anisum

Physical description: anise is a herb. It is the seed of the Pimpinella anisum plant. They look very similar to fennel seeds, but are significantly smaller. Anise seeds (sweet aniseed) have a light nutty brown color.

Taste description: Anise is used as a flavoring in food. Anise is known for its natural sweetness. It has a sweet, aromatic taste similar to that of black liquorice.
Anise acts as a gentle calming aid, but it is not a solution to serious health problems. It makes a warming, fragrant and tangy tea that soothes the senses. What makes aniseed tea worthwhile is its sweet, aromatic taste similar to liquorice.

Other Notable Facts / Info: Do not confuse anise with other herbs such as star anise or fennel. These are sometimes mistakenly called aniseed. Anise is widely used in alcohols, liquors, and beverages. Anise is also used in dairy products, gelatins, meat, candy, and breath fresheners.

Used in Premsoul product: Bio Chai – Traditional, Bio Chai – Rooibos, Bio Chai Essence – Traditional, Bio Chai Essence – Rooibos

Botanical name: Myristica fragrans

Physical description: Nutmeg comes from the seeds of a tropical evergreen tree fruit. Dried nutmegs are gray-brown ovals with ridged surfaces.

Taste description: The nutmeg spice has a pronounced pungent scent and a warm, slightly sweet taste. It is used to flavor many types of baked goods, confectionery, puddings, potatoes, meat, sausages, sauces, vegetables, and beverages such as eggnog. It’s a versatile spice. The fleshy kernels that surround the nutmeg seeds are the source of the spice called mace.

Other Notable Facts / Info: In the past, grated nutmeg was used in Europe to cure colds, and the Romans used it as incense. The tree, which bears nutmeg seeds, reaches heights of 10 to 20 m and is native to India, Indonesia and Sri Lanka.

Used in Premsoul product: Bio Chai – Traditional, Bio Chai – Rooibos, Bio Chai Essence – Traditional, Bio Chai Essence – Rooibos

Botanical name: Elettaria cardamomum

Physical Description: Cardamom is a spice that is recognized by its small seed pods. They have a triangular cross-section and are spindle-shaped, with a thin, paper-like outer shell and small black seeds. Elettaria pods are commonly referred to as green cardamom because they are light green in color.

Taste description: Cardamom has a strong, sweet, pungent taste and aroma with hints of lemon and mint. It is used to flavor both sweet and savory dishes. If you use green cardamom for hot drinks such as coffee, simply grind three to four cardamom seeds together with the coffee beans and pour hot water over them as usual.

Other Notable Facts / Info: It’s widely used in Indian, Middle Eastern, Arabic, and Swedish cuisines. Cardamom is of two types; black and green. It can be used as whole pods, seeds, or in ground form. Cardamom seeds or pods are sometimes chewed to get fresh breath. It is contained in the Garam Masala spice mix, which is used to season meat and vegetable dishes. Green cardamom is an important ingredient in hot drinks such as masala chai.

Used in Premsoul product: Bio Chai – Traditional, Bio Chai – Rooibos, Bio Chai Essence – Traditional, Bio Chai Essence – Rooibos

Botanical name: Curcuma longa

Physical Description: Turmeric is a spice that comes from the turmeric plant. It is related to the ginger family and looks pretty much the same. Turmeric powder is bright yellow and mustard-like in color.

Taste description: It has a warm, bitter taste and is often used to flavor or color curry powders, mustard, butter and cheese. Turmeric tea brewed with grated turmeric root or pure powder is believed to be one of the most effective ways to consume this spice. It has a unique but subtle taste. Turmeric can also be consumed in the form of golden milk, which is a combination of warm milk and turmeric.

Other Notable Facts / Info: It is widely used in Asian foods. You probably know turmeric as the main spice in curry. The turmeric root is also widely used in the manufacture of Ayurvedic medicines. Turmeric is mainly grown and exported in India, but is also produced in parts of China, Vietnam, and Peru.

Used in Premsoul product: Organic Turmeric masala, Organic Golden Milk Essence

Botanical name: Aspalathus linearis

Physical description: Rooibos tea or red tea is a medicinal herbal drink made from the bush plant found in South Africa. If rooibos tea leaves are dried quickly after harvest to prevent oxidation, we get green rooibos. The rooibos leaves turn orange-red during fermentation.

Taste description: Rooibos tea has a sweet, delicate and earthy taste. People can enjoy rooibos tea hot or cold, similar to black tea. Rooibos tea is a good alternative for people who want to reduce or avoid their caffeine intake.

Other notable facts / info: Rooibos is a herb native to South Africa and not a real “tea” at all. Rather, it is a plant that, after harvesting and drying, can be brewed into a red-brown herbal tea, which the tea industry calls “African red tea” or “red bush tea”.

Used in Premsoul product: Organic Chai – Rooibos, Organic Chai Essence – Rooibos

Botanical name: Camellia sinensis assamica

Physical description: The variety with the larger leaves of the tea plant is typically used to make black tea. Originally from the Indian district of Assam, it grows in warm, humid climates and is fertile in subtropical forests.

Taste Description: The taste can range from lively, smoky, earthy, musky, and strong to a lighter cup with chocolate, cocoa, or even sweet and spicy notes. In general, black tea is stronger, bolder, and richer than green tea. Brewed black tea can range in color from amber to red to dark brown. It is known for its full-bodied malt flavor, deep aroma, rich color, and lively taste that is typically attributed to the unique process of making tea.

Other Notable Facts / Info: Assam is the largest tea producing area in India and accounts for more than 50% of the country’s total production. The tropical monsoon climate provides a perfect weather environment for tea production.

Premsoul’s products: Organic Chai – Traditional, Organic Chai Essence – Traditional.