Listen to this episode
The health benefits of spices..
Colors, smells, flavors… Today, we’re going to talk about spices.
Spices were once so precious that the French language still bears the trace of it, when one says ‘to pay in cash’.
Their virtues in cooking are countless, their nutritional richness immense. They add that joyful, flavorful, and colorful touch, especially in vegetarian dishes.
They help reduce the use of salt and sugar thanks to their aromas.
Spices often contribute to the defense of the plant that produces them against attacks. When ingested, they thus retain their antioxidant properties in our bodies and reduce the risk of certain diseases.
‘Half of the pharmacy is in the kitchen and the other half is in the garden,’ says an Ayurvedic proverb.
The guest: Manuel Brunet
To discuss the powers of spices, I am pleased to welcome Manuel Brunet, co-director of Arcadie, which has been producing organic spices and culinary herbs since 1990. With two flagship brands, Herbier de France and Cook.
Manuel is the father of three grown children, he is 45 years old and joined the family business at 21, at the birth of his first child. He has co-run Arcadie for more than 10 years.
Arcadie is an adventure about spices, aromatics, herbal teas… But also about organic agriculture, fair trade, responsible finance, and above all people on the move!
For 7 years, Arcadie has been on a path of transformation to move away from hierarchical organizational models and to foster as much autonomy, freedom, and responsibility as possible.
My questions
- Hello Manuel! What are your earliest childhood memories about spices ?
- Could you give us a brief history of spices in 180 seconds?
- Peux-tu nous dire globalement les vertus nutritionnelles des épices et des aromates ? Et nous détailler un peu les propriétés digestives et thérapeutiques de certaines « super-épices » ?
- And which ones should be consumed in moderation? (pepper, chili, paprika…?)
- More generally, are spices well suited to a joyful and flavorful vegetarian diet? Do they help reduce salt and meat consumption?
- What supply chains are you developing in France? Which spices and aromatics are local?
- What’s your favorite spice? Your favorite herbal tea?
- If you were making a small surprise basket for a friend, which 5 Arcadie products would you include?
- How best to store spices and aromatics at home?
- Where can you buy them?
- It’s impossible not to discuss organic farming with you. To me it is above all four fundamental principles, stated in 1972: Health, ecology, fairness, precaution. Can you tell us how organic farming (AB) is better for the planet’s health but also for our health, which is intimately linked to it?
- And specifically for spices? Why should we prioritize organic spices?
- It’s also impossible not to mention your journey within the “liberated” company and forms of governance. We’re talking here about our mental health. What lessons do you draw from it? What advice would you give to those interested in the subject?
- Could you share one or two easy spice-based recipes with us?
