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The health benefits of spices.
Colors, scents, flavors… Today, we are going to talk about spices.
Spices were once so precious that the French language retains a trace of this, when one says “payer en espèce” (to pay in spices).
Their virtues in cooking are countless, and their nutritional richness immense. They bring a joyful, tasty, and colorful touch, especially to vegetarian dishes.
They allow for reducing salt and sugar amounts thanks to their aromas.
Spices often help defend the plant that produces them against attacks. When ingested, they thus maintain 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.
Guest: Manuel Brunet
To discuss the powers of spices, I am pleased to welcome Manuel Brunet, co-leader of Arcadie, which has been producing organic spices and aromatic 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 been co-leading Arcadie for over 10 years.
Arcadie is an adventure about spices, herbs, 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 organization models and promote autonomy, freedom, and responsibility as much as possible.
My questions
- Hello Manuel! What are your earliest childhood memories around spices?
- Could you give us a brief history of spices in 180 seconds?
- Can you tell us the general nutritional virtues of spices and herbs? And give us some details about the digestive and therapeutic properties of certain “super-spices”?
- And which ones should be consumed in moderation? (pepper, chili, paprika…?
- More generally, are spices well-suited to a joyful and tasty vegetarian diet? Do they help reduce salt and meat?
- What are the supply chains you are developing in France? What are the local spices and herbs?
- What is your favorite spice? Your favorite tea?
- If you were to make a small surprise basket for a friend, what are the 5 Arcadie products you would slip in?
- How to best store spices and herbs at home?
- Where to buy them?
- It’s impossible not to discuss with you the topic of organic agriculture. For me, it’s primarily about 4 fundamental principles, stated in 1972: Health, ecology, fairness, precaution. Can you tell us how organic agriculture is better for the planet’s health and ours, which is intimately linked to it?
- And particularly for spices? Why should organic spices be favored?
- It’s also impossible not to mention your journey within the “liberated” company and governance methods. Here, we’re really talking about our mental health. What lessons have you learned? Any advice for those interested in the subject?
- Could you share one or two easy recipes based on spices?
