Stillness 10-22: My memory of Port Said in Egypt, our last stop before we entered the Suez Canal on our long-ago freighter trip, is of noise, bustle, hordes of people pressing through narrow streets, shouts, the stunning quiet at the call to prayer, and, most of all, the fragrance of spices. I’d never known there could be so many smells in outdoor stalls that sold sacks of colorful powders, seeds, herbs, and spices.
Cities like Alexandria and Port Said, on the edges of the Mediterranean Sea, were central trading ports for the spice trade for thousands of years–spices brought from India, China, and the islands of Indonesia. Spices were used for health purposes, spiritual and religious rites, and for culinary enhancements across all these continents. There’s an Egyptian papyrus that dates from 1550 BCE that describes 800 medicinal uses for spices and herbs.
Nowadays we tend to enjoy spices for the extra flavor rather than for their remarkable medicinal benefits. But if you’re curious, look up some of their healthy attributes—you may find you enjoy them more when you know how good they are for you. Cloves aid digestion. Turmeric is an antioxidant and can ease your aches and pains. Cinnamon has antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. You don’t have to travel by caravan on the spice route to enjoy your own spice journey to wellness and well-being. You can bake some spice cookies–sweet, moist, tasty, and nourishing to your soul. Or add nutmeg to your curry dish, or a drop of vanilla to your tea.
You can even spice up your life with bright colors—choose a different scarf to wrap around your shoulders. Or wear a spicy, saucy hat. Or how about finding a spicy book to read or playing music that’s spicy, tasty, jazzy?
You can add spice to your life in many ways—and often a little spice warms us up. Cheers us. We may not know how the holidays this year will pan out for us, or how we’ll be celebrating and with whom, but hey … there’s always room for a little more taste, a little more spice. We can look forward to that, even if it’s just sprinkling cinnamon into a cup of coffee.