THE SCENT OF CHRISTMAS
By Ann Wilder

Ann Wilder is founder, President, and CEO of VANNS Spices.  She is an international authority on the quality and blending of spices and herbs.            

        Much has been written lately about the importance of aromas, not only for tasting food, but also for creating a sense of well-being.  Christmas, fortunately, is wonderfully aromatic.

        Even the Puritans, who usually frowned on the use of spices as being too exciting, and, therefore, dangerous, succumbed to the appeal of spices at Christmas.  So for many of us and for some centuries, the aromas of Christmas centered around spices and evergreens.

        Cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, cloves, and ginger are all popular aromas.  Cinnamon is the spice most closely associated with Christmas.  After all, we use it is cookies, stir our coffee with cinnamon sticks, and decorate our wreaths with it.  It is used with apples, whether they are baked, turned into sauce, or put in a pie shell.  Cinnamon is one of everyone's favorite fragrances.

       In our family, ginger runs a close second.   One of our Christmas traditions is to make gingerbread houses with our grandchildren.  As our girls grew older, the houses became more artistic.   However, this year we have a little one old enough to join the fun and we are expecting to get at least one higgly-piggly house.  The girls will surely forget the specific houses as years go by, but scientists tell us they will never forget the smell of gingerbread baking.

        In the Puritan traditions, Americans have not used spices with the abandon of other cultures, but even our most traditional cooks grab for spices at Christmas.  Spices appear in desserts -- pumpkin pie, fruit cake, mulled wine, and plum pudding -- savory dishes, and drinks.  All require spices and interestingly to me, the same spices:  cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and cloves.   This group of spices appear in all European based cuisines under several names.   In France, it is Quatre Epice or Spice Parisienne.  In England, it is dessert spices or pudding spices, but it is always the same; i.e., one teaspoon of cinnamon, one teaspoon of nutmeg, one teaspoon of allspice, and one-half teaspoon of cloves.  This same formula, with the addition of pepper, is used in savory dishes and is called Pate Spice.  For mulled wine, use whole allspice in the same formula, with the addition of orange rind for an English version.

        The French double the nutmeg, and add orange peel, for their mulled wine.  French mulling spices are a nice addition to eggnog.   Steep spices in bourbon or any other alcoholic beverage overnight -- one teaspoon to one cup -- strain and add liquor to your favorite eggnog recipe.  It cuts the sweetness of eggnog and adds additional flavor.

        Furthermore, this same spice recipe is used in Greece to flavor lamb dishes.  In the Middle East, these four spices are used to flavor ground meat for Kofta.  The Indians use this formula, using whole (not ground) spices, for rice dishes.  And lo and behold, in China, with the addition of ginger, it turns into Chinese Five Spice powder.  Why is this blend to universally loved?

        Have a wonderful fragrant Christmas!