CRI Health: Nutrition   

What is a spice: a seed, bark, root, or resin? Do soil, rainfall, and harvest methods shape flavor? Is climate change transforming where spices can grow? We will explore spices as living plants, not historical artifacts. Each session focuses on a botanical group of spices defined by their key aromatic compounds, from sweet warming phenols to pungent sulfurous oils, tracing their origins, cultivation, and flavor chemistry. We will learn to recognize quality, use each spice effectively in cooking (whether it should be heated, bloomed in fat, or added raw), and pair them in savory or sweet dishes. We will also examine modern cultivation and trade: how drought and shifting temperatures are changing where spices thrive, what ethical and sustainable sourcing looks like today, and the hidden labor and exploitation that still shadow spice production. This course blends plant science, sensory learning, and mindful cooking, designed for anyone who wants to understand spices from the ground up.