Home| StoriesSpices of lifeSeriesshow credit information for image 'Roots of ginger (Zingiber officinale) watercolour'Roots of ginger (Zingiber officinale) watercolour. Source: Wellcome Collection. Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0).Cloves to mull, mask and numbSweet, pungent, warm, woody: cloves smell and taste like Christmas. But there’s much more to this spice than that.Getting sexy with cinnamonAdd some flavour to your love life with this spice. It will warm up more than just your buns.Ginger’s role in cures and courtroom battlesSome people will use a dose of ginger to help with hangovers – but it hasn’t always been a friend to the thirsty.Chillies and the trouble with ScovilleMeasuring the heat of these peppers can leave you a little lukewarm.Black pepper to fuel fiery fights and cure haemorrhoidsThis common condiment was once very valuable and, until surprisingly recently, used as a versatile medicine.
