[Outdated, please look at pinned post] Casual Conversation

6470 readers

1 users here now

Share a story, ask a question, or start a conversation about (almost) anything you desire. Maybe you'll make some friends in the process.

RULES

Be respectful: no harassment, hate speech, bigotry, and/or trolling
Encourage conversation in your post
Avoid controversial topics such as politics or societal debates
Keep it clean and SFW: No illegal content or anything gross and inappropriate
No solicitation such as ads, promotional content, spam, surveys etc.
Respect privacy: Don’t ask for or share any personal information

Related discussion-focused communities

founded 1 year ago

MODERATORS

[email protected]

How cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger became the scents of winter holidays, far from their tropical origins (theconversation.com)

submitted 11 months ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

10 comments fedilink hide all child comments

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments

[–] [email protected] 30 points 11 months ago (2 children)

But . . . They don’t answer the premise of the article?

Like, it’s interesting information about those plants but they don’t say why they’re associated to holiday season? Cinnamon harvested after monsoon season (uh, whenever that is, they assume we know but) and ginger can be harvested whenever - but when did those spices become part of the Northern Hemisphere’s holiday? When did it happen? Who started it? How did it start? They don’t say.

[–] [email protected] 13 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago) (1 children)

They...do?

Ginger was first used for food purposes in the Middle Ages as a way of masking the taste of preserved meats, which were mainly consumed in the winter months surrounding holidays. Unlike most spices, it can be used for cooking in many forms – fresh, dried and ground, candied or pickled. Each version offers a different level of ginger’s signature bite.

Like cinnamon, nutmeg is another anti-diabetic. It has been shown to both decrease blood glucose levels and increase serum insulin. Insulin helps regulate how sugars are stored in our bodies by moving glucose out of our bloodstream and into cells, where it can be accessed later when we need an energy boost. So cinnamon can help ensure that all those holiday baked goods are put to use energetically, whether that’s right now or later.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 11 months ago (1 children)

I'm not the person you replied to but I think they still have a point. Your quote makes a mention of why ginger is used in winter since the middle ages, fair enough, but I highly doubt cinnamon and nutmeg were chosen consciously for their insulin interaction- first because it's a relatively mild effect, second because this knowledge is relatively new (did humanity know of insulin before using these spices during the holiday season?).

I think most people reading the headline expect to find some strong historical context on why, for example perhaps these spices became cheaper or more popular during some period for whatever reason.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 11 months ago

Yes, the article could indeed provide more information on this. There was still a small attempt, let's say

[–] [email protected] 6 points 11 months ago

Thanks for saving me a click.