Not Spicy, Just Spiced: The Global Language of Flavor and Wellness

It was the couscous that did it.

I was in the AMEX Centurion Lounge at LAX, grateful to see a full vegetarian spread laid out: roasted vegetables, warm grains, thoughtfully plated options. But the couscous—so beige, so lifeless—tasted like nothing. No seasoning. No brightness. No warmth. Just texture.

And I thought, is this what we’ve come to expect from “healthy” food?

Nearby was a tray of roasted cauliflower. Again, promising. But again—underwhelming. Perfectly cooked, but missing that little dance of flavor on the tongue. That spark.

Plated Dish: A Nancy Silverton - AMEX food partnership at an airport lounge.

And that’s when it hit me: so many people are still afraid of spices. Or maybe they just don’t know what spices are for.

In today’s wellness-driven food culture, health often gets defined by subtraction. Remove salt. Avoid oils. Cut the spice. But around the world, wellness doesn’t look like bland plates and neutral palettes. It looks like turmeric stirred into lentils. Sumac dusted onto cucumbers. Caraway folded into cabbage. It’s flavor that warms the body, guides digestion, invites presence, and connects us—quietly but powerfully—to place and people.

This isn’t about making food spicy. It’s about remembering how spice makes food whole.

Spices and Wellness: Traditions the West Is Still Catching Up To

Long before the term “anti-inflammatory” trended on packaging, spice was used globally as daily nourishment and ritual. In many cultures, the kitchen was the pharmacy, and flavor was part of healing—not something to fear.

Today, research aligns with many ancestral practices:

• Curcumin, found in turmeric, has been shown to reduce inflammation and support mood regulation

• Ginger, common across Asia, the Middle East, and the Caribbean, eases digestion and supports cognition

• Cinnamon, used from North Africa to Europe to the Americas, may aid in blood sugar regulation and improve memory

But for generations, these choices weren’t based on molecules. They were based on observation, passed down in practice, refined over time. This is knowledge encoded through food—not quantified, but remembered.

The Global Spice Trail: What Cultures Have Always Known

In every region of the world, spices shape how meals are cooked—and why.

In Moroccan homes, ras el hanout is a heirloom. Often built from cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, and rose, it warms the body and anchors tagines and couscous in colder months.

In Scandinavian traditions, spices like caraway and cardamom soften winter’s heaviness. Caraway, found in rye breads and sauerkraut, aids digestion. Cardamom adds warmth to yeasted buns and holiday breads—spiced comfort amid long, dark seasons.

In Iran, sumac is sprinkled over meats and grains for balance. Its tartness lifts and lightens, especially in dry, warm regions where digestion is taxed by density.

From Ethiopia, berbere—a layered blend of chili, garlic, fenugreek, and clove—is central to dishes like misir wat. Its warmth is both spiritual and sensory, used during long fasting periods to bring heat and complexity to lentils and stews.

In Korean cooking, gochugaru adds a gentle heat to fermented vegetables like kimchi. Unlike fiery chilies, it’s mild and fruity—designed for balance. With fermentation, it nourishes both the gut and the immune system.

Even in rural France, herbes de Provence—lavender, thyme, savory—mirror the countryside. Added to soups, stews, and roasted vegetables, these herbs carry the pace and perspective of the land itself.

These uses are deliberate, contextual, and often seasonal.

Spice as Everyday Ritual, Not Rarity

What makes spice powerful is its intimacy. In most cultures, spice is used daily. Not in large amounts, but with focus. A quiet, consistent act of care.

A sprinkle of za’atar in olive oil. A pinch of cinnamon in your tea. Black salt stirred into chilled lemonade to calm the stomach. Sumac on sliced cucumbers. Paprika on roasted potatoes.

You don’t need to cook elaborate meals to cook with meaning. Spice, when used with respect and curiosity, makes ordinary food feel grounded again.

Taste, Memory, and the Mood of a Meal

Taste is physical, emotional and neurological. In 1986, psychologists Rozin and Vollmecke demonstrated that flavor triggers emotional memory more deeply than sight or sound. This explains why a whiff of fennel can bring back a childhood lunch, or why cumin might feel like home.

But spices also impact mood in more direct ways. Rosemary and thyme have been linked to alertness and memory. Saffron, common in Persian and Mediterranean dishes, is now studied for its antidepressant properties. Even the ritual of spice itself—measuring, toasting, stirring—can create a sense of presence that fast food rarely offers.

Flavor slows us down. It reminds us that eating is not just fuel—it’s awareness.

Building a Spice Pantry

Traditional Indian spice box

You don’t need a cabinet full of rare spices to start. Choose three or four that feel familiar or exciting. Look for them at local grocers or family-run markets. Learn how they’re traditionally used—then experiment.

Label your jars. Store them where you can see them. Use them often. Let them become part of your rhythm, not a special occasion.

Let Flavor Lead the Way Back to Wellness

Modern wellness often begins with removing—sugar, gluten, dairy, excess. But traditional wellness, in many cultures, begins with adding: turmeric for inflammation, thyme for calm, cinnamon for warmth, caraway for digestion.

Undoubtedly, spices are about taste. But - they are also about time, memory, and the wisdom of repetition.

To cook with spice is to remember what it means to cook with care. To eat with awareness. To feel good—not just after a meal, but through it.

The next time your food tastes flat, don’t reach for more protein or a trendier oil.

Ask instead: what layer of story is missing?

Then add that back in.

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Sources

Anderson, R. A., Broadhurst, C. L., Polansky, M. M., Schmidt, W. F., Khan, A., Flanagan, V. P., Schoene, N. W., & Graves, D. J. (2004). Cinnamon improves glucose and lipids of people with type 2 diabetes. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 80(4), 104–112. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/14633804/

Liu, Q., Chen, Y., Shen, C., Xiao, Y., Wang, Y., & Wang, Y. (2014). Ginger improves cognitive function via NGF-induced ERK/CREB activation in the hippocampus of diabetic rats. Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry, 25(5), 503–510. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25049196/

Rozin, P., & Vollmecke, T. A. (1986). Food likes and dislikes. Annual Review of Nutrition, 6, 367–386. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/3524623/

Sanmukhani, J., Satodia, V., Trivedi, J., Patel, T., Tiwari, D., Panchal, B., & Tripathi, C. B. (2014). Efficacy and safety of curcumin in major depressive disorder: A randomized controlled trial. Phytotherapy Research, 28(4), 579–585. https://doi.org/10.1002/ptr.5025