Stonehenge. Health spa or burial site? A place of human sacrifice or a temple for religious rites? These long held queries may soon be answered by Tim Darvill and Geoff Wainwright.

The two archaeologists and a team of experts are in the process of carbon dating the site. Stonehenge was erected some 5,000 years ago, but the huge standing stones mark the existence of a mysterious older site buried underneath.

Most scholars believe that Stonehenge was a scared site, a place of burial or a symbolic gateway between the living the and dead.

Darvill and Wainwright take a different view. During their 14-day dig, the two experts hope to gather enough evidence to support their own theories: that according to folklore, the standing stones had health-giving powers, and that far from being a place of the dead, Stonehenge was a site of pilgrimage for health and well-being.

* Darvill and Wainwright’s theory
* Yahoo Archaeology great photos, Darvill/Wainwright
* BBC Science great Timewatch video of Stonehenge

Zingiber officinale botanical name for ginger. The spice belongs to the Zingiberaceae an ancient family of flowering plants that includes cardamom and turmeric. The edible section is lodged underground – a tuberous part of the stem known as the rhizome.

Young rhizomes are pale or light green, have tender, juicy flesh, and a mild sweet flavour. The mature rhizome has a tougher skin and is more pungent with the resin that gives ginger its distinctive flavour. The resin is distilled to make ginger oil which has been used as a curative since ancient times. A dab of oil is meant to fade bruising or calm inflamed joints, while fresh ginger tea is recommended for nausea, motion and morning sickness. Like most spices, ginger has a long history of medicinal use, often cited in folk remedies as a digestive aid, stimulant and aphrodisiac.

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Arabic – zanjabil
Burmese – cheung, chiang, jeung
Indonesian – aliah
Japanese – mioga, myoga, shoga
Kannada – alla, shunthi
Latin – zinziberi
Sanskrit – srngaveram
Swahili – tangawizi

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Although ginger is said to have originated in China, the plant is native to most continents. It’s harvested in countries far and wide, from Costa Rica to Kenya, Fiji to St Lucia. China and India are the biggest producers. Nigeria is best for oil, and Jamaica has the best variety of rhizomes.In cuisine, ginger is a versatile spice.It sweetens desserts, adds depth to savouries, and ferments in a fantastic range of zesty drinks. Young and mature rhizomes are used fresh, and both can be dried, ground, crystallized, pickled or preserved. Europeans generally use ginger in cookies, cakes and ales, while other countries have their own specialities like gari (Japan), jerk marinade (Jamaica), kimchi (Korea), wedang jahe (Indonesia).

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Some Recipes & Specials

Sorrell
Stoney
Ginger Juice Cleanser
Ginger Cake

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BBC Good Food Guide
Batian Peak TeasGinger Spice

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600+ ginger-based recipes
Global ginger harvest

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Books for Cooks

* Caribbean Cuisine: Morgan Freeman & Friends

* Asian Cuisine: A Spoonful of Ginger

* Global Recipes

* Ginger: Common Spice and Wonder Drug

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Cuminum cyminum botanical name for the small, herbaceous plant from which cumin “fruit” i.e. the seeds are drawn. Cumin is part of the Umbelliferae or Apiacea family, a group of aromatic plants which includes coriander, parsley, dill, caraway and fennel.

India is the largest producer and consumer of cumin but the plant is widely cultivated in countries and regions across the world — north Africa, the Mediterranean, Iran, China, north and south America.

The pale seeds are the most common, and are essential in a range of dishes from curries to Cajun cuisine. Crushed or ground, the seeds add a ‘caraway-fennel’ type flavour to meats, especially lamb, and to a variety of sides like beans, pickles, salads, cheese, yogurt, and dips.

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The black seeds ‘Bunium persicum’ have various names including royal cumin, kala jeera, and Kashmiri cumin. The seeds are popular in the Middle East, Pakistan, Kashmir and the Punjab. More pungent than the pale seeds, the black seeds are important in the making of Garam Masala, and in Moghul or Mughlai cuisine, especially for kormas and biriyanis.

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Cumin is rich in iron, and cumin tea — made by adding a few grains to boiling water, is said to boost metabolism by improving oxygen flow to the blood. But please note, the black seeds are often confused with Nigella sativa (pictured below).

Nigella sativa also has a long list of names including kalo jeera (Bengal), kalonji, ‘onion seeds’ and ‘black cumin’. The plant is part of the buttercup family and the seeds have a long history of medicinal use. The web is awash with Nigella info and mystique. I’ve mentioned a couple of helpful sites below.

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Chicken Korma

1. A great Chicken Korma recipe
2. A guide to making Garam Masala
3. All about Black cumin Bunium Persicum
4. All about Black cumin confused with Nigella sativa
5. A guide to Nigella

* First Published 18 Sept 2007. See original