Spices are like the good things in life. Spices nurture our health and have been used by Asian ancestors for many centuries.
Chinese cooks use liberal quantities of fresh ginger and garlic. The predominant note in their famous five spice blend is star anise - and the whole is finely ground to release the flavour quickly in stir-fried dishes. Indian cooking, while not necessarily hot, is characterized by the use of a greater range of dried powdery spices than any other cuisine in the world.
