ABSTRACT
Spices and condiments are natural plant products used to impart flavour, aroma, taste, and colour to food. They are also used in beverages and liquors, as well as pharmaceutical, cosmetic, and perfumery products. Plant parts, like rhizomes, leaves, seed, bark, berries, buds, floral parts, fruits, kernels, latex, etc., confer strong flavour or aroma to food or drinks, while condiments are mixtures of herbs and spices combined in a liquid form and used to complement dishes and are typically applied in greater quantities than spices. Since ancient days, spices have played a significant role in people's lifestyles and have been used for a variety of purposes, mostly as medicines for various illnesses. Indian spices are used as food additives, laxatives, preservatives, expectorants, purgatives, and diuretics, and for other therapeutic purposes. All of these activities are caused by the presence of their potentially bioactive chemical constituents, such as flavonoids, terpenes, and phenylpropanoids. The present chapter provides comprehensive information on some important Indian spices and condiments and their therapeutic and ethnobotanical importance.
