Search for a command to run...
<em>This study deals with the preparation of seasoning powder from the two sources of vegetables: sweet potato and pumpkin. Vegetable seasoning powder can be used to enhance the taste and flavor of cooking. The nutritional value of as prepared seasoning powders such as moisture, ash, protein, fat and fiber contents were determined and compared with literature value. The shelf life of prepared samples was also studied. The studied shows that the nutritional values are comparable with literature value. The most suitable shelf life of the prepared sample is four months. </em> <strong>1. Introduction</strong> Herbs and spices have been used for centuries to season and flavor foods. In primitive times, people discovered that certain parts of plants make the food taste better. Herbs were the flavoring of the common people and often used to grown in kitchen gardens or gathered in the woods. The herbs were used for nutritional, medicinal purposes and also to enhance the flavor of foods. Additionally, they were even used to mask the taste of off-flavor, tainted meats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pices are usually grown in tropical countries and are the natural aromatic parts of the plant from the dried seeds, buds, fruit, flower, bark, or root. Modern consumers use both herbs and spices to enhance the flavor and healthfulness of foods. Seasonings can be in the form of crushed, powdered, dry, or fresh to provide a variety of flavors. A complementary seasoning can enhance the flavor of food[4-6].Seasoning blends are mixtures of ground or whole spices, herbs, seeds, or other flavorings. Herbs and spices have long been used to reduce the growth of bacteria in foods. For example, certain herbs and spices, including cloves, cinnamon and garlic can function as antibacterial agents[7, 8]. The flavor of herbs and spices are fragile and can be destroyed by heat, light, and moisture. Many popular herbs and spices are sources of natural antioxidants, the compounds that play an important role in neutralizing free radicals and reducing cancer risk. Some herbs have more antioxidant power per gram than many fruits and vegetables; however, people usually don’t eat them in the same quantities as fruits and vegetables[9]. There are many seasoning powder in market such as chicken seasoning powder, fish seasoning powder and vegetable seasoning powder. In this study, seasoning powder was made from vegetables sources such as sweet potato and pumpkin. Onion, garlic, ginger, pepper, sugar and salt were also added to enhance flavor and taste. Garlic, ginger and pepper have antibacterial properties, which helps to reduce bacterial infections in the body. The aim of this study is to prepare seasoning powder from sweet potato and pumpkin and, to determine and compare the nutritional value of prepared seasoning powder with literature value. <strong><em>1.1Seasoning powder </em></strong> Seasoning blends are mixture of ground or whole spices, herbs, seeds, or other flavorings. Seasonings such as apple pie spice are blends of several spices and are ready to use. Seasoning includes herbs and spices, which are themselves frequently referred to as “seasonings”. Seasoning includes a large or small amount of salt being added to a preparation. Other seasonings like black pepper and basil transfer some of their flavor to the food. A well designed dish may combine seasonings that complement each other. In addition to the choice of herbs and seasoning, the timing of when flavors are added will affect the food that is being cooked. In various cultures, meat may be existing as a seasoning techniques[10]. <strong>2. Materials