owe their thickness to a combination of dried
and fresh spices. Ground coriander absorbs a
lot of water thanks to its thick dry husk;
ginger, turmeric, and galangal are starchy
root-like rhizomes, and their starch dissolves
during prolonged simmering to provide a
thickening tangle of long molecular chains.
Ground dried sassafras leaves, or filé powder,
similarly thickens Louisianan gumbo. And
fenugreek is remarkable for its high content of
a mucilaginous carbohydrate called
galactomannan, which is released simply by
soaking the ground seeds.
A Survey of Common Herbs
Most of the herbs used in traditional European
cooking are members of two plant groups, the
mint family and the carrot family. The family
members resemble each other to varying
degrees, so in this survey I’ve grouped them
together. The remaining herbs then follow in