Spices and herbs provide benefits beyond enhancing taste:

" "If you go back and look at some of the ancient text, not only in traditional Chinese medicine but also in Ayurveda, you see two things -- the use of spices and herbs as seasonings, and their use for tonic properties," Simonds says. "Classic spice combinations and spice-herb combinations were put together for their health-giving properties."

She explains that in imperial households in ancient China, the herbalist was in charge of maintaining the health of the family and would work in conjunction with the chef. It was thought that disease results when an imbalance in the body occurs and that food, herbs and spices play an important role in helping to maintain proper balance.

"So, for instance, Asians have believed for thousands of years that ginger is yang, which means it has a warming effect, and is most often used with yin [cooling] foods such as seafood to create a balance," she says.

"Chinese cooks would often serve chicken soup [augmented] with ginger as a panacea for colds and flus. We now know from research that ginger is antibacterial.""