Recent developments in key processing techniques for oriental spices/herbs and condiments: a review
Liqing Qiu, Min Zhang, Arun S. Mujumdar, Yaping Liu
Abstract
Oriental spices/herbs and condiments are important components of daily food consumption in the oriental countries as well as around the world. They have gained more atterention as preservatives, flavor, and therapeutic agents recently. However, the quality of spices/herbs and condiments is closely related to the processing techniques. Therefore, to obtain oriental spices/herbs and condiments with high-quality, processing techniques should be thoughly seleted. This article reviews the recent progresses in key processing techniques for oriental spices/herbs and condiments including, new drying methods, cryogenic grinding, novel fermentation and sterilization techniques. Moreover, the outlook of using oriental spices/herbs and condiments and their application in food products is also disscussed.