Intoxicating

Author: * Xena ApilSin - 1 Post on this thread out of 293 Posts sitewide.
Date: Feb 19, 2008 - 10:49

I have not often been to the market in Arabia, since Gabrielle took charge of provisioning most of the household. This first excursion turned into an adventure of the senses.

I am enthralled by the busy activity. Gabrielle follows me as if on a long tour with no planned itinerary, stopping with no other motive than unhurried delight in the spirit of things. While our attention is first captured by the urgings of the snake charmers, who offers an elixir of eternal love, we look into every shop where there is something for sale, and in doing so, we chance upon The Spice Souq.

Ah, The Spice Souq! How wonderful to relish the aroma of fresh, exotic spices and incense - the myrrh sharp and pleasant with a vanillic sweetness; the frankincense translucent, milky white and of the highest quality. The vendor gives us samples to chew like gum claiming it will aid in digestion and promote healthy skin. Its fresh, fruity, pine-lemon bouquet with delicately sweet, resinous and woody undertones, slows and deepens breathing.

And there is Cassia. This is among the spices that, according to Apicius, any good kitchen should contain. The vendor allows me to crush a cinnamon quill - releasing a strongly aromatic, sweetly pleasant scent - for the pure pleasure of smelling it, and gave out with a boisterous laugh when a sniff of some ground black pepper (I don't know what I was thinking) made me sneeze. Gabrielle could only stare at me in astonishment.