Prairie View, TX – When Program Specialist Joyce Osborne’s new Cooperative Extension Program cookbook debuts, it will feature plenty of recipes of diverse, health-conscious food inspired by various parts of the world. But there will be a recipe never seen before and it is the PVAMU Salt Free Herbal Spice Seasoning, also known as PV Spice, a blend of herbs to add to all dishes to increase the flavor while limiting the sodium intake for those who snag a copy.

The universal seasoning will be a delicious addition to any meal that requires a dash of flavor. The base salt free herb version contains onion, cloves, un-cracked pepper corns, thyme, red pepper, parsley, celery, turmeric, and allspice. A specialty variation will consist of the base spice plus Gota Kola, Moringa, lolot, and Curry leaves. There will also be a no-pepper and spicy version. The “base” blend will have Aruna Weerasooriya, Ph.D.’s herbs that contain plenty of health benefits, like turmeric, for example.

And the cookbook will be free, thanks to a grant through USDA NIFA 1890 Capacity Building Grant Award and the USDA Evans-Allen Funds. It will initially be released digitally, making it easily accessible for limited-resource populations. And that is the whole purpose behind the cookbook and seasoning, to provide healthier alternatives to communities that have not been exposed to or educated about healthier methods to seasoning food.

“There are increasing amounts of people in Texas that are being affected by chronic diseases and cardiovascular issues like hypertension,” Osborne said. “Adjusting your seasoning can curb these issues. Lemon juice has a natural saltiness, so things like that are an option, and when we combine all those different herbs, you will create something magnificent.”

Providing the recipes will help people teach themselves how to use underutilized food. “Limited-resourced communities are impacted more than the average population because they are not exposed to these options, but by educating people, they will begin to embrace them and make an impact in their families,” Osborne said.

PV Spice took Osborne and her assistants, including CAHS student Karrie Calloway, about a month to develop through trial and error. And it has already received complimentary reviews. During the CEP Urban Agriculture Convention in November, Osborne, and SNAP-Ed Program Coordinator Jaimee Cameron, held a cooking demonstration that featured the spice. Attendees asked for seconds, according to Cameron, including a mother and her special needs child, who is typically a picky eater. Cameron said the alternative seasoning opened a whole new world for the pair.

“The presentation gave people a different idea of what can be done in the kitchen,” Cameron said. “The mother now has a deeper connection with her daughter through food and said she’ll try more recipes with her.”

CEP’s Family and Community Health Unit and the Cooperative Agricultural Research Center Systems Research group contributed to the cookbook. Osborne plans to release the book in early January and is working on getting it copyrighted.

Pascale Mondesir
Communication Specialist
pamondesir@pvamu.edu