Americans' Spice Consumption Skyrockets

Every now and then there is good news on All Things Considered. NPR reports that Americans' consumption of spices has grown almost three times as fast as the population -- the U.S. Department of Agriculture says that we use 600 percent more chile, 300 percent more cumin, and 1,600 percent more ginger than we did 30 years ago.

The rise in spice use seems to be a combination of demographic changes -- immigration from Latin America and Asia -- and increased interest in food and cooking in general.