A guide to spices | Cooking with Spices

Spices are used to inject flavor and depth into food and are a healthy and delicious way to bring out and increase the aroma of food. Most spices have to be crushed, grinded or cooked to bring out their flavor. Spices can be used in both cooking and baking and here is a list of commonly used spices.

                 Asafetida

·       Has a pungent smell at first but once it is fried in oil, it has an onion-like fragrance.

·       Can be used to replace onions

·       Found mainly in Indian dishes, soups and pickles

                 Caraway seeds

·       Caraway is the plant’s dried fruits when it splits into half

·       Have a distinctive bitter, sharp, nutty taste with warm and sweet undertones

·       Found in rye bread and German pork dishes

     Cardamom

·       In each whole green pod, there are about 20 black sticky seeds inside

·       Has a lemon and eucalyptus smell

·       Used excessively in Indian cooking and for making spiced biscuits in baking

·       Cardamom loses its flavor once it is crushed so try not to buy it grounded.

Curry leaves

·       Has a warm, spicy and astringent taste

·       Used the same way as bay leaves

·       Fried in oil to release their flavor

Fennel seeds

·       Looks like cumin seeds but are greener

·       Have an aniseed flavor with a sweet, warm aroma

·       Has a liquorice flavor that adds a nice flavor to pork sausages

·       Releases the most flavor when it is deep fried or grinded

·       Used in fish, meat, vegetables, bread and chutneys

Fenugreek

·       Seeds have a slight bitter taste

·       Seeds loses their flavor quickly so avoid buying it grounded

·       Found from a Mediterranean plant that produces long pods with oblong, brownish seeds

Ground ginger

·       Have a warm, peppery flavor

·       Goes well with cinnamon or nutmeg in baked goods

·       Used in gingerbread cookies

Juniper

·       Small, dark purple dried berries

·       Used to flavor food, gin and other spirits

·       Has a bitter gin-like peppery taste

·       Used to flavor dark meats, game and sauerkraut (like pickled cabbage)

·       Releases its flavor when crunched

Mustard seed

·       Can be white, yellow, black or brown in colour

·       Black and brown mustard seeds have a peppery taste and would taste bitter if used excessively

·       White mustard seeds are less spicy and are used to  make powdered mustard

·       Toast them lightly before using to release their flavor

·       Blak and brown mustard seeds are used in curries

Nutmeg

·       Has a spicy, sweet flavor and a fragrant smell

·       Buy nutmeg in a whole to prevent it from losing its flavor

·       Used to season vegetables, spinach, rice puddings and sauces

Pimento/ Allspice

·       Has a taste that resembles cloves, cinnamon and nutmeg

·       Used in chicken or baking

Star anise

·       A star shaped fruit

·       Has an aniseed flavor – a mix of garam masala and Chinese five-spiced powder

·       Used to enhance the savouriness of dishes that uses onions as a base

·       Used in jams, fruity desserts and Chinese dishes

Sumac

·       Used in Middle East and Mediterranean cooking

·       Usually found grounded into powder form

·       Used in place of lemon in Arabic dishes

·       Used to flavor kebabs, fish, meat and poultry

Tamarind

·       Found either in block or paste form

·       Used in Indian and Middle Eastern dishes

·       Able to be made into a sauce by breaking the block into pieces and soaking it in warm water

Turmeric

·       Taken from a plant in the ginger family

·       Used as a base for curries

·       Usually found grounded

·       Adds a yellow colour to food

·       Has a mild, bitter taste

·       Able to bring out the flavor of cardamom and curry leaves

Vanilla

·       Has a sweet, mild fragrance

·       Found in a pod, essence or paste

·       Used to flavor cakes, custards, creams, savory sauces and vegetable purees

                  Five spiced powder

·       A mix consisting of Szechuan pepper, star anise, cinnamon, fennel seeds and cloves in equal proportions

·       Has a bitter, sweet, sour, salty and pungent taste

·       Has a slightly spicy, sweet and fragrant aroma

·       Used to season Chinese spare ribs

Garam Masala

·       An aromatic mixture of ground spices

·       Used mostly in Indian dishes

·       A mix consisting of cumin, coriander, cardamom, cloves and pepper

Dukkah

·       Consist of finely chopped hazelnuts, whole coriander, cumin seeds, salt and thyme leaves

·       Used as an all-purpose seasoning for Moroccan meat and vegetables

 Zahtar

·       Aromatic mixture of crushed sumac berries, sesame seeds and thyme leaves

·       Has a distinctive zesty flavor

·       Used for roasting meat and vegetables

·       Can be mixed with olive oil and used as a spread for bread

Spices are a healthy way to infuse flavor into food and it is good to buy them in small quantities and keep them in air-tight containers so as to prevent them from losing their flavor and colour.