When we visited Zanzibar, one of the things I remember was the spice tour. Up until that stage my main acquaintance with spices was the ones purchased at the supermarket. It was a bit of an eye-opener learning where some of the spices came from.
Thirteen Types of Spices
1. All Spice – the dried berries of an evergreen tree that’s native to the West Indies. It’s used in baking and the whole berries can be used in stews or casseroles.
2. Cardamom – these pods can be used whole or ground and is used to flavor spiced vegetable dishes and pilafs. It’s used in Indian ice cream and the Middle Eastern Halva.
3. Cloves – are dried flower buds. They’re delicious with stewed apple /apple pie.
4. Cinnamon – made from dried bark. It’s mainly used in cakes and biscuits. Cinnamon toast is yummy.
5. Ginger – the root of a flowering plant that’s native to China. The root is used fresh and grated or it can be dried to a powder. I use the fresh ginger in savory dishes and the powder in sweet dishes.
6. Nutmeg – dried kernel of an apricot-like fruit. It’s often used in sweet dishes, but it goes great with vegetables and rice.
7. Tamarind – the dried fruit of the tamarind tree. It’s used in curries and Indian dishes. I love tamarind sauce with samosa.
8. Vanilla – snake-like pods of a climbing orchid. They’re very expensive to purchase. Vanilla goes great with fruit dishes, custards and milk desserts.
9. Turmeric – it’s also a root or rhizome like ginger and it’s a bright gold color. It’s used in Indian cooking and the British add it to their piccalilli (piquant pickle).
10. Poppy seeds – widely used in Indian and Jewish cooking. It’s often sprinkled on top of bread. Don’t ever drop these because they take ages to clean up!!
11. Peppercorns – They come in different colors but black are the most common. I have a pepper grinder and use it liberally on savory dishes.
12. Cumin seeds – come from a plant related to the parsley family. The seeds are best roasted before use. It’s used in curries and savory vegetable dishes.
13. Soldier of Fortune—it’s a spicy contemporary tale written by Shelley Munro and it’s coming out next week on Nov 18 at Ellora’s Cave. Read the blurb and an excerpt here. You might have met the hero Louie in Summer in the City of Sails.
What is your cooking favorite spice?
