Herbs & Spices
Herbs
Fresh and dried herbs:
Whenever possible, use fresh herbs, although dried bay leaves, rosemary, sage, curry leaves, and, to a lesser extent thyme, savoury, and tarragon, are all acceptable in their dried state. Others, basil and parsley, for example, have a taste and aroma of desiccated grass clippings, if anything, and are frankly a waste of money.
Ground herbs are useful if one wants to avoid unsightly bits of leaf in a dish. They are also easier to measure for recipes that demand absolute accuracy. Otherwise avoid ground herbs; they lose their strength and pungency, there is no way to judge the quality of their constituents, and adulteration is always a possibility.
Selection
- When selecting fresh herbs, ensure that they are not wilted or browned, and that they have a clean, fresh fragrance.
- If a herb plays only a minor role in a recipe, substitution with a dried herb will not make too much difference. To illustrate, using dried thyme in a stew will make only a minor difference, but to substitute dried basil for fresh when making pesto will result in total disaster.
- If a recipe stipulates the use of a fresh herb which is unavailable, you may have to adjust your recipe or reconsider your meal plan entirely.
- Fresh herbs are seasonal, but most can be purchased out-of-season at a premium.
Storage: Fresh Herbs
- Fresh herbs will keep for about five days refrigerated.
- Fresh herbs can be found at various times of year, depending on the herb. Choose herbs that have a clean, fresh fragrance and a bright colour without any sign of wilting or browning.
- Fresh herbs can be stored in the refrigerator, wrapped in a barely damp paper towel and sealed airtight in a plastic bag for up to 5 days. For storage up to 10 days (depending on the herb), place the bouquet of herbs, stem end down, in a tall glass and fill with cold water until the ends are covered by 1 inch. Cover the top with a plastic bag, securing it to the glass with a rubber band; the water should be changed every 2 days. Just before using, wash the herbs and blot dry with a paper towel.
Storage: Dried Herbs
- Dried herbs have a stronger, more concentrated flavor than fresh herbs, but quickly lose their pungency. Their flavour seldom matches that of their fresh equivalents. Powdered or crushed herbs tend to degrade even faster than their whole leaf counterparts.
- Buy only the minimum amount possible for your immediate needs. Dried herbs that sit on a kitchen shelf for months, often in full sunlight, will not be worth using.
- Store dried herbs in an airtight container, in a cool place, and away from direct light in a glass container, preferably dark green or brown glass, at that!
There is a huge literature concerning herbs as they pertain to folk-lore, romantic symbolism, herbal remedies, historical origins, and classical references. The interested reader can do further research, but these topics are not touched upon here.
Spices
Wars have been fought, economies have been founded, and lands have been discovered, all in the search for spices. Today spices are no longer coveted luxuries; a quick trip to the supermarket or specialty store is all that is needed to explore most of these exotic ingredients.
Selection and Storage
In our time-compressed society, where instant gratification is too slow, we are reluctant to offer advice that will add a couple of minutes' work to the daily grind, but here goes anyway:
- Whenever possible buy whole spices; choose cinnamon bark, cumin seeds, and vanilla beans in favour of ground spices or extracts, for example. The tactile pleasure derived alone is almost worth the effort, but the pay-off in flavour quality and strength is enormous. Compare freshly ground black peppercorns to the commercially processed ground product if you require further proof. One can never be sure of the age of ground spices on offer.
- Buy in the smallest quantities possible; all spices degrade with age. In most homes one can find numerous bottles and jars of indeterminate vintage that have been used once, if ever, and then left to degrade quietly while gathering dust at the back of a shelf.
- Spice racks: more like spice cemeteries. They may make attractive gifts, but the conscientious cook should studiously avoid them.
- Seeds like coriander, cumin, or caraway benefit from a preliminary roasting before grinding; this releases and intensifies their intrinsic aromatic qualities.
- Once spices have been roasted they can be ground in a coffee mill (kept for that purpose only), and stored.
- Store spices in a cool place, in airtight containers, away from the light.
- Label containers with date purchased or ground, and throw out after six months. Be ruthless.
- Legend has it that spices were used in medieval kitchens to mask the taste of putrid meat. This was untrue then, and we trust it is still so.
Herbs & Spices
Not a spice mixture, as might be imagined, but an unripe, dried, pea-sized berry. It is also known as Jamaican Pepper.
Flavour and aroma: Pungent and aromatic; the clove flavour is dominant, with strong overtones of cinnamon, pepper, and nutmeg.
Allspice can be used, although it rarely is, for both savoury and sweet dishes. As allspice is rather potent use it very sparingly. It is also used for cooking and smoking meat in the Caribbean. An essential ingredient in pickling spice.
N.B. Allspice grows on the pimento tree; pimento, or pimiento, is also a name give at a variety of sweet bell pepper.
Anise, fennel, and licorice form a trio of spices whose flavours are closely related. Star anise, dill, and caraway seeds all belong to the same loose flavour group.
Flavour and aroma: Distinctively licorice-like and sweet; think Pastis, ouzo, or Pernod, all of which are flavoured with anise.
Anise is not used extensively in the kitchen, although it does add an unexpected fragrance to fruits, salads, salad dressings, bread, and meats. It is more widely used in both Portuguese and Neapolitan cuisines and in the sweet dishes of Germany and Italy.
It is used in processed meats, most notably in pepperoni formulas, also in cheese and a host of other processed foods. It is occasionally used as a flavouring in Sweet Italian Sausage. Not to be confused with star anise (q.v.) which has a similar flavour.
A sweet, fragrant member of the mint family.
Flavour and aroma: Similar to mint, with a hint of licorice and cloves; floral and very aromatic.
Uses: Basil is perhaps the definitive herb of the cuisines of Italy and Southern France. Basil pairs with tomatoes as if they were made for each other, and is the principle ingredient of pesto.
Its flavour can be fugitive, and it loses its pungency when cooked for longer than a few minutes. Add at the last moment for maximum effect. It is also a tasty addition to fresh salads, or clear soups.
Basil is a summer herb; it is easily grown from seed in the garden or window box.
A favourite way to preserve basil is to wash thoroughly, dry, and chop finely, then mix with a little olive oil and refrigerate. To dry basil is probably a waste of time and effort.
Other varieties: Opal Basil, Thai Basil.
Dried Basil: The intense floral aroma of fresh basil is almost totally absent; use only as a last resort.
Also called laurel leaf or bay laurel.
Flavour and aroma: A sweet anise, lemon, and clove aroma and taste.
Bay is small evergreen tree which grows from the Mediterranean to the Black Sea and as far east as Iran. It is often used to flavour soups, vegetables, and stews, but more as a 'background' flavour than as a principle flavouring agent.
Bay leaves are also used in meat processing in such products as minced or chopped ham loaves, jellied pig's feet and mortadella.
One bay leaf is sufficient to flavour about four servings of a soup or stew. It is advisable to remove bay leaves before serving. Overuse will result in an unpleasant bitterness.
Variations: There are two main varieties; the Californian, which has narrow leaves, and the more common Turkish, which has shorter, oval leaves.
Dried Bay Leaves: These retain the flavour of fresh bay leaves, but not the strength, as long as they are not too old (less than three months). Fresh bay leaves are occasionally available and are well-worth searching out and experimenting with.
Capers come from a bush native to the Mediterranean and parts of Asia and North Africa. The immature buds are sun-dried and pickled in vinegar or preserved in salt.
Flavour and aroma: Acidic and salty, with a citrus tang.
Capers have a flavour all of their own, with the exception of caper berries, which are berries from the same plant. No relation to the nasturtium plant, as is commonly thought.
Capers are most often used as an ingredient of tartar sauce, or as a garnish for seafood, especially smoked salmon. They can be used also to add interest to salads and roasts, or any dish that needs an added piquancy.
Capers come in different sizes, the smallest (nonpareilles, in French) are considered the finest.
Drain and rinse before use. As long as capers are kept covered with brine or vinegar they will last indefinitely in the refrigerator.
Caper Berries are from the same plant and have roughly the same flavour, only less intense, with the texture of something approaching a green olive.
Flavour and aroma: Aromatic, spicy, medicinal, sweet, and with more than a hint of anise.
Caraway is mainly associated with the cuisines of Germany and Hungary, but they can be used to flavour all manner of meats, breads, and desserts. Caraway has the effect of lightening the flavour of heavy foods like sauerbraten or oxtail, and perhaps deserves to be used more often than it is.
Commercially it is the principle flavouring agent for the liqueur kemmel, for cheese and rye bread.
A rather pricey, but wonderfully distinctive spice that is gradually finding acceptance in Western kitchens. Ethnic markets, especially Indian and Sri Lankan, are the best places to find cardamom at a reasonable price.
Flavour and aroma: Exotic, camphoraceous, pungent, and mildly sweet.
Cardamom seeds are found in small pods about the size of a pea. The whole pod is used, but should be lightly crushed before use.
Cardamom is used in Scandinavian pastries, in Indian meat, vegetables and sweets, and for flavouring coffee in Arab countries. A couple of pods added to rice dishes lends a pleasant and unexpected flavour. Because of its assertive nature cardamom should be used frugally.
Ground cardamom is available but not strongly recommended as its essential oils are highly volatile.
Cayenne pepper is made from one or several Caribbean chilies native to French Guyana
Flavour and aroma: Hot, pungent, lingering, and peppery
Cayenne pepper is most often used to add heat to a dish, although a distinctive flavour is sometimes discernable depending on the quality of the pepper in question. It generally lacks the complexity of black pepper. The scalding physical effects of Cayenne pepper are felt in the throat; those of black pepper are noticed on the lips and the front of the tongue; should anyone wish to experiment.
It is used in numerous cuisines and dishes where heat is a desired quality.
Cayenne pepper is also called red pepper.
Not the seed of the celery plant at all, but of the lovage (q.v.) plant.
Flavour and aroma: Warm, bitter, and, not surprisingly, celery-like; sweet flavour apparent upon chewing.
Celery seed is mostly used in making pickles, in the manufacture of ketchup, and as a primary spice in corned beef.
Celery salt is a blend of ground celery seed and salt, used for rimming glasses of Bloody Mary and Bloody Caesar cocktails, and in barbecue spice rubs. It is also an excellent addition for seasoning flour before pan-frying.
A member of the carrot family that can be grown in any temperate climate.
Flavour and aroma: Mild, parsley-like, with hints of anise and tarragon; faintly medicinal.
Chervil is most often found, if at all, as an ingredient for Omelette aux Fines Herbes.
Chervil loses most of its flavour when cooked, and should be added at the last moment.
Dried Chervil: Use fresh chervil, or substitute with fresh parsley.
Flavour and aroma: The most delicately-flavoured of the onion family.
Chives add colour and a mild onion flavour to salads, and as a garnish to almost any savoury dish. The flowers have less flavour, but make a lovely edible garnish for salads.
Pack a clean jar with chive flowers and cover with white wine vinegar, let stand for a few weeks, decant, and use on fresh salads‹delicious!
Dried chives. Widely available, but freeze-dried chives have far more flavour and colour.
For the sake of clarity, cilantro will be used as the name for the herb, and coriander the spice or seed of the same plant, which is a member of the parsley family.
Flavour and aroma: spicy, with overtones of caraway, lemon zest, and cumin.
Widely used in the cuisines of India, Mexico, the Orient, and the Caribbean, the lacy leaves of the cilantro are highly aromatic and assertive. Some people adore it; others cannot abide it, likening its taste to 'soap'; an acquired flavour.
Use chopped for spicy dishes, salsas, or other highly seasoned foods, or in sprigs as a garnish. Add just before serving.
Also called Chinese parsley.
Dried Cilantro: fresh cilantro is now so widely available that searching for the dried product is probably redundant.
Once more valuable than gold, cinnamon is unique in that is made from a tree bark.
Flavour and aroma: Warm, spicy, woody, faintly musty, and warm
True cinnamon is native to Sri Lanka (Ceylon or tree cinnamon). What is found in stores, however, is more likely to be cassia cinnamon. The latter is the familiar dark, reddish brown, and is more pungent than Ceylon cinnamon.
Cinnamon has many applications, in desserts, sprinkled on toast, in Indian curries, in North African tagines, in Mexican chocolate, and with any meat cooked with fruit, among many others. It also makes an interesting addition to pork chili ant, in small quantities to Hot Italian Sausage.
In Indian dishes cinnamon is used as is, but ground cinnamon has to be used by default in many dishes where the appearance of a piece of tree bark may provoke unwonted comment.
The dry, unopened flower buds of an evergreen tree.
Flavour and aroma: perfumed, phenolic, peppery, woody, and sweet.
Perhaps the most fragrant of all the spices, cloves are used in numerous dishes and applications, both sweet and savoury. A whole clove held against a sore tooth has authentic anaesthetic properties.
Ground cloves maintain the flavour of the whole spice admirably when reasonably fresh.
Flavour and aroma: fruity, rose-like, spicy, and warm.
Coriander is the seed; cilantro is the leaf; same plant, much confusion. To compound the problem, the flavour of the seed bears little resemblance to the leaf.
Coriander seed adds an interesting, but not too assertive, touch to any dish, especially pork. It is indispensable to the cuisines of Spain, India, Mexico, North Africa, and most South American countries.
Coriander seed is easy to grind in a coffee mill, but ground coriander is widely available and perfectly acceptable.
Lightly roasting the whole seeds accentuates and develops their flavour.
Flavour and aroma: Warm, spicy, nutty, and aromatic. It is the predominant flavour in most curry blends.
Cumin is the indispensable spice of India, but it is also used to by the Dutch and Swiss to flavour cheese, and in German bread and sauerkraut recipes, as well as in the national dishes of Spain, Mexico, and Egypt. Once tasted, cumin is hard to miss; its nutty, exotic aroma permeates whatever it flavours.
It is used to flavour the liqueur kümmel, pickles, and sausages, notably the North African merguez. It is an essential component of commercially made ground chili spice.
Lightly roasting the whole seeds accentuates and develops their flavour.
Flavour and aroma: Fresh and tangy, with a hint of lime zest.
Curry leaves are confusingly named  their taste in no way resembles what we think of as a typical curry flavour  but they are used in many Indian dishes.
Curry leaves are always sold fresh or frozen; they lose their flavour if dried or even just removed from their branch. They are used whole or chopped to add their unique flavour to many Indian and Sri Lanka dishes. Only available at ethnic markets, this ingredient is well worth further investigation by the adventurous cook.
Not a seed at all, but the dried fruit of the same plant.
Flavour and aroma: Similar to caraway, but not as pungent or as aromatic; warm and pleasant.
Most dill seed in North America is used for flavouring dill pickles.
For kitchen use it is advisable to soak or briefly boil dill seeds before use to develop the full flavour. Dill seeds can lend an interesting flavour to most foods, particularly potato salad, pickles, salads and salad dressings and sauerkraut. It also makes an excellent rub for pork roast when mixed with cracked pepper.
Flavour and aroma: Hard to describe; faintly 'grassy' and reminiscent of caraway.
Dill is native to the France, Spain, and Russia, but can be grown in any temperate clime. Dill is widely used in sauces for fish and occasionally other savoury dishes. Salmon cured with dill creates the Scandinavian specialty, gravlax, and is the primary flavouring agent in dill pickles.
Dill is another herb that is best added at the end of the cooking process.
Dried dill: the delicate flavour is almost totally lost in the dried version.
Flavour and aroma: The third member of the anise licorice triad. Sweet, with a slightly bitter aftertaste.
Fennel seeds can be used in any dish that needs the bright, fresh accents that fennel imparts. Fennel seeds marry perfectly with roast pork.
It is advisable to crush the seeds before use to release their volatile oils.
Fennel seed is used to flavour Italian sausages and many prepared meats.
Flavour and aroma: Sweet and pleasantly bitter; spicy, with a hint of caramel.
Fenugreek is virtually unknown outside Asian households, where it is used primarily as a component of curry blends. It can be used also for adding an interesting flavour to stews, soups, and chutneys.
Flavour and aroma: Woodsy and faintly lemon.
Filé, the ground leaves of the Sassafras tree, is an essential ingredient in Creole cooking, where it is used to flavour gumbo and other dishes. It must be added after the cooking process is completed, otherwise it becomes unpleasantly stringy.
Filé is the only spice native to North America, and is not available in Europe, due to the suspected toxicity of one of its constituent oils: safrole.
A rhizome that resembles ginger in appearance and taste.
Flavour and aroma: Sweeter and spicier than ginger, but close enough in flavour to use as a substitute. Not widely available except in Asian markets.
This member of the lily family is almost too familiar to need much description.
Flavour and aroma: Under most circumstances garlic is pungent to the point of harshness, but until cut or crushed it is almost odourless. Garlic is a chameleon spice; it will exhibit different flavours according to how it is prepared or cooked. Roasted garlic is sweet and mild. Burnt garlic is harsh and unpleasant. Sliced or whole garlic is milder than crushed, pureed, or minced garlic. Crushing garlic releases more of the essential volatile oils.
Roast lamb, pork and chicken recipes that call for forty cloves of garlic are not as outrageous as they might seem; roast garlic is creamy, sweet and mild, with just a trace of the characteristic sharp garlic taste.
The "garlic head" is the entire bulb, which is comprised of individual cloves, which can be of varying sizes.
Garlic varieties: American Garlic is the most common, being the familiar white bulb. It is also the most pungent. Italian or Mexican Garlic is identifiable by its mauve-coloured outer skin. Elephant Garlic is not a true garlic but a relative of the leek, and the mildest of the three.
Selection and Storage: Fresh garlic is available year-round. Select bulbs that are firm and plump. When squeezed there should be no softness at all; avoid soft or shriveled bulbs. Store garlic in an open container in a cool dark place away from other foods.
Garlic Scrapes: A much milder version of regular garlic; the stem and flower bud of the garlic plant. Available only for two weeks in the year in the spring. Garlic scrapes can be steamed, sautéed, or grilled. These are the long green stems that carry the flower of the garlic plant.
Garlic-based products:
Dehydrated Garlic Flakes (or Instant Garlic), which must be reconstituted before use, unless added to a liquid-based dish.
Garlic Powder is ground dehydrated garlic.
Granulated Garlic is the highest quality dehydrated, ground garlic.
Garlic Salt is garlic powder to which salt has been added.
Garlic Extract (or Garlic Juice) is extracted by pressing garlic cloves.
Garlic Paste
Chopped Garlic
Although convenient, none of these products is a totally satisfactory substitute for fresh garlic.
Ginger is the rhizome of a plant that will grow almost anywhere tropical.
Flavour and aroma: aromatic, pungent, spicy, and agreeable.
Young ginger, which is not widely available and is seasonal, is tender and comparatively mild. Mature ginger is what is customarily found at retail in Canada.
Ginger is prepared by peeling away the thin, tough skin and then either minced or sliced.
Ginger is very versatile and plays a vital role in numerous Indian, Chinese, and Caribbean dishes, among others.
Fresh ginger should be plump and firm; avoid rhizomes that appear dried or shriveled.
Fresh ginger will last about three weeks in the refrigerator.
Ginger is now making headway in Western cuisine, and is widely available. It is particularly suitable as a marinade ingredient for meat, poultry, and fish. Ginger has long been a flavouring component of ginger beer and ginger ale.
Ginger-based Products:
Crystallized or Candied Ginger, which is preserved in sugar syrup and coated with sugar crystals; and Preserved Ginger which is preserved in a sugar-salt mixture. Ground Ginger is probably suitable for sweet dishes only, particularly gingerbread and gingersnaps.
Made from the white tap-root of a plant of the mustard family.
Flavour and aroma: pungent, burning and sharp.
Peeled, grated horseradish is traditionally used to add a pungent and hot quality to seafood sauces, roast beef, and salad dressings. It can be mixed with whipped cream to make a rather less assertive accompaniment to cold meats.
Fresh horseradish roots are widely available, but bottled grated horseradish is an acceptable substitute.
Wasabi is a paste or powder made from the Japanese version of horseradish. Green, and even more fiery than its Occidental cousin, wasabi is used a condiment with sushi and sashimi.
Flavour and aroma: Resinous, piney, astringent and spicy.
Juniper is the principal flavouring agent in gin. It has never been all that popular in North America, despite its wide availability in the wild. It adds a subtle perfumed resinous flavour to game and sauerkraut, as well as to smoked meats.
Juniper berries should be crushed before use to release their aromatics.
Flavour and aroma: Fragrant, and very similar to lime zest.
An essential ingredient in Thai cuisine, kaffir lime leaves add a distinctive citrus punch to soups (especially tom khaa), stir-fries, and curries. They can be found fresh and dried in specialty markets. Fresh or dried lime peel is an acceptable substitute. Fresh leaves can be kept frozen for at least one year.
Flavour and aroma: Lemon scented, with perfume/floral overtones.
While these two herbs are similar in flavour, lemon verbena is considered to be the superior, and is certainly much stronger. Unfortunately lemon balm grows uncontrollably in North American gardens, whereas lemon verbena is a rarity.
Both herbs are used to flavour teas, fruits, and salads; they can be used also, with discretion, for roasts, fish, and ice-cream.
Once a rarity in Western kitchens and stores, lemongrass is now commonplace at retail.
Flavour and aroma: Floral and sour lemon; more comparable to lemon zest than lemon juice.
An essential component in Thai cuisine, lemongrass has long, thin, gray-green leaves and a scallion-like base.
The distinctive fragrance is released when the stalks are cut or crushed.
The clear, fresh flavour is so attractive when appropriately used that it is hard to believe it took so long to be adopted widely.
Dried and frozen lemon grass is available, as are those packed in jars, mainly in Asian markets.
Also called Citronella.
A herb that has fallen out of favour since its salad days in the Middle Ages.
Flavour and aroma: Very similar to celery, but warmer and sweeter; the French call this herb 'célerie bâtard', which is a fair description.
The leaves, stalks, and seeds can all be used. The seeds are used for what is sold as celery seed, or processed into celery salt.
Use sparingly for salads, stews, soups and roasts.
Mace is derived from the reddish membrane that surrounds the nutmeg.
Flavour and aroma: Not surprisingly mace greatly resembles nutmeg in flavour and aroma, but is sweeter and spicier.
Mace is usually sold ground; as such it can be used as a substitute for nutmeg. It can be used to flavour any food where nutmeg would be appropriate.
A member of the mint family, not to be confused with Wild Marjoram, which is another name for oregano. Nomenclature regarding oregano and marjoram is a knotty botanical issue better left to botanists.
Flavour and aroma: Sweet, spicy, and aromatic, but less so than oregano, which it most closely resembles in appearance and flavour.
Marjoram is field-dried, but fresh can be found on occasion. It should be a gray-green color and highly aromatic.
Marjoram is particularly suitable for meats: pork, lamb and veal, soups and vegetables, but should be used sparingly as it can overwhelm other flavours, and it doesn't suit everyone's taste.
It is widely used in meat processing for salamis and sausages including liver sausages and pâtés.
Also called Sweet Marjoram
Dried Marjoram: much of the original flavour is retained in the dried product.
Peppermint. Flavour and aroma: Mentholic, sweet, and cooling: more pungent than spearmint. More suitable for savoury foods.
Spearmint. Flavour and aroma: Pungent, sweeter than peppermint, sharp, and clean. More suitable for sweet foods.
Mint is widely available year-round. It is also very easy to grow; any gardener will tell you of its rampant, invasive tendencies. In the kitchen mint is traditionally used to flavour lamb, mint juleps, to make tea infusions, and as a garnish for desserts. Mint can be used also in sauces, jellies, with yogurt, and to accompany roasts and vegetables, particularly boiled new potatoes.
Other varieties: There are about two dozen mint species, and hundreds of varieties, only spearmint and peppermint are described here.
Dried Mint retains little of the flavour of the fresh herb.
Flavour and aroma: powerfully pungent,
Mustard seeds come from plants of the cabbage family.
White (or yellow) mustard seeds are used to make yellow mustard. Brown, or black mustard seeds are more pungent, and are found more often in European mustard blends.
Whole mustard seeds are used for marinades, pickling spices, roast meats, salad dressings, and Indian dishes.
Mustard-based Products:
Mustard seed is more commonly found in the form of prepared mustard.
Prepared Mustard is made from powdered mustard seed combined with a liquid, usually vinegar.
American-style Mustard is sweetened and is a bright yellow caused by the addition of turmeric.
Dijon Mustard is made from yellow mustard seed, sometimes combined with brown seeds as well.
English Mustard, made from yellow mustard seeds with wheat flour and turmeric, is blisteringly hot and usually available as a powder that has to be reconstituted with water, like wasabi.
Mustard Oil is made from pressed mustard seeds; it is very hot. Use sparingly for stir-fries and marinades. Warning: the oil, when heated, releases a lingering, pungent odour.
Creole Mustard is made from brown mustard seeds marinated in vinegar and a touch of horseradish. Hot and aromatic.
Flavour and aroma: powerfully pungent,
Mustard seeds come from plants of the cabbage family.
White (or yellow) mustard seeds are used to make yellow mustard. Brown, or black mustard seeds are more pungent, and are found more often in European mustard blends.
Whole mustard seeds are used for marinades, pickling spices, roast meats, salad dressings, and Indian dishes.
Mustard-based Products:
Mustard seed is more commonly found in the form of prepared mustard.
Prepared Mustard is made from powdered mustard seed combined with a liquid, usually vinegar.
American-style Mustard is sweetened and is a bright yellow caused by the addition of turmeric.
Dijon Mustard is made from yellow mustard seed, sometimes combined with brown seeds as well.
English Mustard, made from yellow mustard seeds with wheat flour and turmeric, is blisteringly hot and usually available as a powder that has to be reconstituted with water, like wasabi.
Mustard Oil is made from pressed mustard seeds; it is very hot. Use sparingly for stir-fries and marinades. Warning: the oil, when heated, releases a lingering, pungent odour.
Creole Mustard is made from brown mustard seeds marinated in vinegar and a touch of horseradish. Hot and aromatic.
Flavour and aroma: Penetrating, spicy, warm and sweet.
Whole nutmeg is widely available; the hard, brown seed of the nutmeg tree can be grated easily and stored indefinitely. Ground nutmeg is of varying quality and is no match for the whole version. Grated nutmeg can be used to enliven a range of dishes: custards, white sauces, mashed potatoes, and baked goods, among others.
Flavour and aroma: Spicy, aromatic and a slightly bitter taste.
Oregano belongs to the same family as marjoram and thyme. This is a perennial plant that is widely distributed throughout Europe, Asia and the Americas.
Because oregano is assertive and pungent it should be used sparingly; the dried herb is even more pungent. Oregano also has an affinity for tomatoes and is widely used in pasta and pizza sauces. It is also a component of chili powder.
Dried Oregano is perfectly acceptable; it should have a grayish-green color.
There are many different types of oregano available, both fresh and dried; check the strength before use.
Also called Wild Marjoram.
Flavour and aroma: Although paprika is more valued for its colour, good paprika has a discernibly sweet and smoky aroma. Paprika ahumado is a smoked paprika variety used in Mexican cookery.
Paprika is made from ground dried sweet red peppers. The best quality paprika reputedly comes from Hungary, where it is widely used both as a garnish and for its flavour, most famously in goulash and perkelt. Fresh, high quality paprika is often difficult to find in supermarkets; ethnic markets may be a better bet.
Paprika is used as an attractive garnish for such items as eggs dishes, pork, veal, seafood, and white vegetables. When rubbed on roasts such as poultry, veal or pork it lends a rich reddish brown to the meat surface after roasting.
All paprika is always sold in the ground state. It loses its flavour and colour relatively quickly, so do not keep longer than six months, and purchase in small amounts.
The most common varieties are curly and flat leaf or Italian. The latter is the more pungent.
Flavour and aroma: Pleasant, sweet, and grassy.
Parsley is used in a wide variety of soups, sauces and meat dishes. Its most common use is for visual effect either as a garnish in the form of a sprig, or chopped and sprinkled.
Dried Parsley has a hay-like aroma and bears little resemblance to fresh; use fresh parsley whenever possible.
Flavour and aroma: Hot, biting, complex, and pungent.
Pepper is the most widely used spice in the West. Black Pepper is the unripe fruit of the vine Piper nigrum.
Black Peppercorns are picked when the berry is almost ripe; it is then dried, which gives it its characteristic shriveled appearance. It is the strongest flavoured of the peppercorn varieties.
White Peppercorns are less pungent; the berry is completely ripened and soaked in water. The black outer skin is rubbed off and the grey inner peppercorn is dried until it turns white. White pepper is hotter and less complex in its aroma and taste than black pepper.
White pepper is useful for dishes where black specks of pepper would be unsightly; in white sauces for example.
Green Peppercorns are usually packed in brine. The berry is picked when soft and unripe, giving it a milder flavour.
Peppercorns, white and black, are available whole, cracked, or ground. Whole peppercorns are strongly recommended for the serious cook; they retain all of their intrinsic pungency and complexity, and can be kept indefinitely. A peppermill is all that is needed to grind them.
Cracked black pepper gives a burst of flavor, heat, and a certain crunchiness to foods.
Ground black or white pepper, although inarguably convenient, degrades rapidly and lacks the complex qualities of whole peppercorns.
Flavour and aroma: Hot, biting, complex, and pungent.
Pepper is the most widely used spice in the West. Black Pepper is the unripe fruit of the vine Piper nigrum.
Black Peppercorns are picked when the berry is almost ripe; it is then dried, which gives it its characteristic shriveled appearance. It is the strongest flavoured of the peppercorn varieties.
White Peppercorns are less pungent; the berry is completely ripened and soaked in water. The black outer skin is rubbed off and the grey inner peppercorn is dried until it turns white. White pepper is hotter and less complex in its aroma and taste than black pepper.
White pepper is useful for dishes where black specks of pepper would be unsightly; in white sauces for example.
Green Peppercorns are usually packed in brine. The berry is picked when soft and unripe, giving it a milder flavour.
Peppercorns, white and black, are available whole, cracked, or ground. Whole peppercorns are strongly recommended for the serious cook; they retain all of their intrinsic pungency and complexity, and can be kept indefinitely. A peppermill is all that is needed to grind them.
Cracked black pepper gives a burst of flavor, heat, and a certain crunchiness to foods.
Ground black or white pepper, although inarguably convenient, degrades rapidly and lacks the complex qualities of whole peppercorns.
Not related to true peppercorns, pink peppercorns are the dried berries of the Baies Rose plant.
Flavour and aroma: Pungent, acerbic, and slightly sweet.
Usually found as whole corns in pepper mixes, freeze-dried, or packed in brine, pink peppercorns are occasionally used to add colour and pungency for a wide variety of dishes.
Flavour and aroma: Nutty and crunchy with a little spiciness.
The tiny, blue-grey poppy seeds are most often used to add texture and taste to coffeecakes, muffins, other baked goods, and salad dressings. In Europe, India and the Middle East they are used also for savoury dishes. If heated in oil, as they often are in Indian dishes, cover cooking vessel as the seeds will burst and fly uncontrollably.
The fugitive flavour of poppy seeds is considerably enhanced with a light roasting.
Poppy seeds have a high oil content which makes them prone to rancidity. They should be kept in an airtight container in the refrigerator for not longer than four months.
Flavour and aroma: Wonderfully distinctive and evocative; floral, eucalyptus, and pine aroma, with a peppery and fragrant flavour.
Rosemary can be used for almost any dish, but with the greatest discretion. It is particularly well suited to lamb, pork, and focaccia.
Dried Rosemary retains much of the strength and flavour of the fresh herb. It should be a grayish-green with a pungent, sweet aroma.
The world's most expensive spice.
Flavour and aroma: Voluptuous, spicy, floral, and sweet.
Saffron is made from the orange stigmas of the purple crocus; it takes 14,000 hand-picked stigmas to make one ounce of saffron.
Fortunately a tiny pinch of saffron goes a long way. Saffron is used traditionally to flavour bouillabaisse and paella; it is also frequently used to flavour risotto and some baked products.
Powdered saffron degrades rapidly and may be adulterated; choose the whole threads whenever possible.
Sage is indigenous to the northern Mediterranean, but it can be grown almost anywhere.
Flavour and aroma: Powerfully aromatic with a warm, spicy, and astringent taste.
Sage's distinctive flavour permeates whatever it seasons, and should be used in moderation. It is traditionally paired with pork, poultry, in sausages, and in bread-based stuffing.
Sage is one of the more widely used herbs in meat processing, especially as an addition to breakfast sausage.
Dried Sage, in leaves or rubbed and as a powder, retains much of the character of fresh sage; the leaves should have a silvery gray color with a strong aroma.
Pineapple sage is, as may be expected, a variety that has a pineapple scent.
Salt today is so readily available and inexpensive that we tend to take it for granted. Its history and cultural, religious and societal aspects deserve further exploration, but here we will describe the various forms in which salt can be purchased.
Table salt is the most common type of salt found in kitchens. It is fine-grained, mass-produced, refined, and has additives that make it free-flowing, and usually has added iodine (sodium iodide) as a preventative against hyperthyroidism.
Rock salt is mined from underground or derived from brine pumped to the surface and then crystallized. Crystals are often relatively large and off-white. Its flavour depends on the impurities found in it.
Sea salt is made from evaporated ocean water or from other naturally-occurring briny waters. Depending on where it originates and the trace impurities contained, sea salt can vary marginally in flavour and hugely in price. The renowned French fleur de sel is very expensive and is purported to have an aroma of violets. Like sea salt, it is the trace impurities that give it its flavour. France boasts several other ?boutique¹ salts, mostly form the Marseilles or Normandy regions. Crystals are usually larger than those of table salt and grayish-white in colour
Kosher salt, which meets Jewish dietary requirements, is an additive-free, coarse-grained salt that is the preferred salt of many chefs because of its texture and purity.
Pickling salt is fine-grained to ensure fast dissolving and has no additives which would cloud the pickling brine.
Seasoned salt is table salt with a few added flavouring ingredients, some being onion salt, garlic salt, and celery salt.
Flavour and aroma: Reminiscent of a combination of thyme and mint, but not as aromatic as either. Spicy and peppery. Summer savoury is milder than its winter cousin.
Savoury adds a piquancy to soups, pâtés, meat dishes and fish. It has an affinity for tomato and many vegetables.
Fresh savoury is available year-round but may be hard to find. Dried Savoury is an acceptable substitute.
Flavour and aroma: Nutty and faintly sweet.
Sesame seeds can be brown, red, or black, but are usually a pale creamy white. Their flavour is improved and amplified if lightly roasted.
Sesame seeds have many applications: in baked goods (breads, rolls, crackers, pastries, cookies, and cakes), confectionary, in salads and salad dressings, on sushi and other Japanese foods, and as a constituent of the Middle Eastern items halvah, tahini, and hummus.
Black sesame seeds have an almost identical flavour and can be used for decorative effect.
Because of the high oil content, sesame seeds should be stored in a cool, dark place for a maximum of three months.
Flavour and aroma: Sweet, and more bitter than anise seed.
Star anise is the dried seed-pod of a member of the magnolia family and is widely used in Asian cuisine. As its flavour is almost identical to that of anise seed one may safely substitute the one for the other.
Is one ingredient in Chinese Five-spice Powder.
Flavour and aroma: biting, woodsy, lemon-like, and almost anaesthetic.
Widely used as a flavouring agent and condiment in Asian cuisine, Szechuan peppers are not related to the familiar black peppercorn. There are many different sub-species, all with similar, though distinctive, individual taste qualities. The Chinese refer to this spice as fagara. It is not a pepper at all, but rather a dried fruit from the citrus family (Rutaceae).
Szechuan pepper adds heat, and an elusive, unforgettable complexity that cannot be replicated by either black or cayenne pepper.
Available whole or ground, but for maximum effect it is recommended to roast the whole berries before use.
Flavour and aroma: Sweet, very sour and citric.
Tamarind is usually found in specialty markets in the form of a concentrated pulp that must be reconstituted with water before use. It is the only spice of African origin, but is most commonly used in Indian and Middle Eastern cuisines.
Tamarind is rarely used in western cuisines, but it gives Worcesrshire sauce its distictive tang, and is used to season a host of chutneys, pickles, and curries (especially the fierce Goan pork stew vindaloo).
Flavour and aroma: Unmistakable anise flavour, but quite mild with a slightly bitter aftertaste.
Tarragon is native to southeastern Russia but it is the cultivated French variety that is used for culinary purposes.
Tarragon is particularly appreciated by the French, in whose cuisine it is used extensively, most notably for Béarnaise sauce. It is also suitable for flavouring other sauces, chicken, pork, fish and vegetables. Tarragon can overpower other flavours if used too liberally.
Dried Tarragon, if not too old, retains most of this herb's flavour and aroma, but loses its pungency and complexity rapidly.
Flavour and aroma: Warm and herbaceous, but with a biting and spicy sharpness. Notes of lemon and sage
A highly versatile herb that can be used either by itself or in combination with other herbs, as in a bouquet garni. It is widely used to flavour almost all savoury foods.
There are many varieties available, but garden thyme with small grey-green leaves and tiny purple flowers is the most common. Fresh thyme is readily available year round. If fresh thyme is not at hand, Dried Thyme is an acceptable substitute.
Other thyme varieties include Lemon, wild, French, English, variegated, and many others of horticultural interest only.
Flavour and aroma: Pungent, slightly musty, and peppery.
Turmeric is made from dried, ground rhizomes, and is a striking orange/yellow. It is a close relative of ginger, but the similarity ends there; fresh turmeric can be found occasionally, but the overwhelming majority is sold as powder. Like saffron it is used for both its flavour and colour.
Turmeric is a common ingredient in curry blends, and it is what gives American mustard its characteristic bright yellow colour.
Flavour and aroma: Rich, volatile, balsamic, sweet, and creamy.
Vanilla is familiar to most people as a liquid extract, essence, or artificial flavour.
The source of true vanilla is the dried, fermented bean pod of an orchid. Vanilla flowers have to be hand-pollinated, and the drying and fermenting is long and involved; facts which explain the high cost of vanilla beans. Vanilla beans are grown in several countries; most come from Madagascar, the remainder coming from Tahiti, Sri-Lanka, Mexico, and other countries.
Vanilla beans can be stored in sugar; the sugar will assume some of the vanilla fragrance. The beans can be split lengthwise and the tiny seeds scraped out. The seeds can be added directly to ice-cream mixtures, pastry, sauces, and so on. Or the whole bean can be added to flavour a liquid-based item; it can then be retrieved, rinsed and dried, and stored for further use.
Although vanilla is mostly associated with sweet dishes, it has recently been used to add an exotic flavour to savoury dishes as well.
Vanilla-based Products:
Pure Vanilla Extract must contain 13.35 ounces vanilla beans per gallon and 35 percent alcohol. This brown, clear liquid gives a flavour that is very close to that of the natural vanilla bean. Because of this uniformity, vanilla extract is useful in achieving an exact flavour level in a given recipe.
Imitation Vanilla is made from entirely artificial flavourings. Although it costs only a fraction of vanilla extract or vanilla beans, it can be harsh and bitter.
On food labels, "Vanilla Flavouring" denotes the use of vanilla extract or beans, whereas "Vanilla-flavoured" products can contain up to 42 percent artificial flavouring.
