It’s a world of a thousand flavours and a thousand colours capable of giving you a whole range of sensations, from a fire erupting like a volcano to the gentle subtlety of a sweet sensation… As you’ll have gathered, today we’re going to be talking about spices!
Spices take us on a journey, as they are readily available all over the world and each has a specific origin. A spice is any aromatic plant substance used to season food. It can be derived from bark (cinnamon), flowers (saffron, cloves), leaves (tea, thyme), fruit (pepper, dill, mustard), bulbs (garlic, onion, ginger) or seeds (fennel, coriander, etc.).
Spices are most often found in their ground form, which is practical and ready to use.
So here’s a quick round-up of the 3 essential spices that I always have in stock in my kitchen, to add colour and punch to my dishes at every opportunity!
Curry
Curry is a generic term for a wide variety of spicy preparations. In terms of flavour, you’ll be surprised by its diversity: from very mild to very spicy, there’s a rainbow of shades from yellow ochre to brick red to enhance your dishes.
Did you know that you can create your own curry blend?
All you need is a bowl and the following spices:
- cumin
- coriander
- turmeric
- chilli
- fenugreek
- cardamom
- cloves
- ginger
- garlic
- onion
It’s up to you to experiment by mixing all these spices together to create your own curry!
And for the more curious (or if you’re just lazy), there’s curry herb: a shrub found in our region that tastes just like curry. Perfect for seasoning your favourite dishes quickly and simply!
Turmeric
Originally a root, turmeric is easy to find dried and ground on the market. The advantage is that you avoid a lot of handling (the root has a rather stubborn reputation when it comes to staining)… I like to add it to my smoothies, juices and dishes – on my bowl of scrambled eggs in the morning, for example, with a little fresh parsley: it’s delicious!
Turmeric is known for its many benefits, but you should also be aware that there are several different qualities on the market, so it’s best to choose a brand you can trust!
Cinnamon
Cinnamon comes from the cinnamon tree, from which the first part of the bark is removed to access the inner part. The second part of the bark is cut away, splitting it lengthways. As it dries, these pieces roll up, forming the sticks we find in the shops.
In the kitchen, it’s the spice I use almost daily to enhance my fresh fruit and vegetable juices and cakes, and I even use it in a morning infusion to get things off to a good start. Cinnamon is an extraordinary spice. If you ever get the chance to taste a piece of it fresh, you’ll discover absolutely incredible and astonishing sensations in your mouth… It’s simply magical!
Quality is key
Generally speaking, all these spices have numerous health benefits and are full of interesting nutrients, provided they are of good quality and have been carefully processed.
Be aware that powdered spices undergo a drying process (sometimes at high temperature) that can alter their nutritional value, and that it’s best to opt for organic labels to avoid unpleasant surprises as far as possible…
See you soon for more culinary adventures!
What do you think?