Spices

A Spice Primer

/ Organikos / 2 Comments

spice

Our work in the land of spices, the Malabar coast of India, has taught us a thing or two about spices, but we never tire of hearing an expert share the fundamentals of their knowledge (click the image above to go to the podcast):

Lior Lev Sercarz, chef and owner of La Boîte, a destination spice shop in New York City, joins us to discuss his book The Spice Companion: A Guide to the World of Spices. He offers ways for home cooks to try new flavor combinations and make custom spice blends with a curated collection of 102 spices. He also details their histories and origins, and includes information on where to buy and store spices, five traditional cuisine pairings, and three quick suggestions for use.

Fiery questions

/ Allegra / 1 Comment
Chapatti oven
Chapatti-making at All Spice Cardamom County
Spices of the All Spice kitchen
Nan
Chef Mohan Pillai
Hot stuff
Onions and chili

Fire. That’s what comes to my mind when I think of Indian food. I understand from my colleagues that here in Kerala food can never be too spicy. Don’t get me wrong– I love spicy food. I am less keen on surprises. But how to make sure to avoid them ? Continue reading →

Cardamom – Elettaria cardamom

/ Salim.E.I / Leave a comment

A native of India’s Western Ghats, Cardamom belongs to the Ginger family. Known as the “Queen Of Spices”, it is one of the most famous and popular spices used in India and the Middle East. The dried berry of the plant is called chotti elaichi in Hindi, which means small cardamom. Continue reading →

Cassia – Cinnamomum tamala

/ Salim.E.I / 1 Comment

Cassia is a moderate sized evergreen tree widely growing in the evergreen and semi-evergreen forests of Western Ghats. One of the  popular spices commonly used in the Indian diet, Cassia is generally considered inferior to Cinnamon, but is often used as its substitute. Continue reading →

Nutmeg (Myristica Fragrans)

/ Salim.E.I / 1 Comment

The Nutmeg Tree is an evergreen aromatic which usually grows up to a height of 15-20 meters. Nutmeg and mace are two distinctly different spices produced from the same tree- the nutmeg being the actual interior nut, while mace is the red lacy covering beneath the outer shell. Although it is now cultivated throughout most of the south Indian states, the tree is a native of Moluccas, an island in the Indonesian archipelago. It thrives in hot and moist climates at low elevations.

Continue reading →

The Clove Tree (Syzygium aromaticum)

/ Salim.E.I / Leave a comment

Clove buds

Clove is one of the best known spices in the world. The clove tree is an evergreen tree which grows up to 10-12 meters and the spice itself is the flowering bud of the tree. The green, unopened buds grow in a bunch and are harvested when bright red. When dried the buds become dark brown and are used as a spice in numerous cuisines of the world.

Continue reading →

Allspice (Pimenta dioica)

/ Salim.E.I / Leave a comment

Native to the New World Tropics, allspice is a medium sized tree growing up to 35 to 42 feet in height whose leaves smell like a combination of cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg. The evergreen tree produces small berries which contains one or two seeds. This seed is priced as the second most expensive spice in the world market after Saffron.

Continue reading →

Cardamom Plantations

/ Milo Inman / Leave a comment

Kerala’s hill districts are a historical hub of trade and culture – George discussed a bit of that history in his previous post. But spice plantations, which are one of the region’s main economic assets, are not very similar to most people’s view of agriculture. Enormous flat fields of rigidly regimented plants are not a common sight here (except for rice paddies), and spice plantations are quite different from this doctrine.  Continue reading →

Cinnamon (Cinamomum zeylanica)

/ Organikos / 2 Comments

Most of the people in India have enjoyed the sweet and pungent taste of Cinnamon. Also known as “Sweet Wood” in some countries, Cinnamon is one of the species native to the hills of Kerala and Sri Lanka.

Cinnamon Bark is widely used in cooking as a flavoring spice in both sweet and savory recipes. Cinnamon is main flavor in Indian dishes like Briyani, chicken curry etc. Continue reading →