Spice savvy
These 7 trendy seasonings will add pizzazz to your cooking
When I look inyo my spice cabinet, I see rows of little bottles of use them regularly, I that look are each the into and common my holds wouldn’t spice a different spices cabinet, want and to flavoring. I be see seasonings without. rows of little I
There’s dishes I always make, the plenty cumin of oregano I use when for I the make Greek my deviled eggs and enchiladas, chili powder for chili and vegetable salads, and of course the whole peppercorns and sea salt I love to grind over dishes to give them that special finish. But I also have some uncommon spices that I fell in love with when I used them in new recipes.
There’s a bottle of kala jeera, a black cumin seed with a slight lemony flavor that I purchased to make a lamb dish; grains of paradise, which tastes like a cross between pepper and cardamom, that I ground over fish on the grill; and powdered sumac, which has a tart and lemony flavor and that I used in a Middle Eastern dish. It’s been said that variety is the spice of life, and I believe that one also could say that spices bring variety to cooking. So why not try some unique spices that have hit the market or are trending these days?
Ryan Bennett, manager of The Spice House in Milwaukee ( thespicehouse.com) said truly new spices do pop up from time to time, but that most of those considered “new” here are found in other parts of the world and are just new to us.
“But there is always a new super-hot pepper” and growers are always developing “the biggest and best pepper ever,” he said.
“Food cultures have shifted in the last 20 years due to TV programs and bloggers,” he added, “and people are getting more experimental than they used to be and are trying things from different cultures.” Sherrie Hahn, with World Spice Merchants ( world
spice.com), which has a store in Seattle and an online business specializing in exotic seasonings, said these days foodies are looking at websites, reading gourmet magazines and perusing new cookbooks, so they are made aware of the breadth of spices available today.
At her firm, she said, she’s seeing a lot of interest in spices from the Middle East and eastern Mediterranean region.
Neil Sanghavi, manager of Indian Groceries & Spices, 10701 W North Ave., Wauwatosa, said he’s seeing a growth in the sale of organic spices.
“That’s really trending in our industry,” he said. “People are getting more concerned about pesticides in their food. People are also buying the organic spices because they have more flavor and taste fresher.”
Today we take a close look at seven spices and blends trending in home kitchens at the moment (or making their way there).
Advieh
This is a Persian spice mix that dates back to the Persian Empire.
“It’s a combination of multiple varietals of sweet cinnamon, cardamom seed, roses, cumin, black pepper and Indian coriander,” said Sherrie Hahn with World Spice Merchants.
“I’m seeing more and more people go to it because they found a recipe that used it online or they come into our shop and smelled it in one of our sample jars.”
Hahn, who cooked professionally for almost 12 years at fine dining restaurants featuring different foreign cuisines, said she’s used advieh on roasted and fried chicken.
“And if you have a recipe that uses apples or pears, you can use it in that. It’s good for sweet or savory. I did an apple pie with it and it was fabulous.
“Advieh is also something people are putting in Persian rice dishes, lamb meatballs or in cookies.” Ryan Bennett with The Spice House said this is one of his favorite newer products.
“It’s a fermented garlic,” he said. “It’s slow-roasted, which gives it a rich black color. It tastes like a cross between garlic and soy sauce.
“We get ours from a company here in Wisconsin, but I believe it originally came from somewhere in Asia.”
He said the garlic, which comes in bulbs as well as puree, works well in foods with Asian flavors, stir-fries, noodle bowls and rice dishes. It also can be mixed with mayonnaise for a spread on bahn mi, a Vietnamese sandwich.
“It’s used in fairly small amounts, as the flavor is pretty potent,” he said. “I’ve used it to make marinades by mixing it with a little chile paste, oil and vinegar. The garlic gives the marinade a nice rich depth.”
Kampot red peppercorns
This is another popular spice, according to Bennett. “It’s a special kind of peppercorn from Cambodia. After the Khmer Rouge regime took over Cambodia, people weren’t farming and they abandoned the farms and fields. Farmers have just started going back and reclaiming that land and they have just started producing (the peppercorns) again.
“They’re left on the vine longer and they give a different flavor than the black peppercorns,” he said. “They’re sweeter, but they still have that heat.”
Bennett said they can be used in place of black peppercorns in just about any dish and that they taste best when cracked.
Ras el Hanout
This Middle Eastern spice blend is another one that cooks should consider, Bennett said.
“The name translates to ‘top of the shop.’ … It’s a mix of all their best spices. It includes cardamom, turmeric, sea salt, cinnamon, mace, saffron, allspice, nutmeg, ginger and black pepper. It can be used to coat meat that is roasted, in sauces and is popular in tagines.
“It gives food a very aromatic flavor,” he said “It has a sweet flavor with a little heat and floral notes from the saffron. It’s very well balanced.”
Dukkah
Hahn, with World Spice Merchants, said this Egyptian spice blend is a mix of herbs, spices, salt and nuts. Depending on the mix, hazelnuts, pistachios and sesame seeds could be used.
“In Egypt they dip bread in olive oil, then in the spice mix,” she said. “A lot of people here will sprinkle it on soups or salads or use it in flatbreads or scones. It goes well with rice and bread.”
(For a recipe for Dukkah Scones, using dukkah made with hazelnuts, search for the recipe by name at silkroaddiary.com.)
Svaneti seasoned salt
Cooks should check out this Georgian salt blend, Hahn said. She said it’s named after the mountainous region of this Eurasian country, where the blend originated.
“It’s popular throughout Georgia and is used as much there as chefs in the States would use seasoning salt,” Hahn said.
“Georgian foods are popular and they’re becoming more and more popular. This seasoned salt has caraway, coriander, fenugreek, tellicherry, black pepper, garlic, chiles and sea salt. …
“If you put a tub of it in front of someone, and they smell it, they always buy it. It’s killer on roasted potatoes and any roasted vegetables.”
(For a recipe for Georgian Spiced Lamb Chops with Molasses Mustard Glaze, search for it by name at silkroaddiary.com.)
Turmeric
Nothing new about this spice, but Neil Sanghavi of Indian Groceries & Spices said it’s surging in popularity at his store because people are becoming more health-conscious.
“Turmeric is very popular right now because of its health benefits. It’s mentioned in a lot of health articles, so people are incorporating it whenever they can in their diets.” It’s said to help with Alzheimer’s and arthritis and in lowering cholesterol.
“It’s picked up steam in the last 6 to 12 months,” Sanghavi said. “People are even making tea out of it.”
He said it’s a very commonly used spice in India and is always used in Indian curry; it’s what gives it that rich yellow/gold color.