This post feels like it has been 6 months in the making.
One of my all time favourite tv game shows is The Price is Right. Growing up as a kid, it was one of my favourite things to watch, usually when I was home from school sick. I still watch it in its newest form with Drew Carey, including the night time version. It feels good and a bit nostalgic to name this post off the memory of that game show.
So what is a spice? According to Merriam Webster a spice is “a plant product that is used to season or flavor foods and is usually comprised of seeds, fruit, bark or rhizomes that have been dried and typically ground”. A spice can be a derivative of the seeds, roots, bark or flowers from a plant. They are dried, will lose their strength over time, especially if exposed to air and light. One thing for sure is that a spice can make or break a dish.
I thought I would do something similar to my post of culinary terms and provide a list of spices from A to Z. The question is, can I actually do it? Come up with 26 different spices? I’ll give it a try and also comment on whether I have actually used the spice before.
Here we go!
A – anise: an annual herb of the parsley family, flavour of which resembles that of licorice. Star Anise has a similar flavour but is an unrelated plant. Not a fan of either anise or star anise.
B – bay leaf: a leaf of the sweet bay tree. Popular for pickling and marinating by adding to dishes like stews, stuffing, and fish for flavour, then removed after cooking. Bay leaves are bitter to the taste but fragrant. I use them all the time, in abundance! But it’s like searching for buried treasure once the dish is done to find and remove all of the bay leaves.
C – caraway: also a member of the parsley family. Caraway has a distinct aroma with a warm slightly sharp taste. Caraway is used in seasoning in meat dishes, bread, cheese and vegetable dishes like sauerkraut and coleslaw.
D – dill: a biennial herb of the parsley family. The plant is aromatic, warm and slightly sharp flavoured. Dill is used either in fresh or dried form to flavour soups, salads, sauces and is great for pickles. The dill dip is a family favourite with the Ivan kids!
E – epazote: now this one is new to me. Native to Mexico and Guatemala and used both medicinally as well as in cooking, either fresh or dried. Epazote is a an aromatic herb that is dark green, long, slender, with jagged leaves that end in a point. The flowers are green and very small, producing thousands of tiny seeds. It has a strong, bold taste and aroma and described as a mix between basil and mint. Epazote is described to carry notes of citrus, anise, oregano, and pine when incorporated into dishes. Epazote is commonly believed to be a natural treatment for digestive issues and helps with gas and bloating. It can be incorporated into high-fiber foods like beans, soups and stews.
Hmmm… this is one that I may just have to look into further given my love for Mexican food.
F – fennel: a perennial herb coming from the carrot family. It’s shoots, leaves and seeds are all edible. Fennel is extremely aromatic and used to flavour pastries, sweet pickles and fish. It is also one of five dried spices that makes up Chinese Five Spice. Fennel is not a spice a that I tend to gravitate to.
G – ginger: a perennial plant that is native to southeast Asia. Ginger has a pungent stem and is slightly bitter. It is often used in its dried form as a spice to flavour food such as bread, sauces, curry dishes, pickles and of course, Ginger Ale. Although it may seem unlikely, ginger pairs well with a broad range of flavors and is often matched with everything from chocolate, ice cream, and fruit to chicken, ham, and carrots.
H – harissa: harisa is actually a paste made from dried chili peppers, garlic, olive oil, and other seasonings. It is often added to slow cooking dishes, marinades, tagine stews and dips.
I – Italian spice blend: this is a blend of spices that typically includes basil, oregano, rosemary, and thyme. Or when you don’t have Italian spice blend, do what I do and try using a mixture of basil, oregano, rosemary and thyme!
J – jerk seasoning: jerk seasoning is a spice used in Jamaican cuisine is is made up of allspice, chili peppers, thyme, and garlic.
K – kosher salt: a salt that is course and flaker compared to traditional table salt. It is easier to grab and season food with, and because it is less salt per volume (1 tsp of Kosher vs 1 tsp of table salt) there is less risk of you oversalting your dish. Kosher salt is something that over the last few years I have started using on a regular basis in the kitchen.
L – lemongrass: lemon grass is an herb that comes from the plant cymbopogon citratus (aka the lemongrass plant). It is citrusy in taste and aroma and is traditionally used in Asian, Thai and Vietnamese cuisine along with other spices such as cloves, cinnamon, ginger, garlic, turmeric, basil, cilantro, and various chiles. To me, its “fresh” in taste in flavour.
M – marjoram: marjoram is a sweet and earthy herb often used in Italian and French cuisine. It is often associated with oregano and resembled that flavour as well. Marjoram is often used in soups, stews and sauces, as well as used medicinally.
N – nutmeg: nutmeg is ground from a seed and has a warm, sweet flavor. It is commonly associated with fall and winter baking. Many pie, cookie, and cake recipes call for the use nutmeg and you shouldn’t be afraid to use a bit with any recipe that calls for cinnamon. Oh and don’t forget to use it as a finisher for the top of lattes, cappuccinos and eggnog!
O – oregano: another herb often used in Italian and Greek cuisine. It has a warm, slightly bitter flavor and used in savoury dishes.
P – paprika: now THIS is one of my favorite spices. Paprika is a spice that comes from the ground chili pepper. It is extremely versatile and can used in almost anything. It boasts a sweet, slightly smoky flavor, is a crimson-red colored powder and used to season dishes, garnish foods, and add color to a recipe. Most paprika comes from Hungary and Spain and is either sweet, hot, or smokey. Sweet paprika from Hungary is my absolute go to for many of the dishes I make. There is only one brand I gravitate to and I am always on the hunt for it.
Q – quatre spice: OK, so I may be stretching things here a bit with this one. The quatre spice is used in French cuisine, and has bee referred to as French Allspice. It is made up of ground pepper (white, black, or both), cloves, nutmeg and dried ginger and used to season anything from soup to grilled chicken, and often incorporated in ragout and pot-cooked dishes, vegetable preparations, sausages and pates. That all sounds very French like doesn’t it.
R – rosemary: frequently used in Mediterranean dishes, rosemary is a bit bitter and piney in taste. The leaves are usually stripped off their stem and used to season stews, stuffing, marinates and roasted meats. When I think of rosemary, I think of lamb.
S – sage: this herb also happens to be the name of one of my cousins. This herb in is pure form has a light green and fuzzy exterior with an intense herbal aroma. The dried herb is used in stuffing and sausage. Sage has a definitive herbal flavor that is earthy, slightly peppery taste with hints of mint, eucalyptus, and lemon. Sage should be used early in the cooking process rather than at the end as a finishing herb. For me, sage is a must in my chicken and turkey stuffing recipes, alongside poultry seasoning.
T – turmeric: it is safe to say I seldomly use turmeric when I cook. It is a spice that is deep gold in colour, and earthy and slightly bitter to taste, with peppery and citrusy notes. Turmeric is synonymous with Indian cooking, hence why its not something I use. It has long been used medicinally in Chinese medicine as well, but be warned, a little goes a long way with this spice.
U – urfa biber: a last minute find for the letter “U” Also called urfa pepper or isot pepper. This is a Turkish chili pepper, reminiscent of long bell peppers, and are usually found as a dried, flaked seasoning similar to crushed red pepper. It is burgundy in colour, has irregular sized flakes and boasts a delicious smokey raisin-like flavor that can add depth, spice and a smoky element to a dish. It can be used from seasoning for braised meats and roasted vegetables, to standing in anywhere you’d use crushed red pepper.
V – vanilla: vanilla is a sweet spice most most associated with baking and flavoring foods and beverages. It is a derivative the fruit of the plant Vanilla planifolia, is sweet and fragrant and adds a rich flavour. It comes in various forms such as beans, extract, essence, paste, syrup and essential oil. For me, when I think of vanilla, I think of the pure taste of vanilla bean in icing, or of course, the vanilla bean Frappuccino.
W – wasabi: often referred to as Japanese horseradish. The wasabi plant is part of the Brassicaceae family and is in the same family as horseradish, radishes and mustard, with their similar hot flavours. The pure form of wasabi has a grated, gritty texture and wasabi in mainly used to make wasabi paste, a condiment enjoyed with sushi. Not gonna lie, wasabi is something that is really growing on me and I am getting more and more addicted to, having been served wasabi “mayo” recently with a shrimp eggroll.
X – sorry, I came up with nothing.
Y – Ditto.
Z – zatar: also known as za’atar, this is a popular Middle Eastern nutty spice mixture blend comprised of sumac, sesame seeds, and salt. It is said to be zesty, sour and nutty and enjoyed whipped into butter, ricotta or sour cream to make a tangy spread or dip.
So there you have it, a spice alphabet that include everything but “X” and “Y’.
Is there anything here that you have tried and want to comment on? If so, come on down and leave me a comment, because the Spice is Right!