EIGHT ESSENTIAL SPICES FOR YOUR KITCHEN
Cardamom
Cayenne Pepper
Cinnamon
Coriander
Cumin
Saffron
Star Anise
Vanilla
Keep a few dried spices handy in your cupboard and you’ll never be short of a world of flavours.
To keep your spices at their best, store in tightly lidded jars and keep away from heat, moisture and direct sunlight. Replace lids immediately after use.
Check to see that the colour of your spices remains rich and vibrant. If the colour has faded, it’s likely that the flavour will be diminished and the spices could taste stale.
To stop the spices sticking together, don’t dip a wet spoon into the spice when measuring and avoid sprinkling spices directly into a steaming pan.
Cardamom
Cardamom pods consist of small husks containing tiny black seeds with a bitter-sweet, slightly lemony flavour. The seeds are very hard and quite difficult to grind at home. Instead, roughly crush the husks in a pestle and mortar - or with the end of a rolling pin - and add to your recipe as it cooks – they can always be removed once the dish is ready. Widely seen in Indian and North African cuisine, you’ll find cardamom used in fragrant curries, stews and tagines, as well as for flavouring for chutneys and pickles. In the Middle East, you’ll find cardamom adding flavour to strong, dark coffee and in northern Europe, it is sometimes used as an ingredient in sweet cakes and pastries.
Cardamom pods consist of small husks containing tiny black seeds with a bitter-sweet, slightly lemony flavour. The seeds are very hard and quite difficult to grind at home. Instead, roughly crush the husks in a pestle and mortar - or with the end of a rolling pin - and add to your recipe as it cooks – they can always be removed once the dish is ready. Widely seen in Indian and North African cuisine, you’ll find cardamom used in fragrant curries, stews and tagines, as well as for flavouring for chutneys and pickles. In the Middle East, you’ll find cardamom adding flavour to strong, dark coffee and in northern Europe, it is sometimes used as an ingredient in sweet cakes and pastries.
Cayenne Pepper
Cayenne pepper comes from some of the smallest, hottest chillies from the capsicum family. It is widely available ground and packed in jars, cayenne pepper is fairly sweet, pungent and very hot – so use sparingly. Shake a little into marinades for the grill or barbecue, sprinkle into chilli con carne and other spicy dishes. It’s much used in South American cooking and spicy Chinese cuisine. Cayenne pepper is often blended with ground cumin and oregano to make chilli powder. Paprika is taken from a less hot pepper variety.
Cayenne pepper comes from some of the smallest, hottest chillies from the capsicum family. It is widely available ground and packed in jars, cayenne pepper is fairly sweet, pungent and very hot – so use sparingly. Shake a little into marinades for the grill or barbecue, sprinkle into chilli con carne and other spicy dishes. It’s much used in South American cooking and spicy Chinese cuisine. Cayenne pepper is often blended with ground cumin and oregano to make chilli powder. Paprika is taken from a less hot pepper variety.
Cinammon
Cinnamon is the dried, rolled bark of a tropical evergreen tree and is either sold as short, brown sticks or ground into a powder. Cinnamon sticks infuse any liquid with their warm, spicy flavour and can be added whole to rich savoury curries and Moroccan casseroles. They are also an essential ingredient in mulled wine, can be poked into an apple pie before baking and used to add flavour spiced fruits, chutneys and pickles. Ground cinnamon is most commonly used for baking – essential for rich fruit cakes - and is an important ingredient in ground mixed spice.
Cinnamon is the dried, rolled bark of a tropical evergreen tree and is either sold as short, brown sticks or ground into a powder. Cinnamon sticks infuse any liquid with their warm, spicy flavour and can be added whole to rich savoury curries and Moroccan casseroles. They are also an essential ingredient in mulled wine, can be poked into an apple pie before baking and used to add flavour spiced fruits, chutneys and pickles. Ground cinnamon is most commonly used for baking – essential for rich fruit cakes - and is an important ingredient in ground mixed spice.