Frost Bites - The Spice Rack

Welcome to The Spice Rack, a directory of the main spices used in the preparation of my recipes (and those of other chefs!). Please let me know if I have left your favourite off the list.

Happy cooking and eating!

Ken

Allspice

This is also known as Jamaica Pepper. It is sold as small dried berries or ready ground. The whole spice is an ingredient of pickling spice. Its flavour is a mixture of cloves, cinnamon and nutmeg. It can be used whole in marinades, meat dishes, pickles, chutneys; almost anything that you can think of.

Aniseed (Anise)

These small seeds have a strong, distinctive flavour. They are used mainly to flavour cakes and biscuits, but also in salad dressings or with Baked Apples. Aniseed is the main flavouring ingredient in drinks such as Pernod, Ricard, Anisette, Ouzo and Raki. It can aid digestion.

Anise Pepper

This is also called Szechuan pepper. It is a hot aromatic spice made from the dried red berries of a Chinese tree. It is one of the ingredients of Five-Spice Powder.

Caraway

These are small brown seeds with a pleasant sharp, liquorice taste. It is used in cakes and biscuits and also salads and sauerkraut. It can aid digestion.

Cardamom

This is a member of the ginger family. It is sold both whole (either green or black) and ground. It has a strong lemony flavour, and should be used sparingly. It is an ingredient of most curry powders and can also be used in pickles, soups, beef and pork dishes, with sweet potato, pumpkin and apples and in bread, buns, biscuits and cakes, with iced melon and in custard and rice pudding.

Cayenne

This comes from the red pepper (capsicum) family. It is made from the smallest, hottest chillies. It is sold ground and is sweet, pungent and very hot. It is used to flavour meats and sauces, especially barbecue and devilled recipes, eggs, fish, vegetables, chicken croquettes, cheese and vegetable soups.

Celery seeds

These do not come from salad celery, but have a strong taste which resembles the vegetable. They are sold whole or ground and can be used in pickles and chutney, meat and fish dishes, salads, bread, marinades, dressings and dips.

Chilli

This is a very hot spice which is used in Mexican dishes (see my recipe for chilli, which uses whole chillies), pickles, chutneys, ketchups, soup, tomato dishes, casseroles, spaghetti and meat sauces. It can be used fresh or in powdered form.

Cinnamon

Is available ground or in sticks. It has a sweet, pungent flavour and is widely used in all sweet, spicy baking, in pork dishes, pickles and chutneys and to flavour hot drinks, Mulled Wine (at Christmas).

Cloves

These resemble small nails when whole, they are also sold ground. They have a distinctive, pungent flavour and are used mainly to flavour apple dishes, Christmas Pudding, mincemeat, Bread Sauce and to stud ham (see my recipe for baked ham). They are good with pumpkin and also again in Mulled Wine. Whole cloves are best removed before a dish is eaten.

Coriander

Coriander seeds have a mild, sweet, orange flavour (evocative of Christmas). They are sold whole or ground. Coriander is an ingredient of curry powder, and is also used in chutney, meat dishes, apple pies and baking.

Cumin Seeds

They have a strong, slightly bitter taste. They are sold either whole or ground. An ingredient of curry powder and some chilli powder mixtures, cumin seeds are also used in pickles, chutney, cheese dishes, soups and rice dishes, in Mexican and Eastern dishes, meat loaves, marinades and fruit pies.

Fenugreek Seeds

This spice has a slightly harsh, hot flavour. They are also used in chutneys, pickles and sauces.

Ginger

This is a root with a hot sweetish taste sold in various forms. Root ginger is available fresh or dried, or it may be dried and ground. Stem (green) ginger is available preserved in syrup or crystallised. Root ginger needs to be cooked to release the true flavour; peel and slice and use in marinades, curries, sauces, chutneys and Chinese cooking. Ground ginger is used in curries, sauces, preserves, cakes and sprinkled on to melon. Preserved ginger is used in sweet dishes.

Juniper

This spice is small purple black berries with an aromatic scent and pine like tang. It is used with game, pork and lamb.

Mace

This is the husk of the nutmeg. It is sold as blades or ground. It has a stronger flavour than nutmeg. It is used in mulled wine and punches, potted meat, fish dishes, Béchamel Sauce, stews, pies and some puddings and cooked fruit dishes.

Mustard

This is made from the black, brown and white seeds of the mustard plant. The dark seeds give aroma and white ones pungency. Mustards are a combination of the two in varying proportions. Some English mustard is sold as a dry yellow powder made from black mustard seeds which is then mixed up with water; other mustards are sold ready mixed. Mustard is used as a condiment like salt and pepper with a wide variety of savoury dishes and also to flavour dressings and sauces, with cheese dishes, especially cheese savouries (see my recipe) and in beef, ham and bacon dishes.

Nutmeg

Nutmeg is sold whole or ground. As the flavour evaporates quickly, it is best bought whole and a little grated when required. It is used in chicken and cream soups, in cheese dishes, fish cakes, with chicken and veal, and in bread and butter pudding (see my recipe).

Paprika

This is a sweet mild spice which is sold ground to a red powder. It is good for adding colour to dishes. Some varieties are hotter than others. It is used in salads, fish, meat and chicken dishes, with vegetables, on canapés and Goulash (see my recipe).

Pepper

This is the berry of the pepper tree is sold in several forms; green, black or white. Green or unripe berries are picked and either dried, canned or bottled. They have a milder flavour than black or white pepper; and are used whole as a separate spice in pates, with rich meat like duck and in sauces and casseroles. Black pepper consists of berries which are picked while green and dried in the sun which shrivels and darkens them. It has a strong, pungent, hot flavour. You will see that I use this in a great many of my dishes.

White pepper

This is made from the ripened berries, and is less hot than black pepper. It can be interchanged with it, but its main use is in light-coloured dishes and sauces whose appearance could be marred by dark flecks.

Poppy seeds

These are small black seeds from the opium poppy, don’t worry you won’t get high! They are nutty-flavoured, very hard and usually sold whole. They are used to add flavour and give an attractive appearance in baking, dips, spreads, salads and dressings.

Saffron

This is a very expensive spice. Saffron is the dried stigmas of the crocus flower. It has an aromatic, slightly bitter taste and only a pinch is needed to flavour and colour dishes such as Bouillabaisse, chicken soup, rice and Paella, fish sauces, buns and cakes.

Sesame seeds

These are very small seeds with a rich, sweet, slightly burnt flavour. The flavour is enhanced by toasting or frying in butter. They are used in salads and dressings, sprinkled on fish, chicken dishes and on baked goodies.

Star Anise

This is the star shaped fruit of an evergreen tree native to China. When dried it is a red-brown colour and the flavour is one of pungent aniseed. It can be used to flavour stewed and simmered duck, beef, chicken and lamb. It can also be placed under whole fish for steaming.

Tamarind

Tamarind is the pod that grows on the Indian tamarind tree. It is seeded, peeled and pressed into a dark brown pulp which is sold dried. It is used to add a sour flavour to chutneys, sauces and curries.

Turmeric

Another root of a plant related to ginger. Pieces of turmeric are available and look like fresh ginger, but are bright orange inside. It is most commonly sold ground. It has an aromatic, slightly bitter flavour and in curry powder and relishes.

Vanilla

This is the dried seed pod of a climbing orchid. It is sold whole, or as a bottled flavouring. It can be infused in milk or cream when making custard. A pod left in a jar of caster sugar will pass its flavour into it. It is used in ice cream, chocolate and custards.

Don't forget that I have collated 120 of my favourite recipes, together with anecdotes of my travels, in a book “Accountants Can Cook”. This can be viewed by clicking Accountants Can Cook.

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Ken

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