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Questions tagged [spices]

Culinary use of spices, defined as the edible but non-leafy parts of certain plants.

Culinary differ from culinary primarily in which part of the plant they come from. Herbs are generally the leaves, and spices are generally anything else, including the bark (cinnamon), seeds (mustard), or roots (ginger).

Questions on a specific spice should also include the specific tag, e.g. .

Avoid the use of this tag for sugar and salt; they are not classified as spices.

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Other 'hot' spices

The restaurant assured me that there was no chilli in the food but it was still too hot for me. What other spices, etc. can cause the heat effect in the mouth? it was a Sri Lankan restaurant, very reputable. My host had mistakenly told the waiter…
jane bowden
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Which spice gives brown colour to Indian curry?

Many of the premixed curry pastes and curry dishes I have eaten have a brownish / reddish colour to them. I have a nice collection of spices that I cook with, but my curries seem to always look and taste quite similar. Most of these are a yellowy…
going
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What does "lightly crushed" mean for cardamon pods?

I am currently attempting to make the “Fragrant Spiced Rice Pudding” on page 136 of “Gordon Ramsay’s Home Cooking.” I am a novice with cooking so forgive me if my question is common sense for those more experienced. The recipe calls for “2 cardamom…
AnotherPerson
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Is there any advantage to combining spices before applying them to meat?

Up to this point when preparing steaks, ribs, or any sort of "meat" I would apply my spices in sequence: first adding salts, followed by a pepper-based powders, and lastly some sugars (if applicable). I often see cooks combine these spices into a…
Carl Edwards
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What good substitutes for saffron exist?

I am a big fan of paella, amongst other uses for saffron. However, it can be a very difficult and/or expensive spice to obtain. What good substitutes exist?
warren
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Do certain spices really go bad? or will people without refined palates usually not tell the difference, specifically chili powder?

All my seasonings/spices are at least a year old (most several years). I recently threw out nearly a full bottle of paprika because it was so strong (thought it went bad). I realized I was just applying too much paprika in the first place (and the…
adamaero
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What are the differences between various types of paprika, and which have the most flavor?

I've tried various different brands of paprika but none seem to have any flavor. Can anyone recommend a kind of paprika that is less bland? For example, I've seen certain "special" varieties such as Hungarian Paprika... how do these taste compared…
CodeToGlory
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How to treat your saffron right?

Similar to this question, but not the same (by the way, I like Hobodave's answer). What's the correct way to treat saffron to get most of the flavor? I've seen the following methods: Let the stems soak in a cup of lukewarm water. Warm the stems in…
BaffledCook
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How do I remove turmeric stains from metal/plastic cookware?

As much as I value tumeric for its rumoured cancer-battling qualities, I find its tendency to stain anything it comes into contact with (including 'stainless' steel) discouraging to the point that I use it much less than I would like. In a previous…
Doug
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How to deal with strong, sizable spices?

I've been making a lot of Indian food, and I've repeatedly had problems with certain spices being "overpowering" when you get a bite of them. I'm talking specifically about cardamom and cloves, although cinnamon is also problematic since you can't…
Cowthulhu
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Can I cut chili powder with Paprika?

I live in Africa, but cook with US recipes often. I have found that the locally available chili powder is MUCH more intense than it is in the US. So much so that making a custom taco seasoning yielded some near-inedible heat. For the moment I have…
Brian
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Is there a reason for storing ground spices separately (unmixed)?

I always use the same spice mix for dal. Instead of taking 1-2 tsp of each, I would rather keep a special container for the dal of the ready made mix in the proportions I want. Is there any reason not to do so? Shelf-life, aggregation, ..?
Sparkler
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What is the world's hottest pepper?

I'm growing some bhut jolokia peppers, and they are almost ready for harvesting. However, I've since seen that the naga viper pepper has beaten the bhut jolokia as the hottest pepper. I've also seen that a variety of Trinidad Scorpion pepper has…
Beofett
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What flavorants stand up to long cooking?

My answer to this question (link) prompted a question in my own mind. I wanted to share some tips regarding when to add herbs, spices, aromatics, etc., and had a few suggestions (bay leaves and garlic go early; vanilla and black pepper go…
Ray
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Is there some "trick" to be able to eat jalapeños without getting an "upset stomach"?

As a young teenager, I used to eat pizzas full of jalapeños and Tabasco on them, and very much enjoyed the spicy taste. In my mid-to-late 20s, I started feeling really sick when I ate these, even though at that point, it was far more…
Ryon Tierney
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