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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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Is there a "color wheel" for spices

Are there "models" proposing relationships between spices as there are between colors? (I understand that color is based on the physics of light and that there is no (afaik) "physics of flavor". I am using it as a metaphor) I'd like to get more…
spring
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What happens to the flavour of meat when you cook it Star Anise with Onions?

What exactly is the chemical reaction that occurs when you cook Star Anise with Onions? According to Heston Blumenthal doing this intensifies the flavour of meat. Ultimately what I want to know is can you use this on any meat based recipe? Won't the…
Pram
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What is 'Musk' as used in this recipe

I recently made this truffle ravioli dish, it was an easy enough recipe, but I was confused about one thing: it calls for 'musk'. I didn't know what this was, my research only turned up musk melon, which I think is probably different. So, I skipped…
Tom Hennen
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What technique best infuses spices into a dish?

If I have a group of spices, all dried and ground, say: nutmeg, clove, cinnamon, ginger, and black pepper... I'm curious about how to maximize their flavor for a drink or dish, and in what liquids spices are ideally soluble. Do they need or…
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Does vanilla really bring out the flavour of other foods?

I can't count the times I have heard that vanilla brings out the flavour of other foods. For example it "makes chocolate taste more chocolatey," etc... I have also heard that it's the only spice that does this (enhance the flavour of other…
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Avoiding grittiness with sichuan pepper

I've got a big bag of Sichuan pepper but I've often found that when I cook with them it's difficult to avoid grittiness from the outer kernel. I don't have this problem when I visit Sichuan Chinese restaurants and the pepper was bought from a big…
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When should I flavor my Bolognese?

My Bolognese sauce usually contains some combination of salt, pepper, basil, oregano and thyme. It is easier to taste if I add them towards the end, but is the taste affected by when I add the herbs to the sauce?
user4697
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What is the name of the tool which involves a ball inside a sealed container that is shaken to grind up spices?

I have seen a tool which is in two parts. In either part, you place both the plastic ball that comes with the tool and spices. You then screw the two parts of the tool together (it's plastic, it's easy). Now that you spices and the ball are sealed…
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How can I make a really gingery cookie?

I have tried various ginger cookie recipes over the years, for gingersnaps, gingerbread cookies, pfeffernusse, and most recently pepparkakor. I never find the cookies to be spicy enough—I assume, not gingery enough. What can I do to bake a really…
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How can I remove whole peppercorns from a sauce after cooking?

I've heard that whole black pepper is put in sauces for flavour, but it is not supposed to stay there in a finished dish, because it's quite unpleasant to bite on one during a meal. But how does one remove all of it from a sauce / gravy, especially…
Andrew Savinykh
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Which parts of star anise to use for grinding?

I want to use star anise and need to grind them using a mortar and pestle. Should I use the whole fruits including both the seeds and the much harder to grind pods too? Do the pods contribute equally to the flavour as the seeds do? If the whole star…
Ghanima
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Skimming foam from stock without removing floating spices

When I make chicken stock from scratch, I like to include whole spices like mustard seed, coriander, star anise and black pepper. I put these in right at the start when the water is still cool, so they can slowly add flavor as the stock simmers for…
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Substitute fresh garlic instead of garlic powder?

I have a recipe that calls for garlic powder, but I only have fresh garlic on hand. What ratio should I use to substitute?
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How to take care of a wooden mortar and pestle?

How to maintain a wooden mortar and pestle? I just got it, and understood I need to first oil it to seal/protect it from keeping the taste of what I grind, which makes sense. But how to maintain it for long term? Wash it with water and maybe soap?…
arieljannai
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What type of Paprika

If a recipe calls for "paprika", what type should I use? Does it mean Hungarian, Spanish, California? Also, what type, Hot, Bittersweet, Sweet?
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