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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.

379 questions
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Best online source for spices

I'm looking or good online sources for spices. Good selection and good prices.
milesmeow
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How do you finely grind coriander seeds?

Whenever I grind coriander seeds the outside seems to separate like a husk and doesn't grind well. I use a pestel and mortar. Is there a trick to getting finely ground coriander?
Megasaur
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What is the best way to find a reliable pepper mill?

After someone posted a link to a hand-turned coffee grinder, I was reminded that I needed to replace my pepper mill. My third one in about seven years. After reading the 1 through 4 star (and skimmed 5 star) reviews of mills from $12-45, they often…
plonk420
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How to best cook potatoes to be used in a curry?

My favorite restaurants always manage to impart the flavors of the various spices used to the potatoes, rather than only having the potato's own flavor. However, when cooking curries on my own, I find that my potatoes retain their natural taste,…
CaseyJones
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How to store tamarind paste?

I bought some tamarind paste the other day, and I am wondering how should I store it once opened, as the package does not say anything special. Should I put it in the fridge? Store it in an airtight container? Freeze it (as I am probably not going…
nico
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Why is garam masala in many curry paste/powder recipes?

Garam masala, of course, is a blend of warming spices. However, many of those spices are listed individually in recipes for curry pastes and powders that also call for garam masala. Since most garam masala mixes wouldn't specify ratios even if they…
MargeGunderson
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Which other spices besides cloves will react with plastic?

I am reading that cloves can cloud the plastic in my grinder at Cooking for engineers Does this happen with any other spices?
cptloop
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How can I keep saffron fresh for longer?

We don't use saffron that often. The last batch we got went stale. Is there anything I can do to preserve it for longer? (For example, our spice rack gets a lot of direct sunlight, is that bad?) How long can I expect it to last?
lofidevops
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What is the way to make a powder of red chilies?

I purchase green chilies and in some days many of them turn red. Can I use my mixer-grinder to grind them into a powder, or is there some other way? Do I have to roast the peppers before grinding? Do the seeds have to be removed?
Aquarius_Girl
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Curry powder mix

I mostly make curry from scratch. However some recipes (kedgeree)call for using curry powder. I can never get the mix right. Is there a standard spice mix substitution?
Jeremy French
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Spice rack/cupboard for kitchen with lots of spices?

My wife and I really enjoy cooking, so we have tons of spices. I understand it's best to keep them in the dark, so we thought we might like a spice cupboard. Probably 50 or so spices; they don't need to stay in their own container necessarily,…
Caveatrob
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Why does salt taste different in different dishes?

If I salt tomato, potato and pasta, their tastes change in completely different ways to me. Why is this? Had I put oregano on them, they'd all taste like oregano. Update: The question is not "is it so?" but "why is it so?"
user4697
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Mild chili powder?

My mother and I are having trouble finding pure mild chili powder in our area (Superstore, Walmart, Your Independent Grocer, and an Indian grocery store or two. We don't got much else in the suburbs). Every time we think we've found it, turns out to…
Corty Moto
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microplastics from plastic pepper grinders?

I have a regular (steel) pepper grinder but I have defaulted to buying and using the 'all-in-one" bottles of peppercorn with the grinder top' from Trader Joe's. I am hearing more and more about exposure to 'microplastics' from all sorts of sources.…
spring
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How does dried cilantro relate to fresh?

Is coriander dried cilantro seed? Has anyone used dried cilantro, and if so how does it compare to fresh cilantro. I assume fresh is better but please describe the difference (less pungent, etc...)
D W
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