Spices

Spices are aromatic vegetable products which are mainly available in a powder form and are used to flavour raw, uncooked and cooked foods.  The powdered spices are processed by grinding and
pulverising certain parts of trees, shrubs etc. which are dried after being picked.   The aroma and strong pungent flavour is due to the presence of essential oils which evaporate quite quickly during storage, particularly if the spice has been ground.

Strength

The strength of spices can be divided into 3 categories;

• a)  hot spices - eg. cayenne pepper, ginger.
• b)  mild spices - eg. paprika, coriander.
• c)  aromatic spices - eg. cinnamon, cassia, mace, nutmeg.

The following are brief details of the most commonly used spices.

Allspice
This is also known as Jamaica pepper.  It is the berries of a tree grown in the West Indies which are gathered whilst green and full of volatile oils, then dried, turning black in the process.  Dried, whole allspice is about twice the size of black peppercorns and as the name implies has the flavour of several spices, namely pepper, cloves, nutmeg and cinnamon.  It is used principally for pickling and sausage manufacture.

Cayenne Pepper
Prepared from the dried red, fully ripened berries of one of the varieties of capsicums (peppers).  The fruits are ground into a powder, mixed with some wheatflour and yeast and made into small flat cakes and baked.  The cakes are then ground down into a powder and sieved.  It has a very hot flavour and is used sparingly in sauces and as a table condiment.

Cinnamon
The dried bark is taken from the young branches of a tree of the laurel family, which grows in Ceylon.  The cinnamon bark when dried is in the form of long cylindrical quills, having a yellow-brown colour and a furrowed outer surface.  It is used in making cereals, cakes, syrups, puddings, punches, etc. as well as being an ingredient of mixed spice and curry powder.

Cloves
These are the dried, unopened flower-buds of an evergreen tree which grows in Sri Lanka, India and the West Indies.  Cloves possess a hot, strong flavour and contain the essential oil of cloves.  They are used with baked apple, baked ham and in stocks, soups, sauces and braised stews.

Coriander
The small fruit of a plant, also of the parsley family, which is grown in southern Europe and India.  The coriander is round shaped similar to white peppercorns but light brown in colour and also hollow.  They have a fragrant smell and a mild flavour similar to sage.  Coriander is now popular in savoury dishes and sauces.

Cumin
Cumin is the dried fruit of a plant grown in India and Egypt.  The fruit resembles the caraway seed but is used mainly as an ingredient in curry powder.

Curry Powder
A curry is a mixture of many various types of spices and herbs, the quality of which depends totally upon the manufacture.  Typical ingredients are often allspice, bay leaves, capsicum, cinnamon, chilli, coriander, cumin, ginger, mace, nutmeg, mustard seed, peppercorns, saffron and turmeric.

Ginger
Ginger is a root which has some resemblance in appearance to a Jerusalem artichoke, and is grown in Jamaica and India.  The root, on being dug up, is washed, trimmed, scraped, dried and often bleached.  It is obtainable in the U.K. fresh, as a dried root (peeled and unpeeled), preserved in a heavy sugar syrup, crystallised and in powder form.  Its uses are mainly in cakes, biscuits, curry powder and mixed spice.

Mixed Spice
This a mixture of ground spices, the quality of which varies depending on the recipe used by the manufacturer.  A typical mixture would contain rice flour (25%), cinnamon (30%), caraway (25%), coriander (3%), ground ginger (3%), mace (4%), and nutmeg (10%).  The rice flour is added to increase the bulk and cinnamon is the predominating spice.  Its uses are for puddings, cakes and biscuits.

Nutmeg
This is the kernel of the same fruit from which mace is obtained.  It may be purchased whole or ground.  Its uses are in milk puddings, custards and for flavouring mashed potatoes.

Paprika
This is obtained from a species of sweet capsicum peppers grown in Hungary.  It is not so strong as many other types of peppers, but it has a delicate and sweet flavour as well as imparting a red colour to the foods. It is used in many Hungarian dishes such as goulash.

Saffron
This is obtained from stigmas and styles of the saffron crocus.  It is obtainable in the dried and the powdered form.  It is of a deep-orange colour and has the property of not only imparting its particular and slightly bitter flavour but also its deep-orange colour to the food with which it is cooked.  It is used in the preparation of fish and rice dishes as well as cakes.

Turmeric
Turmeric is a root of a plant belonging to the ginger family.  The root is washed, trimmed and dried before being ground to a powder.  It has a characteristic sweet, spicy smell with a slightly bitter flavour and a bright yellow-gold colour.  It is used for its colour which it imparts to food as well as its flavour and is found in curry powder, mustard sauces and in piccalilli.

Bored?

If you are finding your meals boring why not try and add some spice to your cooking!  Ready made curries can be particularly high in calories.  If you make your own with curry spices there can be no extra calories to count.  If you like creamy curries add natural yogurt or cream fraiche to your recipe instead of cream.