Post by April B. on Oct 27, 2003 9:18:00 GMT -6
All About... Spices
Sumac - The dried berries of a shrub (Rhus coriaria) native to Iran and the Middle East are used to add an acidic note to dishes much the way lemon juice is used in the West and tamarind is used in Asia.
The berries may be used whole, powdered, or to form an infusion.
Sumac is a frequently used ingredient in the cooking of Turkey, Lebanon, Iraq, and Syria where it is used to flavor beverages, breads, fish, chicken, and vegetable dishes.
It is also served in its crushed or powdered form as a condiment with kebabs.
Szechwan pepper - The dried berries of the Zanthoxylum genus of prickly ash trees native to China (Z. simulans) and Japan (Z. piperitum) are an essential ingredient in Chinese five-spice powder and Japanese seven-spice mixture.
They have a fragrant, woodsy, peppery flavor with hints of citrus and are used in all manner of meat, poultry, fish, and vegetable dishes.
They are currently banned
from importation into the United States because they are a vector for a disease that attacks native ash trees.
Tamarind - The reddish-brown pulp that surrounds the seeds inside the seed pods of the Tamarindus indica tree of Madagascar and eastern Africa is the only spice of importance to have originated on the African continent. The pulp is often formed into cakes or blocks which are typically soaked in water to form a tart infusion which is
added to dishes, and it is also available as a concentrate (or syrup) and paste.
It is used in a wide variety of dishes whenever an acidic
note is desired, and is one of the predominant flavors in
Worcestershire sauce.
It is used in all types of meat and vegetable dishes in China, Southeast Asia, and India, and as a flavoring for
beverages in the Caribbean and Latin America.
Turmeric - The fresh or ground rhizome of Curcurma longa, a plant related to ginger, adds a bright yellow-orange color and subtle flavor reminiscent of ginger and citrus to many sweet and savory dishes.
Theworld's largest producer is India, the majority of whose crop is used domestically.
One of the world's least expensive spices, it is also
grown commercially in China, Haiti, Jamaica, Peru, and several Southeast Asian countries.
It is an essential ingredient in many Indian curries and masalas and contributes the distinctive yellow
color to those dishes.
In the West is it most frequently used as a coloring agent in cheeses, margarine, mustards, and pickling mixtures.
Fresh rhizomes are widely available throughout Asia, but the most common form of the spice in the West is the powdered form.
The fresh rhizomes freeze well and may be stored for several months in an airtight container in the freezer.
The powdered form will retain most of its flavor and all of its coloring ability for more than a year when properly stored.
Sumac - The dried berries of a shrub (Rhus coriaria) native to Iran and the Middle East are used to add an acidic note to dishes much the way lemon juice is used in the West and tamarind is used in Asia.
The berries may be used whole, powdered, or to form an infusion.
Sumac is a frequently used ingredient in the cooking of Turkey, Lebanon, Iraq, and Syria where it is used to flavor beverages, breads, fish, chicken, and vegetable dishes.
It is also served in its crushed or powdered form as a condiment with kebabs.
Szechwan pepper - The dried berries of the Zanthoxylum genus of prickly ash trees native to China (Z. simulans) and Japan (Z. piperitum) are an essential ingredient in Chinese five-spice powder and Japanese seven-spice mixture.
They have a fragrant, woodsy, peppery flavor with hints of citrus and are used in all manner of meat, poultry, fish, and vegetable dishes.
They are currently banned
from importation into the United States because they are a vector for a disease that attacks native ash trees.
Tamarind - The reddish-brown pulp that surrounds the seeds inside the seed pods of the Tamarindus indica tree of Madagascar and eastern Africa is the only spice of importance to have originated on the African continent. The pulp is often formed into cakes or blocks which are typically soaked in water to form a tart infusion which is
added to dishes, and it is also available as a concentrate (or syrup) and paste.
It is used in a wide variety of dishes whenever an acidic
note is desired, and is one of the predominant flavors in
Worcestershire sauce.
It is used in all types of meat and vegetable dishes in China, Southeast Asia, and India, and as a flavoring for
beverages in the Caribbean and Latin America.
Turmeric - The fresh or ground rhizome of Curcurma longa, a plant related to ginger, adds a bright yellow-orange color and subtle flavor reminiscent of ginger and citrus to many sweet and savory dishes.
Theworld's largest producer is India, the majority of whose crop is used domestically.
One of the world's least expensive spices, it is also
grown commercially in China, Haiti, Jamaica, Peru, and several Southeast Asian countries.
It is an essential ingredient in many Indian curries and masalas and contributes the distinctive yellow
color to those dishes.
In the West is it most frequently used as a coloring agent in cheeses, margarine, mustards, and pickling mixtures.
Fresh rhizomes are widely available throughout Asia, but the most common form of the spice in the West is the powdered form.
The fresh rhizomes freeze well and may be stored for several months in an airtight container in the freezer.
The powdered form will retain most of its flavor and all of its coloring ability for more than a year when properly stored.
