Greek Hay?

A friend of mine asked recently what Fenugreek seed was used for. I wondered the same thing years ago when I got a spice set that included fenugreek. I think it sat on my shelf for 10 years..unopened! I'm so ashamed! Now this is one of my staples in my spice cabinet.

Fenugreek is used a lot in Indian cooking, and is often toasted, ground and blended with other spices. We use it in our custom blend Garam Masala. You'll also see it in pickling spices and curry blends. They are also used throughout Middle Eastern, North African, and even East African cooking.

Artificial maple syrup depends on it's smokey, caramel-like finish. When toasted, it is more like a burnt sugar flavor. I recently tasted some cheese with fenugreek seeds in it and it was lush! It's very unique and I don't know how I lived without it before!

The name?  Well you can blame Latin for that! The species name for fenugreek means "Greek Hay" - which refers to the smell of the green of the plant and it's Eastern Mediterranean origin. There - more than you ever wanted to know about Fenugreek! Hey - does that make me a Fenu-GEEK? hehe


ahem - the advertising part: Both Organic Fenugreek Seeds and Organic Fenugreek Powder are available at Red Onion Spice & Tea Company! 

Spice Up Your Life!

There’s a new trend in the country of cooking more at home and eating out less. Perhaps inspired by the economy, or just our ‘do it yourself’ attitude, there is an enormous collection of ‘closet cooks’ in Alaska.  We each have that special, closely guarded recipe received from a friend, who got it from their neighbor, who received it from a friend...and somewhere down the line was the actual artist who may have been lost in the chain.

But the most amazing part of these recipes are the overall increased use of spices and understanding that these ‘treasures’ are no longer under lock and key. We no longer limit ourselves to follow a recipe exactly – preferring instead to make a creation our own by adding a bit more of this or that.  Coupled with the increased awareness of ethnic foods, and decreased use of salt, spice consumption has increased dramatically in the US. A whopping 877 million pounds in the year 2000 showed an overall increase of 8% from the previous decade, and subsequent years show similar increases.

We’re also getting hotter!  Reports from the U.S. Department of Agriculture say that compared to the 1970s, Americans now consume 600 percent more chili pepper, 300 percent more cumin, and 1,600 percent more ginger.

Most of us consume over 3 pounds of spices annually!  Many have noted this trend as we turn from meager grocery store offerings and search out ‘gourmet’ spices, blends and the newest trend – organic spices.  Why organic?  Well, if you are trying to cook healthier, why not?  Many non-organic spices and herbs are treated with pesticides, exposed to gamma radiation and can contain fillers or additives of lesser quality.  According to the FDA, food products using irradiated spice as an ingredient do not have to be labeled!

Of similar concern is tea.  Buying bagged tea may seem more convenient, but did you know that typically, tea bags use fannings which are the left-overs after larger leaf pieces are gathered for sale as loose tea? Purchasing organic, loose leaf tea means you are getting the whole, unadulterated taste of the tea – not just the left over dredges!

So whether you’re preparing that fresh King Salmon or creating some other culinary masterpiece, thinking twice about the quality of your seasonings and spices can add to the overall success of your final product. Oh, and remember that spices DO expire! Time to clean the cupboard?

Amazing Mace

No, it’s not the same as the stuff in a can that is used for self-defense!  We’re talking spices here! 

So what exactly is mace you ask? Mace is the lacy jacket or aril surrounding the seed of the nutmeg fruit. The seed is what we commonly call ‘whole nutmeg’ as this is what is milled to make ground nutmeg.  When fresh, the mace is bright red in color and beautiful against the dark brown seed. When separated from the seed and dried, it becomes a light orange color. It is then sold as whole or ground mace.

As you might guess, this native of Malaysia and Indonesia has a flavor much like the nutmeg seed it protects, yet milder. Its aroma is a combination of pepper and cinnamon and it must be crushed or ground before use in order to release its essential oils. 

Although widely used in baking here in the US, mace is a prominent spice in savory dishes and curries in Indian, Caribbean, Moroccan and Asian cooking. One of the best known Moroccan blends utilizing mace is Ras ElHanout which means “top of the shop”, or “head of the market”.

In medieval times, mace and nutmeg were so valuable that the Dutch waged a war to control the island of Banda, the major nutmeg production in the Spice Islands.  The English and French all vied for control of this prime real estate, one of the few locations able to sustain the growth of nutmeg. 

Once thought to fight the plague and found only in the kitchens of nobilities, this fine spice is easily available now and is ready for your next gastronomic adventure.

Put some spice in your life!

Photo by Eileen Delhi, Licensed and used by permission of E. Delhi

Perplexing Pink Peppercorn

In my latest travels to the Caribbean (like I go there all the time!) I was overjoyed when my husband located a spice vendor just before we left St. Maarten's. And there they were - those perfect little dried red berries screaming at me to "take me home"! How could I resist their beauty, and the exotic name I've never heard of; Baies Rose. Thrilled, I grabbed three small bags at about $5 each and she threw in a Jamaican Jerk blend which I will try and dissect later.

Although it was very nice to be totally unplugged for a few days, I was about to start frothing at the mouth by the time we reached internet... ...err...Miami again so I could start researching. No time for that though as our arduous trip home began early the next day. To make a long story short, travel to Alaska anytime of year can get interesting, and it took an extra day to get home - where I promptly became ill. But at least I have time to research my little beauties now! Moving on....

Baies Rose turns out to be known as "Pink Peppercorn" here in the US. The species name is Schinus molle L. or Peruvian peppertree. There seems to be much confusion over it's relative, the Brazilian peppertree (Schinus terebinthifolius). The two berries look almost identical so you really need to see the leaves, which are quite different...which of course were not included in my purchase. So the question is ...do I trust that I really have Baies Rose?

It's important to know the difference between the two species as the Brazilian peppertree (think "B"razilian = bad) can cause allergic reactions which can include respiratory issues. This of course does not sound like any fun ...so I'd rather avoid a mistake!

As I read for hours, what follows may only be interesting to me. So you can stop now and just say, "wow - what a great article!" and move on.  Still with me?  Okay!

So by now you may have noticed one thing - it's not a peppercorn at all!  Baies Rose (la baie rose de Bourbon) is a berry grown on the island of Reunion once known as Ile Bourbon, near Madagascar. They also are in Mexico and Australia. They were introduced in the US and now appear in California, Florida, Hawaii, Texas and Puerto Rico. (Hmmm - not St. Maartens...).

The flavor sounds intriguing and is described as having a mild citrus zest with the flavor of sweet berries. (I really want to try these....).

The bad dude, the Brazilian peppertree, was introduced into Florida as an ornamental sometime in the 1920's. By the 1950's the alarm started sounding as it not only grew well there, but became invasive. A 1997 report from the Brazilian Pepper Task Force (I want a t-shirt that says that) notes that "Brazilian pepper thrives on disturbed soils created by natural disruptions such as hurricanes." Between birds spreading the seed and hurricanes, I think they've got their work cut out for them!

The USDA site has tons of information on both species: http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=SCHIN and was a major help in untangling some bad information out on the web. If you note any errors here please let me know!

Now I think I will go shop for some pink peppercorns.  Oh, maybe I'll just try one of these that I bought....I'll let you know if I survive!

Put Some Spice in Your Life! 
Visit us at http://www.redonionspice.com