Seasoning.  Flavour.  Herbs.  Spice.

Food is generally palatable (unless you really don’t know how to cook) but can usually be improved by the addition of that little something extra.

This instalment of The Foodie 13 takes a look at the herbs, spices and seasonings that you might not have previously considered or cooked with, but are actually rather essential to having a well-rounded spice pantry.

So, without further adieu…

1 – Lavender – I’ll admit that it’s gentle hue, which is both a colour, flavour and fragrance, was something that has grown on me slowly over the years.  Once relegated to old ladies’ soap dishes, lavender is now coming out into the spotlight to shine in more mainstream preparations.  It’s faintly floral, herbal notes are a perfect compliment to a myriad of dishes, from roasted meats a la Provence, to sweeter endeavours, like the chocolate chip lavender fookie (big fuckin’ cookie) I made several months ago.  Plus, one whiff of it’s heady aroma can make you feel like you’ve been summering in the south of France.  Not bad for a handful of powdery blossoms, eh?

2 – Epazote – What can be said about epazote?  An herb found in both Central and South America, it is more difficult to pinpoint than you can possibly imagine.  At times lemony, thyme-like, with a  hint of mint or parsley, it occasionally conjures thoughts of tarragon, or even savoury.  Whatever it is, there’s no doubt it’s a fantastic accompaniment to grilled or roasted chicken.  Strong-flavoured without being overwhelming or puerile, epazote adds that certain je ne sais quoi to roasted fowl.  It also makes a killer addition to any sort of Mexican-inspired street food dishes.  Olé!

3 – Pimenton – I think we may have reached the tipping point in household knowledge where pimenton is finally more often than not a recognized ingredient.  An extremely smoky variation of paprika, it’s sold in both hot and sweet configurations.  The perfect spice to add when you want to have an undercurrent of smoldering intensity without coming across as heavy-handed, pimenton is at home in a variety of Spanish dishes (and chorizos), but is also nice when sprinkled onto a whole roasted chicken or stirred into a chili.

4 – Ancho – Yet another spice that’s becoming increasingly mainstream, the ancho is the dried instance of a poblano pepper.  Not nearly as bold or assertive as a cayenne, birdseye or jalapeno, ancho powder is a good choice for adding a simmering background heat to a dish, without the overly macho posturing of too much spicy intensity.  Best for using when you want to add a gentle kick, mix it into spice rubs, meat dishes, even chilis or refried beans for a deliciously tempting experience.

5 – Aleppo Pepper – Coarsely ground with an intoxicating scent, aleppo pepper has quickly become one of my go-to spices (this earlier said marash pepper because I always get the two confused, as they look almost identical). It has a minimal amount of heat, but is comparable in flavour to ancho pepper, with a slight smoky, floral aftertaste. Its Syrian origins call to mind exotic cuisine and preparations, but my favourite use for it thus far is sprinkled into ground beef when making hamburgers.  Not overtly dominant, it is a good spice for experimentation.  Update: it also works fantastically well in this.

6 – Cardamom – Purchased either in pod or ground form, cardamom (both green and black) is a unique flavour experience.  Similar in taste to a lemon or lime, it’s been described as camphorous at times, but makes a great addition to everyday baked goods (hello, cardamom shortbread!) but is also quite comfortable in savoury ministrations.  It’s also one of many components in the Indian spice blend garam masala, and adds a great perfume to just about anything you put it in.

7 – Juniper - I’m not a fan of gin.  In fact, I’m a rather large detractor of the flowery, astringent liquor.  But for some reason I enjoy juniper.  Maybe it’s just the combination of herbs in gin that I don’t care for.  At any rate, a handful of crushed juniper berries makes an excellent seasoning agent for game meats (think elk, venison, duck, etc) with an herbaceous, slightly pine-like profile.  I hear it’s also good for throwing in barbecue sauces, but I haven’t tried that just yet.

8 – Pink Peppercorns – Funnily enough, this is not actually from the pepper vine at all, but comes from a related tree.  Sometimes referred to as Szechuan pepper, the pink variety are somewhat similar to juniper, but are also faintly sweet and lemony at the same time.  Pink peppercorns can be used in place of any other pepper, but make a stunning addition to desserts of the sweet/savoury variety, like the cocoa shortbread with pink pepper and fleur de sel I made a few weeks ago.

9 – Black Sesame – Sesame seeds are great for imparting big taste from a relatively small package (think sesame oil), but black sesame seeds are even better.  Nutty, creamy, toasty and with a great popping mouth feel, black sesame seeds are not just for sesame snaps or bagels and burger buns anymore.  One of the best ways to enjoy this delicious seed is stirred into a cream base for a batch of black sesame ice cream (trust me, it’s sooo good), but it’s wonderful crunch would be a welcome addition to anything you can dream up.

10 – Ajowan – If you didn’t know any better, you’d probably confuse a handful of Middle Eastern ajowan seeds with the more diminutively flavoured celery seed.  Ajowan is similar in taste to thyme, but also gives off a hint of rye bread-y caraway.  When crushed (to release it’s essence) it can be stirred into vegetables or added to breads, but a little goes a long way.  One (of many unknown) ingredients in my mystery spice rub.

11 – Fresh Nutmeg – Freshly ground nutmeg is so completely different from the pre-ground stuff that it’s like comparing apples to tomatoes.  When fresh, it is fragrant, piquant and great to sneak into tomato-based pasta sauces (sparingly), beef dishes or more garden variety baking applications.  Plus, it’s fun to have a microplane to grate it on, no?

12 – Mustard Seed – For years I detested mustard.  Wouldn’t touch the stuff with a 10 foot pole, even.  I blame this oversight on my exposure to prepared yellow mustard.  At a young age I tried it and did not care for it at all, so for years I shunned (the almost unrelated) grainy mustards, dijon mustards, etc based on one childhood dislike.  I’ve since seen the error of my ways and enjoy whole grain mustards all the time.  But mustard seeds are not just a one trick pony.  Besides being a great condiment all on their own, their cracked addition to barbecue sauces, brines, marinades and pickling spices is all you need to take the flavour profile of your food over the edge.  Just make sure you rough them up first to fully enjoy their oils and aroma.  Or for something different, pick up some purple mustard seeds…. mmm!

13 – Star Anise – Last but not least, star anise is not only delicious, it’s also quite a pretty spice.  It’s star-shaped pods and seeds are prolific in Asian cuisines, being one of the 5 ingredients in Chinese 5 spice powder.  It’s spicy yet licorice-y flavour pairs nicely with fatty things, like pork or duck, but is equally adept in sweet dishes like poached pears, and baking.  Intensely fragrant, it makes a surprisingly good match in chocolate cakes and gingerbread, too.

So, I hope you’ve enjoyed my round up of essential spices that you might not have known it was good to have on hand.  Perhaps I even managed to introduce you to a new one (or two), in which case, you’re welcome!  It was my pleasure to do it.  Now get out there and get creative, will ya?

Until next time…

Tags: ajowan, aleppo, ancho, black sesame, cardamom, epazote, herbs, juniper, lavender, Lists, mustard seeds, nutmeg, pimenton, pink peppercorns, spices, star anise, The Foodie 13

This entry was posted on Wednesday, July 8th, 2009 at 7:08 am and is filed under Foodie 13, Lists. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.