So we thought we’d take a rapid glance at what the main ones are, and how you might use them in your cooking. It’s not an exhaustive list (there are thousands of spices found around the world), but if you can incorporate just some of these into your dishes for 2011, you’ll be leaps ahead with your culinary skills.
A healthy spice rack will include at least a handful of these:
Allspice. It may sound like a blend, but it’s the real thing. It is most often found in the form of powder in supermarkets but the whole spice looks like a small berry. It has a slightly sweet pungency, similar to cinnamon and cloves mixed with a peppery taste. Often used in desserts like stewed fruits, it’s also good to give sausages an extra twist.
Cardamom. Tiny brown seeds housed inside little pods, it’s most commonly seen buried in a decadent Danish pastry. It’s also used widely in curries.
Caraway seed. Most at home in loaves of rye bread, these small dark seeds are great in pork dishes and with sauerkraut.
Cinnamon. The sweet side of spice, it’s comes from the bark of the cinnamon tree, and is used in baking (pastries and chocolates), when cooking ham, and in some hot drinks and liqueurs.
Cloves. Those funny looking dark, stick-like things that are dragged out for mulled wine at Christmas – they are in fact tiny buds from a tree. Use them also with stocks and sauces, or in ground form in desserts.
Cumin seed. Strong and slightly bitter, it’s very often used in making up chili powders, and is delicious as a seasoning for egg dishes.
Coriander seed. With a slightly citrus flavour, it’s also an ingredient in chili powder, delicious with Indian curry recipes and in sausage.
Ginger. What would gingerbread be without it? Also top of the list in all kinds of Asian curries, meat and fish dishes, it’s served pickled as an accompaniment to Japanese sushi. While it comes in different forms, you can’t beat fresh young root ginger (the one that looks like a short knobbly branch); just finely chop or grate to use.
Grains of paradise. Not very common in Irish cooking, but very typical in African cuisine, so if ever you’re being adventurous this is the spice to go for. Good for spicing up an extra virgin olive oil for drizzling on bread.
Juniper. It’s famous for being in gin, but also ideal when cooking pork and strong red meats.
Mace. Maybe you don’t know the name, but it’s the outer husk of the more commonly known nutmeg. Slightly milder, it’s good for baking, and with squash and similar vegetables.
Mustard seed. The white ones are milder than the brown, but both are used with cheese dishes, with meats and to make a variety of sauces.
Nutmeg. This is the kernel of a fruit, and its sweet pungency compliments vegetable dishes. It’s also used a lot in sauces and soups.
Paprika. A type of sweet pepper in ground form, it’s used mostly to add ‘zing’ as a garnish.
Pepper. What could be better than the flavour of freshly ground pepper? It comes in black, white, green and pink, and there are few dishes that won’t benefit from a dash.
Saffron. Famous for being the gold of the spice family, its deep yellow hue is perfect in paella or risotto. It doesn’t come cheap though.
Star anise. As the star spice performer in China and South East Asia, it has to appear on the list. A star shaped pod with a mild licorice taste, it’s seen a lot in sweet and sour dishes, and is an ingredient in Chinese Five Spice.
Szechuan pepper. A classic spice in Chinese dishes, it’s separate to the pepper family, coming from a tiny fruit native to Asia.
Turmeric. It may look like a roasted centipede, but is in fact part of the ginger family. With a peppery fragrance it’s a staple ingredient in most curry powders and is also used to add colour to a dish.
Spicy tit bits
- Proper storage is important with spices. They retain flavour longer when whole - once ground they tend to lose their flavour after about three months. Keep in tightly capped containers in a cool, dry place.
- India, followed by China, is the largest producer of spices. Websites like http://www.indianspices.com/ give more detail on many of the spices you’re likely to use.
- Saffron, vanilla and cardamom are regarded as the most expensive (by weight).
- The most common curry powders on the market are a blend of up to 20 spices, but most include members of the pepper family, cumin and coriander seed, cinnamon, cloves, ginger and turmeric.
- Chinese Five Spice usually contains cloves, cinnamon, star anise, szechuan pepper and fennel seeds.
Spice shop
You don’t have to trek to Zanzibar to buy the best spices, your nearest supermarket will stock most of the ones listed here. Goodalls and Spice Cellar are some of the well known brands that offer a good range.For more specialist selections, try www.greensaffron.com, a Cork based Irish–Indian family business that sells its products from a number of shops around Ireland.