Spice Up Your World

Europe

France

Thym de Provence is an evergreen herb that has culinary, medicinal, and ornamental uses. It is one of the most fragrant herbs that is grown, With a lemony aftertaste it's used for stews, marinades, sauces, soups and salads. This herb blends just right with tomatoes, fresh or fried vegetables, grilled goat cheese, or roasted poultry.

Vadouvan is a French-style curry mix that is a blend of ingredients like shallots, onions, cumin, garlic, turmeric, cardamom, curry leaves, black mustard, black pepper, and fenugreek. It is used for a variety of dishes such as poultry, seafood, and vegetables and can also be added to salads. This spice blend can also be made into a paste by mixing it with oil and water.

Belgium

Vlaamse laurier is also known as Flemish bay leaf and has been cultivated in Flanders since the 16th century. It is recognized as such and protected. The decorative bay tree gets trimmed down to the best shape and has to be at least five years old and grown in a pot.

Bulgaria

Sharena sol is the most popular spice in Bulgaria and has been used for cuisine for centuries. It consists of paprika, salt, thyme, cumin, basil, dried fenugreek leaves, and summer savory. The spice has a pleasant, mild, and aromatic flavor enhancing the taste of many dishes. It is used on bread, potatoes, fries, vegetables, and cheese.

Hungary

Powdered Szegedi paprika is prepared by grinding the pods of pepper plants. It has a vivid, fiery red color and its aroma is strong and spicy. The flavor is sweet, mellow, and spicy but not too hot since the capsaicin amount is not above 100mg/kg. The spice is used for stews, goulash or sprinkled on meat.

Greece

Krokos kozanis is a spice that comes from the bulb stigmas of the saffron plant. Exclusive rights for the collection, distribution and packing of Greek saffron is held by the Cooperative de Safran. Production ranges from 6 to 12 tons of pure red saffron each year. 150,000 flowers are required to produce 1kg of dried crocus stigmas and about 50,000 stigmas to get 100 grams of red saffron. Therefore, it has become the most expensive spice in the world.

Italy

Zafferano di Sardegna is Sardinia's red gold referring to the dried threads picked from the saffron flowers. These were introduced to the island by Phoenicians thousands of years ago. This spice is prized for its intense flavor and fragrance.

Genovese basil is fragrant and the sweet basil is grown in the Ligurian provinces of Genoa, Savona, and Imperia. It has an intense clove aroma and is known to be an essential ingredient of the famous Pesto alla Genovese sauce. It can be added to dishes fresh or dried.

Spain

Pimenton de la Vera is smoked paprika produced exclusively in the La Vera valley in Spain in the Caceres province since the 16th century, It is a vibrant red spice prepared by grinding dried peppers into a fragrant, spicy, smoky powder. In the autumn, after harvesting the peppers are hung on strings to dry and after smoked with oak wood for two weeks.

Georgia

Trigonella caerulea is also known as blue fenugreek. It is a Georgian plant that grows wild in the mountains. The spice is prepared by grinding the seeds and pods to get an aromatic and slightly spicy powder. It adds a unique flavor to many dishes.

Khmeli suneli is a fragrant spice blend consisting of fenugreek, coriander, peppercorns, dill, mint, marigold petals, and bay leaves. The spice gives a combination of warm, bitter, nutty, and grassy flavors. It is traditionally used in stew and meat dishes and provides more flavor to roasted vegetables and bean soups.

Asia

Japan

Shichimi togarashi is also known as seven-spice powder. It is a spice blend widely used in Japanese cuisine and gives dishes a smoky-sweet heat. It is used for steaming bowls of soba noodles or grilled fish and other dishes. The origin of this spice dates back to the 17th century when it was produced by local herb dealers in a small, fishing village called Edo which is today Tokyo. Shichimi togarashi is a blend of ground chilli pepper, sansho or Japanese pepper, roasted satsuma mandarin peel, black or white sesame seeds, hemp seeds or hearts, ground ginger, and nori seaweed.

India

Chettinad masala is a traditional spice blend that is a mix of 16 or more spices among them cinnamon, green cardamom, mace, star anise, cloves, fenugreek seeds, black pepper, kapok buds, cumin seeds, coriander seeds, fennel seeds, mustard seeds, dry red chilli peppers, curry leaves, poppy seeds, turmeric powder, grated coconut, and the key ingredient called stone flower.

The stone flower which is also known as kalpasi or dagad phool is a unique spice that gives out an intense aroma. The spices are dry roasted then left to cool and pounded in a mortar with a pestle. The spice is used in various Chettinad curries both vegetarian and non-vegetarian.

Laos

Khao khua is ground roasted rice powder made from a particular rice variety called sticky rice and is popular in Northern Thailand and Laos. Sticky rice or glutinous rice is dry roasted in a pan for 15 minutes, until golden brown. Once cooled it is ground in a mortar with a pestle or a coffee grinder. The coarse powder is used in a variety of local dishes and gives salads an aromatic, nutty flavor.

Bangladesh

Panch phoron is a spice mix consisting of cumin, fennel, fenugreek, black mustard, and nigella or kalonji onion seeds. The spice blend is made with whole seeds that are dry roasted or fried in mustard oil or ghee to release the aroma and bittersweet flavor of the blend. It is used with chicken or beef curry, fish, legume stews, and various vegetable dishes.

Vietnam

Saigon cinnamon or Vietnamese cinnamon comes from the Cinnamonum loureiroi tree. It has the strongest flavor of all cinnamons and its essential oils in the bark give it a unique aroma and flavor. It is often used in baked goods, curries, and pho. Due to its higher levels of coumarin, a compound that can damage the liver it should not be consumed in large amounts.

Cambodia

Kampot pepper or poivre de Kampot is a pepper from two berry varieties the Kamchay and the Lampong. The pepper is grown in the provinces of Kampot and Kep in southern Cambodia. There are four types of Kampot pepper.

The green pepper variety is still unripe when harvested and gives a citrusy flavor. The black pepper variety consists of dried berries when harvested and turns from green to yellow with a strong floral flavor.

Sri Lanka

Ceylon cinnamon is traditionally harvested from a tree native to Sri Lanka. The cinnamon is sweeter and more delicate than cinnamon cassia, the other main type of cinnamon. it has a beneficial effect on glucose metabolism and body weight containing antioxidants known as proanthocyanidins that are also found in grapes and green tea.

Africa

Morocco

Ras el hanout is a mix of up to 40 different spices with some blends having more than 100. The spice is aromatic, warm, sharp, and slightly pungent. It is a combination of some common and some unusual ingredients like dried lavender, caraway, galangal, a variety of peppers, dried rosebuds, and Japanese white ginger. Sometimes, ras el hanout can even contain hashish or a Spanish fly.

Ethiopia

Mitmita is a spice blend sold in powder form and consists of cloves, cardamom, salt, cumin, ginger, cinnamon, and bird's eye chilli. It is traditionally used as a dip for cooked and raw meat dishes and can also be used as a rub or sprinkled on various foods.

North America

The USA

Maryland

Old Bay Seasoning is a trademarked American seasoning originating from Baltimore, Maryland. The spice is a combination of paprika, celery salt, crushed red pepper flakes, and black pepper, among other spices which are believed to include bay leaves, dry mustard, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, mace, cardamom, and allspice. It is used to season seafood like shrimp and crab but can be used in clam chowders, oyster stews, or as a topping for eggs, french fries, corn on the cob, popcorn, fried chicken, and salads.

Louisiana

File powder or gumbo file is a herbal powder made from dried and ground leaves of the Sassafras albidum or Sassafras tree. The powdered leaves were originally used by Choctaw Indians. The Cajuns in Louisiana started using the spice in stews, gumbos, and soups as a thickener and flavoring.

Mexico

Recado rojo is a spice blend that includes annatto seeds, garlic, cumin, oregano, cinnamon, pepper, allspice, salt, and cloves. It is used for seasoning, rubbing, and marinating different meats and is great for barbecued and grilled meat. Combining it with water, oil or lemon juice it becomes a paste.

The Caribbean

Jamaica

Jerk is a Jamaican spice blend that is used for dry-rubbing or wet marinating different types of meat and fish. The basic ingredient of jerk is pimento which is mixed with other peppers like Scotch bonnet and flavorings like onions, salt, cloves, garlic, thyme, and scallions. Most jerk meat is grilled over charcoal in steel drum pans.

South America

Chile

Merquen or merken is a spice that is made with a long, pointed chilli pepper called aji, caciocavra, cacho de cabra or goat's horn pepper as the key ingredient. The peppers are grown all over the Araucania region and picked in February when they turn from green to red, Then they are dried in the sun to violet color and smoked, hung from ceilings over a wood fire. After a second drying, the peppers are ground in a mortar with a pestle or in an automatic grinder. The powder is combined with smoked coriander seeds and sea salt. The spice blend should contain at least 70% of the powder and no more than 20% salt.

Peru

Huacatay is an aromatic herb that comes from the marigold family and is native to the Peruvian Andes but grows all over South America, The plant has tiny green and yellow flowers with green spiky leaves. The flowers and leaves produce an aromatic essential oil that is similar in flavor to tarragon, lime, sweet basil, and mint. It can be made into a thick paste to season dishes or make creamy sauces.