The magic of spice blends

The magic of spice blends a guide to the art, science, and lore of combining flavors There are various ways of categorizing spices, but five general categories are helpful: sweet, pungent, tart, hot, and savory. Many spices have elements of more than one category, so that habanero chiles are both hot (very hot!) and sweet and fruity, while coriander seeds are citrus-scented and the leaves, often known as cilantro, are highly pungent. Sweet spices include cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, and vanilla. Pungent spices include star anise, licorice, cardamom, black cardamom, asafetida, mace, and clove, which may also have numbing qualities. Tart or tangy spices include sumac, ginger, tamarind, anardana and limu omani. Savory spices include many of the seeds and herbs such as coriander, fennel, parsley, oregano, rosemary, and mint. In this chapter, we explore spices from several aspects: the various plant parts from which spices are derived and how they’re produced; the terminology of grading and quality and how to make good choices; basic safety guidelines for handling and cooking with spices; and the essential techniques for working with them.