Spices and Herbs
77 flashcards by MentisLibrary
What the spices and herbs in your cabinet actually taste like, where each one belongs, and what it pairs with. Learn the flavors and you can stop measuring and start cooking.
- What gives black pepper its bite?
- Piperine, the pungent compound in the dried unripe berry of Piper nigrum
- How is white pepper made and how does it taste?
- From fully ripe berries with the outer skin removed, giving a more fermented, earthy heat
- What are the four common peppercorn colors and what are they?
- Black is dried unripe, white is ripe and hulled, green is unripe and preserved, pink is not true pepper at all
- What is a Sichuan peppercorn and what does it do?
- The dried husk of a Zanthoxylum berry, which numbs and tingles rather than burning
- What does cumin taste like?
- Warm, earthy and slightly bitter with a heavy musky aroma
- How does coriander seed differ from the cilantro leaf?
- The seed is warm, citrusy and nutty, while the leaf is bright, grassy and pungent
- Why do some people find cilantro tastes like soap?
- A genetic variation in olfactory receptors makes them perceive its aldehydes as soapy
- What does green cardamom taste like?
- Sweetly floral and eucalyptus-like, with citrus and camphor notes
- How does black cardamom differ from green?
- It is dried over open fire, so it is smoky and resinous rather than floral
- What is the difference between Ceylon cinnamon and cassia?
- Ceylon is the delicate true cinnamon in fragile multi-layer quills, cassia is thicker, harder and much stronger
- What part of the plant is a clove?
- An unopened flower bud, dried until hard
- How are nutmeg and mace related?
- They come from the same fruit, nutmeg is the seed and mace is the lacy red aril wrapping it
- Why is allspice named that?
- One berry tastes like a blend of clove, nutmeg and cinnamon, though it is a single spice
- Is star anise related to anise?
- No, they are unrelated plants that both happen to be rich in anethole
- What is fennel seed used for?
- Sweet licorice-scented seasoning for sausage, fish and breads, and it is chewed as a digestive
- What does anise seed contribute?
- A pure sweet licorice flavor, more delicate than star anise
- What is caraway best known for?
- Flavoring rye bread, sauerkraut and central European dishes
- What is the difference between dill weed and dill seed?
- Dill weed is the feathery fresh or dried frond, dill seed is stronger and closer to caraway
- How do yellow and brown mustard seeds differ?
- Yellow seeds are mild, brown and black seeds are far hotter and more pungent
- Why does fenugreek smell like maple syrup?
- It contains sotolon, the same aroma compound found in maple and aged sake
- What is celery seed and where does it come from?
- The tiny seed of wild celery, far more concentrated than the stalk
- What is the difference between blue and white poppy seed?
- Blue seeds are the European baking type, white seeds are ground as a thickener in Indian cooking
- What changes when you toast sesame seeds?
- They turn deeply nutty and aromatic, which is why toasted sesame oil smells so different from plain
- What is nigella seed?
- A small black seed, also called kalonji or black seed, unrelated to onion despite the name black onion seed
- What gives turmeric its color?
- Curcumin, a pigment so strong it permanently stains cloth and plastic
- How does dried ginger differ from fresh?
- Fresh is bright, juicy and hot, dried is warmer, sweeter and more suited to baking
- How does galangal differ from ginger?
- It is denser and paler, with a piney citrus sharpness rather than ginger's warm heat
- Why is saffron the most expensive spice by weight?
- Each flower yields only three stigmas, and they must all be picked and dried by hand
- What is asafoetida and why is it cooked in fat first?
- A dried plant resin that smells sulfurous raw but turns savory and onion-like once bloomed in hot fat
- What is annatto, also called achiote?
- The seed of a tropical tree used mainly for its orange-red color