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Spices have been for centuries a fine luxury. Expensive and exotic, these ingredients are capable of turning a simple salad or soup into an exclusive delicacy. In the world there are thousands of spices. Sometimes their paths cross giving rise to mixtures that make us travel from the moment we hear their name. Shichimi Togarashi, Ras al hanout, Dukkah. So are the spice mixes that should not be missing in your pantry.
Masala, the quintessential mix
masala literally means“Mixture of spices”. It is typical of the area of North India, but its use is extended to kitchens throughout the country. Of course, each region and, within it, each cook, has their own recipe. The most famous is the Garam Masala, a spicy mixture that usually contains cloves, cardamom, cinnamon, black pepper, mace, bay leaf, and cumin and coriander seeds. Due to its sweet aromatic notes, this mixture is used both in salty and sweet and sour cooking –for chutney, rice and vegetables– as well as in baking. At the Benares restaurant in Madrid, the only restaurant with Indian cuisine in Spain recommended by the Michelin guide, “Seasonal vegetables marinated with Garam Masala” are one of the specialties on the menu.
With the aroma of nuts: the Gomasio
Gomasio or gomashio is one of the typical condiments of Japanese cuisine. Carries Sesame seeds shelled toasted with salt, usually coarse salt, and then crushed in a traditional mortar called suribachi. Or, failing that, in an electric grinder. The result is a interesting salty dressing with aroma of nuts (the pal itself season raw vegetables and salads. Ademabra comes from the Japanese Goma, sesame, and Shio, salt) that is used to flavor rice or soups and, it is rich in saturated and fatty acids, folic acid , potassium, magnesium, iron and phosphorus.
Dukkah, heading to Egypt
La Dukkah It is an Egyptian blend of aromatic seeds (sunflower seeds, fennel, cumin, coriander, sesame) and hazelnuts. The name of this dressing derives from the Arabic word that means “to hit”, therefore, when making it, it is important that all the ingredients maintain a certain texture, without becoming powder. Another tip is to remove the seeds from the heat before they start to jump. Finally, you have to keep the mixture for about a month in an airtight container. It is used to flavor bread with oil, green salads, cooked vegetables, rice, lentils and, of course, hummus.
The five Chinese spices
Five are the natural elements, five are the primary tastes and five are the spices that must be present, in equal parts, in this mixture widely used in the kitchens of China and Vietnam. Cassia (or Chinese cinnamon), cloves, star anise, pepper Sichuan and fennel seeds. This is the theory. The practice is that, despite its name and its solid philosophical approach, this mixture can also see its recipe vary, including many other ingredients such as licorice, ginger, nutmeg or turmeric. It is a perfect dressing for legumes, meats, fish and vegetables and also for sweets.
Bulk India, Curry
It is probably the most famous spice mix. It usually contains ginger, cardamom, coriander, cumin, nutmeg, cloves, black pepper, cinnamon, fenugreek, fennel, mustard and, of course, turmeric, which is responsible for its characteristic yellow color. The ingredient list is quite relative, as this mixture can include up to 50 different plants. The best known spice mix is Madras curry.
El Red curry (with red chili and paprika), the green (with coriander and lemon wound) and the yellow They are essential condiments in Thai cuisine. This mixture of spices should not be confused with the Currys, meat or fish stews very spicy typical of Southeast Asian cuisine, nor with the leaves of the Murraya koenigii, a plant native to southern India and Sri Lanka, also called curry leaves.
A medieval mix: the Four spices
Ground white or black pepper, cloves, nutmeg, ginger, or cinnamon. Europe, and in this case France, also has its spice mixes. It is a very old recipe, which appears in cookbooks no less than from the XIV century and that we find in delicatessen preparations, in stews, soups and cooked vegetables.
Shichimi Togarashi: The Seven Flavors of Japan
Also known as a mixture of seven flavors, this seasoning is one of the pillars of Japanese cuisine. It can actually be made with more than seven ingredients and can be more or less spicy. It usually contains Cayenne pepper, sansho pepper, nori seaweed, tangerine or orange peel, black sesame, poppy or hemp seeds and garlic. Apparently, this mixture was born in 1625 as a preventive remedy for the flu in a Tokyo pharmacy. A few centuries later this pharmacy continues to exist converted into a store called Yagenbori Shichimi Togarashi. Here you can still buy various types of this mixture, which is used to dress, for example, sushi. It is usually served in a separate sauce boat mixed with soy sauce.
Berber
It is a mixture typical of the cuisine of the horn of Africa, especially Eritrea and Ethiopia. Some describe the preparation of this dressing as a ritual, the first step of which is to let the chillies dry in the sun for three days and then mix them with the other spices. Among them, fenugreek, ajowan (a kind of cumin originating in Egypt), garlic, rue (a spice with a bitter taste), blackberry seeds, ginger and korarima or false or Ethiopian cardamom. The Berbere is pure opulence and luxury, a reflection of the richness and variety of spices that reached Ethiopia thanks to commercial networks. In fact, your recipe may also include shredded shallot, basil, cloves, cinnamon, cardamom, and grains of paradise. This mix, which has earned the nickname of ethiopian curry, it is perfect for roast meats in the oven or on the grill, especially for lamb.
Za’atar: passport to the Middle East
In some chicken skewers with yogurt, as a finishing touch to a hummus or simply on a slice of toast with a drop of olive oil. The Za’atar is a passport to travel to the flavors and aromas of Near East. You just have to close your eyes and let yourself be carried away by a teaspoon of this seasoning based on a plant called za’atar or hyssop, similar to other aromatic plants such as thyme, oregano or marjoram. It is mixed with sesame seeds, sumac (dark red berries and acidic flavor) and salt. It is an essential ingredient of all Israeli cuisine. Yotham Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi, authors of the wonderful book “Jerusalem”, speak of hyssop as the aroma and flavor of Jerusalem Old City.
Ras el hanout
Originally from north of Africa, this mixture of spices carries luxury in the blood. Your name means “Head of the store”, a way of referring to the spices on the highest shelf, that is, the best. The ingredient list is so long that it makes it look like a more typical Southeast Asian dressing. Cumin, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, coriander seeds, black pepper, paprika, fenugreek, turmeric, nutmeg, mace, galangal and so on up to twenty ingredients. Of course, always trying to respect the ratio between sweet, hot and bitter spices. In Tunisia, rose petals are the secret ingredient that makes the mixture smoother.
Where to buy the best spice mixes
En Madrid, Spicy Yuli is undoubtedly a reference store to buy and learn about spices. Here we can find all the most famous blends, such as Za’atar, Garam Masala and Curry, being able to choose between spicy or medium Curry. The best of the store? Its owner, always friendly and a real mine of information about the world of spices and teas (she also teaches cooking courses focused on these topics). The Pepita and Grano stores in Madrid, Ponferrada, San Sebastián and Valencia, which also stand out for the friendliness and competence of the staff, are an excellent option. On Barcelona and Madrid, a visit to the Casa Ruiz stores is always a pleasure. Online and in specialized stores, perhaps the best supplier is Terre Exotique. This brand mainly markets spices and slightly more difficult to find spice mixes such as Berbere, whole Garam Masala or Dukkah.