If I were to be asked what my favourite spice was... I'd have to think quite hard. I love the sweet paprika, which is used in many Catalan dishes and so is now used in many of my dishes, but turmeric comes a very close second. Another spice that I use quite often is garam masala, essential for curries but also very useful in stews and soups.
Just ignore the spice jar that says it should be used by September 2009... we've refilled it! Some of our spices are in old marmalade jars because we brought big bags of selected spices back from the UK last Christmas because, for example, turmeric and also ground ginger are not freely available here. Fresh ginger is very cheap and plentiful, but sometimes I want to use the ground variety.
Which is your favourite spice?
6 comments:
I use coriander seeds a lot - had to seek them out in Catalunya but found them in a Dia in Barcelona - run by Indians and with shelves and shelves of lovely spices. Glad to see you back and sorry that you'll be going. K x
I really like cumin, and also turmeric. Does black pepper count?! I absolutely love freshly ground black pepper.
Is coriander a spice or just an herb? I love it fresh. Ginger too. And chocolate. Chocolate is a great spice. Hehe
Ellie, I guess coriander is a herb when it's fresh, but not sure about when it's dried and ground!
Rose, Of course black pepper counts!
Well, lovage, which is a herb really although it tastes very spicy - I could eat lovage in everything. And then probably dried chilli peppers - there isn't much I cook that doesn't have a touch of chilli in it!
Ground cumin and cumin seeds for me are the most versatile. We're lucky to have Ramsen's, a shop in Gibraltar (about 1 hr. or so's drive away). He stocks everything you can think of, plus lemon grass and galangal in the freezer.
Lovage - wonderful stuff. Used to grow it in Cornwall, but it doesn't like it here: too warm.
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