Spices
Fennel Seeds
Fennel is a green coloured bulb with protruding stalks and is a herb that belongs to the carrot family. It is used as a vegetable in cooking or in salads. Fennel seeds (also known as saunf in Indian cooking) are the dried seeds of the plant and look similar to cumin seeds but are greener…
Read MoreSaffron
Saffron is golden orange in colour and consists of small, fine threads which is used as a seasoning and colouring agent in many foods, including Indian cuisine. It is the most expensive spice in the world, and is even more expensive than gold, due to the intensive effort required to produce and harvest it. It…
Read MoreMace
Mace, in its original form, is the red lacy covering (the aril) that surrounds the hard, black shell of the nutmeg. It is removed from the nutmeg and is dried when it turns to a light brown colour. Mace tastes similar to nutmeg but in addition can be described as a combination of cinnamon and…
Read MoreBlack Cumin
Black cumin can refer to the seeds of two quite different plants, both of which are used as spices. It is not at all similar to normal cumin in taste. It is similar to caraway seeds, but nigella seeds (or kalonji), as black cumin is also known, is more widely used in Indian cooking. Other…
Read MoreCassia Bark
Cassia Bark is also referred to as Chinese cinnamon and even bastard cinnamon (!), this is one of several species of cinnamon used mainly for its aroma. The buds are also used as a spice in Indian cooking. Cassia is shown on the right on the photo, Ceylon cinnamon on the left. Background Cassia Bark…
Read MoreNutmeg
Ground or grated nutmeg has a warm and sweet smell but in its original form is a large hard oval seed, which is brown in colour. It is traditionally associated with cosy and warming winter food and drink but actually grows in much warmer climates. Background Nutmeg is the inner seed of the peach like…
Read MoreRed Chillies
Red chilli peppers are popular as a cooking ingredient and give a hot flavour to dishes. However, they also have several applications for health and wellbeing. The heat of your curry is generally determined by the amount and type of chilli peppers used in the recipe. There are many types of red chillies, all of…
Read MoreVadouvan Spice Mix
Have you ever heard of a Vadouvan recipe? No, nor have I, but I was introduced to it by a French friend and apparently it’s all the rage in France. A regional curry powder mix Vadouvan is a French-Indian curry powder which requires a complex process to prepare it – or you can just buy it online…
Read MoreCayenne Chilli Pepper
From its race car red exterior to its devilish but delicious spiciness, the Cayenne Pepper is undoubtedly the quintessential poster child for chillies.
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