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Herbs & Spices / Seasoning Saavy
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Caraway Seed is actually the fruit of a biennial herb in the parsley family, known as Carum carvi. The seed is about 1/5inch long and tapered at the ends. The hard seed shells have five pale ridges. |
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Not so long ago, ubiquitous seasonings such as parsley sprigs, pepper, and cinnamon were about the only herbs and spices that American cooks took for granted. Today, thanks to an interest in ethnic foods, as well as famous chefs using herbs and spices to add texture, taste, and variety to their menus, a whole world of tiny purveyors of flavor, such as oregano, thyme, rosemary, and turmeric, is available to all who want to add an extra twist to an otherwise bland dish.
While the level of knowledge of cooking herbs has varied over the decades, it has definitely reached a peak during the end of the twentieth century. Several of the year's most celebrated cookbooks include Jerry Traunfeld's The Herbfarm Cookbook and The Mediterranean Herb Cookbook by the prolific Georgeanne Brennan. During the last part of the twentieth century, Americans could not get enough of the robust, complex favor of ethnic dishes. The American Spice Trade Association reports that spice consumption in the U.S. is skyrocketing. In the first half of the 1990s, we used a whopping 45 percent more spices than in the first half of the 1980s.
Cooking with herbs and spices has also taken on a new importance due to our awareness of healthy eating. Herbs are full of vitamins and minerals. One cup of green leafy herbs gives you the same amount of vitamins as a cup of green leafy vegetables. And both herbs and spices can add interesting flavors to foods when salt and fat are eliminated.
Yet many perfectly competent cooks also find that they use a particular herb or spice only in designated recipes, then let it languish among the half-empty jars of herbs and spices shoved in the far recesses of the kitchen cabinet. While it does not take a degree in the culinary arts to use herbs and spices, ignorance of how the various seasonings mingle -- or don't -- makes many a cook hesitant to risk a perfectly good dish. Like friends, some seasonings mingle well, while others are best enjoyed separately.
Before you can become confident in the use of herbs and spices, it is helpful to understand just what is a spice, what is an herb, and how they can affect a food's flavor. While the term spice is often used broadly to include all seasonings, a true spice comes from the bark, roots, leaves, stems, buds and seeds, or fruit of aromatic plants and trees which usually grow in tropical countries. Examples of spices include black pepper, allspice, cloves, nutmeg, mace, cinnamon, ginger, saffron, and turmeric. Herbs, on the other hand, are soft, succulent plants whose leaves, roots, flowers, and seeds are used as seasonings. Herbs usually grow in the temperate zone and include oregano, thyme, marjoram, and rosemary. While herbs add distinctive flavors to meat, vegetables, and salad, spices enhance the sweet taste of foods.
Spices and herbs used for cooking contain a chemical substance called terpenese, commonly known as essential oils. These essential oils are what provide the characteristic smell or taste of herbs and spices. Without them, herbs would be no tastier than grass clippings.
Selection
Herbs can be purchased either fresh or dried. Middle Eastern, Latino, and Asian markets often carry fresh herbs and spices as well as dried herbs and spices of high quality and at lower-than-grocery-store prices.
When purchasing dried herbs, opt for whole-leafed herbs rather than those in powdered form. Herbs are more concentrated in flavor when they are allowed to dry and shrink rather than being powdered when fresh; thus, whole-leafed herbs hold their flavor longer in storage. To release the oil of the herb, you can either crumble the herb between your fingers or crush the herb using a mortar and pestle. Do not pulverize herbs. The same holds true for spices. Instead of buying pre-ground spices, invest in a small pepper grinder or use a coffee grinder. You can clean your grinder before and after the process by grinding a teaspoon of rice in the grinder.
Shelley Young, chef and owner of The Chopping Block, a cooking school on Chicago's north side, cannot stress enough the importance of grinding and crushing herbs and spices. She compares their freshness to that of freshly ground coffee versus canned coffee. "Even though it may be more work, there is a distinct and fresh difference which is worth it."
Storage
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Cinnamon is the dried bark of various laurel trees in the cinnamomun family. One of the more common trees from which Cinnamon is derived is the cassia. Ground cinnamon is perhaps the most common baking spice. Cinnamon sticks are made from long pieces of bark that are rolled, pressed, and dried. |
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Spices such as cinnamon sticks, cloves, and peppercorns have a long life, but you should pack away freshly ground herbs and spices immediately in order to retain their flavor. The smaller the herb or spice is ground or crushed, the shorter its life, since more of the surface of the vegetative material is exposed, which increases the speed at which essential oils evaporate.
Heat also hastens flavor loss. Keep herbs and spices away from sources of intense heat, such as stoves, sunlight, and high humidity. Never shake out herbs and spices over a steaming pot where moisture and condensation form. Instead, measure away from the steam. For the same reason, never dip a wet spoon into your spice jar. To keep the essential oils trapped safely in dried herbs and spices, use airtight containers and keep the containers in a cool, dry, dark place. According to McCormick Spice Company, ground herbs and spices kept under ideal conditions can retain their effectiveness for one to three years. Whole spices can last up to four years.
When purchasing fresh herbs, avoid herbs that are limp or yellowing, or have black spots. Store fresh herbs is in a resealable plastic bag and keep in the refrigerator. Because any moisture shortens their shelf life, wash them upon use rather than washing before you bag them. When using fresh herbs in cooking, simply place the whole herb in a cheesecloth bag for easy removal. Take advantage of the whole herb. The woody stems of strong, resinous herbs such as thyme, sage, marjoram, rosemary, and savory, can be used instead of wood chips on the grill.
A Matter of Taste
Philosopher Jean Jacques Rousseau once wrote, "smell is the sense of imagination." Like the real magic of aromatherapy, with its scents of spicy potpourri, or warm vanilla, cooking with herbs and spices can energize or soothe the spirit. And not only do they include the sense of smell, but also the sense of taste. eBook
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