Herbs, Spices, and Oils in International Cooking
Published February 4th, 2008
Today I’m exploring some of the different herbs, spices, and oils we can try to really add new depth and breadth to our cooking. As I pointed out in Food Around The World, we basically have a lot of similarities in the things that we eat, just differences in what is locally available and how the food is prepared. One major influencing factor in the final taste of a dish is determined by the herbs, spices, and oils that are used in it. To keep along the same lines as my other articles, these ingredients are grouped by geographical region. This article will focus on Chinese, Thai, Indian, Italian, and Greek cuisine.
China
One delicious background flavour that starts many dishes is sesame oil. It is fragrant and very potent, so you don’t need much. Other spices used in Chinese cooking include garlic, ginger, and five spice powder. Szechuan peppercorns are popular as well. Also used to flavour dishes are star anise and Chinese hot mustard.
Thailand
Some lovely aromatic herbs used to flavour Thai dishes and soups are lemongrass, kaffir lime peel and leaves, start anise, mint, coriander, Thai parsley, and the popular Thai basil and lemon basil. Some of many spices used include colorful turmeric, red chilies, cumin, coriander seeds, ginger, galangal, mace, tamarind, Thai varieties of peppercorns, cloves, and of course sesame seeds. Although it is not a herb or spice, coconut milk is another common ingredient in Thai curries.
If you want to cheat, and make sure you get the combination of spices just right, there is a great company called Asian Home Gourmet which makes pouches including all necessary spices for that dish, with the recipe on the back (even including vegetarian options). All you need to add are the meat and or veggies and you’re set! The ones I’ve seen at my local grocery store are Tom Yum soup, Hot and Sour soup, red curry, green curry, and satay–all classic dishes and very authentic in flavour.
India
Some of the delicious herbs used include coriander, fennel, basil, mint, and parsley. Common spices include the spice combination called garam masala, chilies, turmeric, saffron, mustard seed, fenugreek, and cardamom. Many parts of the coconut, as well as garlic, and ginger are also used regularly.
Again, given the complexity of some of the combinations used to get the many different types of Indian curries, we can all use a little bit of help. Asian Home Gourmet also makes spice packets for butter chicken, tikka masala, and vindaloo–and I’m sure many more that I haven’t seen. Another company that makes a full range of spice pastes and curry sauces is Patak’s. You may be able to find this brand in the ethnic food section of your local grocery store. The nice thing about the Patak’s products is that you can buy a whole bottle of spice paste which will last you a few meals.
Italy
At the base of Italian cooking is often a nice, flavourful extra virgin olive oil. It is best to only use it on dishes at room temperature or low heat. If you want to fry or deep fry, a lighter olive oil or canola oil can be used. Some common herbs in Italian cooking include different varieties of basil, oregano, parsley, rosemary, sage, marjoram, fennel, bay leaves, and borage. Some spices also used include pepper, sea salt, coriander, garlic, nutmeg, saffron, and in some parts of Italy, ginger.
Greece
Some of the most common herbs in Greek cooking to flavour meats, vegetables, soups, and salads include thyme, sage, mint, parsley, Greek oregano, rosemary, bay leaves, and wild celery. Cloves, cumin, sesame seeds and cinnamon are some of the spices used often in these delicious dishes.
One of the most delicious, and even better, salt-free Greek seasoning is made by Cavender’s. It is simply called “Cavender’s Greek Seasoning.” It can be found in many U.S. grocery stores. Sadly, I have not seen it in Canada.
I hope that you enjoy yourself as you explore and experiment with some new flavours. Just remember that spices and herbs are usually added to taste, so if you’re not sure, add a bit first, then more as desired. If you’re using fresh herbs, add them towards the end of your cooking so they don’t lose their potency.
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