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Questions tagged [spices]

Culinary use of spices, defined as the edible but non-leafy parts of certain plants.

Culinary differ from culinary primarily in which part of the plant they come from. Herbs are generally the leaves, and spices are generally anything else, including the bark (cinnamon), seeds (mustard), or roots (ginger).

Questions on a specific spice should also include the specific tag, e.g. .

Avoid the use of this tag for sugar and salt; they are not classified as spices.

383 questions
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Other ‘hot’ spices?

The restaurant assured me that there was no “chilli” in the food, but it was still too hot for me. What other spices, etc. can cause the heat effect in the mouth? It was a Sri Lankan restaurant, very reputable. My host had mistakenly told the waiter…
jane bowden
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Differences/Similarities between cinnamon and nutmeg

I read a while ago that nutmeg and cinnamon are really similar and you can easily substitute one for the other. Yet many recipes call for both cinnamon and nutmeg so it seems like there must be some kind of difference. What are the specific…
Kyra
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What spices taste umami?

Are there natural spices that taste umami? I don't want to use MSG in my food, but I'd like to add some umami flavour.
configurator
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Is there a "color wheel" for spices

Are there "models" proposing relationships between spices as there are between colors? (I understand that color is based on the physics of light and that there is no (afaik) "physics of flavor". I am using it as a metaphor) I'd like to get more…
spring
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Avoiding grittiness with sichuan pepper

I've got a big bag of Sichuan pepper but I've often found that when I cook with them it's difficult to avoid grittiness from the outer kernel. I don't have this problem when I visit Sichuan Chinese restaurants and the pepper was bought from a big…
Treblekicker
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When should I flavor my Bolognese?

My Bolognese sauce usually contains some combination of salt, pepper, basil, oregano and thyme. It is easier to taste if I add them towards the end, but is the taste affected by when I add the herbs to the sauce?
user4697
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How to cook with capsaicin and avoid chemically bombarding my housemates?

I tend to add a copious amount of spice to the meals I make. I mostly cook simple stir fries with high heat. Whenever I add ground cayenne pepper or liquid hot sauces, the spice seems to aerosolize. I sometimes notice it, but it never really gets to…
zahbaz
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Is sassafras root and licorice root the same thing?

I don’t want to make root beer I just want to know if licorice root and sassafras root are the same thing.
Susan Hayes
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How do different spices react to heat?

I'm working on a chili recipe. It has a bunch of spices. I'm trying to figure out when best to add them. People sometimes recommend "opening up" spices like cumin by toasting them or frying them in hot oil along with the onions. OTOH, I have…
Scott Stafford
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microplastics from plastic pepper grinders?

I have a regular (steel) pepper grinder but I have defaulted to buying and using the 'all-in-one" bottles of peppercorn with the grinder top' from Trader Joe's. I am hearing more and more about exposure to 'microplastics' from all sorts of sources.…
spring
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After how much time do ground/powdered spices start losing their flavor?

Possible Duplicate: Shelf life of spices Suppose I grind the mustard + cumin + pepper seeds and keep them covered in a bowl, after how much time should I expect them to lose their flavor? Authoritative answers with references to some credible…
Aquarius_Girl
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What do these additions to common spice mixes do with your dish?

Where I live, supermarkets sell all sorts of "spice mixes" for specific dishes, like "taco mix" or "spaghetti mix". I used to buy these, but then at some point started experimenting myself and stopped buying them. Occasionally when I'm lazy, I still…
Erik
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How is one meant to treat fenugreek seeds?

The last time I used fenugreek seeds, they and mustard seeds were the first into the pan, followed by onions, then other vegetables. I expected them to soften a bit and release their flavor, but they retained a bit of an unpleasant crunch, in the…
asterac
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I'm looking for an extender/filler for my spice mix

I mix up a red pepper and salt blend (along with a few other ingredients) and put it in a coffee grinder to powder it. The blend that I have come up with has just the right flavor for my family's taste, but it is too intense. We use this spice…
Stewbob
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Anise Seed vs. Fennel Seed with Taste as No.1 factor

I've noticed that in some recipes Anise seeds can be used interchangeably with Fennel seeds. I understand their taxonomical differences but in regards to taste, can they be used interchangeably without any big difference in taste? For example, I've…
justinl
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