The only edible member of the orchid family, vanilla is one of the world’s most fragrant and best-loved spices. There are three main areas of vanilla production: Tahiti, Madagascar, and Mexico. The variety found in Tahiti has strong fruit and floral overtones, while the type native to Mexico (used by Aztecs and Mayans to flavor [...]
All pepper contains capsaicin, the active compound in pepper that makes our eyes tear and our noses run. Some, however, have more of it than others. Tabasco peppers are among some of the hottest are are reputedly from Tabasco, Mexico. They are now grown in Lousiana and are used to make the famous brand-name hot [...]
Cumin is that unmistakable flavor in Indian curries and many Mexican dishes, from the Americanized faijita to the more-traditional enchiladas. Specifically, it is the seed of the flowering Cuminum cyminum plant. You’ll also find it in the Indian tandoori (a tandoori is a type of oven; hence, tandoori refers to any dish cooked in it), [...]
Though little-known in American cuisine today, coriander has enjoyed a rich past. It was named as an aphrodisiac in 1,001 Arabian Nights, it was treasured in China during the Han dynasty (207 B.C.E.-220 A.C.E.), and it is one of the bitter herbs of Passover. Coriander seeds have been found in ancient Egyptian tombs. Romans used [...]
This false relative of parsley–sometimes called Chinese parsley–is the world’s most-widely consumed fresh herb. Cilantro is used extensively in Indian, Mexican, Chinese, Southeast Asian, and Middle Eastern cooking. Culantro, a closely-related plant, is native to Latin American and the Caribbean and is used often in Puerto Rican and Cuban cuisine. Traditional salsa, salsa verde, the [...]
The “real” cinnamon is native to Sri Lanka. Cinnamomum zeylanicum is much milder than Cinnamomum cassia, the hotter variety to which we are accustomed. Both, however, are the bark of an evergreen tree. The distinction is of legal importance in England and Australia, however–there, it is illegal to pass off cassia as being cinnamon. The [...]
Chili powder is actually a mix of several different herbs and spices–most commonly, it is cumin, oregano, black pepper, garlic, and chile pepper. It may also contain coriander, cloves, and/or turmeric. Chili powder is an indispensable ingredient in American Southwestern cooking, Mexican cuisine, and many Spanish dishes. The type of chile used in chile powder [...]
