Most people stick to the standard spices you can find in any supermarket. But some people like to branch out and try something a bit more exotic. Here are 12 unusual spices and how to cook with them.
Saffron
This is the most expensive spice in the world because it is the thread-like filaments of the saffron crocus flower. Each flower has only three filaments, so it takes around 225,000 filaments to make up one pound of saffron!
Luckily, a little goes a long way, and it is ideal in rice dishes. If the high cost per ounce is out of your budget (like it is mine), you can use the bright yellow turmeric instead.
Sumac
This is a staple of Middle Eastern cuisine and has become trendy in recent years thanks to its savory and tart taste, similar to a lemon. It is used as a rub on meat, a seasoning on salad and a tasty addition to hummus – the popular chickpea spread eaten in most countries around the Mediterranean basin. It doesn’t hold up well to heat, so add it as a finishing spice.
Garam Masala
This is another interesting seasoning that can be consider a finishing spice. Add it to Indian dishes before serving to add to their aromatic quality.
Recipes vary, but in general, you can expect garam masala to contain allspice, cardamom, cinnamon, coriander, mace, nutmeg and black pepper. It is DELICIOUS!
Cardamom
The pod and seeds can also be used on their own. The little green pods can give rice dishes a big flavor. Simply toss a few pods into your rice while it’s cooking. But, be sure to remove them when your rice is done. You don’t want to eat the pods. Once they’re done cooking, simply crack the shells open and remove the small black seeds inside, grind or mash with a mortar and pestle, and add to your dish if you’d like more flavor. The small black seeds are ground up for garam masala and can be found in apple pie spice and in Scandinavian baking, along with cinnamon and nutmeg. The cardamom pods can be “reused” and added to coffee or tea for flavoring. If you use a drip coffee maker, simply drop the pods into your coffee filter, add your ground coffee and start brewing!
Galangal
Also known as Thai ginger, it is related to ginger and used in Thai cuisine, but it has its own pine-like taste, with a hint of lime. It is delicious with fish and poultry, and adds a real depth of flavor to Thai curry and coconut milk-based dishes.
Juniper berries
These grow in Europe and are used to flavor gin, and to create tangy sauces for wild game such as venison and wild boar. You can also use it to season pork.
Oaxaca Chiles (Pasilla de Oaxaca)
These chiles have a unique smoky tasty that’s trending in many dishes, particularly in vegetarian ones because the chiles lend a sort of meaty taste. They range from 4,000 to 10,000 on the Scoville Heat Scale.
Serrano chili powder
Serranos come in at a toasty 10,000 to 23,000 heat units on the Scoville scale, adding zing to Mexican and Tex-Mex dishes. Like their Oaxaca cousins, they can add smokiness as well if you use smoked Serrano chili powder.
Fenugreek
This seed is crushed into powder and added to Indian dishes. It has a distinct smoky flavor that tastes a bit like burnt sugar. Use sparingly in your curries.
Asafoetida
Asafoetida is an incredibly strong-smelling and tasting spice that is used mostly in Indian vegetarian cooking. It is definitely an acquired taste. It is a gum resin derived from a particular Indian plant.
Machalepi
This spice is made from the pits of sour cherries and is favored in recipes from around the Mediterranean. It tastes of roses and almonds and is a favorite in baked goods, including Greek breads. It might also be labeled Mahaleb.
There you have it. 12 Unusual Spices and How to Cook with Them. Which ones are you going to try? Drop me a comment and let me know how it goes!
