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Vanilla Beans come from the Vanilla orchid, which is native to Central America. The Vanilla orchid is also the only orchid that produces an edible fruit of any kind. It’s got a long history going back to the Mayan and Aztec civilizations.
It has been considered an aphrodisiac and a cure for fevers. It’s often used in “aromatherapy” Modern science has shown that Vanilla causes an increase in catecholamines such as adrenaline, which means it could be considered mildly addictive. Another thing that science has discovered about vanilla is that it’s able to block bacteria from knowing there’s enough of them to overcome the immune system of a host (it’s called “quorum sensing”).
The bean itself doesn’t actually have any taste until it’s been cured and fermented. It’s used in a wide variety of products and is an extremely popular taste, probably second only to chocolate.
The Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla beans are considered by many to be the best variety and something like 60% of the vanilla comes from Madagascar.
When buying vanilla beans they should be dark, oily and flexible. They should be stored in an airtight container for up to 18 months
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Posted on 18th March 2008
Under: Food Info, Spices | Comments Off
When I first heard of this years ago it didn’t make a whole lot of sense. It sounded like this one thing was literally “all spices” in one. At the very least it sounded like it would taste on the weird side. Since then I’ve learned that Allspice is a tree in the Myrtle family that originated and is grown mainly in Jamaica.
Allspice berries are cured and dried before use and are a dark reddish brown and a little bigger than a peppercorn. They don’t have much aroma until they’re crushed when it smells like a combination of cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg with a hint of the heat in black pepper. It’s used a lot in Caribbean foods.
Whole berries of Allspice should be rounded with a rough surface with a dark reddish brown color and not smell musty. Ground Allspice should be dark brown and have a warm aroma. It should be a touch oily and never dry and dusty.
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Posted on 3rd March 2008
Under: Food Info, Spices | 1 Comment »
For the first post about specific spices I’m going to start with one I’ve never heard of before. I read about this one and I’ve added it to the list of spices that I’d like to try someday.
Ajwain, also called “Bishop’s Weed” is popular in India. Both the the fruit and leaves are used. The fruits are hard, small and oval in shape and are said to look like cumin or caraway in shape.
It’s pungent and slightly bitter taste that is supposed to have a musty character between that of Anise and Oregano. Rarely used raw, it’s usually dry roasted or fried in clarified butter. It’s also said to reduce the (ahem) “gaseous effects” of beans. (THAT ought to make it popular all by itself!)
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Posted on 22nd February 2008
Under: Food Info, Spices | Comments Off
Another one of the things I want to talk about here is something that I’ve become fascinated with in the last few years… Spices. Like herbs, spices are used in cooking to impart different flavors to the food that they’re cooked into. They can range from mild to potent, sweet to hot and peppery.
A spice is an aromatic part of a plant that has a very concentrated flavor. Spices are found in the form of roots, bark, resins, pods, fruits, seeds, berries or flowers. There was a time when the trade of spices was a source of great wealth. Today spices are still extremely valuable and yeah, they can get expensive too but their greatest value is in what you can do with them in the kitchen.
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Posted on 21st February 2008
Under: Food Info, Spices | Comments Off
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