A whole universe of flavours
When it comes to refined herbs and spices, there’s more to discover than just salt and pepper. WORK wants to share a few ideas to help you give your dishes a little more pep.
What once generated the wealth of colonial empires is now available in any supermarket aisle for pennies. The most common spices, like pepper, cinnamon, paprika, coriander and marjoram, are usually packaged in little bags or jars ready to store on your kitchen shelf. And anyone who wants to try something a little more extravagant can reach for a ready-made spice mix. Dedicated kitchen heroes are always on the search for new flavours. After all, even spices are subject to trends. WORK caught up with Andrea Rolshausen, founder of “Gewürze der Welt”, to find out more. “Oriental spices are in particularly high demand at the moment,” she shares.
Zhoug
“Zhoug is a hot and spicy mix made from aromatic spices like cumin, cardamom, coriander and chilli peppers,” explains Andrea. It’s the perfect combination of freshness, spice and heat. Delicious with falafels, shawarma or grilled meat, it also makes the perfect addition to grilled vegetables or wraps. Zhoug can even be mixed with yoghurt to create a spicy yoghurt sauce for salads or bowls.”
Piment d‘Espelette
“Just like real Champagne only comes from the Champagne region of France, Piment d‘Espelette – not to be confused with allspice, which is sometimes called pimento – has been produced in the region around the small village of Espelette in the French Basque country for centuries,” explains Andrea. “Piment d‘Espelette is a very popular type of chilli pepper from France that is obtained from the incredibly aromatic ‘Gorria’ chilli, which was first brought over to France from Mexico by Basque sailors. The moderately spicy, fruity and beautifully aromatic chilli rarity is best showcased as a finishing touch, served directly at the table. It’s fantastic with fish dishes, vegetables, scrambled eggs, grilled meat and in sauces.”
Dukkah
Another popular oriental spice mix is Dukkah.
At “Gewürze der Welt”, they make it using roasted nuts like pistachios, macadamias, cashews, pine nuts and almonds. It gets some freshness from coriander leaves, ginger and lemon peel, while cumin and coriander seeds
add an exotic twist. “Dukkah makes a delicious dip,” explains Andrea. “It’s also unbelievably good with white fish. You can transform even the simplest rice side into a flavour sensation by adding some fresh herbs and Dukkah.”
Kampot pepper
“This pepper from Cambodia is harvested by hand and fermented in sea salt. The moist sea salt completely alters the essential oils in the pepper, and the result is an exciting and completely new peppery flavour with a soft consistency. Fresh, crisp, highly aromatic, juicy, slightly moist, lightly salty and only moderately spicy, this pepper absolutely does not belong in a pepper mill and shouldn’t be cooked!” advises the expert.
Cassia buds
In Africa, the spice expert discovered cassia buds for her customers: “With a flavour like a mix of cinnamon, clove, orange and black pepper, the buds of the evergreen Chinese cassia tree taste fantastic with lamb, game and veal, curries, stuffings, rice and lentil dishes. And, of course, they’re delicious with all sweet dishes.”
Fiori di Finocchio
For anyone who wants to take their Italian cooking to the next level, Andrea recommends fennel blossoms. “The fragrant and aromatic blossoms are picked and sorted by hand. They work very well with fish and other seafood, in vinaigrettes, on vegetables and with roasted meat.”
You can find more inspiration on the subject of spices at:
gewuerze-der-welt.net
