Another post on cooking? Next thing you know, people will start thinking that we’ve morphed from travel into a culinary column. But it’s impossible to separate travel from food, at least for us. We’ve been known to wander for days in a mid-sized Indian, French, or Italian city, lining up our meals for the week—and we have the physiques to prove it! Anyway, next time we’ll get back to muddling through social and historical mayhem—in Barcelona, no less. In the meantime…
It’s impossible to imagine the modern world without its more flavorful history. The ancient Spice Trade knit the world together and gave rise to intricate international networks dominated by the Indonesians, Arabs, and Ottomans, the cities of Alexandria, Istanbul, and Venice, and finally the Portuguese, Spanish, Dutch, and even British Empires. The development of ocean navigation and imperialism were both driven by that black Malabar pepper you grind over your scrambled eggs.
By far the most organized and colorful spice bazaar we’ve ever seen is the famous Mısır Çarşısı, or Egyptian Bazaar, at the center of the medieval world in Istanbul. Even today, when trinket salesmen threaten to take over every inch of the city’s markets, you can spend hours here, getting an education in exotic flavors and happily emptying your purse for a pocketful of saffron threads.
But the New York Yankees of the modern spice trade are the Indians—accounting for 75% of the international trade!—and the heart of the Indian business is the Wholesale Spice Market in Old Delhi. Massive quantities flow in and out of the alleyways here to all corners of the world. Entire shops and stalls are devoted exclusively to a single flavor. And the king of those spices is, and has always been, Kalimirch, or black pepper.
Like many people, we’ve come to rely on a series of blends we’ve found in some of the spicier corners of the world. Think of these blends like shorthand or acronyms for the spices they contain. None are cast in stone—all depend on the tastes of the cook and the audience. For example, we rarely add salt, garlic, ginger, oils, or vinegars, preferring instead to fold these in fresh at cooking time. And we’re no fans of sweet in our savory dishes, so we almost always downplay the cinnamon and nutmeg. But that’s just us.
The key to any spice blend is its freshness. And it’s a fact that spices evaporate and deteriorate rapidly—within six months if whole, and within three months when roasted and ground. That’s what started us roasting, grinding, and blending our own, and the taste difference came as a shock. Sure, we occasionally cheat, but the flavor, cost (much lower!), and the aroma that permeates your house, not to mention the fun, colorful creativity of the process, make a DIY approach far more satisfying.
Fortunately, this idea for a post happens to have coincided with our need to roast and grind a bunch of our favorite blends. Maybe we’ll even scare up one of those pretty spice dish photographs that seem to be a requirement of the genre. Or maybe not.
Our personal hit parade:
Herbes de Provence (France)
Thyme, fennel, rosemary, savory, tarragon, basil, chervil, mint, lavender flowers.
Sample recipe: https://www.thespruceeats.com/make-your-own-herbes-de-provence-995824
We run out of this one all the time and, when we do, break out the thyme without losing any sleep over it. The most versatile mixture we’ve ever seen—it would probably save time to list the dishes this blend didn’t make so much tastier.
Chili Powder (Mexico? Texas?)
Dried ancho chilis, cumin, oregano, smoked paprika, coriander, cinnamon, cocoa, garlic.
Sample recipe: https://minimalistbaker.com/homemade-chili-powder/
Our famous black bean chili. Anyone’s famous bean chili.
Jerk (Jamaica)
Allspice, cumin, nutmeg, smoked paprika, cinnamon, thyme, parsley, cayenne, garlic.
Sample recipe: https://www.thespruceeats.com/jamaican-jerk-sauce-recipe-1806844
One of our favorite marinades (when adding wine vinegar, lemon, lime, and olive oil). Hold the cayenne until cooking time to control the fire. Allspice is the king of Jamaican tastes, and no wonder.
Cajun/Creole (Louisiana)
Cajun: Smoked/sweet paprika, cayenne, black/white pepper.
Creole: Add oregano, thyme, basil, rosemary, bay leaf, garlic.
Sample recipe: https://www.daringgourmet.com/creole-seasoning-recipe/
We’ve heard New Orleans described as a city with a thousand restaurants and one menu. And when you’ve invented a flavor combo this compelling, why not? We add ground sassafras (gumbo file) every chance we get.
Old Bay (Maryland)
Celery seed, sweet/smoked paprika, mustard, black/white pepper, bay leaf, cayenne, cinnamon, cloves.
Sample recipe: https://www.thekitchn.com/old-bay-seasoning-recipe-23344701
The only blend we know with an actual, non-legendary birth date and inventor—Gustav Brunn, founder of the Baltimore Spice Company, in 1939. Use it for seafood marinades and rubs, especially for lobster, crab, or shrimp. Or sprinkle it over popcorn, french fries, or baked potatoes—or so they say in Baltimore.
Ras el Hanout (Morocco)
Cumin, ginger, turmeric, cinnamon, black/white pepper, coriander ,allspice, nutmeg, cloves, cayenne.
Sample recipe: https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/150574/ras-el-hanout/
Our newest find and one we’re still exploring. A great marinade/dry rub for grilling lamb or chicken over a blistering desert fire.
Madras Curry Powder (India via England?)
Cumin, coriander, turmeric, cardamom, fennel, cinnamon, mustard, fenugreek, cayenne, black pepper.
Sample recipe: https://myindianstove.com/madras-curry-powder-recipe/
Madras basically means hot like the weather in southeastern India. Curry is an Anglo corruption of the Hindi word for "stew". Experiment with this one, and add allspice for a quick jaunt to Indian Jamaica. Deviled eggs come to mind!
Garam Masala (India)
Cumin, coriander, black cardamom, fennel, caraway, mace, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, bay leaves, ginger, black pepper.
Sample recipe: https://www.vegrecipesofindia.com/garam-masala-recipe-garam-masala-powder/
Watch out for the cinnamon. This blend produces the most subtle collage of flavors on the list and can be found in all manner of Indian dishes. Every Amah boasts her own secret recipe.
Five Spices (China)
Anise, fennel, black pepper, cloves, cinnamon.
Sample recipe: https://www.feastingathome.com/chinese-five-spice/
Again, watch out for the cinnamon. We use as a dry rub, or in a marinade with soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, and Shaoxing wine. Spectacular with duck or pork.