Johnny Ciao Spice Glossary Page 3
Dillweed
Dill is an universal favorite. The word "dill" comes from the Norwegian "dilla" meaning "to sooth," as medicinal powers were attributed to it. Almost everybody likes dill, and it appears in nearly every cuisine in the world. It is a delicious addition to sour cream, vegetables, potato salad or casseroles. It is wonderful with fish. Eqyptian dillweed has a cleaner taste and is our first choice. Dillweed is used to garnish as well as to flavor.
Dill Seed
Dill is a universal favorite. The word "dill" comes from the Norwegian "dilla" meaning "to sooth," as medicinal powers were attributed to it. Almost everybody likes dill, and it appears in nearly every cuisine in the world. It is a delicious addition to sour cream, vegetables, potato salad or casseroles. It is wonderful with fish. Dill seed is aromatic, slightly pungent, light brown with a strong but pleasing flavor. We find that dill grown in the northern part of India produces larger seeds which have a higher oil content.
Fenugreek, Ground
Fenugreek has grown in the Mediterranean region and Western and Southern Asia from earliest times to the present. The name comes from the Latin meaning "Greek hay." The seeds have a faint curry flavor and a bitter, peppery aftertaste. Fenugreek is used in Indian curries. Curries for lamb and beef absolutely require fenugreek for balance. In the Middle East, it is ground to a paste for vegetable dishes, and used in sweet, halvah.
Fajita Seasoning
An aromatic and flavorful blend that will make you a Tex-Mex expert in the kitchen, Try it on beef, chicken or seafood. 4 oz bottle.
Galangal
There are two main types of galangal, i.e., lesser (native to southern China) and greater (to Indonesia). Lesser galangal has a more pungent aroma -- its taste similar to cardamom and ginger. Greater is like a mixture of pepper and ginger, with a sour note. Both types of galangal are used fresh in curries and stews. They are available dry and can be reconstituted in water.
Gumbo File
Our Gumbo Filé is a mixture of sassafras and thyme. Often Gumbo Filé is only sassafras, which is used as a thickening agent and has very little flavor. We add thyme for flavor because it is traditionally Cajun. This is a product much in demand because of the popularity of Louisiana cooking. We're one of the few spice houses offering this product.
Ginger, Ground
It would seem is the newest fad in food. New products recently introduced include ginger tea, ginger sauces of several varieties, ginger jelly and ginger mustard. It is strange to call ginger a fad when it has been in constant use in India and China since early history. Jamaica is the best source of premium ginger. The spice part is the fat, irregular shaped rhizomes of the ginger plant. It is both pungent and lemony with earthy notes. Fresh ginger is used extensively in Pacific Rim cuisines. It is the principal supplier of the heat so loved in these cuisines. Dried ginger is used in Mideastern and Western cooking. Besides the well known gingerbread, it is a great addition to cheese dishes because it balances the egg and cheese flavors. Ginger is especially good with vegetables such as carrots, squash and sweet potatoes.
Grilling Herbs
Our Grilling Herbs are a balanced herb blend with a touch of lemon. This blend is particularly good on chicken, fish and other meats. In our health conscious society, grilling has become a way of life and thus finding a new flavor for chicken or fish is important.
Garam Masala
Garam Masala adds the finishing touch to curries. In India and Pakistan a curry is made by first cooking the curry blend with the meat and other ingredients. Curry has turmeric and other spices which need longer cooking in order not to impart a bitter taste. Then very near the end, the Garam Masala is added because the masala contains sweet, mellow spices - cinnamon, cardamon, cloves, mace - which are more delicate.
Grains of Paradise
Indigenous to the coast of West Africa and also known as Melegueta pepper, related to cardamom. These tiny grains have a hot and peppery taste but have the aroma of cardamom. They were used in the past to spice wine and beer. Today grains of paradise appear almost exclusively in West African cooking. They are one of the components of raz el hanout and are also excellent in mulled wine, with potatoes and eggplants, and in braised lamb recipes
Herbs for Fish
Herbs for Fish is a blend based on one used for several hundred of years by fishermen around Lake Como in Italy. They add it to oil and use it to baste fish while cooking over coals by the lake front. I have always enjoyed this blend and am surprised at its popularity. It is one of our best selling products. Our timing was excellent. We began to market Herbs for Fish at the time cooks, for health reasons, were beginning to turn from beef to fish. It seems to be a universally appreciated flavor and is useful in many dishes. This is really a ubiquitous blend. I probably need to change the name from Herbs for Fish to Herbs for Everything. It's good in tomato soup, on chicken, in tomato casserole dishes, and in pasta salads. Our customers find new uses constantly.
Herbed Pepper
One of our most popular ground pepper blends is Herbed Pepper, an Italian blend of oregano and other herbs. It is an easy product to use. You get fine flavor with very little effort and, for these reasons I recommend it highly. 4 oz bottle.
Island Jerk
The traditional Jamaican blend of herbs and spices, the origin of the word "jerk" is obscure, but is thought to derive from a word used by the Arawak Indians for sun-dried beef, charqui or jerky, later revived by African runaways and their descendants in Jamaica. A blend of Jamaican peppers, herbs and spices for use on beef, chicken, or even seafood like porgy or snapper.
Juniper Berries
From the evergreen shrub, juniper berries, found throughout the Northern hemisphere are new to U.S. cooking but have long been a staple of European dishes. The flavor of juniper marries well with sauces for game and pork. It is often used in sausages and patès, and in sauerkraut. The berries should be crushed to bring out the flavor. Juniper also flavors gin as well as other spirits such as schnapps and some beers.
Jalepeno, Ground
A ground version of the popular pepper, perfect for adding to chili's soups and firing up your favorite recipes
Lemon and Dill
Our Suuplier was not interested in developing this blend initially because several companies were marketing combinations of lemon and dill. When we realized that other companies were using chemicals as a substitute for lemon flavor ( and in one case lemonade mix), this product was developed. It is very popular, very useful, and very simple. I use it in potato salad, with fish in many variations, on chicken, and even on lamb. It makes a good, easy dip with sour cream, yogurt and/or cream cheese.
Lemon Grass
Narrow, fibrous, pale green leaves grown from the bulbous base of this tropical grass, with a clear smell and taste of lemon. The base and lower shoots of the plant are used in Southeast Asian cooking and give a fresh, aromatic taste to many Thai, Malay, and Indonesian dishes. Combines well with garlic, shallots and chilies, and with fresh coriander to flavor fish, shellfish, chicken, and pork.
Lemon Pepper
We are very proud of our Lemon Pepper. We use a white pepper with nothing added but lemon - real lemon. There is no salt, no sugar, no preservatives, no garlic, nothing else. The difference between our Lemon Pepper and others is so pronounced that it is easy for anyone to understand the quality of what we are offering on this site. It makes a decided difference in potato salad. It's a marvel on fish and chicken, great on fresh sliced tomatoes, and particularly pleasant with vegetables.
Mace
The lacy growth surrounding the kernel of a nutmeg seed. This evergreen tree, which is unique in that it produces two distinct spices, is native to the Moluccas, also known as the Spice Islands. Today, one-third of the worlds supply comes from Grenada, W.I. Mace was used heavily from the Middle Ages to this century. Sadly its popularity has declined. Mace and nutmeg have similar rich, warm aromas and a highly aromatic taste. Mace is milder and more subtle. It is also more expensive (partially due to the time consuming production process). Beware, mace is sometimes mixed with nutmeg and sold as pure mace. Mace is particularly helpful in savory dishes. If used wisely, it can enhance flavor without adding flavor of its own. In oyster stew for example, it seems to intensify the oyster flavor. It gives a lift to bechamel sauce, souffles, and cream cheese desserts. I prefer mace to nutmeg with sweet potatoes.
Marjoram
Marjoram has long been one of the most prized herbs. It is less robust, more sweetly scented and delicate than its cousin oregano. It can be substituted for oregano to achieve a more subtle flavor. Eqypt is the principal source of marjoram. We select marjoram which has a pleasantly aromatic and minty-sweet flavor with a slight background bitterness. In modern kitchens, it is the herb with 1,000 uses. I especially like it with beans, peas and spinach. It is also good in salads and stuffings.
Mexican Blast
This blend of chipotle flakes, Mexican oregano and other chili flakes has a hot smoky flavor. It is great as a sprinkle for pasta, pizza and salads. Enlivens southwestern dishes, especially salsas and tomato sauces. Try it in a marinade for shrimp with olive oil and lime juice or vodka.
Mustard, Hottest
A particularly pungent and spicy version of dry mustard, not for the timid!
Mediterranean Rub
The essence of the Mediterranean can be found in this sun dried tomato, orange, garlic, fennel rub. Use generously as you would any rub. Rubbing it by the handful on pork, chicken, fish or beef and then grill the meat. Otherwise use as the seasoning mix for a marinade or the seasoning for a great sauce. It has no salt.
Nigella
The culinary nigella plant is native to Western Asia, the Middle East, and Southern Europe. It is grown primarily in India, where it is used extensively in the cuisine of all regions. It is used in many spice mixtures of the area. The nigella seeds are very small, black in color, with a lightly aromatic, peppery flavor. It can be used as a pepper substitute. Add to buttered vegetables (cabbage or zucchini) to give them an exotic flavor and crunchy texture. Rub seeds into steak before grilling. Also used to season bread in the Middle East.
Nutmeg, Ground
Nutmeg has been in continuous use for countless thousands of years. It may be the earliest used spice. In the past if people could only afford one spice, the choice was always nutmeg. In the Middle Ages, nutmeg was used in almost every dish. I find I put it in dishes as diverse as apple pie and spinach. Nutmeg blends well with other spices and is good, not only in sweet foods such as pies and cakes, but in savory dishes as well.
Nutmeg, Whole
Nutmeg has been in continuous use for countless thousands of years. It may be the earliest used spice. In the past if people could only afford one spice, the choice was always nutmeg. In the Middle Ages, nutmeg was used in almost every dish. I find I put it in dishes as diverse as apple pie and spinach. Nutmeg blends well with other spices and is good, not only in sweet foods such as pies and cakes, but in savory dishes as well. The whole-nut version, grate it for each recipe for more intense flavor than with the ground nutmeg.
Oregano
Marjoram's robust relative, may be the most popular herb in the world; there's probably not a cook who does not use it. We sell two kinds of oregano. Primarily, we sell Greek or Turkish (Mediterranean) oregano. Mediterranean oregano has a nice pleasant flavor, related to marjoram but more pungent. The Italians add this to all manner of dishes. It is most often used in its dried form.
Oregano, Mexican
Mexican oregano, which has a stronger, some say harsher flavor, than it's Mediterranean counterpart, but holds up well in spicy Mexican cooking. Restaurants often prefer the Mexican.
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