SPICEography - Master Your Spice Rack

Fennel Seed: Sweet Licorice-Like Spice

The fennel seed is the fruit of the fennel plant, which belongs to the parsley family. Its taste is similar to that of aniseed and the two are often confused with each other as a result. Fennel seeds are oval-shaped …

What’s A Good Coriander Substitute?

Coriander is from the parsley family. The seeds of the plant are ground to make the coriander spice while the leaves and stems are called cilantro. If you are preparing a dish and find that you have no coriander, you have two options: you can either run to the grocery store or you can seek out a substitute. If you decide on the latter option, you have several spices that you can use as a coriander substitute.

Kosher Salt Vs. Sea Salt: SPICEography Showdown

Any discussion of kosher salt and sea salt should start out with the fact that they share the same chemistry. Another important fact that you should note is that technically, all salt could be considered sea salt due to the …

Sea Salt: A Global Flavor Enhancer

It should be noted that all salts can technically be considered sea salts since they all came from a sea at some point. However, the term “sea salt” is generally used for salt that is produced by evaporating water from …

What’s A Good Thyme Substitute?

Thyme is a popular and very aromatic herb grown in Europe and is related to mint. There are numerous different varieties of thyme. It provides a sweet and earthy flavor to many dishes, and is commonly used in Mediterranean cuisine. Thyme can be used to flavor lamb, pork and game and has the benefit of being able to withstand long cooking times. As a result, it is often used in pasta sauces as well. It is an important ingredient in classic dishes like coq au vin and osso bucco.

As it is a well-known and widely used herb, most serious cooks will keep a bottle on their spice rack. However, you may have run out of thyme or it may just not be something that you thought you would ever need. If you are looking for a substitute, the good news is that (as with most ingredients) there is a multitude of good options.

Kosher Salt: Large Crystals, Clean Taste

Kosher salt is obtained by the same means used to get regular table salt. In other words, it may be harvested from the sea or it may be mined. The difference lies in processing as kosher salt is processed in …

Ceylon Vs. Cassia Cinnamon: SPICEography Showdown

There are hundreds of different cinnamon varieties but only a few are widely sold and the most common of those are Cassia and Ceylon cinnamon. Cassia cinnamon is the type that is most commonly used in North America and most of it comes from Indonesia. It is popular because of its low cost. It is relatively inexpensive because it does not require the labor intensive processing needed for Ceylon cinnamon. Both types of cinnamon trees are related to each other and are distant relatives of the bay tree.

So what are the differences between these two cinnamon varieties? Is one better for some uses than the other? Below we look at how these two spices differ and how you can use them to flavor your dishes in another SPICEography Showdown.

What’s A Good Cumin Substitute?

Cumin is a spice that is heavily used in Mexican cooking as well as in Indian, African and Malaysian dishes. It provides an earthy flavor with nut and citrus notes that is described by some as being slightly bitter. It is one of the most important ingredients in curry powder and it is also used in almost all chili recipes. You can buy cumin seeds in whole form or ground. Cumin’s strong, distinctive flavor comes from the oil it contains. If your recipe calls for it and you do not have any available, you will need to find a substitute that is just as flavorful. Consider the following options: