Science of Spice: Understand Flavor, Connections and Revolutionize Your Cooking
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Break new ground with The Science of Spice, by food scientist and bestselling author, Dr Stuart Farrimond. He has created a periodic table of spices as a starting point to explore how the flavour compounds within spices work together to create exciting layers of flavour and new sensations. Use this book as a guide and learn how to mix your own seasonings.
Spice profiles—organized by their dominant flavour compound—showcase the world's top spices, with recipe ideas, information on how to buy, use, and store. Farrimond goes into depth on the following spices with in depth science to help you release their flavors:
- Sweet Warming Phenols—ceylon cinnamon, cassia cinnamon, clove, allspice, anise, star anise, fennel, licorice, mahleb, vanilla.
- Warming Terpenes—nutmeg, caraway, dill, annatto.
- Fragrant Terpenes—juniper, rose, coriander.
- Earthy Terpenes—cumin, nigella.
- Penetrating Terpenes—black cardamom, cardamom, bay, galangal.
- Citrus Terpenes—dried lime, lemongrass.
- Sweet-Sour Acids—amchur, sumac, tamarind, carob.
- Fruity Alhehydes—barberry, cacao.
- Toasty Pyrazines—paprika, sesame.
- Sulfurous Compounds—garlic, asafetida, curry leaf, mustard.
- Pungent Compounds—grains of paradise, black pepper, szechuan, ginger, chili.
- Unique Compounds—saffron, poppy, ajwain, celery seed, turmeric, fenugreek.
Recipe for Hawaij—a curry-life blend from Yemen, it's popular in slow-cooked meats, soups and as a spice rub. (Adapted by Gneiss Spice)
- 1 tsp black peppercorns
- 2 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 tsp cardamom seeds
- 1 tsp coriander seeds
- 2 tsp turmeric
Grind whole spices and combine with turmeric. For a sweeter version to use with coffee and desserts, replace the cumin and pepper with ginger, cloves, cinnamon and/or fennel.
If you've ever wondered what to do with that unloved jar of sumac, why some spices taste stronger than others, or how to make your own personal garam masala, this book will inspire you to make your own new spice blends, and take your cooking to new heights.