Spices

It is hard to know how far back this 5 spice mix dates, it seems to have always been an essential part of Chinese cooking! The number 5 comes from the Chinese Zodiac which believes that the universe is composed of five elements: fire, earth, metal, water and wood.

This famous Chinese mix is a blend of Pepper, Fennel, Anise, Cinnamon, and Cloves using the methods of traditional Chinese medicine. It’s good for the whole body, from the heart to the digestive system! Whilst the basic 5 spices used are always the same, the proportions vary depending on the different regions, towns or families! No two mixes are quite the same. It is renowned for its sweet hot and intense flavour. This 5 spice mix is a huge favourite with the Chinese and the Vietnamese who use it on grilled meat and fish or in sweet and sour dishes.

Add it to soy sauce or fish sauce to make your own Asian-style marinades or mix it with coriander, chives or ginger.
It is simply delicious on white meat, fish, or vegetables!

Ingredients: Chinese Five spice, Five-spice powder

Advieh or adwiya spice mix is widely used in Iranian and Iraqi cuisine. Deliciously full of flavour, its floral and menthol notes will delight your Persian rice dishes, lamb tagine or pan-fried chicken breast.

A truly versatile spice mix - this is a must-have for your kitchen.

Ingredients: Cumin, ceylon cinnamon, rosebuds, green cardamom, cloves

This delicate spice mix is made from Penja black pepper, cinnamon from Madagascar, nutmeg from Sri Lanka, cloves from the Moluccas islands, ginger from Nepal and Allspice. A truly harmonious fresh yet sweet mixture! It is perfect for enhancing stuffing, game and poultry and was widely used by our ancestors.

Once ground, use it in your stocks, jams or add it to your flour when making all your home-made cakes and bread. You can also use it to make fruit compotes, chutneys, crumbles and shortcrust pastry, or sprinkle it over your hot chocolate.

Ingredients: Black pepper, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves

Arrabiata is a spicy Italian tomato sauce. Heat 2 teaspoons of this spice mix in a frying pan with olive oil. Add 2 tins of chopped tomatoes (425 ml) then reduce over high heat for about 15 mins. Serve with Penne Rigate or use it as a sauce for pizzas.

Ingredients: Tomatoes, chilli, garlic, basil, thyme, rosemary, oregano, marjoram

Batak berries are harvested in the wild in North Sumatra in Indonesia by the Batak or Toba people. They grow on a thorny bush: the zanthoxylum acanthopodium, related to the Szechuan berries. The Batak people are renowned in Indonesia for being great musicians and orators, but also for their architecture and for constantly challenging Indonesian authorities. They live together in communities in regions bordering Lake Toba.

The berries are also called "Andaliman pepper" or "Bataks pepper". They grow at altitudes of 1,500m north of Tapanuli and Samosir, near Lake Toba. This region is known as the "Batak Kingdom".

A traditional Batak dish is "Ikan mas arsik" or "Goldfish with Arsik sauce" which is made from carps fished from Lake Toba. The carps are cooked in a wok and served with a sauce seasoned with torched ginger, shallots, garlic, galanga, lemongrass, turmeric, and chilli.

Black cardamom has a punchy sharp tannic attack releasing flavours of menthol and camphor.

Once opened, this spice from the Himalayas exudes complex aromas of smoked Chinese tea, resin and sweet spices.

It spices up fish stock or fruit compote. Remove the seeds from the husk before cooking. Best ground and used just before serving.

Black Kampot pepper is harvested and sorted by hand then dried in the sun. It comes from the province of Kampot and Kep in Cambodia.

This "grand cru" black pepper spices up a mint sorbet, stuffed guinea fowl, red meat or game.

Best used just before serving. Black Kampot pepper becomes bitter if cooked for too long.

Kampot Pepper dates back to the Kingdom of Angkor. Written records can be traced back to the travelogue of 13th-century explorer Tcheou Ta Kouana. It is thought that the Chinese immigrants from the Hainan region brought the pepper to Kampot and they had already been cultivating the pepper back in China.

It reached the height of its glory during the Colonial Period and became Cambodia’s leading food export. In 1975, the Khmer Rouge reduced production to nearly zero and replaced it with rice, and it wasn’t until 30 years later that some farm families gave this pepper a new lease of life.

In 2009, Kampot became the first Cambodian pepper to obtain the Protected Geographic Indication status (PGI). The union of french farmers of espellette chili pepper assisted the Cambodian farmers in obtaining the PGI from the French Agency for Development (Agence Française de Développement).

The PGI has enabled the Kampot pepper farmers to multiply their income ten fold. This is a wonderful example of international solidarity amongst farmers.

Ashanti pepper is harvested in North Congo. It grows in the wild on vines which creep up trees more than 20 metres high. The pepper is picked by the Baakas tribe from October to December in the dense forests of Likouala.

The Congolese call it "Ndongo bela" in Lingala or " black pepper". It is traditionally used by the Baakas for seasoning wild game. Once ground, it is used to cook stews.

Easy-to-use spices: this mix is the perfect companion for your meat with its supple notes. Add it to breadcrumbs, stuffing, to sauces or directly on your grilled or a la plancha meat.

Pimenton is a mild chilli pepper from South America which Christopher Colombus brought back to Queen Isabella of Castile.

Ever since the 14th century, Pimenton is grown in Spain in the Vera region, at the heart of the Sierra de Gredos mountain range. This region has an exceptional temperate and humid microclimate. This Pimenton de la Vera has been granted Protected Designation of Origin, which is a guarantee of excellent quality.

Pimenton de la Vera comes from the Capsicum Annuum bush which grows around a metre high. The fruits are carefully hung up to dry, then smoked using green oak wood for two weeks. There are only 12 producers of Pimenton de la Vera who have this specific know-how.

Its taste of chorizo and its dark red colour are typically Spanish and brighten up all traditional Spanish dishes from paëlla to tortilla.

Ingredients: Paprika, sunflower oil (1%)

This ingenious Cajun Mix from Louisiana is simply delicious with potatoes, fish and shellfish!

The French Cajuns are the descendants of the Acadian people, the French from Nova Scotia who were deported to Louisiana by the English during the tragic "Great Upheaval " in 1750. They set up in "bayous" in the Mississippi river, strange and inhospitable marshlands crawling with wild animals, as this was the only place they were allowed to stay.

This mix of spices and aromatic herbs is the ingenious creation of the French who learned how to survive in these hostile lands. It is made from thyme, pink onions, paprika, hot chilli pepper, cumin, black pepper and makes a delicious stock for shellfish, releasing strong, spicy, and very aromatic notes.

Cajun cuisine is a melting pot of French, Creole, African and Spanish cuisine and is one of America’s most varied and richest cuisines, with famous traditional dishes like Jambalaya gumbo made with meat, shrimps or sausages, all just as tasty as each other when prepared with Cajun Mix.

Ingredients: Paprika, coriander, mustard, turmeric, fennel, black pepper, cumin, garlic

This real Ceylon cinnamon features several rolled layers of bark.

With a distinguished and elegant aroma, this gourmet cinnamon has been ground for easy use. You can add it in your biscuits, gingerbreads, or even couscous.

To elevate your desserts, simply sprinkle it over whipped cream and ice cream for a sumptuous treat!

These cloves from Madagascar will delight all your tagines, soups, sauces and sticky chocolate cakes!

They are harvested by hand before being left to dry in the sun. This helps to preserve their delicious aromas of burnt wood and bourbon vanilla.

Coriander is an age-old aromatic plant that has been used for centuries in cooking and garnishing. 

This coriander powder will open up a whole new culinary experience, and helps to enhance your dishes with a delicious fragrance and zesty note. Best used with seafood dishes and creamy sauces. 

A mix that is full of the spicy flavours from Réunion Island! This creole mix contains garlic, pink berries, combava and ginger. It has a gentle attack with overriding peppery yet supple sensations. On the palate, it releases sweet aromas and notes of anise.

Its fresh and acidic flavours will enliven squash soup, marinades for skate and sea bream, steamed potatoes or a dish of aubergine with feta.

Use in all your creole dishes: sausage rougail, buccaneer chicken, poultry dodine, duck with mango, roast quails, shrimp skewers, grilled clams…

Ingredients: Pink berries, garlic, thyme, ginger, combava zest

Cubebe pepper originates from South-West India. A small tailed peppercorn that is harvested in Indonesia, this pepper is obtained from berries that are harvested before they are fully ripe, then dried and ground.

This pepper is generally used in curry powders and can also eaten on its own by simply chewing the peppercorn.

The aroma has a honey fruity base note with scents of smoked and herbal teas, engulfed by delicate notes of sweet spices and resin. Delicious with all Asian dishes, lobster tails, exotic fruit compotes or a mint chocolate dessert.

Dukkah (pronounced “douka”) is a spice mix from Egypt. It is made from hazelnuts, sesame, coriander, cumin and grilled spice. In Cairo, the Egyptians traditionally serve Dukkah with their pre-dinner drinks by dipping pitta bread into olive oil and then into Dukkah!

Its notes of toasted spices and hazelnuts are delicious with sweet wine, warmed goat’s cheese on toast or fresh pasta. It releases its oriental flavours wondrously with chicken skewers or marinated fish. Sprinkle it over your mixed salads or on steamed vegetables to add a crunchy touch.

Ingredients: Almond, hazelnut, coriander, cumin, sesame, peppercorn, salt, sugar

It gets its name from the delightful little village of Espelette tucked away at the foot of the Basque mountains. Although it’s considered as one of the emblems of the Basque country, it was originally brought back from South America by Christopher Colombus in the 16th century. Its Protected Designation of Origin status means that all the farmers must comply with the specifications that set out the geographical area where the chilli pepper can be produced and certain rules which guarantee the quality of the chilli pepper.

Its aromas of tomato, hay and pepper are delicate and subtle, almost fleeting. Harvested between the end of August and October, the red fruit is oven-dried, where they are turned every 6 hours, then festoons of the peppers are hung outside local houses to dry out further before being ground down to a powder.

Deviliously invigorating, its spicy and fruity flavour and its warm and sharp aroma reflect the light-hearted ambience of the Basque country.

It’s a speciality of Southwestern French cuisine that you’ll find it in every dish, omelettes, salads, bread and even chocolate.

Fenugreek originates from West Asia and Southern Europe and has been grown in India and Egypt for thousands of years.

In Ethiopia, these seeds are one of the ingredients of the renowned "Doro Wat" chicken stew, served with a mixture of mead, offal, hard-boiled eggs and Berbere spices.

This Ethiopian fenugreek will enhance chicken masalas, lentils, mashed vegetables, chicken skewers and marinated poultry.

The seeds are best roasted in a pan or soaked in water before grinding them.

Fenugreek's botanical name "Trigonella foenum-graecum" refers to the triangular shape of the seeds (“trigonella”) and to what it was initially used for ("foenum-graecum" Greek hay). The Romans imported it from Greece as animal fodder (“Greek hay”).

This easy-to-use spice blend is a great addition to any pantry.

The refreshing blend has just the right mix of zest, aroma and peppery notes, which will enchant your fish or seafood dishes.

Use it in court bouillon for poaching your fish, "a l’étouffée", with breaded fish or cooked a la plancha...the possibilities are endless!

Ingredients: dill, parsley, pink peppercorns, fennel and rosemary

Garam Masala is found in many types of meat and vegetable curry recipes. It can be mixed with yoghurt as a delicious sauce or added to desserts (such as doughnuts, rice pudding, fruit salads, and more!).

When ground with a mortar and pestle, it will spice up sautéed chicken, a spicy soup, a vegetable tart or Indian-style fish dishes. In Hindi, Garam means “spicy” and Masala means “spice mix”. It’s a roasted spice mix which is widely used in North Indian cuisine and has enchanted the rest of India and Pakistan. Here's what you'll need to make your own Garam Masala mix: fenugreek, cinnamon, fennel, black pepper, green cardamom, coriander.

Ingredients: Fenugreek, cinnamon, fennel, black pepper, green cardamom, coriander

Depending on where it comes from, the spiciness and aroma of gingers can vary. This perennial tropical plant is a tuber or rhizome which is part of the same botanical family as cardamom, turmeric and Ethiopian Korarima.

This Nepalese ginger is harvested by hand in the Mahabharat range, at altitudes of 2000m. Its outstanding freshness is accompanied by sweet lemony flavours.

Perfect with sweet potato mash, King prawns, home-made jam, fruit salad and wok-fried vegetables, this spice is widely used in Creole, Asian, African and Indian cooking.

Green cardamom comes from the rhizome Elettaria cardamom which originally came from the Malabar coast in India. It was introduced to North America at the beginning of the 20th century. The name of its botanical species "Elettaria" means "cardamom seed" in Tamil. It comes from the same botanical genus as ginger, turmeric and Ethiopian Korarima.

Nowadays green cardamom is grown in Guatemala, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Costa Rica, Salvador, Tanzania, Honduras and Thailand.

Green cardamom has aromas of eucalyptus and camphor and its strong ripe citrus fruity notes go perfectly with Asian and Oriental dishes.

Once ground, this spice will enchant carrot mashes, chicken tagines with crunchy vegetables, almond and anise cakes or fish served with sauce. It can also be infused in tea or coffee to add a spicy touch.

Best ground with a pestle and mortar to release its full flavour, you can grind both the whole pod or just the seeds.

Originally from the Middle East, cumin has appeared as a smoking spice or used to prepare food. It is of the same family as parsley.

Cumin comes from the fruit of the plant. Before maturity, it is given cuts to its stems and bunches. Suspended a few days, then beaten like wheat, the harvested fruit is then dried in the sun. It has a bitter but warm taste, is slightly sweet, and has a very strong aroma.

Cumin is a great addition to chili con carne, hummus, or a lamb Parmentier. 

Perfect for making amazing guacamole!

Mix a teaspoon of this blend with a ripe avocado, half a diced tomato and a dash of lemon juice to make your very own guacamole dip. 

Ingredients: Onion, paprika, cumin, salt, garlic, coriander, cayenne chilli

The habanero chilli pepper from Mexico is the oldest plant grown in America. For 9,000 years, it has grown in this land of gastronomic delights along with vanilla and chocolate. Christopher Colombus was the first to bring this spice back to Isabella the Catholic, but it was Magellan, on his heroic trip around the world, who took this chilli pepper to the four corners of the planet. In 2010, UNESCO designated traditional Mexican Cuisine as a Cultural Treasure.

Chilli peppers are an essential ingredient of Mexican, African and Asian cuisines. The Emperor Montezuma reportedly drank an energizing elixir made from cocoa, vanilla, spices and chilli pepper. 

The Habanero chilli pepper is powerful and scorching hot but has a surprising perfume of dried apricot. It will set your tastebuds alight and awaken all your senses! You can use it in chilli sauces, tomato sauces, stocks, and mayonnaises. Use sparingly - a little goes a long way!

The word "curry" is probably an English transformation of the Tamil word "kari", which means sauce or relish.

In India, it is called "Masala". Its composition varies depending on the region, the level of family wealth and the caste. 

Curry is a subtle and balanced mix of several ingredients and exists since time immemorial. Maharajas never left home without their very own curry specialist, the "masalchis". This curry is made from coriander, turmeric, mustard seeds, fenugreek, pepper, cumin, flour, chilli pepper, garlic, fennel and salt.

This legendary spice mix comes from Madras, a port on the coast of Coromandel, in Tamil nadu, South-East India, which was one of the first English trading posts.  

Its spicy, hot and tasty flavour and its bright colour will enhance lamb, white meats, and curries. This amazing patchwork of tastes is emblematic of the flavours and wonders of India.

Ingredients: Turmeric, coriander, cumin, black pepper, fennel, mustard, fenugreek, ginger, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves.

The French expeditioner, botanist and colonial administrator Pierre Poivre, was the first to introduce spice plants (nutmeg, cloves and pepper) to Mauritius in the 18th century. He wanted to turn Mauritius into a spice producing island and put a stop to the Dutch monopoly of the spice trade.

Mild Mauritius massalé is a wondrous mix of roasted spices with intense sweet flavours and mild notes of smoked pepper. Its magnificent complex aromas are released as soon as it is slightly heated. Mild Mauritius massalé appeared at the beginning of the 18th century in Mauritius with the arrival of Indian immigrants who brought the recipe with them.

It will enhance home-made vegetable achars (pickled vegetables), sautéed shrimps, fish curry or sausage rougail. It is used to season the famous “Biryani”, a local indo-musulman dish traditionally served at weddings, which is made from basmati rice and marinated meat. It can be mixed with yoghurt as a delicious sauce or added to desserts (doughnuts, rice pudding, fresh orange fruit salad…etc).

Ingredients: Saffron, coriander, cumin, mustard, dholl, rice, fenugreek, black, pepper, cinnamon, clove, chicken curry leaves (Murraya koenigii).

This Berber spice mix comes directly from North Africa. It has a powerful and spicy attack with overriding sweet and smooth sensations. Its aromas of sweet spices and its delicate lemony notes will enhance couscous, vegetable stews, fish tagines, beef tagines, lamb tagines, mutton tagines with figs, chicken tagines with almonds and prunes.

To preserve the delicate flavours of this spice blend, it is best infused in sauces during cooking. 

This spice mix is made from ginger, cinnamon, turmeric and other spices perfect for flavouring a pigeon pastilla or roast lamb with herbs.

In the 15th century, nutmeg could only be found in the Moluccas archipelago on the volcanic islands of Banda in Indonesia. For many years it was highly sought after by the European colonial powers. The Portuguese were the first to colonize the archipelago in the 16th century followed by the English with the East India Company and then the Dutch East India Company (VOC).

In 1665, the Dutch managed to chase the British off Run island (Moluccas archipelago) and set fire to all the nutmeg trees to keep the monopoly of trading nutmeg. The English fleet furiously fought for Run island against the Dutch. In 1667, the treaty of Breda put an end to the bloody battles between the two major colonial powers: the Dutch gave the English Manhattan (Nieuw Amsterdam) in return for Run island.

Later on, the nutmeg tree was introduced to Grenada, India, the West Indies, Madagascar and Sri Lanka.

Nutmeg is surrounded by a thin coating called mace, which is sweeter and more delicate than nutmeg, yet slightly peppery. Grind with a pestle and mortar to add a hint of creativity to your cream desserts, fruit compotes, roast pike-perch or grilled chicken with ginger.

Grate nutmeg to flavour white sauces, gratin dauphinoise, mashed or fried potatoes.

This mix makes it simple to make your very own authentic Valencian style paella!

Cook 1 kilogram of paella rice in a pan of filled with boiling water (2.5 times the volume of rice), add a teaspoon of this Paella mix, and leave to simmer for 20 minutes. 

Ingredients: Salt, garlic, pimenton (pimenton, sunflower oil 1%) saffron

This Paprika comes from the Zitava region in Slovakia, where it has been grown and produced traditionally for more than 100 years. Its fairly hot, salty and strong smoky notes give it its distinctive taste together with its outstanding spicy notes.

Aromatic footprint: this paprika's powerful aromatic intensity releases fruity notes of cooked cherries and burnt herbs. Its taste of caramelized meat and its slightly sweet attack will take you by surprise!

Perfect with: Savoyarde cheese fondue, gratin dauphinoise, cream sauce for white asparagus, cream sauce for smoked fish, or infused in red wine in a beef stew.

Best sprinkled over your dishes just before serving. Paprika is also used infused in meat stew (like Hungarian goulash).

Pimenton is a mild chilli pepper from South America which Christopher Colombus brought back to Queen Isabella of Castile.

Ever since the 14th century, Pimenton is grown in Spain in the Vera region, at the heart of the Sierra de Gredos mountain range. This region has an exceptional temperate and humid microclimate. This Pimenton de la Vera has been granted Protected Designation of Origin, which is a guarantee of excellent quality.

Pimenton de la Vera comes from the Capsicum Annuum bush which is around a metre high. The fruits are carefully hung up to dry, then smoked using green oak wood for two weeks. There are only 12 producers of Pimenton de la Vera who have the specific know-how to produce it. 

With notes of chorizo, the spice's dark red colour is typically Spanish and helps to brighten up all traditional Spanish dishes from paëlla to tortilla.

Ingredients: Paprika, sunflower oil (1%)

The Ras El Hanout (or Rass el Hanout) is a traditional Moroccan spice mix, essential for making tagines, couscous, and pastillas but it is also widely used in western cuisine. It is quite an amazing mix, containing up to 30 ingredients, depending on the tastes and inspiration of the spice maker who concocts it. However, some ingredients are essential like cumin, cubeb pepper, ginger, nutmeg, turmeric, cinnamon, fenugreek and green anise.

Ras el Hanout literally means “the head of the store”, as only someone who was highly qualified could concoct this complex mix according to the traditional recipe. This mix comes from Morroco’s imperial cities (Fes, Rabat, etc) whose elegance, refined lifestyle and gastronomy are still wide-reaching after more than 1,200 years.

It has spicy, hot, sweet and sour, supple and enchanting flavours, releasing complex yet harmonious notes.

Ingredients: Turmeric, coriander, cumin, black pepper, ginger, cinnamon, clove, green cardamom, allspice, brown sugar, paprika, nutmeg, rose petal

The Szechuan Berry gets its name from the Asian region where it grows: Szechuan, in China. The small berries grow on shrubs with crimson foliage. The berries are initially green, turning red and then brown as they ripen. They open gradually to release the two seeds inside... leaving the tasty husk for us!

Long appreciated in ancient China for its mixture of freshness and heat, its power and also its aphrodisiac properties, the Szechuan berry is even said to have embalmed the walls of the "pepper rooms" of the luxury Chang’an palace with its mesmerizing perfume.

It arrived in Europe in the 13th century when Marco Polo imported it to Venice where it charmed the chefs and enhanced every dish until it fell into culinary oblivion. It returned to fame in the 19th century and since then, has experienced a renaissance around the world, along with the spread of Szechuan cuisine.

Its aromas of lime and notes of dried flowers and acidy cherries go perfectly with foie gras, pan-fried green asparagus and even in desserts such as a sticky chocolate cake.

It is a must-have for any chef or food buff!

Saffron, which gets its name from the Persian "zapharan" meaning "stigmas", is a spice which comes from the three stigmas from the Crocus sativus. Originally from the Middle East, it was first grown 4,000 years ago in the Greek provinces.

Considered the most expensive spice in the world, saffron is rare due to the extremely tedious harvesting process and its very low yield. Roughly 150,000 crocus flowers are needed to obtain just 1kg of saffron.

Very sought after by gastronomes for its extraordinary flavour and colour, saffron is considered the crown jewel of the spice kingdom.

Harvesting requires patience and dexterity and is carried out very carefully when the crocus blooms, which only lasts 2 to 3 weeks. Local women delicately handpick these flowers which only last a day before wilting. Then comes the intricate process of removing the stigmas from the flowers, keeping intact the most aromatic part of the flower, using an extremely precise and age-old technique.

The red stigma of the mauve coloured crocus has surprising aromas of cedar, pepper and flowers, bringing together warmth, intensity and a delicate sweetness. It leaves gourmets spellbound and is a must-have for any chef in search of a Michelin star.

Sansho berries come from Japan and are essential to traditional and authentic Japanese cuisine. They have been used since antiquity when they were used to flavour food offered to the gods.

The Japanese believe that Sansho berries were already used in Japanese cooking as far back as the ancient Jomon era (from 15,000 BC up until 300 BC). At that time, Japan was inhabited by hunter-gatherers. Nowadays the Japanese call them "SANAHO" or "HAJIKAMI". Sansho berries are a true gift of nature and are reason enough to warrant a trip to the Land of the Rising Sun.

Sansho berries are harvested south of Kobe in Wakayama prefecture on Honshu Island. The best time to harvest them is in July and August.

Japanese have traditionally ground the dried berries and used it to enhance the flavours of noodles with soup, grilled eel (unagi) or in the traditional 7-spice mix called: "SHICHIMI". 

Their delicate citrus scents and notes of mandarin leaves go perfectly with sweet and sour dishes, lobster, poached poultry, exotic fruit salad or sprinkled over sticky chocolate cake. In Japan, one of the local delicacies is Kobe beef with Sansho berries.