Spices

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.

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.

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.

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. 

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 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%)

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.

Chinese star anise or badian comes from the eight-pointed star-shaped pericarp of the fruit of the Illicium verum tree, that is grown in four Chinese provinces: Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi and Yunnan.

Its Chinese name "Bajiao" literally means "Eight horns". In China, this spice is traditionally used whole in infusions or ground and used in the traditional Chinese 5-spice mix.

Star anise or Chinese fennel was introduced to Europe by Marco Polo in the 14th century. It was difficult to obtain in the Middle Ages. It was very sought after and very expensive. It was not until the Renaissance when it was imported by the English that it became widely used throughout Europe.

Star anise is harvested twice a year in China between April and October. All production stages are done entirely by hand and star anise is then dried in the sun.

Star anise has a stronger aniseed flavour than green anise. It can be used whole, ground or cracked to flavour infusions, teas, sauces, stocks and marinades. Grate it over your desserts, grilled beef, pan-fried vegetables and fish to add a hint of creativity to your dishes!

This Nepalese pepper is picked from small trees from the Zanthoxylum armatum species, which grow in the wild in the Mahabharat range. With its fresh and citrus notes, it is easy to see why some call it the grapefruit pepper. This little berry is used in all dishes from the Teraï lowlands of southern Nepal.

Known as the birthplace of Buddha, it is amongst the Tharu villages of thatched mud huts that these thorny bushes unfold their treasure at altitudes of 2,000m.
Its exotic notes and aromas of candied lemon, grapefruit and lemongrass enhance scallops, roast lobster served with citrus butter, chicken or a simple citrus fruit salad.

Sprinkle it cracked lightly into your dishes just before serving.

A collection of easy-to-use spices for everyday cooking. These spices will brighten up all your daily dishes. This Vegetable spice blend is made with garlic, basil, coriander, turmeric, cumin, mild chilli, cinnamon, white pepper and cloves.

Add it to your vinaigrette, pan-fried vegetables, wok stir-frys or gratins!

This blend is perfect when used in cooking or sprinkled just before serving as a seasoning on lightly grilled vegetables. 

White Penja pepper is considered a grand cru pepper, and it is harvested when ripe in the province of Moungo, before being dried in the sun.

All the production stages (harvesting, retting, washing, drying, sorting) are entirely carried out by hand, mainly by the experienced hands of the local village women. Penja Pepper has recently gained a global gastronomic reputation. In 2014 it became the first product of the African continent to obtain Protected Geographic Indication status (PGI).

The volcanic soils of Penja give the white pepper its fresh aromas of menthol and camphor. Crack it roughly with a mortar and pestle to release its long-lasting flavour.

White Sarawak pepper is grown in the North of Borneo in the Malaysian part of the island (Province of Sarawak). The pepper plants grow in the heart of the rainforests where the famous Borneo orangutangs live.

Sarawak pepper has been awarded Protected Geographic Indication status (PGI). The pepper is harvested from April through until September with its peak in May and June. This pepper is great with seafood dishes, such as pepper crabs and grilled dishes. 

Zaatar (or Zathar) is a spice mix from Byblos in Lebanon, one of the oldest towns in the world, founded in 5000 B.C. During the 3rd century B.C. Byblos traded extensively with Egypt exporting cedar wood needed for Egyptian shipbuilding, resin for mummification, wine and papyrus.

The Phoenician city was an inevitable economic, political and cultural crossroads. When Alexander the Great arrived, its Semitic name “Gebal” was replaced by “Byblos” from “biblion” in Greek which means scroll, due to the papyrus scrolls exported from Byblos. This is also where the name of the Bible comes from.

Zaatar is very widely used in Lebanon, in Syria and throughout the Mediterranean. It is made from 3 ingredients which are highly typical of the Middle East, sesame, thyme, sumac, and is traditionally eaten as a mezze with bread which is dipped in olive oil and then in zaatar.

Deliciously simple, it’s perfect for your pre-dinner drinks. Its acidic, aromatic and slightly salty taste is also ideal for enhancing white meat and poultry. It can also be used in marinades, and its lemony warmth will complement your fish dishes. Use it in cooking, or simply for seasoning at the table, you won’t regret it!

Ingredients: Sumac, golden sesame, white sesame, thyme, salt.

Chipotle pepper is actually a jalapeno pepper that has been dried and smoked. It is a dominant ingredient in South American cuisine; indeed, it forms the basis of many meat dishes or sauces. It is also found at the heart of African or even Indian cuisine.

This green Jalapeno chilli pepper or Chipotle chilli pepper, goes brown once dried and smoked. Perfect for flavouring oils, sauces and vinegars.

Scoville scale: 5/10 (strong)