Whole Spices

When shopping for dried chiles look for those that are pliable and smell slightly fruity. For most recipes we find that the flavor of whole chiles is far superior to commercial chile powder. For information on how to make your own chile powder see the video lesson in this class.

In virtually every other part of the globe, “cinnamon” means Ceylon cinnamon; in the United States, we are accustomed to the bolder, spicier flavor of a species known as cassia. Harvesting cinnamon entails stripping the exterior bark and then scraping its interior into strips, or quills, which are sun-dried and rolled, giving us cinnamon sticks. Use cinnamon sticks to infuse flavor into liquids such as simple syrup or glazes.

Nutmeg is a hard, brown seed from a tropical tree. It’s often used in dairy-based savory dishes, like quiche and creamed spinach, or for sweets such as spice cake. We compared fresh with preground and found that in dishes in which nutmeg is the sole spice, grinding it yourself using a rasp-style grater. In foods with lots of spices, preground nutmeg is fine.

We like adding fresh ginger to recipes because of the pungency it adds to dishes like stir-fries or sauces. We prefer to use our trusty-and-versatile rasp-style grater, rather than mincing it. The grater’s fine blades pulverize the ginger, releasing all of its flavorful juices without any stringy segments. We rarely use up an entire knob of fresh ginger in one go, so we routinely store the remainder in the fridge. If possible, buy small pieces of ginger and use it while it’s fresh and before it starts to shrivel.