Spices are small additions that create flavorful differences in both cooking and baking. While I'm sure you have several go-to spices, it's easy to overlook others in your cabinet. Today, I highlight some basis on three popular spices: cinnamon, cardamom, and nutmeg. I'm here to help you learn about their histories, their properties, and how to use them best.
Cinnamon predates 2800 BC. From ancient Chinese writings documenting its uses to Egyptians mummifying their dead, then Dutch traders trying to monopolize its value, cinnamon's spice history has gone far and wide. Originating from the Island of Ceylon, modern-day Sri Lanka, off the coast of India, Ceylon cinnamon is the truest form of cinnamon available and is the costliest. Don't have Ceylon in your cupboard? No worries, store-bought cinnamon comes from the grade of bark, broken pieces of bark, or a mixture of both, and please know none of it goes to waste. Cinnamon is alkaline, so add it at the beginning of the recipe. If your dish has an acidic ingredient, it needs to be adjusted to balance the recipe. Layer on buttered toast with sugar, add to rice pilafs, and sprinkle on winter squashes —it works well as a sweet or savory component in food.
Cardamom, another popular ingredient, predates 4100 BC. Also used in Egypt for preserving the dead, its benefits include breath freshening, stomach soothing, and cough suppressing. Cardamom hails from southern India, touched down in Greece and Rome through trade, and later Viking ships brought it to Scandinavia. Most notably seen in seed format, cardamom holds its flavor throughout its life after drying out and being crushed or cut. Its seed skin feels like papyrus. Infuse them in milk, coconut milk, sugar syrup, and honey, but know the seeds need heat to release their fragrant properties. The thinner the liquid's viscosity, the stronger the flavor, whereas the thicker the consistency, the fainter the flavor. Try adding a dash to your chai tea or chewing on a few seeds after a spicy meal.
Nutmeg's history begins in Indonesia, where Portuguese explorers discover it. Dutch traders grew it, French and English traders harvested and sold its seeds keeping its price competitive, and Romans used it in sachets to fight the stench of decay during the plague. Nutmeg takes you on a journey! It starts as a leaf, then fruit, then a shell with another egg-shaped piece rattling inside, then the shell is discarded to reveal the interior when ready. Begin with a micro-plane and grate the hardened piece — Just a pinch will take you to faraway places. It's usually the topper of eggnog or custards, while the lactic acid masks a lot of its true potential. Sweet or savory, shave a few pieces onto your ravioli, and the flavors are unforgettable.