All of us know that a simple photograph of a person can tell us a lot about him or her; a photo taken with the right lighting and posture makes someone look gorgeous and the opposite can make one look ugly. A dish in many ways is similar to a photograph. A dish that has just the right amount and kinds of spices helps round off the dish and make it elegant to the human tongue. Spices and aromatics is to cooking as how lighting and posture are to photography.
What is a spice?
A spice ( according to wikipedia…) is a bark, root, stem, fruit or seed that acts as coloring, flavoring and preserving agent. That means bay leaves and saffron don’t make the cut.
A spice affects the aroma and the flavors that the dish impart. To be more clear the amount and the number of spices that we add can make or break a dish. For instance a red pasta seasoned with pepper and a tad bit of paprika can taste heavenly while a pizza seasoned with a butt load of oregano can make you puke.
Spices also impart color to the food and make them vivid like the rainbow. Spices like Chillies and turmeric have carotenoid pigments that disperse into the cooking medium when they are being cooked, thus they impart red and yellow colors respectively.
Moreover spices also serve the function as preserving agents. The essential oils of spices have shown to have antimicrobial properties and the phenolic compounds in spices restrict oxidation of food materials. This figures why, throughout history spices such as chillies, turmeric, garlic, peppers etc were used in preserving mixtures and pickles.
Storing spices:
Spices simply….last forevvvvver. Once you buy a spice it almost never spoils. We owe this to their lack in moisture and the inherent antimicrobial properties. But, the flavor of spices can deteriorate if not stored properly. High temperature conditions cause the essential oils to evaporate faster and light can fade the color of spices.
Thus while storing spices it’s better if stored in a cool place away from sunlight. Make sure to store spices in airtight containers as it helps keep moisture away as spices such as asafoetida tend to harden up upon contact to moisture.
Moreover consider storing spices as whole rather than in powdered form as they tend to last longer and have most of their flavors locked in.
Checking quality of spices:
Just take a whiff and you'll know. To check the freshness of a spice, take a pinch, rub it between your fingers and smell. If the spice doesn't smell nice and full, it probably lost most of its essential oils and thereby its potency.
It’s advisable to change out spices every 4-6 months ( after checking, of course).
How to spice up your dish?
Spices are like the icing on a cake, they finish off a dish and tie up all the flavors.
Broiling whole dry spices, heats them, vaporises the essential oils and gives them a massive flavor boost. If you grind the spices after this it just smells heavenly.
It’s best to add spices at the beginning of any cook as this makes the flavor of the spices more pronounced. Thus it’s better to add larger spices like ginger and garlic at the beginning as the heat cooks off its raw flavor and brings about their mellow sweetness.
Moreover, different spices require different treatment. For example, paprika enhances its intensity after cooking. Thus it’s best to add it gradually and allow the flavor to slowly increase during the cook.
Thus, the best way to get to know your spices is to use them,experiment with them and experience them. So get your chef hats on and start spicing up.
