Blog - Understanding Spices

Understanding Spices

What Is A Spice? We can all agree that food without spices would be rather boring. Spices give aroma, flavour, colour and sometimes even texture to many of our favourite...

Understanding Spices

Best Herbs And Spices For Stir Fry Who doesn’t love a stir fry? Not only are they quick and easy to make, but they’re also a delicious way to get...

Understanding Spices

Smoked paprika Smoked paprika is an essential spice in any chilli recipe. This is a Spanish speciality made by smoking pimentón (a type of pepper from La Vera in western...

Understanding Spices

When it comes to meats, cooking with chicken is great because it’s so versatile. Frying, baking, grilling, sauteing, boiling and roasting are just some of the ways you can prepare...

Understanding Spices

What is Aleppo pepper? Named after the Syrian city of Aleppo, you’ll also find this chilli going by the name of pul biber, Halaby pepper or Turkish red pepper flakes....

Understanding Spices

When you’re planning meals, sometimes it can be difficult to think of recipes which tick all three categories: easy, healthy and taste good. If you need some inspiration, why not...

Understanding Spices

We have been asked a few times what are the best spices to use when cooking or smoking fresh trout so we though the following blog post would be helpful....

Understanding Spices

What is quick pickling? If you think that pickling vegetables is a long, drawn-out process that will take you all weekend, think again. Quick pickling is actually very easy (hence...

Understanding Spices

Your gut plays a large role in your general health and wellbeing, and the foods you eat can have a direct impact on your gut’s bacteria, or microbiome. Good bacteria...

Understanding Spices

Most Popular South American Chillies Up until Christopher Columbus made his way to the New World in 1492, chillies were relatively unknown to the rest of the world. He didn’t...

Understanding Spices

Is Chilli Good for You? Did you know that chillies give us more than flavour? We all know that spices, seasonings and chillies are used worldwide to create a huge...

Understanding Spices

Often referred to as ‘red gold’, saffron is one of the most expensive and prized spices in the world. It’s made from the stigmas of the crocus sativus flower, commonly...

Understanding Spices

What is miso? Miso means ‘fermented beans’ in Japanese. It’s a fermented paste which adds a savoury, umami-rich flavour to all kinds of dishes. It’s an essential ingredient in Japanese...

Understanding Spices

As we learn more about refined sugars and the health issues associated with them, the more we turn to natural alternatives like coconut sugar, date syrup and blackstrap molasses. These...

Understanding Spices

What are oats? Oats are grains from the Avena sativa plant, a species of cereal grain grown for its seed. Oats are believed to have been cultivated by the Greeks...

Understanding Spices

Substitutes for Herbs and Spices. Many of us know that sinking feeling when, having enthusiastically embarked on an interesting recipe, we find we are missing an essential ingredient, necessitating an...

Understanding Spices

What is quatre-epices? Quatre-epices means ‘four spices’ in French, and is made up of ground black or white pepper, cloves, nutmeg and dried ginger. This traditional spice blend can be...

Understanding Spices

Olive oil is one of the most popular cooking oils used today. It’s the liquid fat which comes from olives, a fruit of a tree native to the Mediterranean. Olive...

Understanding Spices

We have all probably heard or seen an advert for Gousto on the many platforms we have these days, but did you know Gousto had an online cookbook using a...

Understanding Spices

We were asked recently if our spices and spice blends contained sulphites. It turns out that this question wasn’t straight forward, so we thought we would write a short blog...

Understanding Spices

Mexican food is bright and colourful, making the most of fresh produce, fragrant herbs and bold spices to create intense flavours. Starting with the native foods and flavours of Mexico,...

Understanding Spices

What is zahtar? Zahtar (also spelt za’atar or zaatar) is a Middle Eastern spice blend and is a gateway into Middle Eastern cuisine. It’s a delightful blend of so many...

Understanding Spices

What is wasabi? Wasabi is from the plant family Brassicaceae also referred to as Japanese horseradish plant. Fresh wasabi rhizome can be grated and ground to form a paste and...

Understanding Spices

Vietnamese food is a colourful blend of flavours and aromas. It’s very balanced, reflecting the Buddhist five-element philosophy which pairs a natural element (wood, fire, earth, metal and water) with...

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Thai cuisine is known for its complex flavours and mix of sour, sweet, bitter and salty. If you’re looking to cook more Thai dishes at home, the first thing you...

Understanding Spices

What is lemongrass? Lemongrass (Cymbopogon) is a tall, perennial grass which is native to Asia, Australia and Africa. It also goes by the name barbed wire grass, silky heads, Cochin...

Understanding Spices

Do you have a tin of beans that’s been hiding away in the back of your pantry for… who knows how long? Well, it’s time to make good use of...

Understanding Spices

Ferments have been around for thousands of years. It started out as a necessity, a way to preserve food for longer. Many cultures have fermented food in their culinary heritage,...

Understanding Spices

Craving Japanese food and fancy a crack at making a few dishes yourself? The first thing you need to do is assemble all the right ingredients. Shopping for Japanese products...

Understanding Spices

All types of tea come from the Camellia sinensis plant. Originating in southern China thousands of years ago, there are two main varieties of the plant: Camellia sinensis var. sinensis,...

Understanding Spices

Since the dawn of humans, volcanoes have been present in our culture, history and general existence. Ethiopia - where modern Homo Sapiens first appeared - is chocked full of them....

Understanding Spices

If you’re any sort of foodie, there’s no doubt that you’ve heard the term ‘umami’ being used in your favourite food programmes. But what does it actually mean? Our taste...

Understanding Spices

What is cassava? Cassava, also known as manioc or yuca, is a root vegetable and the underground part of the cassava shrub. Native to South America, it’s also widely grown...

Understanding Spices

If you’re trying to get more vegetables into your diet, there’s a high chance that salads see a regular spot on your dinner table. It’s a great way to up...

Understanding Spices

What is berbere spice blend? Berbere is a traditional spice blend that is the foundation of Ethiopian and Eritrean cuisine. The name itself means ‘pepper’ or ‘hot’ in Amharic, the...

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The good news keeps on coming here at Seasoned Pioneers. After six of our products won at the Great Taste Awards 2020 (one of the highest awards in the food...