SPICEography – Page 193

Granulated Garlic Vs. Garlic Powder: SPICEography Showdown

Garlic is a popular seasoning in every major food culture and most of the minor ones as well. This relative of the onion offers a pungent, savory flavor that works well in everything from stews to pickles. Garlic powder and granulated garlic are two forms of this spice that offer …

Honey Powder: Mankind’s Oldest Sweetener, Granulated

Honey powder goes by many names including granulated honey and dried honey. They all refer to honey that has been dehydrated to the point that it becomes a solid. High fructose honey tends to crystallize naturally and so it is likely that the use of honey powder has been around as long as humans have been consuming honey.

How To Store Dill For The Freshest Flavor

Dill is a delicate herb that is popular for pickling and for cooking seafood. While fresh dill does not have a long shelf life, you can use the right storage methods to preserve it for longer periods. Let’s review how to store dill for the freshest possible flavor.

Horseradish Powder: A Central European Spice

Horseradish powder is made with dried horseradish root that has been ground into powder.

Horseradish is believed to come from Central Europe. Its name in English is thought to refer to the large size of the root and its coarseness. Horseradish was used by the ancient Egyptians. Records indicate that they were using it as early as 1500 BC. The Greek Ancient Greeks knew about horseradish as well and used it for its medicinal benefits.

During the Renaissance, the popularity of horseradish spread north from Central Europe to the Scandinavian countries and west to England. In England, the spice was consumed only by the working classes and rural folk at first. It would eventually become popular among all classes of the English. In addition to being used as the standard spice for beef dishes, cordials made with it would become popular for their energizing benefits.

Onion Salt: A Simple Savory Seasoning Blend

Onions have been a part of the human diet for over four millennia. For much of that time, they have been preserved by drying. Onions are believed to have originated in Asia, but the earliest documentation of it came from Egypt where it shows up in the carvings on pyramid walls. Onions would make their way to Germany and the British Isles via the Roman army and would be a staple of European cuisine all through the middle ages. Onions were among the first plants brought to the Americas by European colonists.

Onion salt is a relatively new invention. It showed up in the early part of the 20th century. The Coffee and Tea Industries and the Flavor Field: Volume 37 published in 1914 refers to it as a “new seasoning.” Onion salt was first marketed as a way to provide all the seasoning power of onion without any negative effects on the consumer’s breath.

What’s A Good Onion Powder Substitute?

Onion powder is a great alternative to fresh onions. It has a much longer shelf life and offers a similar flavor with very little bulk. Because the onion flavor is important to so many recipes, you should definitely try to keep some onion powder on hand. If you find yourself out of it and need some right away, there are quite a few options when it comes to onion powder substitutes.

Garlic Powder Vs Garlic Salt: SPICEography Showdown

Garlic powder and garlic salt both allow you to add garlic to a dish conveniently and quickly. They are easy to find and are popular with American cooks. Are there any important differences between the two? Do they have different effects on dishes? Can you use them in the same way? We will answer these questions and more in another SPICEography Showdown.

How To Store Mint For The Freshest Flavor

Mint is one of those herbs that can make a big difference in a dish; however, it may not be available all year round. In addition, it can have a relatively short shelf so you may find yourself throwing out much of the mint that you buy if you do not store it correctly. To ensure that your fresh mint remains usable so that you have some on hand at all times, consider the following storage methods.