Tahini is made from sesame seeds soaked in water before being toasted. The toasted sesame seeds are then ground into a paste. Tahini is sometimes made with hulled sesame seeds, sometimes the hulls are left on. The oldest sesame seeds discovered by archaeologists came from the Indus Valley in what …
Miso and soy sauce have more qualities in common than they have differences, but the differences can affect how you use them. Ideally, you should have both in your kitchen. The SPICEography Showdown post below shows how they compare if you are trying to choose between them. How does miso …
Ponzu sauce is sometimes referred to more simply as ponzu. It is thought to have originated during the period when the Dutch East India Company was trading in Japan, which would have been in the 1600s. The Dutch had exclusive rights to do business in Japan from the 17th century …
Little is known about the inventor of tartar sauce. The prevailing theory is that it was most likely from the French and was first made at some point after the 18th century. The reasoning behind this theory is that the 18th century was when mayonnaise was invented and tartar sauce …
Oyster sauce is a relatively modern seasoning, unlike many other traditional Chinese ingredients that have been around for centuries and sometimes millennia. Oyster sauce was invented by Lee Kum Sheung in 1888. Lee was the founder of the world-famous Chinese food brand Lee Kum Kee. He is said to have …
The turkey is the star of the Thanksgiving meal. A bad turkey equals a Thanksgiving failure even if everything else was successful. Whether or not the turkey you are cooking is for Thanksgiving, you will still need to season it properly. While some people claim that all you need is …
Scorzonera hispanica (also known as black salsify) comes from the southern part of Europe, but you can also find it in parts of Western Asia. The hispanica part of its botanical name indicates that it most likely came from Spain, though the first time it was documented was in 16th-century …
Sanding sugar belongs to a category of sugars called finishing sugars. Finishing sugars are added to food items right before serving them, similar to how finishing salts are used. Others in this category include pearl sugar. Sanding sugar is a coarse sugar that may be sold with or without coloring. …