SC - spicing

[Sue Wensel]

>         In regards to spicing.... most of the countries given as an example
> are countries with a warm to hot climate.  Many of those place spice
> heavily or with a lot of spices to promote sweating to cool you off.
> "Tex-mex" and Cajun cooking come from areas where there is a great deal of
> humidity and heat.  As you travel inwards to the interior of Mexico where
> it gets cooler, so does the food.   Maybe one can tell how much people
> spice is by looking at import amounts.  Say how much a household used in a
> year as compared to how much we as a unit use spices.

This doesn't hold true.  Central America, namely Costa Rica (my personal
experience), doesn't have a spicy cuisine.  There may be a few dishes, but not
many.  The general meal (North through South) eaten contains a meat dish,
usually cooked with a sauce and served over rice, a picadillo (green beans
with other veggies is real popular as are tuber picadillos), and beans.  The
general spices used are salt, pepper, garlic, and cilantro.  I stayed there
for three and a half months and never had anything "hot" even in the lowlands.

>         As to the strength of a spice,-- barks, seeds and roots keep their
> scent and taste far longer that flowers and leaves.   Herbs need to be used
> up much more quickly than spices.  I have cloves that I use for various
> things that are at least 5 years old.  The volatile oils in spices are a
> bit more long lasting that volitiles oils from leaves and flowers.  (That's
> why old potpourri smells different )  There are exceptions of course.

I agree with this point.  In addition, storing bark/seeds/roots, unground, in
waxed paper helps retain the volatile oils without increasing the amount of
moisture.  Keep these dry and they will retain their strength for a long time;
get them wet and "use them or lose them."

We have better drying techniques on a mass scale now than was possible in
period.  Therefore, I think our leafy/flowery spices last longer.  We also
have better storage containers now than then, with the advent of plastic. 
However, I do not think that it is out of line to assume that many (but by no
means all) of the leafy/flowery spices used in period in upper class houses
were grown in the manor gardens and used fresh.  They would dry them for use
during the winter.  If indeed this were the case, then how does that change
our conversions of period recipes?  The standard conversion is 1 teaspoon of
dried herb for 3 of fresh.

Derdriu
swensel at brandegee.lm.com

> 
> Clare
> 
> 

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