[Sca-cooks] Herby things

[Susan Fox-Davis]

Stefan li Rous wrote:

> Maire commented:
>
>> Things I'd be likely to buy include:
>> nigella seed
>> true cinnamon
>> unusual peppercorns
>> long pepper
>> culinary-safe lavender and rosebuds
>> (in other words, stuff I usually get from the Pepperers' Guild)
>
> I'm curious. What types of recipes do you use the nigella seed in? I 
> remember nigella seed being mentioned recently when I asked for help 
> in identifying a spice here and I have a bottle of them I bought from 
> the Pepperer's Guild. But like a number of my purchases from them, I 
> bought it because they had it, not because I had a specific use in mind. 

I find nigella seed wound into Armenian string cheese and sprinkled on 
top of Afgani bread, which is round and flattish like a pizza.  It has a 
gentle interesting flavor, not really like anything else.  I might use 
it in rye bread instead of true caraway since my Honourable Husband 
turned up allergic to the latter.

> The same goes for the star anise that someone else mentioned. I 
> recently had a question from a Florilegium reader asking if anise 
> could be substituted for star anise. I told them I didn't think they 
> were the same plant and pointed them to some sources to buy star anise. 

Aniseed could probably be substituted for star anise, but I would taste 
carefully because it is strong stuff!  I have only found star anise for 
sale pre-ground in a Chinese market.  

Me:

>>I would like to get my mitts on some Sichuan peppercorns, which have
>>long been unavailable in the US.  Grr.

Drakey:  
>Is it an illegal import or just impossible to find? It's quite easy to
>find here down under.

No, it is actually illegal in the US due to some claim of a parasite in 
the citrus-like tree on which they grow.  That would be an issue in 
citrus-growing states like mine!  I'm wondering if they grow it in 
Australia, Japan or other places and if it is legal if it is not from 
China proper.  Other names include "flower pepper" or "Japanese Sansho 
pepper."  I have not tried this spice but it is supposed to have some 
bite and some liquorice-type flavor, which is why they substitute 
aniseed for it in Chinese 5-Spice you get here.  

Looking for spice in my life, Selene in LA