Spices and Cultural Background

PinkFridge

Sun, Aug 20 2023, 12:57 pm

Amelia Bedelia wrote:

Kosher stores in my neighborhood don't even carry cardamom, marjoram, and coriander.

Wow. I'm surprised about marjoram (which I'm going to add to some zucchini parsnip soup I hope to make later beH) and coriander.

PinkFridge

Sun, Aug 20 2023, 12:58 pm

amother Arcticblue wrote:

Salt, black pepper, fresh garlic, sautéed onions, sumac, zaatar, honey, soy sauce, miso paste, cumin and Italian spices. Depending on what I’m creating.

No paprika or Chilli spices one of my kids are allergic.

Polish and Hungarian ancestry.

Za'atar. Of course! Kim Kushner's edamame salad.

yidisheh mama

Sun, Aug 20 2023, 1:05 pm

Salt, Pepper, onion and garlic powder, though I use fresh more often than powdered, parsley, smoked paprika, cayenne pepper.
Hungarian, Romanian, Polish.

walmart

Sun, Aug 20 2023, 1:16 pm

For those saying that you don't have to be limited to your background, I totally agree! I was just curious if your cooking is influenced by it.

What made me think of this topic was that I was cooking (very traditional food) for Shabbos and kept on pulling out the same few spices. During the week I do vary cuisines a bit more but even then nothing very spicy or exotic (exotic for me:)

amother

Begonia

Sun, Aug 20 2023, 5:34 pm

PinkFridge wrote:

Za'atar. Of course! Kim Kushner's edamame salad.

Za'atar is AMAZING as a topping for challah!

amother

Puce

Sun, Aug 20 2023, 9:27 pm

amother Begonia wrote:

Za'atar is AMAZING as a topping for challah!

what flavor is Za'atar ?

amother

Hosta

Sun, Aug 20 2023, 9:32 pm

amother Puce wrote:

what flavor is Za'atar ?

it's a Mediterranean herb translated as hyssop, with a vaguely medicinal flavor of the rosemary-oregano-thyme type.

amother

Mocha

Mon, Aug 21 2023, 2:40 am

Salt, pepper, garlic, onion powder, basil, parsley, oregano, paprika, red pepper flakes. All I could think of for now maybe more occasionally.

I don't like cumin, coriander, cilantro, chili powder, and other flavors in those families.

My background is mixed Hungarian, Lithuanian, Polish, Ukrainian, and Russian. My grandparents and some great grandparents are/were American but I guess the influence is strong because no one in my family appreciates the spicy or strong Sephardi flavors.

amother

Bluebonnet

Mon, Aug 21 2023, 2:47 am

Just Salt paprika onion and garlic powder

Can you all share which foods you use these interesting spices in?
Would love to try some!

amother

Wheat

Mon, Aug 21 2023, 3:01 am

Salt, pepper, garlic, oregano, parsley, cumin, coriander, turmeric, zaatar, trader joes blends, cinnamon, curry, chili powders. Ginger,’mustard powder dill and use a ton of fresh herbs all the food.
I am Russian/polish descent and as a kid I think my mother used salt pepper garlicpaprika onion powder cinnamon and Italian seasonings.
Today her spice cupboard is so much more varied.

amother

Puce

Mon, Aug 21 2023, 6:37 am

amother Hosta wrote:

it's a Mediterranean herb translated as hyssop, with a vaguely medicinal flavor of the rosemary-oregano-thyme type.

thanks!

amother

Puce

Mon, Aug 21 2023, 6:39 am

amother Bluebonnet wrote:

Just Salt paprika onion and garlic powder

Can you all share which foods you use these interesting spices in?
Would love to try some!

I also use Salt paprika onion and garlic powder, and pepper.
it's fun to try new recipes.
however, trying new recipes with new spices, you might not like the flavor. talking from experience.

Rappel

Mon, Aug 21 2023, 6:51 am

I use very few dried spices, but a lot of fresh herbs and roots (dill, parsley/root, ginger, garlic greens/cloves, onion greens/cloves, coriander, parsley, mushrooms, eggplant, zahatar, zuta, mint)

I do use things like cinnamon, cumin, turmeric, ketzach, bay leaves

Ashenaziya on all sides.

salt

Mon, Aug 21 2023, 6:53 am

amother Hosta wrote:

it's a Mediterranean herb translated as hyssop, with a vaguely medicinal flavor of the rosemary-oregano-thyme type.

Zaatar is actually the Arabic word. In Hebrew it is אזוב - but no one in Israel calls it that.

nicole81

Mon, Aug 21 2023, 7:05 am

I have basically every spice in existence and I use them all. I think what I use the most is cumin, cinnamon, cayenne, mixes like baharat and garam masala, ginger, and freshly ground black pepper. I'm not big on dried herbs because I use fresh (I use a lot of fresh basil, mint, thyme, rosemary, etc).

My background is ashkenaz but I grew up eating tv dinners and drive through fast food. I became a bit of a chef on my own and favor middle eastern, indian, southeast asian, and mexican cuisine. But I like pretty much everything that isn't made with processed ingredients like premade sauces, and mayo lol.

amother

Hosta

Mon, Aug 21 2023, 1:59 pm

I like mizrachi seasonings except for the C's-- cumin, coriander, cardamom and cilantro, unless in such minuscule quantity that they're not recognizable but just lend a vague " middle eastern" aura.

zaq

Mon, Aug 21 2023, 5:40 pm

Many of the seasonings you mention here were simply not available to the average US consumer till relatively recently. Either you had to travel to a particular ethnic neighborhood like Little India or Chinatown if there was one in your city, or you had to have a friend of that ethnicity who would get it for you, or your traveled to that country. Only insane foodies are going to bother traveling great distances just to hunt down a couple of spices.

amother

Junglegreen

Sun, Dec 03 2023, 6:47 am

Old thread reply
Basics:
Black pepper,paprika,onion powder, bay leaf, cumin, oregano, basil.

Less often, but staple necessities:
sumac,nigella seeds, zahatar, cayenne pepper, coriander.

Saffron (but it's expensive $$$)

Also some pereg mixes shwarma,Jerusalem grill, harissa.,nutmeg,chili.

Never use allspice, thyme, rosemary (don't like these ). Also don't like turmeric even though I have it and use for color randomly. Have garlic powder and ginger, but really always use fresh garlic and fresh ginger, also have dried mint,but prefer fresh, really dislike dry.

Totally Baal teshuvah/European.

cnc

Sun, Dec 03 2023, 6:51 am

Amelia Bedelia wrote:

Kosher stores in my neighborhood don't even carry cardamom, marjoram, and coriander.

Zion’s

amother

Amber

Sun, Dec 03 2023, 7:28 am

Salt, pepper, paprika, cayenne pepper, cumin, oregano, curry, turmeric, cardamom, coriander, cinnamon, allspice, ginger, mint, dill, cajun spice, shwarma spice, sumac, zaatar, and garlic powder.
Sephardic background.