Inspiration

Scientific Name Chenopodium Ambrosioides What is Epazote? A weed native to Mexico, Epazote leaves add a bitter and bright flavor to Mayan cuisines from Mexico and Guatemala. Used fresh in Mexico, Epazote can be found and used as a dried leaf in the US and Canada. What is the History of Epazote? Epazote has been used for many centuries in Mexican cuisines. It was also used in medicinal purposes to treat worms and parasites as well as digestion issues. How is Epazote Grown? Epazote grows easily and is even considered a weed in some places. It has a stronger flavor...

When we first started creating the label list for the AllSpice Spice Rack two things struck me. First, how many spices start with the letter C (seriously, 1/3 of my spice rack is spices that start with the letter C-- still haven't figured that one out) and how many dried peppers were in my spice rack. Maybe it is my midwestern pallet, but I rarely thought about using peppers in anything other than chili until I saw the array of options. Peppers can add more than heat to your dishes. They can add color, smokiness, tartness and more. Peppers are...

Scientific Name Anethum Graveolens What is Dill? Grown for its feathery fronds and pungent seeds, dill has a bright but warm flavor and aroma that is unmistakable. Dill is used in a wide variety of cuisines as diverse as Scandinavian and Middle Eastern. It is essential to the classic dill pickle and Russian borscht. What is the History of Dill? Dill is native to southern Russia, western Asia and the eastern Mediterranean. It has been used for centuries for medicinal purposes as well as culinary purposes. The first recorded use of dill was in Egypt 5,000 years ago. It was...

Most of the time when I use spices, I simply shake or spoon a bit out of my AllSpice jar and am on my way. However, some dishes (especially those from India) call for a bit more special preparation of the spices you are using. Preparing spices is usually not hard and can add additional layers of flavor to your dish. Below are several ways spices can be prepared: Roasting Indian recipes often call for whole spices, such as cumin and cardamom, to be roasted before using. Roasting spices is quite simple. The most common method is to put them...