The Alchemist's Pantry
Where Distinctive Flavours Are Crafted.
Spices, seeds, barks and aromatic fruits of the trading pantry.
Turn a reviewed leaf from this chapter. Historical sources, flavour affinities and kitchen notes accompany each ingredient.
Culinary spice · dried unripe fruit · Myrtaceae
Pimenta dioica
Warm, sweetly aromatic and clove-like, with suggestions of cinnamon and nutmeg and a peppery edge. These comparisons describe its character; the fruit contains none of those other spices. Whole fruits release aroma gradually, while ground...
Culinary spice · dried fruit · Piperaceae
Piper nigrum
Dry, pungent warmth with woody, citrus-like and sometimes floral top notes. Freshly crushed peppercorns reveal more aroma than a long-open packet of powder. Origin, freshness and processing affect the balance: black pepper is not simply...
Culinary spice · dried stalked fruit · Piperaceae
Piper cubeba
Aromatic and peppery, with a dry woody, slightly camphor-like character and noticeable bitterness. The perfume can be more striking than simple heat. Use a small amount first: cubeb does not reproduce black pepper’s balance exactly,...
Spice · aromatic seeds within fruit capsules
Elettaria cardamomum
Green cardamom is intensely fragrant: citrus-like, floral and cooling, with a resinous edge and warm spice underneath. The small dark seeds carry the flavour; the green capsule protects them. Its perfume can dominate delicate ingredients,...
Culinary spice · dried fruit spikes
Piper longum
Peppery warmth with an aromatic, slightly sweet and woody character. Its profile is rounder and more complex than a simple burst of chilli heat. Intensity varies with the spice’s freshness and species, so comparisons with...
☙ The Spicer's Cabinet ❧
