It’s not hard to internationalize your pantry.
By Molly Fedick
Even if you can’t afford a trip around the world, you can at least send your taste buds. Top chefs and foodies around the city spill the beans (and the cinnamon … and the cardamom …) on what spices it takes to create a global kitchen.
When it comes to stocking an internationally inspired cabinet, variety is the spice of life — literally. “Spices can be very intimidating to amateur cooks, but the reality is that just a sprinkling or dash of something can transform the most basic dish, turning a Swedish meal into a Chinese one,” says chef Ida Stalberg, who owns a small catering company in Edgewater.
Spice House in Old Town specializes in teaching this message. Saleswoman Adrienne Marshall says that before transforming your cabinet into an explosion of “round-the-world” flavors, you must buy a dozen staples. “Stocking a spice cabinet is kind of like building a house,” Marshall says. “You need a strong foundation. Once you get [the] basics out of the way, then you can start incorporating the more obscure flavors.”
Savory Sweden
Take, for example, Scandinavian cuisine. If you’re wondering what constitutes a traditional Swedish meal, think dairy, breads, gamey meats (ever had reindeer?), seafood, tart fruits and crisp vegetables. Stalberg suggests you supply your kitchen with a few key spices, “all of which should be of the highest quality you can afford.”
Think beyond cinnamon, a Scandinavian staple. If you plan to bake, try licorice-like anise or fennel, lemon-flavored coriander seeds, cardamom pods that help the seeds “retain the most flavor” and powdered orange peel. And if you’re interested in whipping up main dishes, consider purchasing Four Spices, a specialty blend of allspice, pepper, nutmeg, ginger and cloves (the jury’s out on why it’s not called Five Spices!). It is commonly used to season meats and fish before cooking.
Ubiquitous Ukrainian
Unlike fans of Swedish cuisine, lovers of Eastern European fare will be happy to know that almost all spices used in Ukrainian, Russian and Polish cooking are readily available in most supermarkets. “People have to remember, Eastern Europeans have been through some tough times,” says Ukrainian dance teacher Marta Kozyckyj. “There weren’t always a lot of spices around to jazz things up.” When she’s not instructing, she and her neighbor cater many of the Ukrainian cultural events such as dance performances.
“When I’m teaching someone to make Ukrainian food, I always tell them dill is king,” she says. “It’s native to Eastern Europe, and we use it in a variety of dishes and to pickle vegetables. It’s a very versatile herb.” To season hearty meat dishes such as pelmeni, a common minced meat-and-dough entrée, try white and black pepper and kosher salt.
Moroccan mouth-splosions
Mounds of spices fill the outdoor markets in Morocco, making the prospect of choosing among them a daunting one. “The thing most people don’t realize is that Moroccan food is forgiving,” says Bouchtat, a Moroccan chef. “Half the time, I’m making it up.”
Moroccan cooks are famous for their liberal use of turmeric, a bright orange spice known for its gingery, bitter taste almost, Bouchtat says, “like dirt, but in a good way!” Found mostly in savory appetizer and entrée dishes, turmeric adds not only an earthy flavor but also a glorious color to any plate. And if you truly want to get authentic, Bouchtat suggests Ras El Hanout, a mixture that includes cinnamon, cardamom and anise.
“Just remember, Moroccan food — we like it to be spicy, we like to say something and we want the person eating to react to the flavor,” Bouchtat says. “So don’t be afraid to use those spices!”
Basic spices to sample
Black peppercorn, whole – Globe icon (used everywhere)
Kosher sea salt – Globe icon (used everywhere)
Nutmeg, ground and whole – India, Sweden, Greece, Netherlands, Japan, Indonesia
Paprika, ground – Hungary, Serbia, Spain, Netherlands, Morocco
Bay leaves (dried) – Greece, India
Chili powder – Mexico, India, Thailand
Vanilla extract – Global
Rosemary, dried – Greece, Italy
Cumin, ground – India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Morocco, Cuba, Mexico, China, Netherlands, France
Oregano, dried – Italy, Turkey, Palestine, Lebanon, Egypt, Syria, Greece, Portugal, Spain
Ginger, ground – France, India, Nepal, Malaysia, Burma, Vietnam, Philippines
Cayenne pepper – Global
Thyme, dried – Lebanon, Syria, Pakistan, Jordan, Israel, Libya, Armenia, India, France, Italy, Nigeria, Greece, Turkey
