BIG DREAM Hobby and Craft: Introducing: Meet the Merchants!

Rabu, 13 Januari 2021

Introducing: Meet the Merchants!

It is no surprise our spice merchants are passionate about cuisine, but there's more we'd like to know about them. That's why we're excited to launch a new series called Meet the Merchants. Visit our blog to learn more about the people behind the world's finest spices and discover their favorite spices, recipes, and hobbies.

Willie's Top Spice Picks

Baharat

Just as South Asia has garam masala and North Africa has ras el hanout, the Middle East's all-purpose spice blend is baharat. Often added to frying onions to release its fullest flavor, baharat spice is a superb lamb rub. It also seasons kofta, chicken kebabs, and many vegetable recipes.

Berbere

Amharic for pepper, berbere forms the flavor base of classic Ethiopian dishes such as doro wot and misir wot. Like baharat and ras el hanout, it is ubiquitous in the land, but flavor composition varies from region to region, and even from household to household.

Kampot Red Peppercorns

Kampot peppercorns from Cambodia carry a strict regional designation, much like Champagne. This red variety starts out with a subtle, jasmine-like sweetness which opens up to a subtler heat. This is a rarer dark-red variety, which has more developed fruity, floral, and citrus, flavors.

Old Quebec Butcher's Rub

Quebec is beloved for maple syrup, poutine, and, among insiders, its beef. Be it smoked brisket at a Montreal deli or a slow roast cooked outside on a snowy day, you can almost taste it as you cross the border. This rub is tangy, peppery, and garlicky, with a touch of cracked coriander.