Spicy Tidbits

To be Nutmeg, or to be Mace; That is the Question.

This Flavor Giant is So Misunderstood

Both are from the same plant, the Myristica fragrans. (M. malabarica and M. argentea have been used as substitutes or ‘fillers’, but are really nasty tasting, in my opinion, compared to M. fragrans.) The tree is a drupe, like a peach. The tree is native to The Spice Islands but is commercially grown in larger regions of Indonesia. The flavors we perceive actually come from about 28 terpenes and phenylpropanoids.

The seeds of the Myristica actually produce both nutmeg and mace. Botanically, it is a seed, not a nut or pod. The kernel of the seed is what is dried and ground for most culinary purposes.

One can buy the whole kernel if you have a grater, and has more flavor, naturally, but pre-ground is more convenient, and the flavor can be standardized for the recipe. Fresh is difficult to measure and has varying flavor strengths.

Nutmeg is the inside portion of the seed, whereas mace is made from the outside covering called ‘aril or tendrils.’ The nutmeg portion is much greater in size, therefore much cheaper. Nutmeg is still a wonderful spice and is used around the world for much more than pumpkin pie. It is strong and has a pepper-like flavor profile. This makes it desirable for curry and jerk dishes as well.

Mace is much less plentiful, therefore quite expensive. The taste is actually stronger in many ways, but still distinctive. Nutmeg can overpower some other delicate flavors, and the grind is more coarse. This grit can stay on the palate longer, (as you continue to masticate the particles), and impede subsequent mouthfuls.

Spice Road Designers use both nutmeg and mace, but we are pretty particular about where we use them.

Is Your Cinnamon True?

There are over 600 varieties of cinnamon plants, but only four are used for culinary purposes. The chemical that ‘tastes like cinnamon’ is cinnamonahyde. (Most flavor compounds don’t have this convenient of a name.) It is the bark of these trees peeled, dried, and ground for consumption. At times, the full ‘cinnamon stick’ is used to flavor beverages or make tinctures, but a lot of whole sticks are used for decoration and aromatic air conditioners.

The two primary varieties produced are Cinnamomum cassia and Cinnamomum verum, or “True Cinnamon.” There is a grand difference.

Cassia has a thicker bark, harder, is darker in color, stronger flavored, has a bitter aftertaste, is harder to mill which can leave a ‘grit’, and is less complex in other flavor notes. The greatest issue; however, is that cassia is loaded with COUMARIN. Coumarin is a significant blood thinner, and can cause liver damage. Cassia has 64 times the amount of coumarin than true cinnamon.

Verum, or ‘true cinnamon’, is thinner, more delicate in texture and taste, lighter in color, is considered the ‘sweet variety’ in some countries, is typically ground finer, and has a fairly strong ‘clove’ note on the finish. True cinnamon has been shown to improve insulin response, and has small amounts of antioxidants.

Cassia is principally grown in China, Vietnam, and Mexico. It is the variety exported to The Americas. True cinnamon is grown around Sri Lanka, once known as Ceylon, and shipped to Europe. There is a high likelihood you have never tasted true cinnamon. And don’t be fooled by the labels that say ‘imported’, because Vietnamese cassia cinnamon is ‘imported too.’

True cinnamon is about TEN TIMES more expensive though. (I’m not trying to be rude, but in America flavor has been sacrificed to profit margins far too many times in my estimation. And one can’t argue distance between supplier and consumer if cassia comes from China.)

Spice Road Designers use only Ceylon. Subtle and complex flavors, higher sieve number, (means a lower grit), and huge health concerns have made our decision to be exclusive, and TRUE!

With over 600 Cinnamon trees, which one would you choose?

Pepper . . Chili . . . Pepper

Hot and Delicious and Everywhere

Botanically, a pepper is a separate genus from a chili. Peppers belong to the genus Piper, while chili is genus Capsicum. Both are perceived as hot, but capsicum can really excel in the ‘BURN’ factor.

Chilies are normally consumed as full pods. It is rare you will see the seeds, but if you do it is usually mixed with the dry pod, and typically served as a pepper and seed mix, like at your favorite pizzeria. However, P. nigrum, or black pepper, is the world’s most widely traded spice in history.

As Spice Road Designers, we certainly use both. As pepper and chili is used in almost every culture, we are pretty particular in using regional varieties. For Southwestern and Texas blends, Chili California, Chili Arbol, and Pasilla. Cajun and Creole is primarily Cayenne, but we source two other colloquial favorites at times. Black and white pepper is used as would the locals for our international blends.

I find it interesting that in English, we really don’t have a very good vocabulary for ‘hot foods’. “Is that fire hot or tongue hot?” “Wow! This is spicy, but the hot kind of spicy, not the pumpkin pie spicy.” Most languages have a distinction . . . sometimes several . . . for the zing of peppers and chili. In Spanish, words like ‘caliente’ or 'ardiente' for temperature and ‘picoso’ or 'picante' for the zing.

But even if the language is ambiguous, the world’s love for peppers and chilies are not.