I have been on hiatus for the past month. But, I am back now, ready to bring you all some fresh new articles, recipe's and restaurant reviews. I had originally envisioned a rather epic and comprehensive article on spices. The truth is, however, that there are basically a couple of simple tips I wanted to share with my readers; things that I have learned over the years. So, let's get started.
Spices have been a part of the civilized world for a few thousand years. Historically, entire economies have been built around spices. Conflict have been fought over spice. You might not know it, but some spices are used for a lot more than culinary reasons. But let's face it, flavoring our food is really the best and most popular use of spice.
Many years ago there was an epicurean by the name of Stephen Yan who had a television show called "Wok with Yan." And one of the most important things I ever learned about spices came from him. Yan advocated never using more than 3 spices in any one dish. The reason for this is simple. Spices have 3 basic purposes in cooking: 1. enhancing an existing flavor; 2. creating an additional flavor; 3. chemically altering the food it's put upon. The first purpose seems rather straightforward. Animal muscle in and of itself doesn't really have a taste. The way it is cooked is what gives it flavor, whether it's fried in oil, grilled over a charcoal fire, or baked in a wood-burning oven.The right spice will enhance that cooked flavor one direction or another. My favorite example of this is Mesquite. Eighty percent of the time I grill out on my charcoal grill, I douse or marinade my meat in Worchestershire sauce and Mesquite spice. The second purpose is also pretty self-explanatory. One of my favorite dishes to make for myself is sliced chicken tossed into the wok with olive oil, butter, green peppers and onions, and a blend of Mediterranean seasoning like Garlic and Oregano. Served with a side of Parmesan pasta, and those spices, you have taken an ordinary piece of chicken and turned it into an ethnic culinary delight. You have created a flavor reminiscent of Mediterranean cuisine. The last purpose is all about the chemical reaction of spice on meat, or even veggies. The spice physically alters the food through contact. We'll talk more about this in a moment. But let's get back to the idea of just three spices.
One spice to create the flavor. One spice to enhance the flavor. And one spice to alter the food. More than three spices and you began to confuse the palate. Taste is primarily an extension of the olfactory senses. And those senses want to focus on simple, appealing flavors. Too many odors, and the olfactory has to work too hard to separate those flavors and decipher the combination. So, when it comes to adding spices, keep it simple. Three spices per dish.
Now, let's talk about that Chemistry to which I alluded. All spices have a chemical "ph" balance. Think of "ph" as a metered line. At one end is Sweet, and at the other end is Bitter. In the middle is a dividing line where the two meet, a "ph" of 0. The sweet side is what we call "base ph", and the bitter side is the "acidic ph". All flavors will fall somewhere on that line. A few examples: Oregano and Basil are both "sweet" or "base" ph. Garlic, on the other hand is more acidic. Vinegar in and of itself is also acidic. In fact, Vinegar is acidic enough to make a GREAT cleaner when your wok needs a deep clean. The more acidic a spice is, the more it will alter the food to which it is applied. Here's the rub: spices that fall equidistant on that line on either side of the middle, will often cancel each other out.
Perfect example: a lot of people like to make Italian with Garlic, Basil and Oregano as their three spices. And often, they find the end result isn't quite Italian enough. The reason is simple. The three tastes are cancelling each other out. Instead, try using only 2 of those spices. With Garlic and Oregano, the dominant flavor is going to be the Oregano, giving you a rich Sicilian taste since Oregano is higher on the base side than Garlic is on the acidic side. Whereas with Garlic and Basil, the Garlic will be more dominant since Garlic is higher on the acidic side than Basil is on the base side. And in a case like this your third flavor can be something non-spice like butter or olive oil, which is closer to the middle.
Of course, there are no fast rules when it comes to cooking. The real fun is experimenting with these ideas and finding your own favorite flavorful combinations that awake the senses and please the palate. I only hope that these spice tips of mine will get you thinking and enable you to create some wonderful culinary delights of your own.
