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"spices" news and stories

Toasting Spices - Tip of the Day

If you've never toasted your spices, you're in for a treat.
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Filed under: Tip of the Day

Hippocras - Spiced Wine Perfect for Celebrations

hippocrasPhoto: LeNell Smothers

This time of year always inspires people to spice up their ciders and wines for a little holiday goodness in a glass. Hippocras is a sweetened, spiced wine drink going way back several hundred years. In her book titled "A Sip Through Time," Cindy Renfrow mentions that this drink could have been named for Hippocrates, the ancient Greek physician. The name could also refer to the drink being strained through a filter bag familiar to most vintners and apothecaries as a manicum Hippocraticum -- the sleeve of Hippocrates. This bag helped strain out the flavoring bits and pieces.

Spices and herbs have been used for centuries in beer and wine, just to flavor it up and oftentimes to cover up the off flavors of the beverage. Herbs and spices were thought to be good for the health. They frequently served as a bit of a preservative, as well.

Hippocras was a popular celebratory drink for weddings and christenings and other such feasts. It was regularly served after dinner with sweet goodies and brought to the table unheated. Oriental spices were quite expensive so this drink was often associated with having the cash flow for such luxury and nobility.
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Filed under: Drink Recipes, Wine

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Cajun Seasoning Company 'Slap Ya Mama' Battles 'Punch Ya Daddy' in Court


A pair of Cajun seasoning companies whose names allude to domestic rough-housing are now preparing to scuffle in court.

The makers of "Slap Ya Mama" last week sued the entrepreneur behind "Punch Ya Daddy," claiming the upstart brand infringes upon their trademark. William Stagg, attorney for the plaintiff, says it's not what's in the cartons of Kirby Falcon's proprietary South Louisiana spice blend that concerns his client: It's the name and logo emblazoned on their labels.

"We don't really know what the recipe is, but we believe the packaging and image my customer has created for Slap Ya Mama is unique," Stagg says. "We believe this brand is calculated to capture our market."

Falcon's attorney did not return calls seeking comment.

According to a June story in Houma Today, Falcon developed his seasoning mix in 2007 while working the grill at his strip-mall lunch counter. He found a name for his product after his 4-year-old son yelped, "I'm going to punch ya, daddy." Punch Ya Daddy is now sold in more than 100 stores across Louisiana.
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Filed under: Food Politics

Tip of the Day - Spice Substitutions

Are you ever in the middle of a recipe and realize a specific seasoning is missing from the spice rack? Check out these spice substitutions if you're ever in a bind.
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Filed under: Tip of the Day

Spice ID Quiz

Know your fennel from fenugreek? Coriander from cardamom? It's the spiciest quiz ever from Slashfood.

Spice ID Quiz

Both leaves and seeds of this plant are employed as seasoning in Indian food, and the seeds are used to flavor artificial maple syrup.

  • Sarsaparilla
  • Nigella
  • Fenugreek
  • Carom

It just wouldn't be real rye bread without...

  • Caraway
  • Fennel Seed
  • Poppy
  • Cumin

The signature herb overtone of gin is...

  • Galangal
  • Fennel
  • Pimento
  • Juniper Berries

The leaves of this plant are snipped and used as the herb cilantro, but the seeds are a seasoning known as...

  • Cumin
  • Coriander
  • Cardamom
  • Curry

This spice is the inside part of the Myristica tree seed -- not to mention darned tasty in baked goods and sprinkled on winter beverages.

  • Mace
  • Cumin
  • Nutmeg
  • Ground Allspice

This wee, nutty spice is smashing on a roll or paired with a tart lemon pastry

  • Allspice
  • Poppy Seeds
  • Cardamom
  • Mustard Seed

These long, cured pods, often used to flavor desserts, are members of the orchid family.

  • Vanilla Beans
  • Cardamom
  • Saffron
  • Galangal

This strikingly-shaped fruit is a core element in Chinese five-spice.

  • Sumac
  • Galangal
  • Telicherry
  • Star Anise

This spice, made by grinding dried berries, adds a lemony taste to juice and Middle Eastern cuisine.

  • Mahlab
  • Fenugreek
  • Rue
  • Sumac

This Indian spice is valued as much for its vibrant hue as it is for its flavoring properties.

  • Turmeric
  • Ras al Hanout
  • Ginger
  • Asafoetida

This spice is often cited as the most expensive on the market, due to the difficulty of harvesting it.

  • Grains of Paradise
  • Sassafras
  • Mahlab
  • Saffron

These dried berries are, monetarily speaking, the most traded spice on the planet.

  • Mustard
  • Cardamom
  • Black Pepper
  • Cumin

Remember the previously mentioned Myristica tree seed? This is the outside seed casing, all ground up.

  • Mace
  • Galangal
  • Ginger
  • Camphor

We're awfully sorry that we can't present this quiz in Smell-O-Vision, but still we must ask -- can you identify this common ground-bark spice by sight alone?

  • Mace
  • Nutmeg
  • Cinnamon
  • Allspice

The green version of this pod is an essential flavor component in Chai tea.

  • Ginger
  • Cardamom
  • Tonka Bean
  • Cumin

From left to right, these are...

  • Cumin, Anise
  • Celery Seed, Dill
  • Fennel, Cumin
  • Dill, Anise

This Thai cuisine staple is also purported to possess aphrodisiac qualities.

  • Ginger
  • Galangal
  • Horseradish
  • Asafoetida

This pungent, earthy seed is valued for both culinary and medicinal use.

  • Black Cumin
  • Fennel
  • Black Cardamom
  • Grains of Selim

Chewing this spice is said to improve and sweeten the breath.

  • Dill
  • Anise
  • Fennel
  • Celery Seed

Dried peppers are ground to make this spice, which is widely used in Hungarian and Spanish cuisine.

  • Telicherry
  • Wasabi
  • Ras al Hanout
  • Paprika

Filed under: Quizzes, Ingredients

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