# Spices & Herbs **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** food-cooking\ **Created:** [January 12, 2023, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spices-herbs/978104 "2023-01-12T15:07:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2023, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spices-herbs/978104/41 "2023-01-14T00:03:47Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > No love for Alpert in this thread? - Too brassy. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2023, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spices-herbs/978104/42 "2023-01-14T00:13:53Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > No love for Alpert in this thread? Absolutely my favorite Herb. My favorite Spice was probably Ginger. [![](https://media.glamourmagazine.co.uk/photos/6138cf4efe678a516c6858bb/3:4/w_1440,h_1920,c_limit/union-jack_glamour_22feb17_getty-DEF.jpg) ](https://media.glamourmagazine.co.uk/photos/6138cf4efe678a516c6858bb/3:4/w_1440,h_1920,c_limit/union-jack_glamour_22feb17_getty-DEF.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2023, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spices-herbs/978104/43 "2023-01-14T00:17:07Z")
1996 was a great year. ---
**Author:** ![ParallelLines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/parallellines/32/3575_2.png) [@ParallelLines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParallelLines)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2023, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spices-herbs/978104/44 "2023-01-15T04:40:21Z")
> [@Tibby](#): > > Cheyenne is my favorite for kicking anything up a notch. _Bam!_ Not that I haven’t felt the horror of auto-correct myself, but this made me snicker. The image of Cheyenne, Wyoming, being kicked up a notch, preferably by an asteroid, thus the bam! tickles my fancy. On the other hand, I like cayenne peppers just fine for a really neutral heat, but I don’t find they add much flavor the way other peppers do. I’d rather have something fruity like a habanero, or hot and sweet like a roasted hatch. But cayenne is still a solid go-to for adding heat to a dish where I don’t want a noticeable secondary flavor. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2023, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spices-herbs/978104/45 "2023-01-15T15:49:18Z")
> [@ParallelLines](#): > > But cayenne is still a solid go-to for adding heat to a dish where I don’t want a noticeable secondary flavor. Which is why I use it in my Bloody Mary recipe. The visual of Cheyenne being blasted into space is going to make me smile all day. ---
**Author:** ![TRC4941](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trc4941/32/6792_2.png) [@TRC4941](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TRC4941)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2023, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spices-herbs/978104/46 "2023-01-16T14:56:05Z")
A few of you mentioned cardamom. I’ve never tried it, but am curious. What does it taste like? Is it close to cinnamon? ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2023, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spices-herbs/978104/47 "2023-01-16T15:08:08Z")
It’s more perfumey – it’s kind of in that general class of Christmas spices like nutmeg, cinnamon, and cloves, but distinct. I would say there a eucalyptus or camphor-like flavor it it. ---
**Author:** ![TRC4941](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trc4941/32/6792_2.png) [@TRC4941](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TRC4941)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2023, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spices-herbs/978104/48 "2023-01-16T15:17:10Z")
I’ll have to try it. Thanks ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2023, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spices-herbs/978104/49 "2023-01-16T15:21:56Z")
There’s different kinds, but usually people are talking about green cardamom if they don’t specify. It’s used in everything from Swedish baking to Indian cooking to flavoring Middle Eastern coffee. There’s also brown cardamom, which is bigger and has a smokier and more restrained flavor that green. But you’ll want green. (Oh, there’s also “white cardamom” and that is harder to find yet, and that can be bleached cardamom or a separate type of cardamom.) ---
**Author:** ![commasense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/commasense/32/3017_2.png) [@commasense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/commasense)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2023, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spices-herbs/978104/50 "2023-01-16T15:55:36Z")
For all the folks talking about cinnamon, here’s what I posted in the Random Facts thread a couple of years ago. > [@Tell us an interesting random fact you stumbled across](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across/851674/876): > > I recently discovered that there are two kinds of cinnamon: [Ceylon, or “true” cinnamon](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cinnamomum_verum), and [cassia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cinnamomum_cassia), which comes from a related, but different tree. It turns out that what we in the U.S. know as cinnamon is actually cassia; Ceylon cinnamon is generally not sold in stores. OTOH, in Europe, only Ceylon cinnamon can be sold as “cinnamon.” (I was reminded of this last night when one of the bakers on the Great British Baking Show mentioned she was going to use cassia bark in a recipe.) > > The taste of Ceylon cinnamon is more subdued and subtle than that of cassia. > > However, the more important difference, for some people at least, is that large doses of cassia can cause liver damage. > > > Due to a blood-thinning component called [coumarin](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coumarin) that could damage the liver if consumed in larger amounts,[[7]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cinnamomum_cassia#cite_note-7) European health agencies have warned against consuming high amounts of cassia.[[8]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cinnamomum_cassia#cite_note-8) Other bioactive compounds found in the bark, powder and essential oils of _C. cassia_ are [cinnamaldehyde](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cinnamaldehyde) and [styrene](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Styrene). In high doses these substances can also be toxic for humans.[[9]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cinnamomum_cassia#cite_note-bfr.bund.de-9) > > I learned this alarming news a few months after my wife’s cardiologist advised her to start having smoothies for lunch with “heart-healthy” spices, including _two teaspoons_ of cinnamon. He, and the author whose book he was citing, said nothing about the distinction between cassia and true cinnamon, so my wife has consumed over a _pound_ of cassia since July. I am dismayed, to say the least. > > I have discarded all our remaining cassia and bought a new supply of Ceylon cinnamon. ---
**Author:** ![commasense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/commasense/32/3017_2.png) [@commasense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/commasense)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2023, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spices-herbs/978104/51 "2023-01-16T16:03:31Z")
To the OP, the flavoring agent we use the most of is definitely garlic. I buy the quart jars of minced garlic once every month or two, and it goes in most of the dishes I cook. I have, and regularly use, most of the spices mentioned above, depending on the recipe, but can’t say any are particular favorites. ---
**Author:** ![TRC4941](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trc4941/32/6792_2.png) [@TRC4941](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TRC4941)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2023, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spices-herbs/978104/52 "2023-01-16T16:06:17Z")
> [@commasense](#): > > To the OP, the flavoring agent we use the most of is definitely garlic. I buy the quart jars of minced garlic one every month or two, and it goes in most of the dishes I cook. I guess I’m not sure what garlic is classified as but I use it in practically everything. I too buy the minced garlic in jars. I’m sure we’ll get flak for that! ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2023, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spices-herbs/978104/53 "2023-01-16T16:08:16Z")
> [@TRC4941](#): > > A few of you mentioned cardamom. I’ve never tried it, but am curious. What does it taste like? Is it close to cinnamon? > [@pulykamell](#): > > It’s more perfumey – it’s kind of in that general class of Christmas spices like nutmeg, cinnamon, and cloves, but distinct. I would say there a eucalyptus or camphor-like flavor it it. I find it has a distinct cola-like flavor, especially in the aftertaste. I’ve suspected cardamom to be one of the secret flavor ingredients of Coca-Cola, but googling doesn’t turn up too much. ---
**Author:** ![Tibby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tibby/32/17030_2.png) [@Tibby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tibby)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2023, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spices-herbs/978104/54 "2023-01-16T16:17:15Z")
> [@ParallelLines](#): > > Not that I haven’t felt the horror of auto-correct myself, but this made me snicker. > > The image of Cheyenne, Wyoming, being kicked up a notch, preferably by an asteroid, thus the bam! tickles my fancy. The loamy soil of Wyoming imparts a delicious umami flavor to my entrees. …not buying that, eh? Ok, I blame spell-check. I didn’t think it looked right. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2023, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spices-herbs/978104/55 "2023-01-16T16:21:51Z")
Cardamom would certainly be in keeping with those types of concoctions. My dad used to make a liqueur with about a dozen different herbs and spices in it, with cardamom a major component. That’s how I first learnt of it and it’s mysterious flavors — not through food but drink. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2023, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spices-herbs/978104/56 "2023-01-16T17:48:19Z")
> [@TRC4941](#): > > A few of you mentioned cardamom. I’ve never tried it, but am curious. What does it taste like? Is it close to cinnamon? If you’ve ever had rice pudding for dessert at an Indian restaurant, cardamom is generally the predominant spice in it. It’s also used in most chai tea and Swedish cardamom buns. ---
**Author:** ![ParallelLines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/parallellines/32/3575_2.png) [@ParallelLines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParallelLines)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2023, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spices-herbs/978104/57 "2023-01-16T18:36:05Z")
Cardamom is used (infrequently due to cost) in our house for occasional ‘spiced’ coffee via French press, or in a very few baked deserts. The other main use is for making my Nuka-Cola syrup. It’s a soda base composed of various fruit juices, spices, sugar, and radiation so that you can make homemade Nuka-Cola rather than a batch that had been sitting around for a few hundred years. Why yes, I have the Fallout Cookbook, why do you ask? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![am77494](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d2c977/32.png) [@am77494](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/am77494)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2023, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spices-herbs/978104/58 "2023-01-16T22:00:23Z")
> [@TRC4941](#): > > A few of you mentioned cardamom. I’ve never tried it, but am curious. What does it taste like? Is it close to cinnamon There are two cardamoms that are used in Indian cuisine : Green and Black. The green cardamom is a small cardamom with a sweet flavor and is harvested green (duh) from the plant. The black cardamom is harvested ripe and has a more smoky flavor. > **[Green Cardamom Vs Black Cardamom: Here's How To Differentiate Between The Two...](https://food.ndtv.com/food-drinks/green-cardamom-vs-black-cardamom-heres-how-to-differentiate-between-the-two-elaichi-varieties-1888921/amp/1)** > > Although it's the green cardamom or chhoti elaichi that is most often used in sweets and savouries, the black cardamom or moti elaichi is equally beneficial and useful. Here are some basic differences between the two cardamom varieties. Green cardamom is used for delicate flavors like desserts while black is used mostly in meat or curry dishes. Depending on the part of India, a trinity of three spices (ground together) is also used and termed as the hot mix (Garam Masala) for recipes : cloves, cardamom and cinnamon Cardamom is very inexpensive at Indian stores and a one time cost of like 5 dollars lasts us 2-3 years There are two main types of cinnamons too but that’s another post. ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2023, 12:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spices-herbs/978104/59 "2023-01-17T12:17:56Z")
> [@am77494](#): > > Cardamom is very inexpensive at Indian stores and a one time cost of like 5 dollars lasts us 2-3 years Yes! This bears repeating. Find an Indian grocery in your area. Even if it’s a bit of a long drive, it’s very worth it because you can stock up on spices that will last you a long time. Aisles full of big bags of whole spices that are indeed very inexpensive. It’s like being a kid in a candy store if you like spice. Many of the spices you can find in an Indian grocery can be used in other than just Indian cuisine: Dried chili peppers, cumin, star anise, mustard seed, and Indian bay leaves, to name a few. Have you priced bay leaves in a western grocery lately? They’re like $5-6 for a tiny container. You can get an enormous package of Indian bay leaves for like half that. Whole, unground spices last for years, unlike their pre-ground equivalents that go stale in a couple months, so stock up on the whole spices you use and an inexpensive coffee grinder like this one to grind the spices as needed (an added bonus with whole spices is that you can toast them in a dry pan on the stovetop before you grind them for extra flavor). [![](https://images.thdstatic.com/productImages/cf438458-567d-4a7b-88ef-eeda378c0f61/svn/black-ovente-coffee-grinders-cg225b-64_300.jpg) ](https://images.thdstatic.com/productImages/cf438458-567d-4a7b-88ef-eeda378c0f61/svn/black-ovente-coffee-grinders-cg225b-64_300.jpg) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spices-herbs/978104.md?page=2)