Spices and Herbs (Star Anise)

Star anise (Illicium verum)
Star anise is a spice that closely resembles anise in flavor, obtained from the star-shaped pericarp of a small native evergreen tree of southwest China. The star shaped fruits are harvested just before ripening. It is widely used in Chinese cuisine, in Indian cuisine where it is an ingredient of garam masala, and in Malay/Indonesian cuisine. It is widely grown for commercial use in China, India, and most other countries in Asia. Star anise is also an ingredient of the traditional Chinese five-spice powder and ensures an authentic touch in the preparation of certain Chinese dishes.
It contributes to meat and poultry dishes, combining especially well with pork and duck. In Chinese cooking, where the ingredients are simmered for a lengthy period in dark soy sauce, star anise is nearly always added to beef and chicken dishes. Chinese stocks and soups very often contain the spice.
It is used as a spice in preparation of Biryani in Andhra Pradesh, a south Indian State. Star anise could be used as an addition to meat dishes, like bolognaise, as it enhances the flavour of the meat. The whole stars can be added directly to the cooking pot. Small amounts are used, as the spice is powerful. Stored whole in airtight containers, it keeps for well over a year.
In the West, star anise is added in fruit compotes and jams, and in the manufacture of anise-flavoured liqueurs such as anisette.
Star Anise is often confused with aniseed(anise). These are two different species of plant, but the one is sometimes substituted for the other.

See also "Spices and Herbs (Anise/Aniseed)"

spice star anise anise

Spices and Herbs (Sesame)

Sesame (Sesamum indicum)
Sesame is grown primarily for its oil-rich seeds, which come in two main varieties, white and black. The paler varieties of sesame seem are more popular in the West and Middle East, while the black varieties are prized in the Far East. Sesame seeds are used whole in cooking for its rich nutty flavour. Sesame seeds are sometimes added to breads, including bagels, the tops of hamburger buns or baked into crackers. Whole seeds are found in many salads and other baked or deep-fried snacks such as the Chinese prawn and sesame toast, dim sum and sesame seed balls.
Ground and processed, the seeds can also be used in sweet confections. Sesame paste is made by grinding the seeds and is called tahini and also a Middle Eastern confection called halvah.
The amber colored and aromatic sesame oil, made from pressed and toasted sesame seeds, is a popular ingredient in Chinese cooking. It is not for use as a cooking oil, as the flavor is too intense and it has a low smoking point compared to the preferred ground nut (peanut) oil, used in Chinese stir-fries. Try adding sesame oil to marinades, salad dressings, or in the final stages of cooking. Recipes often call for a few drops of sesame oil to be drizzled on a dish just before serving.

sesame sesame oil sesame seeds

Spices and Herbs (Tarragon)

Tarragon (Artemisia dracunculus)
Tarrogon is a perennial herb related to wormwood. It is grown in parts of North America and Mexico, across Europe, central and eastern Asia part of India. Tarragon has an aromatic property similar to anise. French tarragon is the variety generally considered best for the cooking, but cannot be grown from seed. Russian tarragon can be grown from seed but is much weaker in flavour.
Tarragon blends well with other spices and is one of the four fines herbes of French cooking (along with chives, parsley, and chervil), and particularly suitable for chicken, fish, egg dishes, stews, pickles, tarragon vinegar and is one of the main ingredients of Bearnaise sauce and also used in Dijon mustard. The leaves of this herb are used in classic French sauces, egg dishes, flavored butters and creamed cheeses, soups and in poultry dishes. High in vitamins A and C, the leaves from this herb are believed to help stimulate the appetite and a tea made from tarragon has often been used as a tonic.

herb tarragon

Spices and Herbs (Tamarind)

Tamarind (Tamarindus indica)
The tamarind is native to tropical East Africa and parts of Madagascar and grows wild throughout the Sudan. It was introduced into India long ago and is often considered as indigenous there too. It is extensively cultivated in tropical areas of the world. The fruit is a brown pod-like legume, which contains a soft acidic pulp and many hard-coated seeds.
The fruit pulp is edible and popular. It is used as a spice in both Asian and Latin American cuisines, and is also an important ingredient in Worcestershire sauce, HP sauce and the Jamaican Pickapeppa sauce. The hard green pulp of a young fruit is very tart and acidic and is most often used as a component of savory dishes. The ripened fruit is sweeter, yet still distinctively sour, and can be used in desserts and sweetened drinks, as a snack or in chutneys.
Tamarind is available in specialty food stores worldwide in pod form or as a paste or concentrate. It is also sold in various snack forms in Southeast Asia and in Mexico where it is dried and salted, candied and served as a cold drink. A tamarind-based sweet-and-sour sauce served over deep-fried fish is also a common dish in Central Thailand. In Singapore and Malaysia it is used to add a sweet-sour taste to gravy for fish in a dish called asam fish. In the Philippines it is used to add a sour taste in Sinigang soup.
The tamarind tree is the official plant of Santa Clara, Cuba and appears in the coat of arms of the city.

spice tamarind

Spices and Herbs (Turmeric)

Turmeric (Curcuma longa)

Turmeric is a perennial plant of the ginger family and is native to tropical South Asia. The plant requires a hot, moist environment and a fairly light soil. The tuberous rhizome is yellowish brown in color with orange interior that turns bright yellow when dried and powdered. It has been a major spice in India since ancient times and during the middle ages because of its color, turmeric was known as Indian saffron in Europe. Its rhizomes are boiled for several hours and then dried in hot ovens, after which they are ground into a deep orange-yellow powder commonly used as a spice in curries and other South Asian cuisine, for dyeing, and to impart color to mustard condiments. It has an earthy, bitter, peppery flavor and has a mustard-like smell. The leading commercial producers of turmeric include India, Indonesia, China, the Philippines, Taiwan, Haiti and Jamaica. India is the leading producer as well as consumer of turmeric.

Turmeric has found application in canned beverages, baked products, dairy products, ice cream, yogurt, yellow cakes, biscuits, popcorn-color, sweets, cake icings, cereals, sauces, gelatins and is a significant ingredient in most commercial curry powder blends.

spice turmeric

Spices and Herbs (Sage)

Sage (salvia officinalis)

The name, sage, is derived from the Latin word meaning health or healing powers. Sage has been used as a medicinal herb far longer than it has been a culinary herb. Slightly bitter and peppery in flavor and highly aromatic, sage is one of the main ingredients in poultry seasoning or stuffings.
The sage plant is native to Mediterranean regions although it is now cultivated in many other countries. A number of cultivars of the plant exist. In Western cooking, it is used for flavouring fatty meats (especially as a marinade), cheeses, and some drinks. Sage is also used with onion for poultry or pork stuffing and also in sauces. In French cuisine, sage is used for cooking white meat and in vegetable soups. Germans often use it in sausage dishes. It enhances meats and poultry as well as most vegetables. It is not particularly palatable fresh so add it sooner in the cooking process rather than near the end, as with most fresh herbs. Sage will stand up to long cooking times making it a natural for stewed or braised dishes.

herb poultry stuffing sage

Spices and Herbs (Lemon Thyme)

Lemon Thyme (Thymus citriodorus)

Lemon thyme is a popular lemon herb for it's citrus and savory flavour. It is a low-growing evergreen shrub with tiny fragrant leaves that is an attractive addition to any herb garden. Lemon thyme also makes a great container plant or groundcover, and its flowers attract bees. Golden lemon thyme, a variegated type with leaves edged in yellow, has a lighter lemon scent than the solid green variety. Lemon thyme is best used fresh rather than dried. Harvest leaves throughout the growing season, and cut the plant back by about one-third after it blooms to encourage new growth.
Lemon thyme is often added to poultry, seafood, and vegetable dishes. It's also terrific in marinades, stews, soups, sauces, and stuffings. Fresh sprigs may be used as a garnish. Chop lemon thyme just before using and add it at the end of cooking, as it quickly loses it's flavor and can discolor.

herb lemon thyme thyme

Spices and Herbs (Saffron)

Saffron
Saffron is a spice derived from the flower of the saffron crocus (Crocus sativus). The flower has three stigmas and together with its style, the stalk connecting the stigmas to the rest of the plant, these components are dried and used in cooking as a seasoning and colouring agent. Saffron also contributes a luminous yellow-orange colouring to foods and is widely used in Persian, Arab, Central Asian, European, Indian, Iranian, Moroccan and Cornish cuisines.
Saffron, which has for decades been the world's most expensive spice by weight, is native to Southwest Asia. It has a bitter taste and a hay-like fragrance which make saffron a much-sought after ingredient in many foods worldwide. Saffron also has medicinal applications.
Iran, Spain, India, Greece, Azerbaijan, Morocco, and Italy are the major producers of saffron.

cooking spice saffron