Dry spices

[ismael9467]

I bought a huge stack of spices(I think they are called dry, as they are dried out and come in containers).
Most of these spices taste like dirt. The parsley smells nothing like the fresh one. The dill and the coriander have the same disgusting smell.
I don't know about the other spices because I never smelled them fresh, but they are: Tumeric, Cumin, Caraway seeds, Oregano, Bay leaves and Black pepper.

I'm also not sure if the taste is as ugly as the smell since it is difficult to analyze it in the dish.
Not being a real conosciour, I usually fail to recognize the difference between many products, but these spices barely even remind me of the fresh versions.

How is that?

 

[ramon9456]

You have purchased both herbs and spices though in some places the terms are used interchangeably.

"Herbs are obtained from the leaves of herbaceous (non-woody) plants. They are used for savory purposes in cooking and some have medicinal value. Herbs often are used in larger amounts than spices. Herbs originated from temperate climates such as Italy, France, and England. Herb also is a word used to define any herbaceous plant that dies down at the end of the growing season and may not refer to its culinary value at all.

Spices are obtained from roots, flowers, fruits, seeds or bark. Spices are native to warm tropical climates and can be woody or herbaceous plants. Spices often are more potent and stronger flavored than herbs; as a result they typically are used in smaller amounts. Some spices are used not only to add taste, but also as a preservative."
Department of Horticulture at Iowa State University

Your herbs are the:
parsley
dill
oregano
bay leaves

Your spices are the:
coriander
turmeric
cumin
caraway seed
black pepper


In future don’t buy in bulk. Just contact www.jamaicathings.com
The eating experience is as much aroma as it is flavor which are exuded by both herbs, and even more so by spices.

Herbs will not be as fragrant when dried as when they are fresh although there are a few exceptions such as rosemary and thyme. Most will agree that herbs like parsley and basil are not worth drying because the dehydrated product is mild to the point of being undetectable.

Both herbs and spices contain oils that do not evaporate upon dehydration. These oils can be brought out by the heat applied during cooking just as many nuts are toasted before incorporating them into a dish in order to release their oils.

I am curious as to why you purchased them. Did you have specific dishes in mind or things that you wanted to try with these ingredients?

 

[RomSpaceKnight]

The "spices/herbs" in bottles (Clubhouse) are convenient and the spicier ones may retain some taste but they can't compare with fresh herbs or spices. Some are not even the proper spice. Curry powder is not made with the Kari (spchk) plant at all but is pepper, tumeric and various spices combined. I have all the prepared versions for fast convenience but if I am going to plan a dinner for friends I will go out and buy the fresh herbs. Parsley and oregano out of a shaker are almost tasteless compared to fresh chopped stuff.

It's like most food stuff. There is the real fresh produce and then their is the name brand prepared stuff.

 

[mabudon]

And a suggestion- stuff that comes in "seed form" like cumin, coriander, fennel and black (and I gues white and green and red) peppercorns, get 'em in the "seed form" when possible- I buy most of my spices at Bulk Barn in small quantities..

With these seed-for spices, you can store them a LONG time since the shell helps keep the goodness inside fresh, then get a coffee grinder and powder them up when you want to use them

Dried Herbs can benefit from a similar practice- with something like Oregano or stuff like that, take a few pinches of the stuff (and remember dried herbs, when fairly fresh, are FAR more potent than fresh ones) and put it between your palms and kinda "rub" it, you should smell a burst of the scent of the oils when you do this if they're still good

Some spices really don't come in many forms, turmeric for example is kind of like ginger- it is a root, but you almost never see it in Canada in it's fresh form, so powder is the most common- also in North America, turmeric is used mostly for colour, tho it really does have a nice flavour too, you just have to know how to use it

I can answer pretty much any spice question you might have so feel free to ask away

 

[selfactivated]

wrong thread

 

[RomSpaceKnight]

I myself have only just picked up any sort of cooking skills. Before my heart attack I would never put garlic or curry powder anywhere near my food.