Holiday Spice Guide
Integral to cooking year round, spices are supremely important during the holidays. It's impossible to imagine pumpkin pie, mulled wine or any number of favorite holiday recipes without spices. Whether bold or subtle, spices flavor our holiday memories as much as the actual food. Here's a roundup of those spices that help make the holiday season memorable.
-
Allspice
Although most of us think allspice is a blend of lots of different spices, it's actually a berry from trees that grow in the forests of Jamaica. It's an easy mistake: smell an allspice berry and you'll think you're smelling cloves, cinnamon and nutmeg. It is used in both whole and ground forms; the latter bakes into pies, puddings, and breads beautifully, adding a distinct holiday flavor. Whole allspice can be used as part of a marinade for baked meats or added to mulled wines and ciders as they simmer.
Try allspice along with other holiday spices in this Chai-Spiced Butternut Squash Soup.
-
Star Anise
Although not related to anise at all, star anise is a star-shaped seed with a fennel and anise-like flavor that comes from a small evergreen tree of the magnolia family native to Southeast Asia. It's a star ingredient in Chinese Five-Spice Powder and goes well with such holiday fare as chicken, fish and seafood, pumpkin, root vegetables and tropical fruits.
Star anise is part of the Chinese five-spice powder in this delicious entree for Honey-Glazed Five Spice Chicken.
-
Cardamom
The straw colored pods that are cardamom grow in the humid warmth of southern India. They ripen throughout the year and are snipped off the plant with sharp scissors when about three-quarters ripe. A favorite in countless curries and traditional Indian after-dinner treats, cardamom is also used frequently in baked goods. Try replacing cinnamon with cardamom the next time you make cinnamon sugar—it's delicious on challah toast.
Cardamom is a standout ingredient in this traditional Finnish recipe for Finnish Cardamom Coffee Bread.
-
Cinnamon
There are many varieties of cinnamon, but the two most familiar are Ceylon cinnamon, which is considered to be true cinnamon, and cassia, sold as Chinese, Vietnamese or Indonesian cinnamon. The two are used interchangeably in cooking as the difference in taste and aroma is very subtle.
Cinnamon grows as bark on evergreen trees and is harvested during the rainy season, as the moisture makes it easier to handle. After being stripped, the bark is rolled into cinnamon sticks. Cinnamon, whole or ground, has many uses in dishes both sweet and savory. It's especially good in desserts and spiced baked goods and with apples, bananas and pears. Try it sprinkled on fresh tomato slices with a little sugar for a new experience.
Cinnamon is a main ingredient in pumpkin pie spice mixes; try this recipe for a Traditional Pumpkin Pie.
-
Cloves
Cloves are the dried flower buds of the clove tree, syzyium aromaticum. Grown primarily in Madagascar and other coastal African areas, buds are picked in clusters from a main stem of about 10 to 15 heads. Cloves are among the most pungent of spices, essential to five-spice powder and curries and highly complementary to such holiday foods as ham, sweet potatoes, squashes (including pumpkin), apples and onions.
Cloves are a wonderful addition in this simple Apple Pear Sauce.
-
Ginger
Ginger is native to China and India and available year round both fresh and dried. The flavoring effects of the two types are notably different.
Fresh ginger is a highly adaptable flavoring in savory dishes and can neutralize gamey and fishy odors, making it an excellent addition to meat, poultry, fish and seafood dishes. It's remarkably friendly to all kinds of vegetables, from artichokes to zucchini, including tomatoes, cabbage, garlic and onions. And it pairs well with other seasonings such as basil, cilantro, turmeric and soy sauce. It can be sliced, chopped, shredded or grated into soups, stews, sauces, marinades and glazes.
The extra pungency of dried ginger makes it a good companion for winter squashes, carrots and sweet potatoes. More interesting still is the Arab custom of adding it to couscous, hearty stews and simmered meat dishes in combination with fruit. It is a common ingredient in five-spice seasoning, curry and pickling blends, and pairs well with honey, nuts and dried fruits. It combines well with other holiday spices such as cinnamon, cardamom, cloves and nutmeg.
Try our recipe for Double Gingerbread Squares, which calls for powdered ginger along with pieces of chopped crystallized ginger.
-
Mace and Nutmeg
Both of these spices come from an apricot-like fruit cultivated in southeast Asia and the West Indies. Mace comes from the lacy covering of the stone-like seed, while nutmeg is made from the seed itself. Their aroma and taste is similar with mace being more subtle with lemon undertones and nutmeg exhibiting hints of clove. Both are available in dried powder form, combine well with other holiday spices, and complement egg and cheese dishes, seafood chowders, chicken, lamb and such vegetables as potatoes, cabbage and carrots, onions as well as that holiday favorite, pumpkin pie.
Try nutmeg in our simple Nutmeg Coffee Cake or Spiced French Toast.
-
Black and White Peppercorns
Although both berries are from the same vine, the Piper nigrum, there is a marked difference between black and white pepper. The berries used for black pepper are picked just before they're fully ripe, while white peppercorns are allowed to ripen completely. In the United States, we use 12 times more black pepper than white. Both sorts have countless uses, but try sneaking a little pepper into sweet foods to create a mysterious undercurrent of spicy flavor.
Try a hint of black pepper in our Pineapple Noodle Kugel recipe.
-
Vanilla Bean
This long, thin pod is the world's second-most valuable spice (behind saffron) due to its labor-intensive and time-consuming harvest. The three most common vanilla beans used today are the creamy-flavored Bourbon-Madagascar, the complexly subtle Mexican and the fruity Tahitian. Vanilla extract is the most common form, but give yourself and your holiday guests a treat by using whole beans to enhance dishes that feature eggs, milk, seafood, and fruits such as apples, pears, strawberries and rhubarb. Store the beans away from light and heat in an airtight container. When using vanilla extract, use only the genuine variety with 35% alcohol content. Synthetic extracts exhibit a bitter aftertaste.
Try vanilla bean in our Cranberry-Pear Sauce with Vanilla.