From Kewra to Kalpasi: The Hidden Gems of Indian Spices

Growing up with my older brother I watched a lot of Wrestling as a child, and I always thought it was cool how they all had their own signature move.  The Stone Cold Stunner, the People’s Elbow, the 619 and the Attitude Adjustment (before the name change).  They were the trademarks we knew and they identified the fighters, but growing up signatures are changing.  It’s not just something seen on TV anymore, but rather any defining ingredient of something, and it’s always shocking when the public eye seems to miss our personal favorite.

In that spirit, I present to you spices that could be an easy signature for your next dish!

Well seeing how I just got done referencing fighting, why not start out with one with some kick?  The Bhut Jalokia is hot enough to make grown men cry, even going so far as to be named the hottest chili pepper in the world by Guinness World Records, but if that’s not good enough for an intense visual of the extreme heat in this thing, the Indian military had decided to use them in hand grenades for crowd control.  They’re either dried, pickled or used as is and was grown originally in Assam.

Second we have Kalpasi, which is a type of flower that tends to be blended with other spices to make masalas.  In Maharashtra, the most famous of these is the goda masala, and it is also believed to be part of the traditional garam masalsa but is often not included by manufacturers.

Next is guntur, which is most famous in Andhra cuisine where it’s utilized for it heat.  It has a high global demand and often is accompanied by pachadis and pickles.

Slipping in fourth is kewra.  What this is is a screw pine, which has extremely fragrant leaves that often go into making kewra water, essence and oil for cooking, as well as other reasons including perfumes.  Furthermore, many north Indian desserts are doused in its scent as well.

Finally we have kokum, which is especially popular in Konkan.  It’s a fruit from the mangosteen family and grows in Western Ghats.  It’s a naturally purple fruit and tasts tangy and even a little salty, and all parts of it can be used when being cooked.  Additionally, it has numerous health benefits including being rich in calcium, thiamine, folic acid, magnesium, manganese, potassium, and containing properties that aid in weight loss.

Have you ever heard of any of these, and if so, which would you like to incorporate into a recipe?

For a continued reading on the matter, click here to view NDTV’s article in its entirety.

Why Indian and Western Food is so Different

Alright, we’re doing something a little bit different today.  About a month ago I posted an article about all the science that goes into Indian cooking to give it that unique flare, they way all the components that make up the food are so drastically apart and how different that was from food in the west.

Apparently, beyond the culinary skill of India, that’s half the fault of the west as well.  Up until the 17th century, European cuisine was actually very similar in that regard.  Those who could, used a vast array of spices in their meals giving each their own unique flair, keyword being could.

Spices were extremely expensive in the Middle Ages so only the wealthy could afford them.  European colonization was actually what brought that to an end, as explorers set off to new lands they brought massive amounts of spices home with them, which in turn made the prices of them plummet.

While this would normally look good, it served more as the destruction of the wealthy’s status symbol and they recoiled heavily, shifting their views on eating drastically as a response.   Rather then mixing their food with the spices they formally cherished, they suddenly claimed that meat should taste like meat, and that everything added should only enhance the flavors already present.

This first occurred in France in the mid-1600s in a way to show off wealth and the rest of Europe soon adopted the stye.  At the same time, the way they viewed medicine shifted as well, so spices lost value in that regard as well, and as a third strike from the old way of cooking, meat was considered to be the most masculine ingredient in a meal, so chefs wanted to bring that out the most.

Traces of the old Medieval way can still be seen today however.  Barbecue sauce for example, is a strong contrast in flavors very much like that of the olden day.  Perhaps if things didn’t change, the expansion of Indian cuisine wouldn’t be so stinted in America.

For a continued reading on the matter, click here to read NPR’s article in its entirety.