A wide-ranging debate, but a simple reality: spices have a harvesting time. In fact, spices are flowers, bark, buds, roots and other leaves, parts of plants that are harvested at a very specific time, which varies according to the plant species. Unfortunately, when you buy a spice from a retailer, especially a supermarket, you don't know the harvest date, and yet it's from this date that the...Continue Reading
Well, after 3 hours of inspection as we do every six months, Place des Epices has once again received a favorable opinion from our certifier Ecocert. We're very proud of this, as it's been one of our credos since the company was founded. I often hear allegations that controls are non-existent or even "bought in"; I can assure you that this is absolutely false. When you process...Continue Reading
Spring is here, and I'd like to take this opportunity to offer you an overview of Rub(s)...for parties and, of course, lunch 😉 What is a Rub? Rub in English means to rub. So we're dealing with spices to rub... on meat or fish. What do you have in mind? Yes! ham, which is salted and then rubbed before being smoked: rub's primary use; or pepper steak, which is...Continue Reading
Superb report on pepper on France 5 on Sunday evening, on replay until March 1, 2020. Don't hesitate to watch it, it's quite short and explains perfectly why it's important to consume organic, fair trade and especially spices, which all too often concentrate cocktails of pesticides in conventional agriculture. A beautiful moment on IGP Kampot red pepper. https://www.france.tv/france-5/le-doc-du-dimanche/1254981-poivre-les-secrets-de-la-perle-noire.htmlContinue Reading
Masala chai, or "spiced tea", is renowned for its abundance of comforting spices. There are many variations of chai spices, depending on region, family tradition and individual preference. Here's a guide to the Masala chai spices used in India and elsewhere. Main organic spices in Masala chai These spices are present in almost all versions of Masala chai: Real cinnamon Cinnamon is rich, very slightly pungent and tannic - a great base for most...Continue Reading
In 120 hours, the garlic is totally transformed, going from white to black and from hard to soft. The temperature is a constant 80 degrees day and night, and the humidity is 85/90%, with the first 24 hours at almost 100%. Some heads have lost more weight than others, which is quite uneven. I'll try to find out why, but the fact remains. A bulb that weighed...Continue Reading
Marathon runners tend to drink this beverage on a daily basis for a reason. This is what we call an "effort" or isotonic drink, with the difference that in our recipe we won't be adding maltodextrin-type sugars (slow sugars excellent for endurance and recovery). In these hot weather conditions, drinking an "effort" drink may seem rather surprising, but in the end it's not. In summer, we become much more dehydrated...Continue Reading
Kuro Nikkoku is the Nipponese name for black garlic. Of Korean origin for some, Japanese for others, black garlic leaves no one indifferent when you see it, but above all when you taste it. Black garlic has been used for thousands of years in Asian cuisine, and particularly in Japanese cuisine, where it has become an everyday staple for both its culinary qualities and its medicinal virtues. Slow food, slow process, black garlic takes time...Continue Reading
You either know Vadouvan or you don't. If you've tasted it or smelled it once, you'll never forget it! If you've tasted or smelled it once, you'll never forget it! Its unique, bewitching fragrance will leave you breathless, and its musky, amber, smoky, sweet and salty taste is inimitable. What is vadouvan? Vadouvan is a blend of spices, the first part being onion, shallot and garlic, and the second part spices such as fenugreek, cumin and turmeric. A lot of...Continue Reading
Finding quality, pure-origin organic peppers is no easy task. Today, we're delighted to expand our range of organic peppers and introduce them to you. From Africa and Asia, these new black peppers come from East Africa (Tanzania), southern Sumatra and south-west India (Malabar and Tellicherry). Killindi pepper from Tanzania is a little-known pepper. It is hand-harvested by independent farmers in the most...Continue Reading
In India, sesame seeds are considered a symbol of immortality, and perhaps this is one of the reasons for the exceptional longevity of the Japanese, for whom gomasio is one of their flagship condiments? What is gomasio? On paper, nothing could be simpler: sesame seeds and salt. But not just any sesame, nor just any salt. For the sesame, choose organic wholegrain (blond or black); for the salt, a sea salt such as fleur de...Continue Reading
It's the new discovery of top chefs, but little known to the general public: loumi. But what is loumi? Loumi is originally a lime that has been scalded and then dried in the sun for several days. It's better known as black lemon or dried lemon. Iraqis call it noomi basra, while in Iran it's known as limoo omani or loomi tout court in the Sultanate of Oman...Continue Reading
The choice to sell organic and responsible spices is not a whim, nor even a temporary fad, but a desire to be in line with our daily eating habits. We eat organic and/or responsibly farmed fruit and vegetables, and tend to do the same with dried products. Today, to consume non-organic spices is to sign a pact with one of the world's two biggest agri-food companies, which is bleeding the planet's farmers dry...Continue Reading
It's summer, it's hot, so it's not surprising to see Senegalese and Egyptians drinking hibiscus flower juice all day long. For thousands of years, the Egyptians' Karkadé (carcadet) has helped to lower body temperature, which is a good thing when midsummer temperatures flirt with 50 degrees in the shade. Let's discover this marvellous, tangy beverage to drink without moderation. Scientific name: Hibiscus sabdariffa English name: roselle You can...Continue Reading
Of Arabic origin, the word "coffee" comes from "qawha". Coffee was introduced to Egypt in the 15th century (during the Mamlûk period) from southern Egypt (Nubia) via Yemen and Arabia. The Mamlûks had complete control over the trade, which was initially limited to the upper social classes. As you may have read in our various episodes on the history of the world's spices, the 15th century saw the discovery of the Cape of Good Hope, enabling...Continue Reading
A friend asked me to make him a special organic gingerbread mix (he's from the Dijon region, so his request came as no surprise). Admittedly, it's not the height of the season (though?), but it still has major nutritional benefits, especially for marathon runners and trailers. Gingerbread is a sportsman's cake! Nothing too complicated, you might say: flour, honey, organic spices, but you've still got to use the right ones. Here's how...Continue Reading
It's spring, and summer is fast approaching - on the 21st we'll be there. Barbecues and salads will be the order of the day for a few months, with aperitifs and fine dining among friends and family. I've prepared 3 "special barbecue" blends, one traditional, one west-facing and one east-facing. The latter is an Indian "tandoori-style" blend that will allow you to season your skewers and chicken/turkey fillets the way Indian malsachi do. A Jaipur atmosphere for this opening...Continue Reading
