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
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
l’arganier : une relique millénaire au cœur du maroc l’arganier (argania spinosa), surnommé « arbre de vie », est un témoin vivant de l’histoire naturelle. cette espèce rare, vieille de 80 millions d’années, couvrait autrefois de vastes étendues d’afrique du nord. toutefois, les glaciations quaternaires ont presque entraîné sa disparition. seule la vallée du souss, au maroc, a offert des conditions favorables à sa survie, grâce à un climat océanique et à la protection naturelle des montagnes. environnantes. Aujourd’hui, l’arganier...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
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
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
On the road to Taliouine's organic saffron 12 days always go by quickly, especially in Morocco where time stands still and you take your time. Take your time, then, to get from Marrakech Menara airport to Taliouine via the Test Pass road in the High Atlas (Tizi n'Test // Tizi meaning Pass in Arabic). This road, which will soon be a century old (1924), has been badly damaged in recent weeks by heavy rain...Continue Reading
4000 years of saffron cultivation worldwide From the Latin safranum, zarparan in Persia or Sahafaran in Hebrew, traces of crocus sativus - saffron - can be found on tablets in Iraq over 2000 years BC. Present on certain Santorini frescoes, it was discovered 2000 years ago in the Roman Empire. Greece is undoubtedly the birthplace of the famous Crocus Sativus (the Greek endemic Crocus cartwrightianus being its presumed ancestor). It is...Continue Reading
August 26 is raksha bandhan in India, the festival of brotherhood between brothers and sisters, or between friends as brother and sister. A small cord that the sister ties to her brother's wrist, asking for his protection, represents this bond. Rakhi Day is a special day in India, and even more so this year, when floods have swept across Kerala in the south of the country. It takes place at the time of the full moon at...Continue Reading
Whether it's from Algeria, Tunisia or Morocco, couscous is all about sharing and celebrating with family and friends. Berbers celebrate the New Year with couscous, and colorful eggs are sprinkled throughout the dish. What are the origins of couscous in France? It's no coincidence that couscous is one of France's top 10 favorite dishes. It's been known in France since the 16th century, and in 1534 Rabelais wrote "Force coscossons, et renfort de potages" (Gargantua,...Continue Reading
Eggplant caviar and its long series of recipes, each one different from the next. What haven't I read? Incorporated with mayonnaise for some, mixed with garlic and parsley for others, with cumin and olive oil, recipes vary according to regional moods and traditions... So what is eggplant caviar? Eggplant caviar is a reduction of the pulp of the cooked/confit fruit, which, depending on the country, can be seasoned with different...Continue Reading
Clearly, we're not all in the same boat when it comes to buying tomatoes as summer approaches. Of course, we'd be well advised to avoid imported, graded tomatoes straight from northern Europe, after having transited by truck or plane through the Mediterranean basin, if not further afield... In short, we all know the drill, but I always prefer to come back to it, because nothing beats local consumption of fresh produce. It's...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
It's decided, the barometer looks set to stay on a high, so barbecues are out. Olive wood, beech wood or charcoal for the less patient, it doesn't matter what you use as long as you've got embers. So get out your chicken thighs (or sleeves only), remove the skin (unless you like fats that aren't super-essential for our good health 😉 and score the flesh widely, forming crosses. In a bowl,...Continue Reading
