African Spice Mixes For Seafood

By Rose Swartz July 5, 2023 16 mins read 122 Views

African spice blends are an easy way to add a unique flavor to your seafood dishes. Use them as a fish rub before grilling or in curries and stews.

Start by using a few of these popular blends, then adapt them to your own taste preferences. Follow the ratios below for balanced spice blends to start, then add and remove as needed.

Berbere

Berbere is a complex Ethiopian spice mix that's a staple in the country's cooking. It's used to season stews, beans, meat, and vegetables.

It can also be made into a paste called awaze that is used as a condiment or dip in many dishes.

The spicy and smoky flavor of this blend is rich with herbs, spices, and chili peppers. It's a great way to bring more depth and heat to stews, sauces, and even salad dressings.

Berbere is a blend of various spices, including ginger, garlic, fenugreek, cardamom, and cinnamon. It has a strong, but wholesome flavor and is ideal for making stews, chicken, or vegetable dishes.

Ras el Hanout

Including African spice mixes in your seafood dishes can help to improve the taste of your meal. These spices are commonly used in a variety of ways and are often very flavorful.

Ras el Hanout is a popular North African spice mix and is used in many Moroccan dishes, including tagines. This blend of spices has a very robust flavor and is great for cooking with meats and vegetables alike!

It is not uncommon to find recipes that contain this blend in excess of a dozen different spices. Like curry powder or garam masala, this blend can be adapted to suit your own preferences.

Dukkah

African spice mixes can really enhance the flavor of many seafood dishes. In particular, you can use a combination of ground cinnamon and fenugreek to make a flavorful sauce that is perfect for grilled fish or meat.

Dukkah, pronounced doo-kah, is a Middle Eastern condiment/spice blend that is traditionally made by pounding a combination of spices, nuts, and seeds together in a mortar and pestle.

It's a versatile ingredient that works well on vegetables, too. It can be a topping for hummus or yogurt, or sprinkled on avocado toast or a power bar with tahini.

Baharat

There are many spice blends that can improve the taste of your seafood dishes. Some of these include berbere and ras el hanout.

While these blends can be used to season or rub grilled meat, they can also be added to soups or stews for more depth of flavor.

Baharat is a traditional spice mix that is commonly used in Middle Eastern cooking. It varies from region to region but is typically a blend of pepper, cloves, cinnamon, allspice, paprika and nutmeg.

Harissa

Incorporating African spice mixes can improve the taste of your seafood dishes. Specifically, it's helpful to have a few types of harissa on hand to add some heat and flavor.

This North African blend is a combination of roasted red peppers, spices, and garlic. It can be used as a seasoning, sauce, or even a condiment for salads.

This spicy paste is also easy to make at home. It's made from a variety of chile peppers and other ingredients like garlic, lemon juice, salt, and olive oil.

Durban Curry Masala

African spice mixes are a great way to add some of the exotic flavors of Africa to your seafood dishes. They can help to improve the taste of any fish or shrimp dish and are an excellent addition to any restaurant's spice collection.

Durban curry is a spicy and hot blend with the heat coming from cayenne or chili powder and a touch of sweetness from cardamom, cinnamon or cloves.

It’s the only type of South African curry whose name evokes the city itself and was born on plantations where the Indian indentured laborers who arrived on steam ships from India adapted recipes to local ingredients. The results were dishes that were a bit more complex than those found in their homelands, yet still red-hot and flavorful.

Frequently Asked Questions

What kind of mint is used to make Thai food?

Thai cuisine uses the most popular type of mint, the lime-leaf (Mentha cevina).

It has a mild, lemony flavour that adds freshness and zing to dishes. Other spices such as lemongrass, galangal, garlic and coriander are also frequently added to enhance the flavour of Thai dishes.

Mint is a versatile herb and can be used in both sweet and savoury recipes. Using the right spices, herbs, and aromatics is essential to achieving delicious authentic Thai flavours.

If you're making Thai dishes, be sure to include lime-leaf fresh mint!

Enjoy your cooking!

What's the difference between cooking whole and with ground spices? Ground Spices?

There are no significant differences in the cooking of whole and ground spices. All spices are ground after harvesting. The quality is the same.

However, this price differential is quite significant. Whole spices can be more expensive due to the labor involved in their processing. However, the flavor is worth it.

You'll often find extra discounts for bulk purchases when you buy whole spices. If you buy a whole bag of cinnamon sticks, you may get a discount.

The same applies to nutmeg and cloves, ginger or cardamom. You may be able save money if you buy these spices in bulk.

Ground spices don't last as long as whole spices. Ground spices lose their potency very quickly due to oxidation.

However, the main reason we recommend whole spices is because they add character to recipes.

A delicious curry can be made with whole turmeric as opposed to ground turmeric. You can also grind whole coriander leaves to make a spice mix for chicken dishes.

It takes time to grind spices. It is sensible to purchase large quantities when buying whole spices. This will ensure that you don't run out of spices quickly.

Is Thai cuisine made with garlic?

Thai cuisine often uses garlic. Garlic is often added to dishes such as salads, soups, stir-fries, curries, sauces, and rice.

Thai garlic is fried in a mixture of shallots and ginger. In addition, it is commonly eaten with sticky rice.

Garlic can be eaten in a variety of ways. This mixture is called "Nam Phrik" (namphrik). Nam phrik often comes with grilled chicken breast or beef.

How to Store Spices

Keep them out of the sun and heat.

To store spices for longer periods of time, place them in a dark cupboard. This will keep the spices fresh and prevent any oxidation.

Keep spices dry and away from sunlight in a cool, dry place. If the spice is placed near a heater or window, it may lose its flavour and aroma.

Spices need to be kept in an airtight glass container or tin. Make sure that there is no moisture in any plastic containers you store spices in.

It is vital to always check the seal after opening, resealing and before storing.

If you have leftover spices, don't throw them away. Make sure to use leftover spices in other recipes. You can even freeze them to extend their shelf life.

Can you spice up a drink?

I love spices adding flavour to food. But how do you make spices liven up when they are added to drinks?

Spices are wonderful because they can add depth and flavor to any beverage. There's nothing better than adding cinnamon or nutmeg in your glass of wine or beer, whether it's coffee, tea, hot chocolate, or cocktails.

But, since most recipes call to ground spices, you'll need whole spices. While this makes sense, it is costly, takes time and requires storage space.

Here is where the magic happens. With your creativity, you can turn your favorite spices into easy-to-use powdered products. These spices can be mixed into favorite beverages to create tasty spiced drinks.

There are two possible ways to create these powders. One method involves grinding whole spices to a fine powder. One method involves using a mortar-and-pestle to grind spices into a finer consistency.

Whatever method you choose to use, you will find that powders are much easier than whole spices. Plus, the powder keeps well so that you won't run out of stock.

You can also experiment with different spices to create new flavor combinations. To make minty water, you can combine spearmint and peppermint leaves. To make spicy ginger tea, you can also combine ginger and cardamom pods.

Once you are proficient in making powdered spice, you can also apply this technique to herbs. Oregano and rosemary are all popular herbs.

There are so many possibilities. Powdered spices are a great way to make your drinks more flavorful or to enhance dishes like soups and salads.

Does Thai use ginger?

Yes. In traditional Thai cuisine, ginger is used extensively. Ginger is used extensively in Thai traditional cooking. It's often added to soups and stir-fries, and it's also common in desserts and drinks like lassis.

Ginger is a native of China, Japan, Korea and other Asian countries. Its origins go back over 5,000 years. It is believed to have originated from Southeast Asia, where it was cultivated medicinally.

Ginger has been known to improve digestion and reduce nausea. It may even help prevent migraines. Ginger can also be used to treat arthritis, muscle spasms, joint pains, or relieve them.

Ginger is often fresh in Thailand. The ginger root is then cut into thin strips. Once dried, it can be stored for future use. You can buy ginger root in jars or cans from Asian markets.

Statistics

According to a recent survey, professional chefs and many home cooks use spices; usage has only continued to grow from 2011 to now. (hospitalityinsights.ehl.edu)
Their 14 to 20 percent essential oil content means that cloves have the highest concentration of aroma compounds of any spice. (masterclass.com)
India contributes to 75% of global spice production. (en.wikipedia.org)

External Links

How To

How to cut Shiitake Mushrooms

So, the shiitakes are growing well. There is nothing wrong with them. How do we cut them? We've tried everything, even scissors. But they keep falling out our hands. Is there something wrong?

You have a trick. You must put a rubber band around the mushroom's stem and twist it tight. You won't slip, and you won't be cut.

This may seem too simple. It is. But it's also very useful.

The rubber band makes it slippery so that it feels natural when you pick up the stem. The stem can be held securely.

Do it! You will be amazed at the ease with which you can now cut mushrooms.