The World in 16 Spice Blends

Traveling the World to Discover the 16 Spice Blends that Made History. Revisited by Bembo.

Average weight per jar: 20 g



No. 1 - ZHUATANG

Origin: China

Born around 1300, this blend is among the oldest in the world. Legend has it that it was created with the intention of uniting all five flavors that are the basis of Chinese dietary theory: sweet (cinnamon), salty (cloves), bitter (anise), sour (fennel seeds), spicy (pepper), and to balance Yin and Yang. In Chinese cuisine, it is normally used to prepare so-called "Lu" foods, a cooking method used to stew certain dishes, generally fatty meats such as pork and duck: thanks to long cooking, these absorb all the aromas to the maximum. Also recommended with tofu, soups, stir-fried vegetables and all kinds of noodle dishes.

Ingredients: Anise, Fennel, Cinnamon, Cloves, Black Pepper.


No. 2 - MADRAS CURRY

Origin: India

This Curry is so famous that it has become synonymous with the word Curry worldwide. Madras is the ancient name of the city of Chennai, in southeastern India. It is a strong Curry which, depending on the amount of chili pepper, can be more or less spicy. The predominant flavor is that of turmeric: dry and enveloping. Then follow the spicy and particular notes of mustard and pepper, enhanced by the light smokiness of paprika. Cardamom, with its floral aroma, completes the blend.

Ingredients: Coriander, Turmeric, Fennel, Salt, Cumin, Garlic, Fenugreek, Bay Leaf, Cloves, MUSTARD, Pepper, Smoked Paprika, Cardamom.


No. 3 - PERDICIÓN

Origin: Polynesia

Although there is no certain information, it seems that this simple aphrodisiac blend was imported from French Polynesia in 1880 when King Pomare V agreed to cede the kingdom of Tahiti to France, obtaining its protection. On that occasion, Pomare V, among other things, gave the French Prime Minister Jules Ferry the original recipe for this passionate blend used by Polynesians in courtship rituals. Brought back to France by Ferry, La Perdición was so successful that many French people forgot its origin, considering it a French spice blend. This melange has a warm and intense aroma, mainly due to cinnamon and cloves, and today, in French cuisine, it is used to flavor soups, ragouts, sausages and pâtés, and is also excellent paired with pork, poultry and mushrooms. Furthermore, it flavors spiced sweet breads, puddings, dry biscuits or pastry cream to be used in fruit tarts.

Ingredients: Black Pepper, White Pepper, Nutmeg, Cloves, Cinnamon, Ginger, Nigella.


No. 4 - PAMPA ARGENTINA

Origin: Argentina

This blend of herbs and spices originated in Argentina and has spread throughout South America and Northern Europe. The flavor and aroma of onion and garlic stimulate pairing with grilled meat and fish. It lends itself to making marinades with extra virgin olive oil, sprinkling it over the meat and letting it rest for at least an hour. The result will be surprising.

Ingredients: Garlic, Onion, Sweet Paprika, Oregano, Salt, Parsley, Pepper.


No. 5 - PAIN D’ÉPICES

Origin: France

Pain d'Épices is a spice blend created to flavor desserts, biscuits, bread, panna cotta, puddings and more. It originates from the town of Colmar, capital of Alsace, also known as the capital of Alsatian wine production. The origins of this sweet blend are lost in the mists of time. Greeks and Romans used to make sweet breads flavored with honey, but the oldest ancestor of Pain d'Epices as we know it today can be found in a honey bread flavored with herbs and used as rations by the Chinese army around 1100 AD.

Ingredients: Cinnamon, Anise, Cardamom, Coriander, Mace, Allspice, Ginger, Black Pepper, Cloves.


No. 6 - RAS EL HANOUT

Origin: Morocco

It is a spice blend with warm and "sweet" aromas, not spicy, such as cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg. As it can be considered a seasoning, it is easy to use for marinating meats, perhaps mixed with fat, or transformed into a spreadable cream not only for meats, fish or vegetables, but also for stews and tagines. To prepare a spreadable cream, add a teaspoon of Ras el Hanout to softened butter, sour cream or Greek yogurt; if, on the other hand, you want an emulsion to make your pinzimonio special, mix it with extra virgin olive oil.

Ingredients: Turmeric, Coriander, Allspice, Cinnamon, Chili Pepper, Black Pepper, Cardamom, Ginger, Cumin, Fennel, Nutmeg, Star Anise, Orange Peel, Fenugreek, Bay Leaf.


No. 7 - TIERRA DE FUEGO

Origin: Mexico

It is a spicy blend thanks to its typical ingredients such as chili, onion, cumin and many others. Tierra del Fuego is perfect for grilling, but can also be used for pan-frying. Also try it on grilled vegetables. Excellent for Churrasco. This spice blend comes from the gaucho tradition of South America and must be rigorously used to support a decidedly abundant dish... based on different cuts of meat (beef, pork, lamb and chicken), perhaps skewered and cooked over coals.

Ingredients: Ancho Chili, Mustard Seeds, Onion, Smoked Paprika, Black Pepper, Coriander, Garlic, Cumin, Dried Tomato, Oregano, Turmeric, Thyme, Marjoram, Nutmeg, Allspice, Basil, Rosemary, Tarragon, Orange Zest, Ginger, Smoked Salt, Raw Cane Sugar.


No. 8 - COWBOY

Origin: USA

A classic of American BBQ. Coffee and cocoa, in their natural state, are bitter, but they sweeten and harmonize perfectly with the other spices when they come into contact with heat. This blend, when used on red meats, transmits an energetic, unmistakable and exciting aroma, especially when the spicy notes of pepper and chili meet those of coffee. Ideal for all beef, pork and lamb meats. An unmistakable and balanced flavor for a BBQ that will thrill your guests.

Ingredients: Salt, Coffee, Black Pepper, Unsweetened Cocoa, Mustard, Chili Pepper, Allspice, Bay Leaf, Marjoram, Dill, Cloves.


No. 9 - CAJUN

Origin: Louisiana

Cajun cuisine is a typical American cuisine born with French immigrants from Canadian Acadia who were forcibly displaced by the British to Acadiana, a colonial region of present-day Louisiana and parts of eastern Texas. Cajun foods are characterized by simple preparation and the use of rustic ingredients. This spicy spice blend is very popular in the United States and is suitable for all red meat and game dishes.

Ingredients: Thyme, Onion, Garlic, Sweet Paprika, Black Pepper, White Pepper, Salt, Chili Pepper, Oregano, Nutmeg, Cumin.


No. 10 - BERBERÉ

Origin: Eritrea, Ethiopia

Berbere is the name of an African spice mix, used in Eritrea and Ethiopia for the preparation of the famous national dish, zighinì stew. The blend includes spices with countless properties: cardamom, chili pepper, ginger, cloves, coriander, allspice, common rue, ajwain, sometimes even long pepper and fenugreek. There are essentially two types of Berbere: one with fenugreek and one with cardamom. Berbere can be used to spice countless foods and dishes and to increase the use of spices in cooking, also helping to eliminate salt and fats.

Ingredients: Nutmeg, Coriander, Cardamom, Allspice, Black Pepper, Caraway, Cayenne Pepper, Ginger, Cloves, Salt, Fenugreek.


No. 11 - ZA'ATAR

Origin: Lebanon

Za'atar is a very popular spice mix in the area of the former Ottoman Empire (Lebanon, Egypt, Turkey, Syria, Israel and Jordan). In Israel it is very fashionable, as in Palestine where it is considered a typical ingredient of their cuisine. In Lebanon, children are raised on bread and za'atar because it is believed to strengthen body and mind. Very versatile, Za'atar is simply used mixed with oil to dip bread, bagels, pita or manakish, a kind of pizza widespread throughout the Middle East; in Palestine it is served with chickpeas and olives and is eaten, as well as for breakfast, also as a mid-morning snack, served with hummus; it is added to labneh, a yogurt that has the consistency of cheese; it is also used to flavor meats and vegetables. You can use it to season an onion pizza or to flavor stewed potatoes; it is very pleasant to use as a dry marinade for chicken or lamb and is also tasty on tomatoes and mozzarella or on eggs.

Ingredients: Sesame, Sumac, Thyme, Marjoram, Coriander, Dill, Salt.


No. 12 - MYKONOS

Origin: Greece

The Mykonos herb blend was invented in the 1960s. It seems that one of the chefs on Aristotle Onassis's yacht, on the occasion of the first visit of Jacqueline Kennedy, who would later become the wife of the Greek shipowner, prepared this melange to season a carrot, cucumber, and tomato salad that Jacqueline was fond of. The guests were so enthusiastic that the recipe soon went global. This blend encloses all the scents of the Mediterranean in an aromatic bouquet. It is a particularly suitable blend for flavoring fish and white meats, eggs and sauces, and dishes based on steamed vegetables and legumes. Also excellent for marinating meats to be grilled.

Ingredients: Thyme, Rosemary, Basil, Fennel, Sage, Marjoram, Mint, Oregano.


No. 13 - SAN JOSÉ

Origin: Costa Rica

This world-famous blend has a strong personality characterized by a delicate balance between different spices and, elegantly releasing sweet, spicy, and salty notes, creates an unusual and interesting flavor. In addition to the purely gustatory and olfactory aspects, a mahogany-colored bark on the meat is appreciated, guaranteeing a unique result in all its aspects. Particularly suitable for pork, San José lends itself to various uses with pork roasts and steaks, not to mention its effect on french fries.

Ingredients: Salt, Brown Sugar, Chili Pepper, Garlic, Paprika, Celery, Cumin, Cayenne Pepper, Rosemary, White Pepper, Green Paprika.


No. 14 - KASKÀ

Origin: Niger, Mali, Ghana

In some 13th-century AD citations, a Syrian historian from Aleppo mentions Kaska on four occasions, always pairing it with couscous. These ancient citations show that couscous, and therefore Kaska, spread rapidly, but that in general they were common especially in the Islamic West as far as Tripolitania, while further east, starting from Cyrenaica, the cuisine was mainly Egyptian, so couscous was only an occasional dish. One of the first references to Kaska in Northern Europe is in Brittany, in a letter dated January 12, 1699, but long before that it had appeared in Provence, where the traveler Jean Jacques Bouchard wrote of having eaten it in Toulon in 1630. This blend is not only essential for preparing couscous, to which it should be added during cooking, but it is also a happy pairing when combined with fish and lamb.

Ingredients: Coriander, Cumin, Paprika, Black Pepper, Chili Pepper.


No. 15 - ASUNCIÓN

Origin: Paraguay

It is said that this spice blend, now well-known throughout Europe, originated in the grasslands of Estancia, Paraguay. In that region, where meat is the quintessential food, what we now know as roast beef was born, a method of cooking grilled meat until now erroneously attributed exclusively to England. The extensive cattle breeding practiced in Paraguay, the qualitative care of production, and the ability to cook meat in the grasslands during grazing, confirm the influence this area had on the history of this loin cut. In those green expanses, rich in uncontaminated pastures, this spice blend used by camperos to flavor grilled beef developed.

Ingredients: Salt, Rosemary, Black Pepper, White Pepper, Garlic, Thyme, Marjoram, Oregano.


No. 16 - KARIBES

Origin: Caribbean

It was the Carib Indians who invented this prodigious spice blend, now used worldwide as a base for preparing barbecue or grilled meats. As early as the 15th century, these peoples, nicknamed the "navigators of American prehistory," used spices to season meats and fish. Their cultural influence spread throughout Latin America, from Nicaragua to Brazil via the Amazon River and also to North America, forming the Carichana (Karb-Ana), Carib colony. Even today, the success of this blend continues to amaze country cooking enthusiasts who use it with pork, beef, and baked potatoes.

Ingredients: Salt, Pepper, Garlic, Paprika, Chili Pepper, Mustard, Cayenne Pepper, Chives, Tarragon, Marjoram.