Spice Gallery

Our Whole Spice Blends

Madras Curry No. 4 — Our flagship product and containing a rich blend of spices from India and China, including slices of whole tumeric root. Beautiful to look at and even better to eat.

Bangkok Curry — Our blend of exotic Thai flavors that will transport you to Siam for a lot less money and no jet lag. Then again, it might inspire your next vacation.

Coriander

Botanical Name: Coriandrum sativum

One of the key ingredients we use at Spice Mogul in many of our whole spice blends, coriander is one of the workhorses of the spice world. A member of the parsley family and reputed to originally from the Baltic region, coriander is now grown year round in Egypt, India and Canada. Coriander leaf, also known as Cilantro or Chinese Parsley is the herbal sibling of coriander and is itself a workhorse in Latin American, Indian and East Asian cuisines. Coriander seed’s geographic diversity of origin means that it is a heavily used spice in diverse dishes, finding itself as the basis of everything from masalas and curries in India, to spice blends in the Middle East to barbecue rubs in America.

As with many spices, freshness is extremely important for delivering its fullest flavor.

Cumin

Botanical Name: Cuminum cyminum

Cumin is at the foundation of so many terrific cuisines, it’s hard to imagine the culinary world without it. At Spice Mogul, cumin seed adds a key note in both our Madras Curry and Thai Curry Blends. Now grown all over India, the Middle East, Africa, Mexico and Canada, cumin is thought to have originated in ancient Egypt. Over the centuries (millennia?) traders have dispersed it throughout the world, resulting in it being a spice heavily used in cuisines from central America around Africa, Southern Europe, the middle East and Asia. Cumin seed is the dried fruit of a member of the Parsley family, like coriander, and comes in three colors: yellow-brown, white, and black the latter most often found in Asian markets. We use the yellow-brown variety as it has the classic mild nuttiness and earthiness notes needed for many of our whole spice blends.

Fennel

Botanical Name: Foeniculum vulgare (for the seeds and leaves)

Ah fennel seed, where would we be without its licorice bite? A key ingredient in dishes as diverse as Italian sausages, Indian curries and Chinese five spice powder, fennel is a flavor used throughout the world’s major cuisines. The seeds are cultivated around the globe, but mainly in the Northern hemisphere. Often paired with cumin seed (which it can strongly resemble), fennel seeds add another note of earthiness in addition to the distinct flavor of licorice. It blends well with other spices to form a unified whole and probably the most exciting aspect of fennel from a cook’s perspective is its ability to serve as a flavoring in both sweet and savory dishes. By way of example, the Italians use it for making cookies and sausage. A member of the parsley family like cumin and coriander, its bulb and fronds are often used for braising and salads.

As with many spices, despite its durability and robustness, it should be kept in whole form no more than 6 months on your shelf to ensure it delivers the maximum flavor. Light and heat are enemies of its longevity.

Turmeric

Botanical name: Curcuma domestica

One doesn’t often see turmeric in its original form. A rhizome from the ginger family, the dried root tends to be as hard as stone, and can be a challenge for lesser spice grinders. But turmeric is more than just a pretty face as it were. In addition to imparting a deep yellow color (think yellow hot dog mustard and American cheese), turmeric also lends a peppery, earthy and somewhat mustard-y flavor to any dish. This flavor is all too often lost when it is ground commercially and stored for lengthy periods on home cooks’ shelves. So we decided to add it into our blends in its whole form since the resulting blends are noticeably better, not just in terms of the color, but in depth of flavor. So as you grind turmeric yourself, don’t wince at the sounds emanating from the spice grinder, instead think of the extra flavor and color being imparted and smile.

Yellow Mustard

Botanical name: Brassica hirta

Along with peppercorns and chilis, mustard seeds must be considered amongst the key tools a cook has at his or her disposal for delivering fire to the palate. Mustard seeds have been used since ancient times as everything from a curative to a condiment but in Indian curries the yellow seed form one of the key underpinnings of heat, as well as adding a note of earthy flavor. Now grown through out central latitudes around the world, mustard seeds started in Asia and India, as well as Northern Europe. Many have passed by fields of mustard plants in bloom in the spring, their yellow flowers hinting at the intense flavor of the seeds they will produce.

At Spice Mogul, when we look to kick up the fire level in our curry blends, we often turn to mustard seeds since the heat delivered melds so smoothly with the other spices.