A Symphony of Spice

By Jed Levinson, C.C.S., Contributing Editor

Flavor balance in foods leads to a more-exciting, satisfying flavor profile and, hopefully, a more-pleasurable, memorable eating experience. Achieving the right flavor balance can be accomplished through creating layers of flavor that hit the palate at different times in different ways, creating excitement and delivering eating satisfaction.

One-dimensional foods can certainly deliver a flavor experience, but one that might be flat and unsatisfyingmuch like an orchestra lacking in that rich, full, balanced sound we need for maximum listening enjoyment. Similarly, by incorporating the right selection of spices into foods, we add interest and richness that go a long way toward heightening our eating experience.

Highly spiced history

Spices have a long history of intrigue. For more than 5,000 years, people have cultivated and harvested spices and herbs. The overland spice trade initially brought Europe these wonderful flavors via secretive, dangerous routes from their sources in the East (India, China, Indonesia, etc.) to new and impressionable consumers in the West (Italy, France, Spain, etc.). Over the centuries, trade-savvy countries, such as Portugal, Italy and the Netherlands, came to control the many segments and distribution points of these caravan and shipping routes. Trade wars over the centuries were common, often making the cost of spices in Europe enormous at the time.

Spices, such as cinnamon, clove, nutmeg and mace, were heavily sought after for their perceived value and the status they conferred. Wealthy European noblemen kept hoards of spices in their castles to demonstrate wealth. Spices were also an integral part of religious ceremonies and celebrations. Medieval European, as well as early Chinese and Indian, medical remedies would often incorporate spices as part of the cure, for conditions such as respiratory and gastrointestinal distress. Spices aromas and sensations were even thought to address intimacy issues. Spices were also employed to disguise the taste of spoiled foods, such as wine.

As worldwide agriculture practices grew and developed, the demand for spices to add value, flavor and flair to everyday eating grew, as well.

Cultural distinctions

Over the centuries, many countries, regions and cultures have developed emblematic spice and herb seasoning blends that remain popular to this day. The Chinese have five-spice seasoning, a blend of ground cinnamon, cloves, star anise, fennel seed and Szechuan peppercorns that transforms a pork tenderloin into a fascinating flavor experience. India has introduced many curry blends, mixtures of turmeric with several spices, including cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, coriander, cumin and fenugreek, made pungent with ginger, chile and pepper. Curry blends can enhance most any chicken or vegetarian dish. Hispanic cuisine highlights, among others, blends of dried chiles, garlic, oregano, cumin, coriander and clovesa natural choice to highlight many beef products. The French have herbes de Provence, a mixture of herbs that always seems to include thyme, savory and rosemary, and occasionally lavender, oregano and marjoram. Herbes de Provence is an intriguing addition to a dish with cheese and/or other dairy ingredients. Todays tastes allow these culturally created spice and herb blends to be used in dishes as diverse as entrées (pork, poultry, beef and seafood), savory snacks (topically coated chips and nuts) and desserts.

Today, more ethnic spice blends are gaining broader market appeal in the United States. North African culinary culture offers ras el hanout (literally translated as top of the shop), a blend of cinnamon, turmeric, ginger, cumin, black and white peppers, cayenne, nutmeg, clove, and allspice. This orchestra of culinary flavors is traditionally used in tagines, couscous, rice, lamb and chicken dishes. Panch phoron from Bengal India is a classic five-spice mixture composed of cumin, fennel, fenugreek, and nigella and black mustard seeds, typically lightly fried in ghee before used in cooking vegetables, proteins or lentils. Garam masala (literally translates to warm spice blend), a northern Indian spice combination, comprised of cumin, coriander, cinnamon, cardamom, clove and pepper, has savory and sweet applications. Spanish cuisine offers pinchos morunos, a spice paste typically used with meat kebobs. It is made from garlic, cumin, coriander, paprika, oregano, black pepper, lemon and olive oil. Japanese cuisine is offering up for culinary exploration shichimi togarashi, a seven-spice blend that includes black and white sesame seeds, pepper, red chiles, roasted orange peel, seaweed, and ginger. This blend is often used in seasoned soups, noodles and yakitori.

New interpretations

Over the years, the norms by which we use spices, herbs and seasoning blends have begun to blur as we have seen a role reversal of savory flavors used in sweet applications and sweet flavors in savory applications. Some upscale restaurants on the West Coast are gaining attention with creations such as roasted-beet baked Alaska with basil meringue and traditional cheesecakes layered with chèvre and warm apples simmered in rosemary and cinnamon. Traditional desserts, such as crème brûlée, are now being made with a hint of curry powder that brings a more-complex, intriguing, earthy note to a typically sweet profile. In alcoholic beverages, weve seen exciting combinations, such as a touch of smoked paprika complementing the smoky notes of tequila, peppercorns floating in sake, green-tea martinis and lemongrass with Thai basil muddled with coconut milk and rum.

Taking it to the bench

To the product developer, spices and herbs offer complex and rewarding tools to create a memorable eating experience. Spices and herbs can be sourced in many ways, including dried, fresh, frozen or freeze-dried, in powdered, granulated, minced, chopped, whole, leaf, bark and stem forms. The particle size of spices and herbs can impact flavor release and appearance among other attributes. Choice also depends on cost, ease-of-use, overall handling, and supply and shelf-life considerations. The final food matrix to be developed, including how it will be processed, packaged and consumed, is a key consideration in the type, form and amount of spices and herbs incorporated. To ensure sufficient dispersion in a matrix, powders are often employed.

The form used impacts how quickly a spice and herbs flavor is perceived during tasting. A layered-flavor experience can be achieved by how readily and quickly these flavors are released to the palate and nose. The finer the particle or grind size, the faster its flavor is typically released. Black pepper is a perfect example, as a fine grind releases its pungent character much more quickly and readily than its coarser, cracked pepper counterpart.

Appearance should also be considered. While adults may see the flakes of oregano or basil in their lasagna as a sign of impending sensory enjoyment, a child may see the appearance of spices and/or herbs in their canned ravioli as a distraction.

Snack chips can create limits to the size of the spices and herbs that can be topically applied. On a slice of Texas toast, a large piece of cracked black pepper may be a natural, but on a chip, it will often end up in the bottom of the bag. Spices and herbs can darken and discolor if a developer is not mindful of the heat involved in the production process. Retorting can easily discolor whole spices and herbs, but this might be less noticeable in ground or granulated forms. In all food systems, especially low-acid systems such as those that contain dairy ingredients, a developer must understand any incoming microbial loads. Spices and herbs can be treated to have the least microbial impact via steam-sterilization, gas or irradiation treatments.

All this being said, it seems to this product developer that spices, herbs and their myriad seasoning blends can offer up limitless potential toward designing great-tasting, memorable, successful food products. Just as great music so often provides its listener a pleasing balance of sound, often with a touch of intrigue and surprise, so too can our choices of spice and herbs to our customers.

Jed Levinson, CCS, is a senior scientist at McCormick &Co., Inc., Hunt Valley, MD, and a member of the Research Chefs Association. For more information, visit mccormick.com.