Surprises from Thailand
Hey Young Chefs! Yesterday, my mom gave me a gift to celebrate my new blog, Eliana Cooks! This beautiful, hand-carved box has an elephant on it surrounded by flowery trees. What is so special about the box is what is inside - delicious spices!
The box contains: Paprika, Mace, Garlic Powder, Cinnamon, Ginger, Turmeric, Bay Leaves, and a wood scooping spoon. Let's learn a little about the spices.
Paprika - Paprika is made by grinding sweet, red bell pepper. It releases flavor when heated. Paprika has a slightly smoky flavor and is great for giving meat a brown color. I use Paprika as a base in my seasoning mix called "Eliana's Magic Seasoning Blend."
Mace - Mace was a prized spice only grown in Indonesia in the 1600s. Mace and Nutmeg come from the fruit of the same tree though Nutmeg is slightly sweeter. It is used in soups, sauces, lamb, chicken, stuffings, and sausages.
Garlic Powder - Garlic is one of my favorite flavorings. Garlic can be used in almost any savory dish and gives it a bold flavor.
Cinnamon - Cinnamon was such a highly prized spice that it was given as a gift to rulers and kings. I use Cinnamon in desserts like sweet potato pie.
Ginger - The ginger plant grows 2-3 feet tall. When the leaves fall off, the root is dug up, dried, and ground into spice. It has a slightly spicy, lemony flavor. Ginger makes a great tea for headaches and upset stomach.
Turmeric - Turmeric is a bright yellowish gold color. It is related to ginger and in 1280, Marco Polo mistook it for saffron. It is used as a base for curry.
Bay Leaves - Bay Leaves are dried leaves of the evergreen tree. In Ancient Greece, Olympic champions wore bay leaf garlands. Bay leaves are great in soups, stews, tomato dishes, and meats.
These spices are used in the following native Thai dishes:
- Pad Thai
- Tom Yum Goong
- Massaman Curry
- Satay Peanut Dipping Sauce
Bon Appetit, Eliana
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