Moose Spice 3: Bourbon Vanilla, Cardamom, Cinnamon and Cloves

INTRODUCTION

Allspice, Basil and Black Pepper

Bourbon Vanilla, Bourbon Vanille, bourbonska vanilija (Vanilla planifolia)

Ever since I discovered that 95 % of “vanilla” products contain synthetic vanillin (C₈H₈O₃) I have taken care to have the alternative choice of the Real Thing at home as well – a Posh Pod from an orchid, containing many other flavouring agents besides vanillin. Vanilla pods have an interesting additional value, if they don’t come from Mexico: the only kind of bees capable of pollinating vanilla orchid flowers live in Mexico and won’t emigrate, not one of them. So the flowers have to be pollinated artificially. Manually. A flower after lovely flower is self-pollinated with a little help of a bamboo sliver… Even on Indian Ocean islands where Bourbon vanilla for my cookies comes from.

Cardamom, Kardamom, kardamom (Elettaria cardamomum)

Members of the Royal Ginger Family, green cardamom and black cardamom are a must in any creative kitchen and also in Sweden (i.e. Scandinavia). I’ve had ground black seeds from green cardamom pods in coffee, cookies, curry, lassi, palak paneer… you name it. They are another lovely mortar-and-pestle candidate, BTW.
Cardamom pods are also an important element of the Best Basmati Rice Evah^TM: Take a cup and a half of cold water and pour it over a cup of Basmati rice with some whole cardamom pods. Let them get to know each other for 20 minutes and then put them on the stove to give them some heat. Boil them for 4 minutes, take them from the hot spot and let them embrace for another 10 minutes. You won’t regret it.

Cinnamon, Zimt, cimet (Cinnamomum verum)

Well, I have to agree with Kaneli: cinnamon is “pure spicy magic”. It seems even King Solomon appreciated it a lot. I use it in coffee and cookies and stuff, but even more often it lands in our Indian dishes where it works its magic, too.

Clove, Gewürznelke, klinček/nageljnova žbica (Syzygium aromaticum)

Ground cloves belong into a good palak paneer and curry and lassi and whatnot, but the most important use we have for them is against toothache: biting into a clove with an attention-whorish tooth (or its less aching neighbour) really does alleviate the pain. What is more: I am sure my dentist uses stuff containing clove oil, too. Cloves should not be used in too large quantities, though.