Moose Spice 7: Things We Just Don’t Do
19 February, 2008Allspice, Basil and Black Pepper
Bourbon Vanilla, Cardamom, Cinnamon and Cloves
Coriander, Cumin, Fennel and Fenugreek
Ginger, Nutmeg, Paprika and Parsley
Saffron, Sage, Tarragon, Thyme and Turmeric
Since I have already told you everything I had planned to tell you about the spices we like and use, I guess it’s time for the other part of the medal: things we do not eat unless forced to. Here is the Top 3 list of our personal no-goodies:
Number Three:
Marjoram (Majoran; majaron, Origanum majorana) and oregano – pot marjoram (Oregano, origano (dobra misel), Origanum vulgare).
I don’t care if I find marjoram/oregano in some otherwise tasty products, but I wouldn’t use them by my own free will.
Number Two:
Despite the easy access to this famous, overused “Yugoslav” condiment I’ve grown so fed up with it that I have never bought Vegeta in Germany, let alone used it. As it is, every patriotism has its thorns, and mine are culinary. 
Number One:
Garlic (Knoblauch, česen, Allium Sativum).
It is quite difficult to buy food, in our modern days, that wouldn‘t include a portion of garlic. I don’t know about your supermarket, but ours offers only one sort of frozen pizza that doesn’t say “garlic” on the box. I still think I can taste it, but I do try to convince myself it cannot be true.
Garlic certainly has quite a few adverse effects, apart from its off-putting effect on potential kissers. And how does the following statement from Wikipedia influence you: “after Satan left the Garden of Eden, garlic arose in his left footprint, and onion in the right”?
I liked do’s much more than dont’s.
I’m obviously a newbie to spices since I do use oregano and vegeta and almost none of the rest. But I do plan to use your list to my advantage after I move on my own. I’ll check this series of posts and go buy the spices you stated so I’ll be able to decide on my own which ones I like and which ones I don’t.
And I mean it, I’m not just blowing on your soul (Kar v prevodu seved apomeni “pihati na dušo”. Ravnokar se v prazni pisarni na glas režim tej svoji domislici.
–> slabša se mi 
)
P.S. What about soy sauce and sesame oil? I especially adore the latter.
Right: I should write about sauces, oils and ketchups, too. But the basic thing about them is, we love them.
Especially the soy sauce is my favourite.
And I have to agree with you: checking out whether there are spices that would suit you (and your boyfriend) can be an adventure
Many of them we consume without knowing it, because they are used by the food industry.
BTW, I have just tried to imagine an English or American person puckering their lips and gently blowing on someone’s soul… Me likes
Meine Güte, was man beim Lesen Deiner Beiträge alles lernen muß
Vegeta -> Mononatriumglutamat -> Umami:
In der westlichen Welt kennt man vier verschiedene Geschmacksqualitäten: süß, sauer, salzig und bitter. Ihre Erkennung verdanken wir dem deutschen Psychologen Hans Hening (1916). Chinesische Köche dagegen unterscheiden fünf grundlegende Geschmacksqualitäten (süß, sauer, salzig, bitter und scharf) sowie „xiang“ (beißend und aromatisch wie Knoblauch, Frühlingszwiebeln und manche Gewürze) und „xian“ (herzhaft wie Austern- und Krabbensoße oder Hühner- und Fleischbrühe). „Xian“ verleiht man einem Gericht durch einen Spritzer Sojasoße oder eine Prise Glutamatpulver.
Das ist ja faszinierend…. Ich frage mich, ob sich Chipsliebhaber wie ich eigentlich nach dem Umami-Erlebnis sehnen…
Garlic yuck, I totally agree. I cannot even smell it – and then people happen to tease me that I am a vampire. Regardless my vegeterian fact.
Tell them you drink … beetroot juice
I cannot think of a single older Slovenian living in Canada that doesn’t use Vegeta in some way in their daily cooking. I grew up on the stuff. It’s a big joke for me and my Slovenian-Canadians friends; if someone asks if what they are cooking tastes ok, we always say ‘It needs more Vegeta!’. It can’t be good for you, it’s just MSG…
Dave: my Granny’s neighbour in Slovenia once went to an old farmer earning some little extra money as a quack doctor. I couldn’t believe it when she told us she was not supposed to use Vegeta if she wanted her health to improve…
I didn’t know you had Vegeta in Canada (!) but your story is exactly how I imagine its use outside ex-Yugoslavia.
I even get some as a present occasionally because people are sure I am using it.
Česen in origano. Zamujaš okusa ključnih začimb slastne paradižnikove omake. Eh, kaj čmo … skomig.
Da ne omenjam, da ga ni čez vonj strte zeli origana v z burjo prepihanih in s soncem razvajanih skalnih plateh Ospa, ali čez vonj čemaža (Allium ursinum) v sveže zeleni majski hosti Kamniške Bistrice …
Mhm… a veš, da si seveda lahko predstavljam situacije, v katerih sta česen in oregano idealen dodatek in ti torej verjemem. In paradižnikovo omako kdaj tudi kupim in se potem ne travmiram zaradi oregana…
Ampak: moja teorija je, da ima vsak človek glede na svoj kemično-biološki ustroj snovi, ki ga “napadejo”, namesto da bi mu polepšale dan. Če bi vse začimbe, o katerih sem pisala, dala v tabelo glede na to, a jih maram ali ne, in navedla njihove učinkovine/glavne aromatske snovi, bi najbrž dobila neke vrste aromatski profil, ki je hkrati tudi informacija o ustroju mojega telesa… Seveda ne vem, kako zanesljivo je maranje/nemaranje nečesa, ampak če to pomeni, da je neka stvar za nas dobra/ni dobra, potem za vsakim t.i. “okusom” stoji čisto konkretno stanje človeškega telesa.
To, kar zamujam v tvojem komentarju, nadoknadim s toplimi indijskimi začimbami v na ognju spečenih kruhkih po celem dnevu veslanja v mrzlih švedskih jezerih…
Sprejmem. Mene recimo na takšen način napada nutella. Vztrajno hoče in leze pod mojo kožo.
Ne, resno, se strinjam. Ščepec vegete mi pokvari katerikoli obrok.
Off topic – kamasutra in Švedinje … a men’s gotta do what a men’s gotta do!
Joj, kaj vse meni leze pod kožo… To še ni vse – kože je tudi čedalje več
ON-TOPIC: Tja, Švedinje me pač ne zanimajo
Alcessa: Yes we get Vegeta here, along with other ex-Yugoslavian specialties, such as Pelinkovac, Lasko Pivo, Napolitanke and all those herbal teas from 1001 Cvet…
Napolitanke …
When do we get the sauces edition?
Just tell me: What exactly do you want to know, Sunshine?
Which, when and how?
Phew! She didn’t ask Why. (I’ll tell you, on Tuesday, if not, on Monday. It won’t help me with my diet, but life IS suffering, so
)