Sunday Spice Tip - Cinnamon

Cinnamon.

Sweet. Spicy. Warm. Woody.

So what comes to mind when you think of Cinnamon? Maybe you're reminded of grandma's classic apple pie. Or how about the cinnamon sticks we used to dunk in hot apple cider as kids? More likely than either of those you probably remember the ridiculous yet hilarious cinnamon challenge videos that went viral several years ago, which featured the freak-outs of foolish individuals trying to swallow a spoonful of this pungent spice. Ahhh good times, seems like it was only just yesterday...

Ok enough reminiscing. Despite it's previous internet fame, let's use grandma's apple pie as a better example of how we can use cinnamon to enhance our food. 

Apple & Cinnamon. One of the most classic and delicious combinations ever. Much like how salt enhances all flavours, cinnamon in particular boosts the sweet notes of food with it's own spicy-savoury sweetness. While tasting cinnamon on it's own is generally quite uninspiring, it's actually the rich aroma which lends cinnamon it's unique flavour notes. 

What exactly do I mean? Ever notice how the flavour of food is dull when your nose is stuffed or you have a cold? I'll explain why with very technical terms. Our sense of taste and smell are linked together so that scents intensify flavours. Without smell, nothing actually tastes as it should. Watch the first 2 minutes of this if you want the whole picture: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJud8MKrvBE

Native to Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Burma, cinnamon has a long, rich history as being one of the world's most popular spices. In modern times, most commercially available cinnamon is actually made from related species of the original cinnamon tree. Referred to as "cassia" to distinguish them from true cinnamon, these relative trees make up the largest percentage of production crops. Although traditionally peeled from the inner bark of cinnamon trees, ground cinnamon is a more versatile and cook-friendly way to reap all the same benefits. 

Excellent when used with... desserts, baking, beverages, & Indian/Caribbean cuisine.

Cinnamon rolls, cinnamon toast, pies, pancakes, muffins, other pastries, oatmeal, cereal, apple cider, hot chocolate, coffee, cocktails, curry chicken and jerk chicken are all places you will find cinnamon's warm and spicy aroma being put to good use. Personally, cinnamon is a must-have in my morning oatmeal and seems butt-naked without it! If you don't already have cinnamon in your spice collection, grab a bottle! It's time you discover this historic flavour of the world.

Let's try it out!
This week I'm featuring Cinnamon as one of the key flavours in my Granola & Yogurt Parfait.

Sunday Spice Tip - Smoked Paprika

 Spices. The variety is extraordinary, the combinations are endless. 

They transform the essence of a dish and give our food dimension. But how does one learn to use them? Here at Dezired Cuisine I've come up with a solution.. welcome to the first Sunday Spice Tip!

Originally, I planned to simply chat about a different spice each Sunday, giving you juicy details and hopefully encouraging you to try it out and start getting more comfortable with spices. However, I happened to use today's spice in an amazing dish earlier last week with outstanding results and knew I had to share it with you too. 2 in 1? Ca-chingggg!

Salt and pepper are the most classic examples of seasonings we typically think of first, and both are essentials in the kitchen. Let's build on that and see what else else is out there. We have access to much of the world's popular spices, all the way from the cuisines of India to Asia, Caribbean and Mediterranean. This isn't a new idea though. Access to spices from around the world has been going on since 3000 B.C when the great Spice Trade initially began (like me, you've probably heard something about this in a history class a long time ago. A quick Google search on this can make for a good read). So now, thanks to globalization, you walk into your favourite grocery store and can easily become overwhelmed with the variety of spices, most of which you've never even heard of. I'm here to shed some light on that crazy looking spice shelf and hopefully make you want to search out some of the real game-changers.

Smoked Paprika. Intense. Aromatic. Smoky. Luxurious.

The game definitely changed when I opened a McCormick brand Smoked Paprika for the first time. I was hit with an incredibly intense, delectable aroma that reminded me distinctly of a typical barbecue chip smell, but much more rich and intriguing. Most people have probably heard of it's cousin, regular Paprika, but flavour-wise the two spices are in completely different families.
I find regular Paprika to be much more mild with a subtle sweetness that usually (for me) gets lost when adding other spices to a given dish. I highly recommend trying it though as many people do enjoy the delicate flavour it adds. Smoked Paprika however is bold, charismatic, and stands out as a key flavour when added to food.

I won't beat around the spice bush here. Because McCormick gourmet spices are very high quality they are more expensive than most other brands. So when I was looking for a more reasonable alternative I eventually ended up at Bulk Barn (highly recommend as they make a huge variety of spices accessible to the average human being). After buying a baseball sized bag of the Smoked Paprika and using some of it I found it was less rich than the McCormick's. For the regular user it will work just fine and for the price I really can't complain but with a little research there are other sources and brands out there (try La Chinata Smoked Paprika), and trust me, it is definitely worth the search. However I do strongly recommend you treat yourself to a quality brand first for the best impression and impact. My first bottle lasted less than 2 weeks, it was just that amazing!

Excellent when used with... any type of vegetable or meat. 
Currys, stews, soups, pastas, sauces, and anything grilled or roasted will be enhanced with depth and sumptuous smoky savoury notes. Very versatile and easy to use with real impact. Add this spice to your collection and see how you can take almost any dish to the next level!

Let's try it out! 
This week I'm featuring Smoked Paprika as the key flavour in my Smoky Roasted Red Pepper Soup.