Answer: Dill
The dill is an annual plant and from the family of Apiaceae, the same as carrots. Dill is rich in Vitamin A, Vitamin C, and magnesium. Its bountiful supply of flavonoids helps protect us against heart disease. It also has gastrointestinal benefits as it eases constipation and indigestion. Dill is actually an herb and a spice: the fresh leaves are used as an herb in recipes for salads, meat, veggies, etc. while the dried seeds of the dill plant are used as a spice in soups, pickles and other foods.
From Quiz: Work This Herb Quiz To Earn Thyme and a Half
Answer: Northern Africa
The peppers that are fundamental to harissa came to North Africa with the Spanish, and quickly became part of the flavour tradition of the region. Most associated with Tunisia, harissa paste is a blend of spices that may also include tomatoes, mint, and even rose water. Recipes for Tunisia usually varied by household and region. Some infused smokiness into the paste by searing the skin of the peppers before grinding it in a paste. Harissa is used on fish, lamb and beef dishes and may be added to soups or used as a condiment.
This question was blended for your enjoyment by Phoenix Rising member VegemiteKid.
From Quiz: Fired Up on Fiery Spices
Answer: Basil
Basil is a plant with highly fragrant leaves. There are more than 60 varieties of this plant with sweet basil being the most common. It is also known for aiding in cardiovascular health and is full of Vitamin K.
From Quiz: Presto! It's Pesto!
Answer: The Scoville Scale
The Scoville Scale measures the amount of capsaicin, the chemical compound that gives peppers their spiciness. Wilber Scoville invented this scale in the early 1900s.
From Quiz: Born to be Mild
Answer: Cardamom
"Cardamom", known as the queen of spices, is highly prized in India for it's use in curry blends. In Scandinavia it is used to flavour baking, pastries, meatballs and the mulled wine Glogg. People from Turkey use it to flavour their coffee. The green pods are the most often used as it is more flavourful. The white pods have usually been bleached and don't have the intense flavour that the green do. The black pods are much larger and are used in Asia for meaty curries and stews.
Horace the hungry dinosaur is drooling so I am going to give a recipe for "Baharat" which is a North African mixture of finely ground spices used to season beef, chicken, lamb and stews. It may also be used like salt and pepper.
Ingredients:
3 Tbsp coriander seed
3 Tbsp ground paprika
2 Tbsp black peppercorns
2 tsp dried red chilli powder
1 tsp nutmeg
1 cinnamon stick
2 tsp cumin seed
1 Tbsp allspice
10 cloves
10 green CARDAMOM pods
Open the cardamom pods, discard the seeds and the rusks. Dry roast along with the cumin, peppercorns, cardamom seeds, allspice and cloves. Wait until they cool and grind. Finally grind the cinnamon stick and combine. Kept in a airtight container, Baharat spices should keep for four months. After that I find they lose their flavour.
From Quiz: Tasteless Dishes? Ever heard of Herbs and Spices?
Answer: Cumin
Dating back to Biblical times, the ancient Romans and Greeks frequently used cumin to season their food. The plant, which grows up to 1.6 feet tall, produces white or pink flowers. In the Middle Ages it was thought that cumin promoted fidelity and for this reason was carried during wedding ceremonies.
From Quiz: Spice up Your Life
Answer: Paprika
Paprika is made from dried capsicum peppers. It can be mild or sweet. It's also used to color or decorate foods such as deviled eggs due to its distinctive orange red color.
From Quiz: Spice It Up
Answer: Allspice
Allspice is made up of the dried berries of the plant Pimenta dioica. Some think allspice tastes like a combination of cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves.
From Quiz: The Jerk Store Called...
Answer: piper nigrum
Piper nigrum is the dried fruit of the Piperaceae vine, originally from the Malabar coast of India. It was highly valued since ancient times. It has even been used as a type of money. The incorrect answers are different types of pepper, piper longum is long pepper, pimenta obscura is wild pimento, and capsicum is a whole family of peppers.
From Quiz: Pick a Pepper
Answer: Cumin
Cumin is the common name for the plant Cuminum cyminum, which is part of the parsley family. It is native to the area around the Mediterranean and the lands to the east as far as India. The Maltese island of Comino is named after the plant because it used to grow in abundance there.
From Quiz: Spice Up Your Life
Answer: Angelica
A tea made from fresh Angelica leaves is reputed to sooth headaches and an infusion of the roots can relieve a cold. However, there is so much natural sugar in the stems, that they should not be used by those suffering from diabetes.
From Quiz: Cooking with Herbs
Answer: Basil
Most kitchens have the sweet basil variety that is great in Italian cooking. This herb also is a great one to include in your herb garden as the green vibrant leaves provide the flavor that accompanies oregano and thyme, two other great herbs for Italian dishes.
From Quiz: Common Herbs and Spices
Answer: The Greek hero Achilles
Yarrow is named for Achilles, the great Greek leader in the Trojan War, who bound the wounds of his warriors with yarrow to staunch the blood and cleanse the wounds. Achilles learned the secret of yarrow's medicinal value from Chiron, the mythological Centaur, who was a skilled healer and herbmaster.
From Quiz: Yarrow, the Versatile Herb
Answer: Lavender
To make a lavender-chevre risotto, sauté 1 large shallot in olive oil over medium heat. Stir in 1 cup of arborio rice. Add 3 cups of simmering chicken broth, one ladleful at a time, stirring until all of the broth is absorbed before adding the next ladleful. When the rice is al dente and creamy, remove from the heat and stir in 4 ounces of chevre and 2 teaspoons of lavender flowers. This is great with grilled pork tenderloin or rack of lamb!
From Quiz: My Favorite Herbs
Answer: Aroma
The word 'aroma' literally means 'spice' in Greek. Scent is originally from the Latin 'sentire', meaning 'to perceive/smell'. Exude is also derived from the Latin 'exsudare', which means to 'sweat out', while fragrant comes from the French, via the Latin word 'fragrare' (to smell sweet).
From Quiz: My Favorite Spices
Answer: Chives
Chives are part of the onion family, but their flavour is fairly mild. They are traditionally added to cream cheeses and soured cream and add a new dimension. Chives, like garlic and onion, are thought to have a beneficial effect on the blood pressure and heart. Chive oil has excellent anti-bacterial properties.
From Quiz: All About Herbs
Answer: Chives
A quarter cup of chives has about 25% of the daily requirement of Vitamin K which helps with bone mineralization and cell growth. Chives, aka rush leeks are related to garlic, shallots, and scallions. It's usually used somewhat decoratively in dishes, but they are also loaded with the beta-carotene, Vitamin A, and have an abundance of antioxidants.
From Quiz: Work This Herb Quiz To Earn Thyme and a Half
Answer: Italy
Pesto goes as far back as the ancient Romans. They used to crush garlic, cheese, and various oils together. Basil was added in the 1800s to give us the recipe most of us are familiar with today.
From Quiz: Presto! It's Pesto!
Answer: Sweet Bell Pepper
The very tasty Sweet Bell Pepper has the lowest Scoville rating possible: 0.
From Quiz: Born to be Mild
Answer: Peppercorns/Star Anise/Cloves/Cinnamon/Fennel
Easy peasy to make your own, grind together:
1 tsp. ground Szechwan peppercorns
1 tsp. ground star anise
1-1/4 tsp. ground fennel seeds
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
Store in an airtight container.
Use in any Chinese dish or use to flavour rice, vegetables, pork and chicken. Horace the dinosaur is licking his lips :)
From Quiz: Tasteless Dishes? Ever heard of Herbs and Spices?
Answer: Jamaican jerk
Allspice is the berry of the pimento tree native to Jamaica and other Caribbean countries. It has the flavors of cinnamon, clove and nutmeg, thus its name allspice.
From Quiz: Spice It Up
Answer: Scotch bonnet
The Scotch bonnet is one of the hottest peppers, with a Scoville rating up to 350,000. This is very hot, considering a jalapeno rates roughly 2,500. The infinity chili was the world's hottest pepper at 1,067,286, but not for long. The Naga Viper pepper took the title of the world's hottest pepper on February 25, 2011, with a heat rating of 1,382,118.
The three hottest peppers (infinity chili, ghost pepper, and Naga Viper) are so hot that the spice of the peppers will stay with you for life.
From Quiz: The Jerk Store Called...
Answer: Scoville Scale
The Beaufort Scale rates the strength of the wind, The Mohs Scale the hardness of a mineral, and the Saffir Simpson Scale the strength of hurricane winds.
The Scoville Scale measures the amount of capsaicin in the pepper. A jalapeno pepper rates up to about 8,000 on the Scale, while pure capsaicin rates between 15 and 16 million on the Scoville Scale. All ratings are approximate as there is a range of ratings for all types of peppers, due to growing conditions and other factors, even among peppers grown on the same plant.
From Quiz: Pick a Pepper
Answer: Asafoetida
Asafoetida has the scientific name Ferula assafoetida. Apart from being used as a flavouring it is believed that it may help fight asthma, bronchitis and flatulence. Scientists in Taiwan have reported that the root of the plant contains compounds that can help destroy the H1N1 flu virus. When the world suffered the Spanish flu pandemic of 1918 asafoetida was used in parts of the world to help fight the disease.
From Quiz: Spice Up Your Life
Answer: Bay
Sometimes called Sweet Bay or Sweet Laurel, this well known tree can grow up to over 20ft, but is usually found in pots in kitchen gardens trained and twisted into pretty shapes.
From Quiz: Cooking with Herbs
Answer: Sage
A staple for sausage in the south, sage has a unique flavor that blends with sausage and other pork dishes. In addition, many cooks use sage in preparing stuffing, sauces and soups.
From Quiz: Common Herbs and Spices
Answer: Allium sativum
Allium cepa are regular garden onions, allium oschaninii are shallots, and allium ampeloprasum is leek. All of these share the same genus (allium), and are closely related.
From Quiz: The Poor Man's Cure-all: Garlic
Answer: Cardamom
Cardamom is a traditional ingredient in Turkish coffee. To make a wonderful (and easy)pot of Turkish coffee, pour 3/4 cup cold water into a small saucepan and add 1 to 2 teaspoons of sugar. Bring the water and sugar to a boil and remove from the heat. Add 1 tablespoon of extra-finely ground (even finer grind than espresso)coffee and 1 cardamom pod to the hot water and stir well. Return to the heat. When the coffee foams, remove from the heat and allow the coffee grounds to settle. Repeat this step twice more. Remove from the heat, pour into demitasse cups, allow the grounds to settle and enjoy a great cup of coffee!
From Quiz: Culinary Essentials - Spices
Answer: white, pink or lavender
The flowers are the most aromatic part of the yarrow plant, and as such make a good potpourri ingredient. The dried flowers can be bought at specialist herbal shops.
From Quiz: Yarrow, the Versatile Herb
Answer: Tarragon
An easy recipe for chicken is to chop 2 cloves of garlic and mix it with 1 pint of heavy cream and 1/4 cup of chopped tarragon. Pour this over 4 skinless chicken breasts in a baking dish. Cover the dish with foil and bake at 300 degrees for 1 hours. Not the most slimming dish but really yummy!
From Quiz: My Favorite Herbs
Answer: William Shakespeare
Bottom said this in "A Midsummer Night's Dream". Shakespeare didn't have anything good to say about garlic, although the Elizabetheans thought of garlic as an aphrodisiac.
From Quiz: Garlic: The Stinking Rose
Answer: Fenugreek
The name 'fenugreek' is derived from the Latin 'faenugraecum', and literally means 'Greek hay'. It was used as fodder even in ancient times.
From Quiz: My Favorite Spices
Answer: Rosemary
Wild Rosemary was used as a substitute for incense by the poor in Ancient Greece (hence its French name). This herb has many superstitions associated with it, including the ability to attract elves and being a preservative of youth when worn as a necklace! It is also said to ward off evil spirits and provide a good night's sleep if a sprig is placed under your pillow.
From Quiz: All About Herbs
Answer: Basil
The word basil is derived from the Greek "Basileus" meaning royal or king. Traders and explorers spread the use of basil from India to other countries. The basil plant of which there are about 150 varieties, grows between a foot and a yard tall. Basil has shown to have antibiotic, anti-inflammatory, and digestive health properties.
From Quiz: Work This Herb Quiz To Earn Thyme and a Half
Answer: Pine nut
Pine nuts are the small edible seeds of a female cone in a pine tree. The pine trees grow in the Northern Hemisphere and produce a nut with a tough, brown outer covering but a delicious creamy white interior. Although high in calories, they are loaded with vitamins, minerals, and anti-oxidants.
From Quiz: Presto! It's Pesto!
Answer: Coriander/Cilantro
Coriander (known as Cilantro in the US) is found in most types of Asian cuisine. The seeds (or fruit) are used more often in Indian cooking than the rest of the plant although the leaves are often used as a garnish. Coriander seeds can be roasted or heated before grinding to enhance the flavour and aroma of the resultant dish.
From Quiz: Some Like It Way Too Hot
Answer: Basil
Basil is a great herb for soups, tomato sauces and tomato salads. If being used in a cooked dish, fresh basil should be added towards the end as it will lose its flavour.
My Tomato, Feta and Basil Salad Recipe:
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon dry (or 1 teaspoon of Dijon) mustard
Generous sprinkling of black pepper
1/3 cup olive oil
4 Italian plum tomatoes
Feta cheese
8 to 10 fresh basil leaves chopped finely
For dressing, combine vinegar, garlic, salt, mustard and pepper in small bowl. Add oil slowly, whisking until it is thoroughly blended.
Slice tomatoes and cut the cheese bite sized pieces.
Place tomato and cheese pieces in large glass shallow bowl and then pour half of the dressing in with the chopped basil (leave a little basil for garnish)
Marinate in a covered dish for at least 30 minutes but the longer the better, turning it every so often.
Sprinkle with left over basil, drizzle with remaining dressing.
Horace the hungry dino says he prefers it with feta cheese and not all those recipes that tell you to use mozzarella. So, try it this way.
From Quiz: Tasteless Dishes? Ever heard of Herbs and Spices?
Answer: Clove
Clove is very strong in flavor, so not much is used in most seasonings. Whole cloves are often used to make a sauce or to flavor chicken by poking dried cloves into an orange peel. When cooked with meats or to make a sauce, the cloves in the orange peel give it a very rich and strong flavor.
From Quiz: The Jerk Store Called...
Answer: The Americas
The capsicum pepper was cultivated in Mexico as early as 3000 B.C. Most hot peppers belong to the capsicum family.
From Quiz: Pick a Pepper
Answer: Fennel
Fennel seeds are a basic spice in Indian cooking, but they aren't considered an essential. In ancient times it was called 'marathon' because the battle of the same name was fought in a field of fennel. It is a prime ingredient in the, highly potent, drink known as absinthe.
From Quiz: Spice Up Your Life
