Any fans of Indian cuisine will be familiar with fenugreek and asafoetida, both frequently used in curries. Asafoetida is the dried oleoresin extracted from the rhizome of a plant of the carrot family; it owes its name ("stinking gum") to its pungent smell, neutralized by cooking. Fenugreek ("Greek hay") is a plant of the bean family whose leaves and cuboid seeds are widely employed in the cuisines of the Indian subcontinent, Western Asia, Ethiopia and Eritrea. Fresh fenugreek leaves are also eaten as vegetables.
Turmeric and galangal are both obtained from the rhizomes of plants of the ginger family. Turmeric is a deep orange-yellow powder with an earthy taste that gives curry mixes their characteristic colour; it is also used as a dye, and as an ingredient of herbal teas. Galangal, with its distinctive taste described as a mixture of citrus, black pepper and pine needles, is a key ingredient of Thai curries and soups; like ginger, it is added to food in thin slices, mashed or grated. Cassia, on the other hand, is the bark of an evergreen tree originally from China, closely related to Ceylon, Saigon and Indonesian cinnamon. Most of the cinnamon sold in North America - either in stick or powdered form - comes from cassia bark. Cassia is also one of the ingredients of the Chinese spice mix known as five-spice powder.
Caraway and anise are also closely related, as they are the fruits (usually referred to as "seeds") of plants of the carrot (or celery) family, to which many culinary herbs and spices belong. Frequently used in the cuisines of Northern, Central and Eastern Europe, caraway is often added to rye bread or other baked goods (such as the traditional British seed cake); caraway seed oil is also used as a flavouring for liqueurs such as Kümmel. Cultivated in Egypt and the Middle East for thousands of years, anise is a popular spice in Southern Europe, where it is widely used to flavour baked goods (such as the Italian cookies known as pizzelle) and candy. It is also the main flavouring in alcoholic drinks like ouzo, pastis, and sambuca - which characteristically become cloudy with the addition of water.
A staple of the cuisines of Mexico and southwestern US, chipotle is a smoke-dried ripe jalapeño pepper, often found canned in adobo (a vinegar-based sauce), or as an ingredient of salsas, marinades and other preparations. Sumac is a reddish-brown spice produced from the ground dried fruits of a plant of the cashew family. With its tart, lemony taste, it is very popular in the cuisines of the Middle East, where it is added to a wide variety of dishes (such as falafel, kebab, and rice); It is also one of the main ingredients of the spice mixture known as za'atar. A close relative of parsley (also a member of the carrot family), chervil is a herb native to the Caucasus region, but highly prized in French cuisine, where it is one of the "fines herbes" used to season delicate dishes such as omelettes, salads, or poached fish or chicken.
Smetana (a kind of sour cream widely used in Central and Eastern Europe), burrata (an Italian cheese similar to mozzarella) and paneer (Indian fresh cheese) are all dairy products. Pastrami (cured beef brisket), andouille (a highly seasoned sausage, and satay (Southeast Asian chicken skewers) are meat-based preparations. Daikon (Japanese white radish) and kohlrabi (a turnip-like kind of wild cabbage) are vegetables, while kimchi is a well-known Korean side dish of spicy, fermented cabbage. Farro (a wheat species widely used in Ancient Rome) and hominy (corn kernels treated with an alkali) are grains, while aioli (a garlic mayonnaise from southern France) and tahini (sesame seed paste) are condiments. Orgeat (an almond-flavoured syrup) and must (freshly pressed grape juice) are both used as sweeteners.
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