Spice mix

March 17, 2021 In The Divine - Wellbeing

This past year spending most of our time at home and very often preparing meals, one of the tasks that has been very unique to me is the mixing of spices depending on the type of cuisine I chose to prepare.

My background and the culinary richness I was able to enjoy since childhood made me familiar with most of the Mediterranean cuisines. I learned that once you can use and mix the staple spices and ingredients in any cuisine you can capture the signature and essence of that cuisine.

This unique task brought me back to many of my favourite places in the world, all through the sense of smell and taste.

During my travels to many different parts of the world, whether of personal or business nature, I always made time to visit the local food and spice market. I weaved a net out of spices and ingredients, inspired by the places I was visiting connecting it to the spice routes. It fascinated me how trade and cultures mixed and evolved, following these ancient spice-land and sea routes.

Spices were more important than gold and were also used for food preservation and medicinal purposes however it is the enrichment of the taste of food that changed our lifestyles. Today we are privileged that, even during a pandemic, we can order almost any spice or ingredient at the tip of a button.

Cooking and mixing of different spices and their smell as a powerful sensation, especially in this long period without travel, evoked many memories;

Lemongrass, ginger, coriander and I found myself in the rain forest of Chang Mai and the sandy beaches of Malaysia. Cumin and strong mint and I could hear the call for prayer in Marrakech. Turmeric, clove, star anis and I could see the shimmering lights of the magical palaces of Rajastan.

This unique task brought me back to many of my favourite places in the world, all through the sense of smell and taste.