Herbs or spices you could live 'without'...
Utopian Girl
Posts: 8,275 Forum Member
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...for me it has to be Bay leaves - I pride myself on herbs/ spices but I've tried ( grown even) Bay leaves and wouldn't miss them in a dish.
As a flavour, I could also do without parsley - I only use it for decorative purposes, dried.
I'm sure I'll recall more...
As a flavour, I could also do without parsley - I only use it for decorative purposes, dried.
I'm sure I'll recall more...
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I think though I might nominate mint as I've got several varieties in the garden, but almost never use it.
Like you - I do use parsley for decorative purposes - I grow various mints but I find I only use 'dried'.
Now, I adore coriander!
Personally I love parsley but only use it occasionally as Mrs. Bleads is not a fan. Rosemary has it's place but I find it very strong and use sparingly.
I agree on the cloves Teddy - I bought a catering bag a while back as they were cheap - why? I really do wonder my motive at the time!
Dill - I don't mind but has it's limited place imo.
I grow vast amounts if Rosemary but find it really has to be used under toasted veg: meat etc not as an edible herb in big doses but very sparingly.
Fenugreek - well, I'm with you on this - have lots if sachets but wonder - why?
Like you I use Dill & Tarragon in their place - I grow, successfully various sages. My ghost chilli is growing weird btw?
I just don't get the fuss over it.
What will you use it for? What's happening to yours?
Even as a herb/spice lover it's up there with Bayleaves for me.
Anyone tasted 'truffles'? I'd love to but don't know if they're far fetched.
Me neither...
I could go without dill too
I do like saffron, though, in rice dishes and tagines.
I love truffle but I wouldn't bother with the ones you can buy in the supermarket here. There's a fantastic Swiss soft cheese (I forget the name) with a layer of black truffle running though it that is really something. I buy a whole wheel when I go home. I'd love you to try it but I doubt it's Veggie-friendly.
I do like most other herbs and spices though. I have lots of spices in the cupboard and we grow bay, sage, rosemary, a couple of varieties of thyme and mint in the garden, as well as chillies and basil in the summer.
I only use cloves in hot whiskeys, which I make at Christmas when my Dad visits, he likes them in his hot toddies.
Couldn't imagine cooking without bay leaves or coriander. I use lots of both of those.
Black cardamom - Unlike green cardamom, not very nice.
Szechuan pepper - Bought some and barely ever used it, mostly because I don't know how, besides 5 spice. Has a weird acid/chemical/burning flavour. Last time I checked, some of it had gone mouldy.
Lovage - Having never tasted it, I've managed fine so far.
Yes. Had a ludicrously expensive risotto with shaved truffles in. Very nice, but they are extremely expensive.
My thoughts exactly - and I have very a wide range of herbs and spices in my cupboard.
I am not a fan - as it tastes soapy to me
Hi Kimi - I don't know what I'd use it for - some veggie curry or stew - having said that it's producing flowers and buds but no chilies?
I bought a bunch ( more like a bouquet that I would have walked down the aisle with) of bird's eye chillies in our market in Turkey - 30p!:o you're supposed to take them home & dry them but hubby took the chillies off the bunch as we had my daughters wedding present to bring home & besides I should be on ' nothing to declare'.
30p for a kilo of beef tomatoes or red pointed peppers, cucumbers, delicious green beans etc! I love the markets and as we're not in a touristic area we get local prices - my heart aches to leave stuff behind.:(
They tend to use only parsley & dill out there and quite often purple basil - the small Greek style basil ( as we call it) they use for deterring flies etc!:o they're horrified when I wash it & put it in pasta!:D
There are no proper markets here so I envy you the Turkish one! I used to love them (and I worked on Portobello Road and Greenwich market for a short time a long time ago - not selling fruit and veg, though!). I even miss the Cypriot shop in Crystal Palace (but Cornwall has a lot going for it, too, of course!).
Hi Kimi - I know where you're coming from - mushrooms aren't too popular in Samsun ( our part of Turkey) they have button ones but the Oyster ones haven't been around this time.:(
I used to have a friend from Greenwich yrs ago and was amazed that you could buy coriander with roots etc - my dream is to go to Borough Market - I worked for British Rail many years ago & regret just clothes shopping! Anyhow, we should be off to Edmonton (?) this weekend as we want to visit Istikbal a Turkish furniture shop to buy some stuff.
Going back to Markets - Swansea has a lovely, cheery one and I love Laverbread from there - but I don't do fish, butter lamb etc so I guess I don't get the best put of the market.
With regards to live animals - I did spot - locally, some pheasants, chickens etch for sake and was horrified!:o the stalls are rare tho'.
Hubby did buy a Sheep's' head a year or so ago and I nearly died! He was absconded to the outside, the had to shower etc!
Any tips for Markets near Edmonton ? Or what I could buy in London as Swansea is limited to one good but only Asian supermarket.
Btw, I'm not taken in by the spices in Istanbul etc - I'd rather buy from an authentic store at home.