Fresh herbs are certainly the preferred. Dried herbs might be used when you just can't get fresh. One exception is Oregano, which many food writers claim has more aroma and bouquet than fresh.

Cinnamon Girl wrote:Fresh herbs are certainly the preferred. Dried herbs might be used when you just can't get fresh. One exception is Oregano, which many food writers claim has more aroma and bouquet than fresh.

Yes, thanks. I was reacting specifically to comments upthread along the lines of "why do they even sell dried parsley", when fresh is so available.

Parsley and cilantro I would never think to keep on hand dried, and I was particularly surprised to see a chimichurri recipe call for dried parsley, especially from a known and respected source.

I think my mother often used dry parsley in her chimichurri; there's a difference in flavor, but not a negative one.

When I first met my husband, he cooked me a romantic meal of spaghetti in clam sauce, in which dried parsley is a primary ingredient (along with 2 sticks of butter, which is why it's no longer a staple in our house) I tried making it with fresh parsley and it wasn't as good.

Mhays wrote:I think my mother often used dry parsley in her chimichurri; there's a difference in flavor, but not a negative one.

When I first met my husband, he cooked me a romantic meal of spaghetti in clam sauce, in which dried parsley is a primary ingredient (along with 2 sticks of butter, which is why it's no longer a staple in our house) I tried making it with fresh parsley and it wasn't as good.

Very interesting....thanks. I'll need to give it a shot.

Interesting question and observations in the thread. Having moved to Pittsburgh a while back - I still have a couple of small boxes with spices, dried chiles, nori (no I have no place in my freezer), kombu, katsuoboshi, wakame (these count as spices right? ) etc. - no place in the limited cupboard space in the kitchen.

Spices I tend to keep whole - though some I buy pre-ground (cumin, turmeric) because I go through a lot, fast. I'm trying now to move towards knowing where my spices come from/are grown - especially the highly aromatics.

trixie-pea, 'Curry powder' is a British gift to the world - invented to appease the colonial repatriates. It is 'inauthentic' for Indian cooking - mainly because the mix of spices precludes the addition at different stages of cooking as appropriate for particular spices in the mix. I don't have any curry powder, but I do keep a 'mix' of chaat masala - this is a fairly specific tasting mix (mainly due to the amchoor - dried mango). Another 'mix' (but whole) I make up from time to time is panch phoron (five-spice) - a cornerstone of Bengali cooking. And again for Bengali cooking - I keep dry powdered mustard, add water and I get mustard paste (sometimes I mix in a bit of paste), this beats (speed) grinding and pasting mustard seeds for a quick dinner.

If I could be sure of the freshness of a 'curry powder' I may be tempted to get it - for non-Indian dishes. I do like 'curry-udon' (like the one at Mitsuwa) and that's a specific taste that one only gets with 'curry powder'. Also for a quick Indo-'ramen' stir-fry- a 'curry powder' will help with consistency (the reason I suppose for their invention), something I've narrowed but never exactly precisely replicate (but that's also the beauty of that 'dish')

Kasoori (or Qasuri) methi and other dried herbs I keeps in the freezer.

I'm not sure where I read or heard it - but pre-ground black pepper is apparently one of the hardest things to digest.

I'm something of a spice addict and have spent quite a bit of time at the bottom of the paprika bag, so to speak. I usually hit the spice store at least twice a month because I like to make sure that what I'm using is as fresh as possible. And being an addict, it's a tough store to avoid.

Here are a few of my spice storage areas and their official designations:


The drawer. This houses mainly garlic powder, onion powder, chili powders and a few other assorted items. It gets semi-regular use.



The nook. This is where I store a few rubs, blends, compound salts and most of the spice gifts I receive.



The cabinet. This is where my spice collection began it existence but almost everything I buy these days is in bags, so this space is used mostly for odds and ends in bottles and spice-related liquids.



The paprika shelf. No explanation needed, as everyone has a paprika shelf, right? The La Chinata trio of products just arrived and that's why I haven't opened them yet.



The spice box. This has become my main storage area for spices, cures, curing salts, etc. I like that it's transportable but the box itself is somewhat big, so it's hard to find place to stow it when we have company.

I really like using dried herbs and powders in rubs. Yes, I will use fresh garlic, etc. when it's the best choice in cooking but for spice rubs and cures, my preference is more often for dry. Also, to address a specific tangent above, while certain sausages are definitely better with fresh herbs, there are many sausages in which I prefer dry herbs. I always use fresh garlic in sausages that call for it but in breakfast sausage, for example, I greatly prefer dried sage over fresh.

=R=

ronnie_suburban wrote:I'm something of a spice addict and have spent quite a bit of time at the bottom of the paprika bag, so to speak. I usually hit the spice store at least twice a month because I like to make sure that what I'm using is as fresh as possible. And being an addict, it's a tough store to avoid.

Here are a few of my spice storage areas and their official designations:


The drawer. This houses mainly garlic powder, onion powder, chili powders and a few other assorted items. It gets semi-regular use.



The nook. This is where I store a few rubs, blends, compound salts and most of the spice gifts I receive.



The cabinet. This is where my spice collection began it existence but almost everything I buy these days is in bags, so this space is used mostly for odds and ends in bottles and spice-related liquids.



The paprika shelf. No explanation needed, as everyone has a paprika shelf, right? The La Chinata trio of products just arrived and that's why I haven't opened them yet.



The spice box. This has become my main storage area for spices, cures, curing salts, etc. I like that it's transportable but the box itself is somewhat big, so it's hard to find place to stow it when we have company.

I really like using dried herbs and powders in rubs. Yes, I will use fresh garlic, etc. when it's the best choice in cooking but for spice rubs and cures, my preference is more often for dry. Also, to address a specific tangent above, while certain sausages are definitely better with fresh herbs, there are many sausages in which I prefer dry herbs. I always use fresh garlic in sausages that call for it but in breakfast sausage, for example, I greatly prefer dried sage over fresh.

=R=

I was seriously considering quantifying my spice cabinet(s), but the above is really too close for words; down to the packaging.

I keep the bags in clear containers: spice mixes A, spice mixes B, whole spices A...etc

and the spice cabinet itself is loaded with *empty* bulk jars *filled with whole spices from other sources somewhat* bought from The Spice House(unlabled....tho' I do have reams of complimentary labels from the aforementioned...godforbid I get hit by a bus and the s/o is left to decipher the spice minutiae...he's a good cook in his own right, but doesn't necessarily share my verve).

ronnie - I dig the paprika shelf. That thread you linked to with the paprika comparisons reminds me of my own little comparison:



The stuff on the left was heavenly--paprika from the Kalocsa region of Hungary, bought directly from the maker while I was out in that neck of the woods. Smells and tastes like the sweet essence of red peppers. This is the stuff I give people when they complain that paprika has no taste. The middle paprika is the Szeged stuff they sell here. (Szeged and Kalocsa are the two main paprika producing regions of Hungary). And the one on the right, I believe is sawdust, ahem, McCormick's.

Heya Binko,

That stuff on the left looks fantastic. I only wish I had access to paprika like that. For a while Spice House carried what they termed 'exquisite' grade material but it didn't look nearly as intense as what you have there. For one thing, it was a lot more orange.

When I was last in Hungary (1999), I got to visit the Szeged region (where my grandmother was born) but I wasn't nearly as into paprika then as I am now. I wouldn't say it was a wasted trip but I wish I could go back again now. Unfortunatley, the business we did with Hungary dried up a bit when they joined the EU.

And needless to say, anyone who would photograph their paprika is someone to admire!

=R=

ronnie_suburban wrote:Heya Binko,

That stuff on the left looks fantastic. I only wish I had access to paprika like that. For a while Spice House carried what they termed 'exquisite' grade material but it didn't look nearly as intense as what you have there. For one thing, it was a lot more orange.

When I was last in Hungary (1999), I got to visit the Szeged region (where my grandmother was born) but I wasn't nearly as into paprika then as I am now. I wouldn't say it was a wasted trip but I wish I could go back again now. Unfortunatley, the business we did with Hungary dried up a bit when they joined the EU.

And needless to say, anyone who would photograph their paprika is someone to admire!

=R=

The Spice House "exquisite" grade was some special stuff. And yeah it was orangey...tho' I'd actually term it more of an almost neon coral. Such a beautiful, fine, powdery product. And priced accordingly.
I kept some on hand as a gilding for certain dishes: just a pinch here and there...the flavor was that strong. I could never bring myself to
use it in larger quantities.

ronnie_suburban wrote: I only wish I had access to paprika like that. For a while Spice House carried what they termed 'exquisite' grade material but it didn't look nearly as

Yes, that stuff pictured is különleges ("extra/special/fancy") grade paprika. I assume that probably the same stuff marketed as "exquisite" here. That picture is pretty representative of the color. If anything, it's an even more intense red in real life. I just ran out of my last bits of paprika a month ago and I'm hoping I can persuade a Hungarian friend to send me some more.

It's weird. I normally like to eat extremely spicy foods, but when it comes to Hungarian dishes and paprika, I almost exclusively use the sweet kind (and use Hungarian banana peppers or hot red paprika pastes to make up for the heat later, if necessary). The sweet paprika always seems more pungent and flavorful to me.

You guys are drivin' me nuts here. Droolin' all over da keyboard an' such. Jeez oh Pete.

So, I decided to look around a little online and see what I could find (hoping not to have to call on my connection in Hungary for this one). First off, Penzey's. Online, at least, the very first one they list is különleges (in varying size packages all the way from 1.1 oz. to 1 pound--at only $12.40).

Then there's The Spice House, which propagandizes thus: "This very high quality paprika from the Kalocsa region of Hungary bears the name Csemege, or “Exquisite Delicacy.” It earns a 120 ASTA color rating, and until the production of the Exquisite Sweet variety, held the reputation as the most flavorful of all paprikas." That's $8.99 a pound. As to the "Exquisite Sweet," let us all now bow our heads: "The finest paprika in the whole wide world! No kidding. We have exhausted our supply. The small co-op of farmers that produced this magnificent paprika is no longer in business. We are searching for paprika of similar flavor and brilliant color, and we still hold out hope. However, for now, it can't be found. Check back for periodic updates."

I didn't bother with Dean & DeLuca after I saw the following listing: "DEAN & DELUCA Hungarian Paprika (Spain)." I mean, jeez! Once you guys get your countries sorted out, you let me know.

Igourmet.com, which I have found a good source for things hard-to-find-elsewhere (at times), offers pimenton. Period. No Hungarian paprika. Sheesh!

Next stop: Otto’s European and Hungarian Import Store & Deli Otto sells paprika in amounts from ten ounces up to 100-pound gunny sacks, but sadly, no super-premium brands. His kalocsai, at one pound, is $8.75.

The paprika on offer at the Budapest Deli/Market is even less various.

And so, I find myself leaning toward Penzey's in the hope that a nice nearby source of top-quality stuff would be handy. And thinking, too, that if Penzey's doesn't pan out, I can always write to Hungary.... Matter of fact, that may be the option of choice.

paprika-snorting ghoulies

-ramon

If you look at Penzey's catalog and count, that's about how many at least on my spice racks. I used to make my own blends until I started trying Penzey's blends and the quality is so high and fresh, that i rarely make a blend anymore if Penzey's has that blend. The quality of the spices and dried herbs really has to be experienced to be understood. I always like to use galangal root but this winter it became impossible to obtain fresh. I tried Penzey's dried galangal root and was very impressed with its odor and taste that it imparted to Pho.-Dick

There remains a slim hope that the exquisite paprika co-op might reband and try it again. Apparently they were involved in some sort of court battle that has now been resolved. The whole concept was conceived by a man from Budapest who went to a marketing college here in the states and then went back to Hungary to institute what he had learned. He did a really fine job of producing the best, made sure it was organic, built huge, high end drying facilities, etc. The only thing he missed on was determining his end user. He looked at the tons of paprika consumed worldwide, assuming that his product would fall into that number. However, at the high prices they had to charge for all that was involved in their quality product, all the food companies that buy the bulk of the world's paprika to add color, more than flavor, would not touch that paprika. So the only companies in the states that had customers that devoted to quality to pay that high price ended up being two small companies, one in New York City, and one The Spice House in Chicago. Not nearly enough to keep them in business. We hold out hope for the rumor that they may try again.

Cinnamon Girl wrote: We hold out hope for the rumor that they may try again.

I hope they do and that this time they succeed in matching expectations to reality. I loved Budapest and the Hungrians, and I'd love to see them do splendidly in the realm of capitalism.