Toasty cumin, tasty cumin

Mrs. Sengupta's spice collection

 Along with the friendships I took away from living in a certain East coast state, it was gleaning from many of my Indian colleagues the wonders of fresh spices in cooking. There would be close at hand in their warm kitchens, small tins within a larger tin of fresh cumin, fenugreek, black mustard seed, tumeric, chili pepper, and other mysteries to the Western palate. While I do not have such a wonderful organizing system (think a jumble of small plastic bags), this philosophy still rings in my kitchen long after leaving.

A spice that reaches across many cultures is cumin - Mexican, North African, Chinese, Mediterranean, and more. The next time you want to make a Cuban-inspired marinade, or even Egyptian dhukka (and yes, I had to look that one up!), a great way to punch up the cumin factor (and many other spices, like coriander and oregano) is to quickly toast in a handy frying pan. Heating on low, until there is a earthy 'cumin' aroma, and the seeds darken, is all you need to make a party in your mouth later on. Store the seeds in a small, air tight container, or use right away.

If you want to go a step further, a nice investment is an automatic spice mill (like a coffee grinder, although don't grind coffee with it!), or an old-fashioned mortar and pestle. A little elbow grease never tasted so good.

Ahhh - all the frustrations of the day just melt away

Cumin before and after

A great source for fresh spices are natural food markets, or markets serving communities that use a variety of spices in their food. Perhaps a whole new culinary path will come of it!