Description: A member of the rose family, raspberries have a wonderfully intense, sweet taste, and many consider them to be the finest flavoured of all the berries. Raspberries are small, aggregate fruits that generally average 1 to 3 centimetres in diameter and have a round, oval, to oblong shape. Despite Read more…
Description: Belonging to the same family as chard and spinach, both the leaves and root of beetroot may be eaten – the leaves having a bitter taste whereas the root is sweet. Although they are available all year round, beets are sweetest and most tender during their peak season which Read more…
Description: The carrot is a root vegetable, typically orange in colour, though purple, black, red, white, and yellow cultivars exist, all of which are domesticated forms of the wild carrot, Daucus carota, native to Europe and Southwestern Asia. The plant probably originated in Persia and was originally cultivated for its Read more…
Description: Part of the lily, or allium, family, of which onions are also a member, garlic is one of the most indispensable ingredients around, and plays a central role in Mediterranean and Asian cookery. A bulb composed of many individual cloves enclosed in a thin white, mauve or purple skin, Read more…
Description: Nutmeg is a spice made from the seed of the nutmeg tree (Myristica fragrant), a native Indonesian evergreen tree that is the source of two popular spices: nutmeg and mace. Nutmeg is the inner seed, while mace is the red, lace-like substance that covers the seed. Nutmeg is a Read more…
Description: Caraway seeds can be used whole or ground up to flavor a dish. Some cultures even use the leaves of the caraway plant for a garnish or base of a soup. Many European and Middle Eastern cuisines cook with caraway in unique ways. For example, harissa, a spicy Tunisian Read more…
Description: Onion granules are dehydrated, ground onion that are commonly used as seasoning. It is a common ingredient in seasoned salt and spice mixes, such as beau monde seasoning. Some varieties are prepared using toasted onion. White, yellow, and red onions may be used. Onion granules are a commercially prepared Read more…
Description: Thyme is a popular herb that grows in Europe, especially the Mediterranean, and is a member of the mint family. Very aromatic, it has small, grey-green leaves, and a sweetly earthy flavour. There are many different varieties, but the most readily available in the UK are the common or Read more…
Description: The tomato is the edible berry of the plant Solanum Lycopersicon, commonly known as a tomato plant. The species originated in western South America and Central America. The Mexican Nahuatl word tomatl gave rise to the Spanish word tomate, from which the English word tomato derived. Its domestication and use Read more…
Description: The dill plant (Anethum graveolens) provides feathery green leaves for the dill weed herb, while the flat, oval fruits make the dill seed spice. It’s an annual herb related to celery that tends to replant itself and spread widely, which is good to know if you’re considering planting it Read more…