Spezie Forti

The first known reference to spices in a culinary context was in the first-century-BCE Roman cookbook, De Re Coquinaria, by Apicius. Spezie forti (which means “robust spices”) is a mixture of spices used by Italian butchers to season cured meats and sausage mixtures. At The International Culinary Center we use it to flavor meat for roasts and braises, and for various fillings. A typical spezie forti will include many different spices, but common ones are cardamom, coriander, cinnamon, nutmeg, mace, star anise, fennel seeds, and ginger. Each butcher has his own custom recipe, usually a closely held secret; Dean Casella’s contains seventeen different spices. Garam masala and freshly ground nutmeg are reasonable substitutes.