Spices

Now, let’s talk about spices. There are so many of them! I can’t resist spices and have built up quite a collection: from vibrant-green cardamom pods, with notes of eucalyptus, to elusive asafoetida – so pungent that the spice bottle is encased in its own airtight box. Ground spices will generally last for around nine months in an opened bottle, while whole spices last a lot longer, up to two years. After that, they start to lose flavour and won’t be as vivid. Some swear by grinding their own spices and, while I agree that freshly ground cinnamon is beautifully rich and aromatic, grinding spices can be time consuming. This is by no means an exhaustive list of Asian spices and spice blends, but these are the ones I use often. If you are just starting out on your own spice collection, get the essentials first: those listed in bold are the foundations of Asian cooking.