South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1921-01-25
Kitchen
SOME INTERESTING SECRETS
ABOUT THE SPICES YOU Dixie.

The ordinary housewife knows SO
little about the origin OF her spices
and fiaVoring agents. that she can
not judge whether they are fresh or
stale. 4 young woman was heard
70 remark recently that she would
like to see pepper tree-eSpecialiy
4 white pepper tree. which she vas
sure must me "prcttier than d black
pepper tree" For her benefit and
that OF others, We viii say that pep
per Is the dried berry or a climbing
plant indigenous 10 India. Growing
in spike formation, the peppers are
picked when red dried on mats
where they turn black and acrid IT,
taste. White peppers are the black
ones with the skin removed by a
sleeping process, which leaves them
I.ore delicate in favor. This IS done
in Siam and China.
-capsicum--made of ripe
red peppers. Is an American product.
| but some also comes here from Fan
zibar Singapore, Sumatra, Malabar,
IampOng and Tellicherry are the
| main pepper ports. Paprika, made Of
the dark red peppers of the tropics
coming from Spain is sweet and
mild, from Hungary IL has a pungent
! dor, and is also mild. Ginger is the
]
in India and China. The plant grows
three feet high. the root is dug
when II is three years old, and the
stalk is withered.
| Black ginger Is made By scalding
fresh rOots--commOn process IN
/ Africa and India 10 prevent sprout-
liIg. White ginger is also a treated
product. That from Jamaica, Japan.
| Cochin China and Jamaica Is the
best.
Green ginger is the undried root
and we use 1t In preserving.
Ground ginger Is pale yellow, has
& pungent odor and biting taste.
When stale the color fades, il grow.
sOggy. and loses the bite.
Cinnamon and caSsia are species
or laurel. The Quill-like rolls are
made from the inside bark OF the
tree, and the best IS from Ceylon.
CaSs'l bark is darker in color, thick
or. and lacks the delicate flavor OF
the other.
NutmegS and mace are real West
Indians. The tree grows 20 70 80
feet tall. The blossom is succeeded
by fruit, three inches long and two
inches IN diameter, which rtpens
land bursts Ike q chestnut burr. The
nutmeg inside - covered with n net
work fibre, which Is the mace. Tho
best comes from the West Indies and
! JtcaSSes.
Allspice Is the berry OF the pimen-
Ito. an evergreen tree related 10 the
myrtle Of the West Indies The
tree lowers twice a year, though II
yields but one crop Of berries. Picked
before they ripen, the berries are
dried whole.
Cloves are the flower buds Of q
tropical evergreen tree. The flowers
grow IN clusters and when the frs,
green buds turn red they are picked
and dried. Cloves from Zanzibar and
China are largest and best.
; Among lavoring seeds are the
caraway from northern Europe and
An erica, CardamOTns from Java
poppy seeds from China. pumpkin
lotus and coriander seeds from sez-
eral far-eastern countries Mustard
seeds from California and Europe
and fennel seeds from the United
States Sesame seed. and sweet
t1iavoring seed. are japanese prod
lucts-the latter is used by the Jap
aneSe in their rice cakes.
The plant producing the vanilla
bean is related 20 the orchid. and is
abundant in South and Central Am
erica. In Mexico the beans reach
the greatest length and finest flavor
Copyright. 1920