[MR] *WH* Mystery spice

[scott_dean at mindspring.com]

having seen Tamarind growing on trees in Mauritius and tasted it, I don't think the mystery spice is that.  Tamarind comes from the flesh part of seed pods that are about 4-6 in long and 1.5 in wide.  the spice is a paste and is kind sweet and tart at the same time.  see http://www.crfg.org/pubs/ff/tamarind.html.

-- Manus




On Fri, Sep 2, 2005 at  7:35 PM, eogan wrote:

> Poster: "eogan" <eogan at nc.rr.com>
> > sounds like 
> > 
> > tamarind (TAM-uh-rihnd) - Tamarind takes its English name from the
> > Arabic, tamarhindi, meaning "Indian Date." It is the fruit (pods or
> > seeds) of a tall shade tree native to Asia and northern Africa and
> > widely grown in India. It is typically used in equatorial cuisines such
> > as Indian, Mexican, and Thai. It is used to season foods such as
> > chutneys, curries, and pickled fish. It is also an integral ingredient
> > in Worcestershire sauce.
> > 
> > 
> > Eógan mac Ailpein, Triton Principal Herald
> > 919-753-6822 
> > eogan at nc.rr.com
> > 
> > 
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: owner-keep at windmastershill.org
> > [mailto:owner-keep at windmastershill.org] On Behalf Of C. Brian Towey
> > Sent: Friday, September 02, 2005 9:46 AM
> > To: atlantia at atlantia.sca.org; keep at windmastershill.org
> > Subject: *WH* Mystery spice
> > 
> > 
> > There I was at Pennsic, andÂ

> > 
> > Along came a wandering merchant with a broad basket full of all kinds of
> > spices.  He had one spice I didnÂ’t recognize, and said it was used in
> > North African and sometimes French cooking.  I bought a small bag of
> > lumpy brown seed pods, each about the size of a whole nutmeg.  They
> > donÂ’t weigh much, so I suppose they are mostly hollow.
> > 
> > ThereÂ’s just one problem.  He told me the name of this spice, but by the
> > time I got home, IÂ’d forgotten it.  Without a name, I canÂ’t guess what
> > to cook with it.
> > 
> > I feel a bit as though I had traded a cow for some magic beans. 
> > 
> > Can any of you guess what spice this might be?
> > 
> > Sheepishly,
> > 
> > Charles Fleming
> > 
>