A Spice Road to the Art of Flavour

When it comes to Garam Masala it seems there are two oddities that become apparent when chatting about recipes and flavour.

Firstly, people often view Garam Masala as a single spice berry, like the much loved Allspice Berries from the Caribbean.

The second curious bit is that Garam Masala is often seen as belonging only to the Curry family, with no place in the great recipes of Italy, Greece and the Mediterranean.

In both cases the opposite is true of course. Culinary students will be aware that Garam Masala is very much at home with Mediterranean cooking, the spice combination pairing beautifully with the citrus notes of lemon and sumac and the acidity of tomatoes. Important staples of Mediterranean cooking.

Culinary students may also be aware that Garam Masala has been with us continuously since the 12th Century and the Mongol Empire. The flavours from the blend giving all kitchens metabolic heat rather than Chilli heat.

The Garam Masala spices have varied widely but by common acceptance the true blend is cinnamon and nutmeg with toasted and ground fennel, cumin and cardamom seeds, black pepper and cloves with the options of asafoetida.

For Australian home cooks, the flavour of Garam Masala Seasoning gives richness and flavour depth, sliding easily into mid week recipes when flavour is important and time is short. Simply natural flavour ready for your recipes.

Think of meatballs, mince, chicken kebabs and roast vegetables. Along with your own skills and imagination of course.

For your interest, a recipe for One Pan Chicken Cutlets with Garam Masala, Fresh Ginger and Coconut Cream will be found in Recipes - Chicken