Spice Tackle

What is Spice Tackle?

Thank you very much if you have purchased our starter collection. Hope it brings you many hours of creative stimulus to cook using these wonderful ingredients. Cucina Milano have taken great care to choose the right spices mostly used in everyday cooking and from reputable importers with the freshness and quality of the product in mind. The product you have purchased has been vacuumed packed to retain freshness.

The convenience of having all the spice you need for everyday cooking, especially for making curries, is highly essential. Most of us are used to keeping our spices in a spice draw or pantry in bottles which often or not and over time, goes stale, losing in many cases their essential oils. Over time, spices will lose their potency and not flavour your food as intended. As a rule, whole spices will stay fresh for about 2 years, ground spices for about 1 to 2 years and dried leafy herbs for 1 to 3 years. Often spices going stale are as a result of purchasing too much for your in-home cooking needs and often due to how and where they are stored.

Cucina Milano has come up with an innovative, “all you need in-one useful container”, to make a variation of recipes and curries, called Spice Tackle. Yes, all the spice you need (17 in all) to tackle and make delicious recipes, all at your fingertips and in enough quantities not to go stale on you. Cucina Milano has also re-filler sachets which can be ordered on-line when your spice runs out, so you can keep your tackle box in readiness for the next curry or meal that you are planning.

Please navigate to our recipe section to stimulate ideas

Cucina Milano has launched its 1st of a range of these “all in one box concepts” namely “starter collection”. In time more variations will be offered (for example Thai tackle) which will have all the spices you need (for example) to make delicious and authentic Thai curries.

Spice Tackle Product Shot

Direct to Public Price List

Spice Tackle Starter Collection

R 399.99

Incl. VAT
Ex Works/Collect

Deliveries limited to the Cape Town area.
R150.00 postage charge for other destinations limited to the Republic of South Africa.**

** Price indicated is per Spice Tackle Box. Large quantities subject to road transport freight costs.

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Black Pepper Corns

Black pepper is a flowering vine in the family Piperaceae, cultivated for its fruit, known as a peppercorn, which is usually dried and used as a spice and seasoning. When fresh and fully mature, it is about 5 mm in diameter and dark red, and contains a single seed, like all drupes. Even if you don’t spend much time in the kitchen, there are two seasonings which no cook can go without: salt and pepper. Black pepper has long been a part of our cooking culture. But up until recently, that’s been the extent of our use of black pepper. It adds a spicy dimension to every dish, and offsets salt nicely. Enough said.

Helpful Video Tutorials On Black Pepper Corns

Caraway Seeds

Caraway, also known as meridian fennel and Persian cumin, is a biennial plant in the family Apiaceae, native to western Asia, Europe, and North Africa. The plant is similar in appearance to other members of the carrot family, with finely divided, feathery leaves with thread-like divisions, growing on 20–30 cm stems. Caraway seeds are highly aromatic and have a distinctive mild anise flavour that adds a welcome and subtle liquorice hint to many dishes. Their taste is earthy, with a hint of citrus and pepper. A frequent addition to spice cabinets, caraway seeds are the dried fruit of the caraway plant

Helpful Video Tutorials On Caraway Seeds

Chilli Flakes

Crushed red pepper or red pepper flakes is a condiment consisting of dried and crushed red chili peppers. This condiment is most often produced from cayenne-type peppers, although commercial producers may use a variety of different cultivars, usually within the 30,000–50,000 Scoville unit range. The relatively hotter cayenne pepper is a staple in chili flakes. … If a recipe calls for 1 teaspoon of chili flakes and you don’t have that now, you’re better off doing a few dashes of Sriracha or another basic hot sauce, as chili powder would be too mild for a chili flake substitution.

Helpful Video Tutorials On Chilli Flakes

Cinnamon Quills

Cinnamon Quills or as they are also referred, cinnamon sticks, come from the inner bark of a tropical tree and have a delicate, woody aroma and are perfect for slow-cooked meals or stews. Add these robust & earthy Cinnamon Quills to milk & custard when making milk tart, as well as to water when poaching fruits or cooking yellow rice. Traditionally used in Cape Malay curry preparations. Remove before serving. Ideal in savoury recipes.

Helpful Video Tutorials On Cinnamon Quills

Coriander Seeds

Coriander, also known as Chinese parsley, the stems and leaves of which are usually called cilantro in North America, is an annual herb in the family Apiaceae. All parts of the plant are edible, but the fresh leaves and the dried seeds are the parts most traditionally used in cooking Prepare it. The best way to get the maximum flavour out of coriander seeds is to dry-fry them. Coriander seeds can be stored in an airtight jar in a cool dark place for several months. Use the seeds for pickling or ground in curry pastes.

Helpful Video Tutorials On Coriander Seeds

Cumin Powder

Cumin is a flowering plant in the family Apiaceae, native to a territory including the Middle East and stretching east to India. Its seeds – each one contained within a fruit, which is dried – are used in the cuisines of many cultures in both whole and ground form. Cumin can be used both as the whole seed or ground. Cumin is a staple ingredient in most curry powders and many spice blends. It’s reserved primarily for savoury recipes, like chili, stews, meat, fish, and vegetables.

Helpful Video Tutorials On Cumin Powder

Curry Powder

Curry powder is a spice mix originating from the Indian subcontinent. Curry powder is usually a mixture of turmeric, chilli powder, ground coriander, ground cumin, ground ginger and pepper, and can be bought in mild, medium or hot strengths. It usually comes in a variety of strengths namely Mild, Medium and Hot to very hot. As a one pot meal adding 1-2 tablespoons to any meat, chicken or fish dish would suffice to enhance any existing curry recipe.

Helpful Video Tutorials On Curry Powder

Fennel Seeds

Fennel is a flowering plant species in the carrot family. It is a hardy, perennial herb with yellow flowers and feathery leaves. It is indigenous to the shores of the Mediterranean but has become widely naturalized in many parts of the world, especially on dry soils near the seacoast and on riverbanks. Dried fennel seeds are often used in cooking as an anise-flavoured spice is a wonderful condiment used on pork belly as one of many examples. Fennel can also be used by mouth for various digestive problems including heartburn, intestinal gas, bloating, loss of appetite, and colic in infants among others.

Helpful Video Tutorials On Fennel Seeds

Garam Masala

Garam masala from “garam” and “masala” is a blend of ground spices, originating from the Indian subcontinent, common in cuisines from the Indian subcontinent and Mauritius. It is used alone or with other seasonings. One of the key differences between Curry powder and Garam Masala is the fact that garam masala is not based on turmeric, which is the main ingredient in many curry powder variants. … Garam masala has a sweeter taste when compared to curry powders and usually includes cinnamon, nutmeg, and cardamom along with many other spices

Helpful Video Tutorials On Garam Masala

Green Cardamom Pods

Cardamom is a spice made from the seeds of several plants in the genera Elettaria and Amomum in the family Zingiberaceae. Both genera are native to the Indian subcontinent and Indonesia. To use the pods and seeds in cooking, the pods need to be ground or crushed. This can be managed very easily by using a pestle and mortar. Simply place the cardamom pods in the mortar and lightly pound the pods with the pestle. The pods will burst open and the seeds will ooze out. Delicious in curries or stews.

Helpful Video Tutorials On Green Cardamon Pods

Mustard Seeds

Mustard seeds are the small round seeds of various mustard plants. The seeds are usually about 1 to 2 millimeters in diameter and may be coloured from yellowish white to black. In foods, mustard leaves (greens) are used in salads and other dishes. Also, in foods, mustard seed is used as a spice and to flavor mustard condiment. There are approximately 40 different species of mustard plants, lightly fried in sunflower oil and added to rice provides for a wonderful texture and wholesome meal.

Helpful Video Tutorials On Mustard Seeds

Nutmeg Powder

Nutmeg is the shelled, dried seed of the plant Myristica fragrans, and mace is the dried net-like covering of the shell of the seed. Nutmeg and mace are used to make medicine. Nutmeg and mace are used for diarrhoea, nausea, stomach spasms and pain, and intestinal gas. Slightly sweeter than mace, nutmeg is essential to bechamel sauce and also goes well with baked or stewed fruit, custards, eggnog, punches, curries, sauces (particularly onion-based and milk sauces), pasta, and vegetables (especially spinach). One whole nutmeg grated yield 2 to 3 teaspoons of ground nutmeg.

Helpful Video Tutorials On Nutmeg Powder

Paprika

Paprika is a ground spice made from dried red fruits of the larger and sweeter varieties of the plant Capsicum annuum, called bell pepper or sweet pepper. The most common variety used for making paprika is tomato pepper, sometimes with the addition of more pungent varieties, called chili peppers, and cayenne pepper. Sweet Paprika. Typically, just labelled as paprika, this spice adds vibrant colour to any dish. It can be sprinkled as a garnish over devilled eggs or potato salad or used as a flavouring for meat rubs. It has a sweet pepper flavor, without any heat.

Helpful Video Tutorials On Paprika

Star Anise

Star anise is a spice made from the fruit of the Chinese evergreen tree Illicium verum. It’s aptly named for the star-shaped pods from which the spice seeds are harvested and has a flavour that is reminiscent of liquorice. Because of similarities in their flavor and names, star anise is often confused with anise, though the two spices are unrelated. Star anise is famed not only for its distinct flavor and culinary applications but also for its medicinal benefits. In cooking, star anise can be used whole or as a powder. It’s often utilized in classical Chinese, Vietnamese, Indian and Middle Eastern cuisines, especially as a flavor enhancer in broths, soups and curries.

Helpful Video Tutorials On Star Anise

Tumeric

Turmeric is a spice that comes from the turmeric plant. It is commonly used in Asian food. You probably know turmeric as the main spice in curry. It has a warm, bitter taste and is frequently used to flavour or colour curry powders, mustards, butters, and cheeses. But the root of turmeric is also used widely to make medicine. It contains a yellow-coloured chemical called curcumin, which is often used to colour foods and cosmetics.

Helpful Video Tutorials On Tumeric

Whole White Pepper Corns

White pepper is made from fully ripe pepper berries. Then their skins are removed, which also removes some of the hot piperine compound, as well as volatile oils and compounds that give black pepper its aroma. As a result, white pepper has a different flavour and heat component than black pepper. White pepper is often used in dishes that need a peppery bite but where you don’t want black flecks, such as in white sauces and potato dishes. In Chinese cuisine, ground white pepper is used to add flavour to soups, marinades for meat and poultry, and spicier stir-fries.

Helpful Video Tutorials On Whole White Pepper Corns

Whole Cloves

Cloves are the aromatic flower buds of a tree in the family Myrtaceae, Syzygium aromaticum. They are native to the Maluku Islands in Indonesia and are commonly used as a spice. Cloves are available throughout the year due to different harvest seasons in different countries. Whole or ground cloves are used to flavour sauces, soups and rice dishes, notably a number of traditional Indian dishes, and it’s one of the components of garam masala. Whole cloves are either removed before serving or picked out of the dish. Even when cooked, whole cloves have a very hard, woody texture that would be unpleasant to bite into. Cloves also feature in any number of desserts, especially ground cloves, and particularly around the holidays

Helpful Video Tutorials On Whole Cloves

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