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Author Topic: Do spices have a flavour?  (read 17,441 times)

AI Summary
The discussion centers around the role of spices in curry, with several participants expressing the view that spices contribute more to aroma than to actual flavor. Many agree that the primary flavors in curries come from ingredients like onions, garlic, and ginger, rather than the spices themselves, particularly noting that garam masala often goes unnoticed in commercial curries. The consensus suggests that while spices may enhance the aroma, they play a minimal role in the overall taste of the dish.

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Offline pete

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Do spices have a flavour?
« on: May 15, 2005, 09:31 AM »
Perhaps it's a little obsessive but have any of you actually tried tasting raw spices?
Or how about the curry pastes?
It strikes me that they have aroma but very little flavour.
And what aroma does a curry have?
Which spice?
Certainly NOT garam masala.
If that is correct, then all the flavour we want should be coming just from the onions, garlic, ginger, carrot, pepper, chicken stock and oil.
I am wondering if the spices have almost nothing to do with what we are trying to achieve.
Yesterday one of my family said I the whole house reeked of curry.
All I had done was fry some garlic ginger puree.
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Offline Blondie

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Re: Do spices have a flavour?
« Reply #1 on: May 15, 2005, 10:00 AM »
Hi Pete,

I think there is a lot to what you say.  I think the main stream curries ie medium curry sauce, madras, vindaloo do not really have a flavour that can be put down to spices, as you say it seems to come from all the other ingredients,

What are we saying here? I'm confused,

Thanx for doin' me 'ead in,

Cheers Pete,

Blondie
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Offline Mark J

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Re: Do spices have a flavour?
« Reply #2 on: May 15, 2005, 10:17 AM »
I reckon the smell of frying ginger,garlic and onions is the smeel of the curry house.

Mind you your 600ml oil base smalles magnificent after it has stewed for a bit with the spices in
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Offline Ian S.

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Re: Do spices have a flavour?
« Reply #3 on: May 15, 2005, 10:26 AM »
I think I see where you're coming from on this.  That's why I increased the ginger and garlic and backed off the spices in my struggles with KD.  The thing is, taste and aroma are so closely linked that it's difficult to define.  I would say that the spices add 'notes' to the curry - I tried making a dish with just base sauce (only turmuric and paprika for colour, in that) and salt and chilli.  But it wasn't the same.

Mind you, I think I'm going to give up on garam masala altogether.  I can't taste/smell it in bought curries, either. The 'spice mixes' shown on this site are the way to go, for me.
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Offline DARTHPHALL

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Re: Do spices have a flavour?
« Reply #4 on: May 15, 2005, 10:41 AM »
yes i`ve tried tasting raw spices to find out how to achieve the 100% clone, very hard, didint work for me. :(
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Offline merrybaker

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Re: Do spices have a flavour?
« Reply #5 on: May 15, 2005, 05:01 PM »
Quote from: pete on May 15, 2005, 09:31 AM
Perhaps it's a little obsessive...

Yes, it is, and that's what we love about you, Pete.?:-* If it weren't for your obsession, we wouldn't be as close to true curry as we are.

Some spices don't have much taste.? I'm thinking of ground coriander, mainly.? I've often thought if it were omitted, nobody would notice.? Same with paprika and turmeric, to some extent, although turmeric adds a nice bitterness.? But cumin and fennel definitely change the character of a curry, I think.?

BIRs are in business to make money, and If they could make a curry without expensive spices, I'm sure they would.?
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Offline joe2

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Re: Do spices have a flavour?
« Reply #6 on: May 15, 2005, 09:55 PM »
This is a great point to bring up Pete.

I'm of the opinion too that the role of spices in the TASTE is minimal. Giving the spices such a great deal of importance is probably the biggest mistake that a newbie(and we were all one) can make.
As far as i'm concerned, they just give the curry that finishing touch.  I also agree with the opinions on garam masala - we can forget it, we don't need it.
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Offline Mark J

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Re: Do spices have a flavour?
« Reply #7 on: May 16, 2005, 11:00 AM »
Agree with all that, ground coriander does however give off an incredible smell and as we all know smell and taste are very closely linked.
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Offline pete

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Re: Do spices have a flavour?
« Reply #8 on: May 16, 2005, 12:51 PM »
What I am thinking, is that we add a few spices ,when cooking the final curry and this will have little bearing on the final flavour but affect the aroma.
Unless, you add the dreaded Garam Masala, which is a really overpowering flavour.
Perhaps the taste is more of an aroma, and we lose it.
Things to cook with the final curry are fresh coriander, dried fenugreek leaves, chillie powder (and fresh chillie) garlic and ginger.
All the other flavour must be coming from the base and precooked ingredients.
Maybe we don't get the taste because we cover it.
When I get time I will try a base with no spices.
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Offline Dylan

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Re: Do spices have a flavour?
« Reply #9 on: May 17, 2005, 09:08 AM »
Taste and flavor are two different things. There are only five tastes: sweet, sour, salty, savory and bitter. Flavor and aroma are closely related; there are thousands of these.
Most spices have very little taste (some, like cumin, are slightly bitter). You can test this by chewing on one whilst pinching your nose. There'll be little or no taste. Release your fingers and you'll be hit with aroma and flavor.

Now is "the taste"actually taste based or flavor based (or a combination of the two)? Next time I have takeaway I'll sample it with a peg on my nose.


The heat from chillies is neither taste or flavor based: it's an irritant that triggers pain messages from our nerves.
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