Hetal says, "When I'm baking, I've learned that good spices go a long way and can make or break your recipe! You want spices where a little bit can go a long way, which means you want to use the good stuff! Burlap and Barrel's cardamom, ginger, cinnamon, and more make my baked goods taste just THAT much better. Their intense flavors and aromas make the baking and eating experience so much more enjoyable!"
Pre-order her cookbook, Desi Bakes, here!
Photo credit: Andria Lo
The 6-spice collection includes:
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Our Royal Cinnamon is an heirloom variety not widely harvested or exported, and it exemplifies the intense sweetness and spiciness for which Vietnamese cinnamon is prized. Use it in place of Saigon or other cinnamons in pastries and baked goods, or sprinkle into rich, savory meat or tomato-based dishes.
Ingredients:Royal cinnamon, ground (Cinnamomum loureiroi)
Size: 1.8 oz
Origin:Quang Nam Mountains, Vietnam
Process:Sun-dried
- Beautiful in baked goods, spice cookies and desserts
- Sprinkle over yogurt and oatmeal, and add to smoothies
- Brew with your favorite coffee or tea
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Our Cloud Forest Cardamom is sweet and tart, reminiscent of summer fruits, fresh herbs and cut grass. It comes straight from a single-estate regenerative farm in the high-altitude cloud forests of Guatemala. The fruit turns yellow as it ripens on the vine and has a softer and sweeter flavor that makes it a perfect upgrade to standard green cardamom.
Ingredients:Ground cardamom pods (Elettaria cardamomum)
Size: 1.9 oz
Origin:Alta Verapaz, Guatemala
Process:Hot-air-dried
- Cook down with fruit juice for a savory/sweet sauce or jam
- Add to your meat or veggie rub, especially for chicken or lamb
- Use in cakes, muffins, pastries and other desserts
- Sprinkle over oatmeal or into smoothies
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Our ground Buffalo Ginger is an heirloom ginger variety grown by a group of farmers in the mountains of northern Vietnam. Known for its fruity, floral aroma and powerful heat, this is a complex and flavorful ginger powder that will elevate baked goods, stews and curries, and beverages from hot drinks to cocktails.
Ingredients: Ginger, ground (Zingiber officinale)
Size: 1.8 oz
Origin: Cao Bằng, Vietnam
Process:Dried with hot air, then ground
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- Add to apple pies, cookies, cakes and other baked goods
- Use in place of fresh ginger in soups, stir-fries and braises
- Mix ¼ teaspoon with water and honey for a potent ginger tea (or skip the water and stir a pinch of ginger into honey)
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Our Nyanza Vanilla is grown in the hills around Nyanza (aka Lake Victoria) in Tanzania, where the altitude, rich soil and temperate climate produce an especially rich, sweet vanilla. Add your favorite spirit, salt or sugar to fill the jar.
Ingredients:Vanilla planifolia, chopped pod
Origin:Kagera, Tanzania
Process:Sun-dried during the day, cured in wooden boxes overnight
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Our uncommonly delicate Herati Saffron threads have a beautiful delicate floral flavor, golden color and warm, honeyed fragrance reminiscent of dried roses and fresh hay. The threads are pulled carefully from the flower, leaving a characteristic flame-colored tail. Saffron is a key element in sweet and savory cuisines from the Mediterranean to South Asia.
Ingredients:Whole saffron threads (Crocus sativus)
Size: 0.5 g
Origin:Herat, Afghanistan
Process:Sun-dried
- Steep a few threads in warm water when making crunchy baked rice
- Add a pinch of threads when making paella
- Fold into buttery bread, cake or cookie doughs
- Steep in cream for a rich pasta sauce
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Our Wild Mountain Cumin has a savory, penetrating aroma and bright, umami flavor evocative of grilled meats and sweet caramelized onions. The tiny, oblong seeds are hand-picked by foragers in the Hindu Kush mountains of Afghanistan. The seeds are smaller and softer than the cumin you may be used to, and they do not need to be ground before use.
Ingredients:Whole wild cumin (Bunium persicum)
Size: 1.5 oz
Origin:Badakhshan, Afghanistan
Process:Sun-dried
- Bloom seeds in hot oil or ghee and use as the base for stews, curries or braises
- Grind seeds and mix with other spices like coriander and black pepper for a savory protein rub
- Mix whole seeds into guacamole, vinaigrettes or yogurt-based spreads
Sourcing
Hetal Vasavada is the creator of the blog Milk & Cardamom and competed on MasterChef Season 6. She’s done multimedia recipe development, social media management and content creation for many Bay Area culinary businesses.
She lives in San Francisco, California.
Learn more at @milkandcardamom
