Susan Jung

2 weeks ago | scmp.com | Susan Jung

I am not sure why mace is not as well known as its twin, nutmeg. The two spices come from the fruit of the Myristica fragrans tree – mace is the seed coating and nutmeg the seed. But while nutmeg is quite common – which cook, after all, does not have a nutmeg in the spice cupboard for grating onto eggnog or adding to a béchamel sauce? – mace is not. The two spices are prised together out of the fruit, and the mace, which tightly surrounds the nutmeg, is removed.

3 weeks ago | scmp.com | Susan Jung

Nutmeg is a spice that is used sparingly. Many recipes call for just a few “scrapes” or “grinds” of it because its flavour and aroma are so pervasive. Once it is ground, those dissipate quickly, so it is better to buy whole nutmeg, which keeps for a long time, and grate it just before use; there are special nutmeg graters, but a Microplane also works well. The nutmeg is not actually a nut; rather, it is the hard seed of a fruit.

4 weeks ago | scmp.com | Susan Jung

The young ginger in the markets in late spring is very different from the old ginger that is available year-round. Yes, they are both a rhizome and come from the same plant but the former is harvested when the shoots are off-white with pink tips. Young ginger is moist and tender with a very thin, edible skin and mild flavour. It is often eaten as a vegetable or made into a pickle.

1 month ago | scmp.com | Susan Jung

Cardamom is a spice I love, even though I do not use it often. I add a small amount of the ground spice when I make Danish pastries and delicate chickpea-flour cookies, and use a pod or two when I am cooking an Indian- or Middle Eastern-inspired dish, but that is about the extent of it. It is a spice that should be used sparingly: with most preparations, a subtle hint of its distinctive flavour is much better than a strong jolt of it.

1 month ago | scmp.com | Susan Jung

Star anise is a striking spice, both in appearance and taste. In Cantonese, it is called bat gok (eight angles, or corners), although it sometimes has more or fewer than eight points making up the “star”. Its flavour is similar to that of aniseed, but star anise is much stronger; often, recipes will call for a certain number of star anise points, rather than a whole one, because too much will overwhelm the other ingredients.