Sri Lankan Spice Guide

Spices in South Asian cooking are known as the specialty of the region! Let’s take a look at some of these powerhouses that are used in the everyday cooking of the average Sri Lankan household.

The preparation and form of these spices can vary from each, as some of them are left whole, or sliced, steamed or fried and sometimes they are roasted and ground and made into fine powder, fit to be added to any dish, depending on the various cultural preparations found in our multi-cultural cuisines around the country.

Tips on How to Use SPICES
– Red Meat and poultry consist of spices that are roasted and ground to give more strength and flavour to the texture.
– Seafood usually has diced or steamed spices so as to not over-power the dish, however, if you wish to take out the “ocean-smell” off the meat, powdered spices are the way to go!
– Vegetables have their own delicate flavours. Adding spices as whole or cut into half make for a good palette as well as serves as beautiful garnish.
– Reduce the amount of powered spices if you want to retain the original flavour and scent of the meat or vegetable.
– All powders should be stored in airtight containers so that they would retain their flavour and texture.
– Remember to check the expiry dates on the packet before purchase so that you can comfortably store the product for longer on your kitchen shelf.

BLACK PEPPER
Characteristics
This comes from a flowering vine as dried berry obtained from the Pepper Plant. This is perfect to be used as a whole or as ground powder.
Flavours and Notes
It can give a fiery hotness in flavour and differs to that of a Chille.

CARDAMOM
Characteristics
Assembled using seeds from various plants in the Ginger family. The whole pod can be used whole or as ground powder. They typically come as black and green cardamom.
Flavours and Notes
It has a strong flavour and aroma with hints of slightly pungent smoky mint and lemon.

CHILLIES
Characteristics
This is essentially the fruit from the plant varieties of Capsicum, one of the most used spices in Sri Lanka, the Chille comes in the green and red varieties. The green is usually used fresh and the red is used after its dried. They interestingly house a lot of Vitamin C and are mostly used raw, or added to curries mid-way whilst being cooked.
Flavours and Notes
The chillie is tricky to quantify in the sense, it’s flavour notes includes the attributes of sweet, fiery and berry, with the heat of its essence making our nerve receptors respond to it as pain and hence all the crying if you are non-Sri Lankan.

CINNAMON
Characteristics
Derived from the inner bark of certain trees of the same family it is usually found in ‘stick’ form; they are used whole or as cut pieces in rice and meat dishes. Highly used for its anti-bacterial and cleansing medicinal properties.
Flavours and Notes
It has a strong aromatic essence and it has a spicy sweet flavour.

CLOVES
Characteristics
The clove is a dried flower bud of a tropical tree, these are used as whole or in part to flavour and garnish rice and meat dishes. They are also famed to heal toothaches and cavities.
Flavours and Notes
It is strong, sweet, bitter and a pungent, astringent mix of flavours. There are warm undertones in it that make the taste buds derive it as hot and similar to the aftertaste of nutmeg.

CORIANDER LEAVES
Characteristics
Known as an annual herb, all parts of this plants are edible. The fresh leaves and dried seeds are what is mostly used in traditional Sri Lankan cooking. Highly concentrated in vitamins and minerals, this makes a perfect ingredient to add to the cooking process or even to garnish dishes.
Flavours and Notes
The whole coriander is floral and has a trendy mix of citrus and curry which is light and sweet. The ground seeds are generally roasted and release a nutty aroma.

CURRY LEAVES
Characteristics
Also called Sweet Neem leaves, these are indigenous to Sri Lanka and India. The leaves are like small lemon leaves, long for their size with a narrowing point. The leaves are generally fried or added to a dish at a simmering stage. The leaves can also be powdered and stored for future use or used with other ground spices.
Flavours and Notes
This leaf too has a citrus and curry flavour with a mildly bitter aftertaste when consumed raw.

CUMIN SEEDS
Characteristics
Their trendy seeds have 8 ridges with oil canals, are oblong in shape, longitudinally ridged, and is yellowish brown. The seeds can be used as a whole or as ground powder. They also aid in digestion and produce a diuretic effect. They also contain anti-carcinogenic properties.
Flavours and Notes
The taste and aroma of the ground powder have a floral note with a nutty and peppery mix. The toasted cumin seeds have an earthy flavour and the raw seeds are peppery with slight citrus overtones.

FENNEL SEEDS
Characteristics
This is a pleasant-smelling happy herb with golden- yellow flowers. With oblong, comma-shaped design, this seed is roughly 3-4mm long, with a light brown hue with fine vertical stripes over the surface. The seeds are used as whole or as ground powder and added to curries (meat or vegetarian) at the cooking stage.
Flavours and Notes
The Flavour of the fennel seed is very similar to Liquorice, with a sweet, mint and camphor notes infused to give a punch in taste.

FENUGREEK SEEDS
Characteristics
This golden brown coloured seed is rectangular in shape and is added as whole seeds or as a grounded powder to curries (meat or vegetarian). This seed has the ability to thicken the consistency of the dish and hosts varied medicinal benefits.
Flavours and Notes
This seed is bitter in taste nevertheless it is a key ingredient in the curry making process of most Sri Lankan homes.

GINGER
Characteristics
This spice is the root taken from a flowering plant and can be added as cut pieces, ground or is steamed along with water.
Flavours and Notes
Pale yellow with mild bark like the texture on the skin, fresh ginger has a pungent, spicy smell. When ground, it has a warm, spicy bite, mildly sweet, and is less pungent than fresh ginger. Fresh and ground ginger is used in all Asian cuisine and is high on medicinal value.

MUSTARD SEEDS
Characteristics
These small seeds are yellowish white or black, 2mm or less in diameter. and have a spherical or oval shape. They are taken from the black mustard, brown Indian mustard, and white mustard varieties of the plant and are used as a whole. The ground powder is used in modern sauces of Western and European diets.
Flavour and Notes
Fondly known as a playful spice, this makes any dish more interesting with its
fresh, clean aroma and sharp, tangy flavor. Perfect for cutting through rich ingredients like beef and butter sauce this also aids in digestion.

NUTMEG
Characteristics
Nutmeg is the dried seed of an apricot-like fruit of an evergreen tree. This spice is used as whole or in ground powder form. Usually added in making curry powder and some in the making of sweetmeats and cakes. Nutmeg can stand on its own and needs no harmonizing flavours.
Flavour and Notes
Strongly aromatic sweet spice, warm and resinous in taste, it loses its natural fragrance when ground. It compliments starchy potatoes and squash and dark meats such as pork and lamb.

SAFFRON
Characteristics
This most exclusive spice comes from a 15-20cm plant with lavender coloured flowers. Three yellow-orange threads along with the stalk that connects the flower are what brings us the spice. This comes as whole dried stigmas or in powder form and is used as a seasoning and colouring agent and is known to be a powerful antioxidant.
Flavour and Notes
Bright crimson-red Saffron is a spice of paradox. It is bitter and sweet. Has accents of honey but can also be pungent. It is mostly known to be mild and have an overall very pleasant floral essence and should stain when rubbed between fingers as golden-yellow.

TAMARIND
Characteristics
The effervescent Tamarind seeds are hard and brown and are wrapped in an endocarp layer. A sheath of this contains 2 to 10 seeds each and can be used to extract oil. The has pod-like fruit that contains a pulp that is used in cuisines around the world and is a staple in Sri Lankan kitchens.
Flavour and Notes
This is tangy and sweet with hints of passion and citrus notes on the aftertaste. The sour-fruity flavour gives curries a refreshing twist. This is sold as a soft block of pulp or as a concentrate.

TURMERIC
Characteristics
The plant is a leafy herb that grows to be 1 meter in height is made powder by the dry grinding of the mature underground stems. Used in powder form this used for colouring and flavouring of food and is also considered a natural anti-bacterial cleanser.
Flavour and Notes
Mildly aromatic with accents of orange and ginger, it Turmeric has a pungent bitter flavour which distills when blended with other spices.