HERBIE'S BLOG

Food

Food

Peppered with facts – understanding the world of pepper

For most people, there is only one type of pepper that they know and love. However, let us show you the true world of peppers and the vastly different types.

Behind the Scenes

Spice Classes & Conversations

Want to learn more about spices, their history and how to use them? View Upcoming Events on our website to see where Ian ‘Herbie’ Hemphill is giving a Spice Appreciation Class or engaging audiences in Spice Conversations. If you are looking for a hands-on experience, this special Spice Essentials with Ian and Kate at The Essential Ingredient should not be missed. Some of the aspects Ian will cover in

Book Tour

Index of Botanical and Common Names

Have you tried to find the botanical name of a herb or spice lately?   The Spice & Herb Bible 3rd Edition lists over 350 botanical names of various herbs and spices. To make it easy to find these, we have created a searchable PDF that shows: Every spice and herb in the Spice & Herb Bible 3rd Edition Botanical name/s as some plants

Food

Low Sodium Options

We have created a special tangy spice mix to be used as a tasty low sodium option In response to customers telling us that many so-called herb and vegetable salts still contained added salt, and were not suitable for anyone on a salt-free diet, we got to work making a spice blend that would have no added salt, yet be tangy and satisfying. As

Behind the Scenes

Grains of Paradise

Although exotically named, this wild harvested member of the cardamom family has enjoyed renewed awareness as followers of West African cuisine, and boutique gin producers, discover its true potential.   The economy of Sierra Leone, a major exporter of Grains of Paradise, was devastated during the last ebola epidemic. Therefore we were pleased to hear from our supplier who advised us: "We also out here are

Behind the Scenes

Cinnamon Facts

There are two spices commonly referred to as cinnamon. As many spice companies prefer not to name them correctly, confusion continues to prevail about what type of cinnamon consumers are actually purchasing. In this blog post we demystify the facts on cinnamon, so you can readily identify which one you have. May we start by saying these are both excellent spices when used appropriately,

Behind the Scenes

What is Dagar Phool?

ALSO KNOWN AS DAGARFUL, IT IS THE MOST UNUSUAL FLAVOUR CONTRIBUTOR WE’VE SEEN IN YEARS! What would you think if we told you we’d come across a lichen traditionally used in the Chettinad region of Tamil Nadu in South India, and that we simply love it? What we are referring to is the lichen known as Dagar Phool, or Dagarful (Parmotrema perlatum) which has an

Behind the Scenes

Know Your Cardamoms

Cardamom is featured in many recipes, however are you using the right one? Cardamom Green Cardamom (Elettaria cardamomum) is the most common and we refer to it as your ‘default’ cardamom when a recipe simply calls for ‘cardamom’. Green cardamom is native to the mountain ranges of the south western Indian state of Kerala, known as the western ghats, (ghat being the name given to steep

Behind the Scenes

Australian Grown Herbs

These Australian grown dried herbs have to be experienced to be believed. There is a common misconception that dried herbs are inferior to fresh. The reality is that dried herbs are different to fresh. When a herb is dried correctly, the moisture content is greatly reduced, and the volatile oils that give these herbs their flavours are concentrated, and remain stable when exposed to

Cooking

Curry Leaves Explained

In this video Herbie gets up close and personal to the Curry Leaf Tree, and shares his love of this wonderful plant that contributes its unique taste to South Indian Cooking: Curry Leaves South Indian Seafood Masala Flavours of India Spice Kit

Behind the Scenes

Hungarian Paprika Festival

In 2010 Herbie & Liz visited the Hungarian Paprika Festival, a feast for the senses.

Behind the Scenes

Herbie Makes His Saturday Curry

Herbie’s Saturday Curry is an easy way to get into the joys of curry making. In this video, Herbie shows the basic steps that can be used for a wide range of beef and lamb curries. Curry Powder Medium Madras Curry Mix with Whole Seeds & Spices Sri Lankan Curry

Australian Native Spices

Lemon Myrtle Explained

Herbie tells you about one of the most useful Australian native herbs. Lemon Myrtle Leaves Lemon Myrtle Ground

Join the inner circle

Herbie’s Spices Inner Circle fills a need in the community of cooks and food lovers for early-access & upcoming events to all those hard-to-find herbs and spices.

Please enter valid email.
Subscribe