“Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.” We’ve all heard it and said it since childhood, but most people probably never wonder about the origins of this alliterative tongue-twister. It is actually based on fact. The administrator of Ile de France (now known as Mauritius) in 1770 was a gentleman named Pierre Poivre. His first name when Anglicised is Peter, and Poivre is French for pepper, the Latin of which is Piper. So Peter Piper was actually Pierre Poivre. He bravely broke the monopoly of the Dutch over the nutmeg, mace and clove markets by smuggling plants from the Indonesian Spice Islands (a capital offence) to Ile de France. So he was a hero of the spice industry, and deservedly linked to pepper in the tongue-twister. Why did her “pick a peck”? A peck is a quarter of a bushel, so it’s just the quantity of pepper he picked. Why are they “pickled peppers”? The only way to prevent green pepper turning black before the days of freeze-drying was to preserve it in brine … hence the reference to pickling.
We are devastated to inform you that our wonderful Chipotle Chilli Powder is no longer available in Australia. For a similar flavour, mix Smoked Paprika with a little hot chilli powder. We find it very frustrating when we introduce new ingredients that we know you will love, only to have a supply problem later on. However, we are sure you’ll agree it’s better to have supped and lost than never to have supped at all!
The relocation of our production and wholesale facilities to a factory on the Central Coast has been very successful, reducing our stress levels considerably. Please rest assured that the shop has not been moved or changed and is still in its corner position in Rozelle. In fact, the shop staff has reaped the benefit of not having to fulfill large orders from those premises, and now has more time to look after your every need. More good news is that we have been able to convert our original factory space into a classroom, so we will soon be able to accommodate a slightly larger class – in comfort! Because we will finally be able to conduct Spice Appreciation Classes during shop hours, we hope to include some daytime classes (handy for mothers of school-age children) and some more Saturday classes next year. Watch this space!
As the weather warms up, there are already uneasy suggestions that Christmas is not too far away. We’ve been busy during the season of “Christmas in July” dreaming up a Festive Flavours gift kit, suitable not only for a traditional Christmas dinner, but also Thanksgiving and any special occasion at all. With such stunning recipes as Star Anise-studded Ham, Spatchcock with Ras el Hanout, and Mini Christmas Puds, we know it’s going to be very popular. Good news is that we have managed to keep the prices of all our normal gift kits at the same low price of $27.50 until at least the end of this year. Available for sale in a few weeks time.
We’re also been having discussions about fish and seafood. We decided that when one says “seafood” our minds turn to such scale-less water-dwellers as crustaceans, oysters and squid, whereas “fish” is very definitely fish! As a result of this cogitation, our Sea-Foodie kit has been changed to encompass the delights of seafood, offering such yummies as Salt and Pepper Squid and Scallops with Lemon Myrtle. The new Fish in the Dish kit addresses the various aspects of fish, with recipes for our famous Kuwaiti Fish Stew, plus Pan-Seared Ocean Trout with Australian spices, and the beautifully subtle Aromatic Fish Curry. This will be particularly good news to all those customers who are constantly looking for new and exciting ways to deal with this cholesterol-lowering food source. Here’s a recipe from the Sea-Foodie kit to get your mouth watering.
The subject of the cost of Vanilla Beans is never far from our minds, and we have explained in previous newsletters how bad seasons pushed the prices up a year ago. Since then, we’ve been looking forward to seeing a more reasonable price establish itself, particularly with the strengthening of the Australian dollar against the greenback. Sadly, the rules of supply and demand are keeping prices up, since Coca Cola uses natural vanilla in Vanilla Coke, and we hear that other soft drinks and spirits are being produced using natural vanilla. While it’s great to see big companies steering away from artificial ingredients, it does make it difficult to access this wonderful product at a realistic price.
There are still a few spots available for our Spice Tour to India, from 17th January 2004 to 2nd February 2004. Although our primary purpose is to see the world of spices, we can’t help but be part of the amazing phenomenon that is India with all its contrasts – prosperity and poverty, luxury and simplicity, beauty and ugliness. India is always fascinating at every turn, and everyone who goes there is richer for the experience. Being somewhat older than your average back-packer, we seek the comforts … air conditioned coaches, very comfortable hotels and delicious safe meals … as well as fascinating visits to places not usually on the tourist circuit. Contact us if you would like to see an itinerary or have more information.
And plans for next year include an Advanced level for our Spice Appreciation Classes, and another new kit of Just Desserts. Meanwhile, happy spicing!
Herbie and Liz
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Baharat, also known as Lebanese Seven Spice or Advieh, has become one of the many ‘go-to’ spice blends along with Ras el Hanout and Chermoula. Herbie, always up to date or ahead with spice trends, was asked to contribute this article to Australian Gourmet Traveller in 1999. Yes, 24 years ago! This is the article: Legendary spice merchant and blender, Ian (Herbie) Hemphill, has
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We’re all in accord about single-use plastics. Having seen huge drifts of plastic in the pristine seas off the Indonesian islands, we know just how important it is to get rid of those shopping bags, plastic wraps and sandwich bags. When one gets emotional about bad plastics, it’s easy to begin to demonize all plastics, and perhaps it’s timely to repeat this message from our Newsletter of some years ago.
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We invite you to join us, Herbie and Liz, as we return to our beloved India to take you to some places where many tourists don’t go! And some amazing places that you just can’t miss. This is designed as a holiday, not an endurance test, and we have made the itinerary a little more leisurely than some earlier tours, so that you arrive home refreshed and well. Be a part of our small group and join the fun!
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Besides being a popular spice for Yotam Otolenghi, Aleppo Pepper is becoming the go-to chilli for many cooks and food lovers. Why would a style of chilli be called a pepper? After all it is not a peppercorn! Let’s start with a bit of background. You may recall that Christopher Columbus was sailing west to get to the Indonesian spice islands, because he guessed
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LATEST RECIPES FROM KATE AT HERBIE’S KITCHEN For people with intolerances or special diets, spices are an excellent way of adding flavour when avoiding a variety of other ingredients Our Recipe Page has a handy check box for vegetarian, vegan, nut free, dairy free, gluten free, keto, paleo, low-fodmap and healthy eating categories (please bear in mind we are not trained in nutrition, and
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LATEST RECIPES FROM KATE HEMPHILL AT HERBIE’S KITCHEN Longer evenings are just beginning, and depending on where you are, perhaps you’re eating dinner outside already. It’s also a time that we look to lighter fare (although to us curry is definitely a year-round meal); with crunchy salads, fresh seasonal veg, and grills on the menu. Check out our Al Fresco Dining Spice Kit, which
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