Hi! What are the difference between the Chinese, Malay, Indian and Eurasian spices? Thx a lot.?

Question

Hi! What are the difference between the Chinese, Malay, Indian and Eurasian spices? Pls state the difference and comparison. If possible, pls also state the websites. Thx a lot.

Answer 1

Thats a loaded question............in short...a heck of a lot...!

Answer 2

the best way to know the difference if to taste them no website will tell you all that but in short, they're all the same the difference is how you use them.

Answer 3

some r the same and others r different. thats bascially all

Answer 4

The Asian Collection:

CHINESE FIVE-SPICE

This powerful blend of spices includes cinnamon, cloves, fennel, szechuan peppers and ginger. Try adding a teaspoon or two with a half cup of liquid (water, wine or stock) to flavour a stir-fry. It’s also an interesting addition to fruit desserts.

CASSIA BARK

From the dried bark of the cassia tree, it is similar to cinnamon, but with a more robust flavour, appropriate for combining with the intensity of other Asian spices. Cassia is also known as Chinese cinnamon.

GALANGAL

Galangal has the peppery hotness of ginger but not the sweetness. Use it to flavour Indonesian sambals or in fish dishes with coconut milk. Also known as laos (Indonesian) and kha (Thailand).

KAFFIR LIME LEAVES

Unlike ordinary citrus leaves, kaffir lime leaves have a pronounced flavour and fragrance that combines well with rich coconut milk and hot chili spices. Very good with fish

LEMON GRASS

Essential to Thai cooking, this aromatic grass has a small bulbous root with a light lemonlike flavour and aroma that mixes well with strong Asian spices. One teaspoon of our powdered lemon grass is equal to one stalk of fresh.

SZECHUAN PEPPERS

From the Szechuan province of China, this mildly hot spice comes from the prickly ash tree. Though not related to the peppercorn family, Szechuan berries resemble black peppercorns, but contain a tiny seed. Szechuan pepper has a distinctive flavor and fragrance, slightly reminiscent of camphor. Szechuan pepper is also known as fagara, sansho and Sichuan pepper. Dry roast before using.

STAR ANISE

This dried, star-shaped fruit grows on small evergreen trees in China and Vietnam. Its smokey, licorice flavour makes it a distinctive ingredient in Chinese braised dishes and Malaysian curries. Or, use it as a garnish.

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The Indian Collection

AMCHUR

Unripe mangoes are dried and ground to make a powder which is used to give a sour tang to many dishes including meats, vegetables and curries. It is also called simply mango powder.

BLACK CUMIN

Black cumin (kali jeera) is a rare variety, smaller and sweeter than regular cumin. Preferred in Northern India for meat dishes (kormas) and rice dishes (biryani). It is also known as Imperial cumin, refering to its popularity with visiting Moghul emperors.

FENUGREEK

When roasted, fenugreek seed tastes vaguely like maple syrup. Its pleasant bitter flavour lends itself to curry blends, chutneys and rich vegetarian stews.

GARAM MASALA

A blend of several strongly aromatic spices designed to add flavour and fragrance to many Indian dishes. It also often used as a garnish. The literal Hindi translation of garam masala is “hot spices”.

GREEN CARDAMOM

This aromatic spice has a warm, spicy-sweet flavour. Cardamom seeds may be removed from the pods and ground, or the entire pod may be fried in ghee or oil for several minutes to release its oils. Usually cardamom is added before a dish’s other ingredients are browned. The pod is quite bitter and should be discarded after frying.

PANCH PHORON

Panch phoron is a Bengal classic mixture of five spices; cumin, black cumin, mustard, fenugreek and fennel seeds. It is rarely ground, though should either be toasted or fried in oil before using in vegetable dishes and chutneys.

TURMERIC

Turmeric, or haldi, is a pungent underground root. Ground turmeric is used to flavour and colour curries: its brilliant yellow colour gives an appetizing look to a dish. Don’t over do it with turmeric, a quarter teaspoon is often enough to flavour an entire dish.

Answer 5

I think the first thing you can think of is spices are geographically specific. For Chinese, northern, southern, western and eastern all have different spices, peculiar to the local climate and soil quailities. The same applies to Malay, although I could not say much for I am not a Malaysian. Indian, northern species are not as hot and spicy as the southern, that's the major difference. Eurasian spices, perhaps like the Macau people do their Portugese dishes, are a mixture of local flavour with the exotic tastes. If you are interested in the differences in these spices, visit these countries' websites and compare your findings with your tries. I would love to hear your findings as well.