Spice-11: Spice age, green tea bitterness, and garlic

Got a kitchen conundrum? You ask, we answer! Send your query to spiceadvice@worldspice.com and our Culinary Committee will get back to you as soon as they can. And who knows — you might even see your question featured in a future edition of Spice-11! 📬  How old is too old for spices? Not like Y2K old — more like Obama’s-first term old. Asking for a friend. Sounds like it might be time to refresh your spice pantry. Give those old jars a sniff — chances are they don’t smell like much. And if they don’t smell like anything, they won’t taste like anything either. The nose knows! Spices don’t “go bad” in a way that will make you sick, but they do lose their punch and complex flavors over time. For peak flavor, we recommend using your spices within a year of purchase. 📬  My green tea is always bitter! I use loose-leaf (because, duh, I know better) and steep the leaves in boiling water. I love the green tea my local barista makes — it’s smooth and delicate — but when I try to make it at home, it tastes harsh. What gives? A lot of people struggle with this, so you're not alone! The trick to brewing a delicious cup of green tea is hot — but not boiling — water. Boiling water scalds the leaves, causing that bitter taste that gives green tea a bad rap. Turns out it’s just misunderstood. To brew a teashop-worthy cup of green tea, heat your water to 165°F - 170°F and steep for three to four minutes (over-steeping can also make tea bitter).  Pro Tip: No fancy kettle with a temperature gauge? No problem! Use a cooking thermometer — or bring the water to a boil, take it off the heat, and let it sit for about eight minutes. 📬  Help! I think I live with a vampire — or maybe they just can't eat garlic. What should I do?!  While we can't vouch for its vampire-fighting abilities, Asafoetida is an incredible garlic substitute that delivers allium flavor without the alliums. Use a pinch anywhere you'd typically use garlic.

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Cooking with Tea

How to Cook with Tea There’s nothing like a hot cup of tea to make the world feel a little brighter. We love sipping our favorite brews, of course — but tea has way more to offer than just comfort in a cup. Turns out, it’s a secret weapon in the kitchen, too. From baked goods to grains to glazes, tea brings unique depth and subtle aroma to your cooking. Here are a few easy (and delicious) ways to start experimenting. Add Depth to your Favorite Dishes The easiest way to use tea in cooking is to brew a batch and use it in place of plain water. This works great for cooking rice, grains or small pasta like couscous and orzo. The grains soak up the tea's flavor — try Darjeeling, Kukicha, or Chrysanthemum Flowers for an unexpected flavor twist.  Brewed tea can also replace the water used for steaming veggies and fish, or in our flour tortilla recipe. Steeped in Flavor Roast chicken recipe featuring our Asian Tea Rub.   Tea makes for a bold addition to rubs and marinades. We love using Lapsang Souchong for both because of the strong smoky flavor it brings. For rubs, grind a portion of your chosen tea and add a few teaspoons to your favorite rub recipe (or use our Asian Tea Rub for a ready-made solution). For marinades, brew a strong cup and add a splash to your other liquid ingredients. Sweeten the Deal Our recipe for Sumac strawberries with pound cake featuring our Jasmine Pearl Tea. And trust us, tea is especially well-suited for sweets. Bring a whole new dimension to your Sunday pancakes and infuse loose tea into maple syrup — just heat it over low heat for 10–15 minutes, strain, and enjoy. Try infusing tea leaves in cream to make custard — like in our Irish Breakfast Butter Pudding. You can also use brewed tea for our versatile Tea Glaze or grind the leaves to mix directly into baked goods like our Jasmine Pearl Pound Cake. And for a quick and deliciously aromatic upgrade, grind tea leaves or flowers (Elderflower and Roses are especially beautiful!) with white or brown sugar to garnish cookies, cakes, and other baked goods.

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Talk Spicy to Me: In Conversation With Our Spice Oracle

Sherrie dishes on baking & how a boxed dessert became a beloved, better-for-you date bar Happy World Baking Day! To celebrate, we sat down with our very own Spice Oracle, Sherrie Hahn, to talk about her love of baking — and her legendary date bar recipe. Her treats are a regular delight for our Seattle team, and we’re so excited to share them with you.  Before joining World Spice (over 20 years ago!) Sherrie received her formal culinary education from the Seattle Art Institute, and worked in the kitchens of several excellent restaurants throughout Seattle including Andaluca, Fish Club, Cactus, and Gitano. Sherrie brings something truly special to our small business. Not only is she incredibly generous with her treats, but also with her knowledge — so if you’re in Seattle, be sure to stop by and say hello.  Without further ado, here’s the story behind the bars (and the baker) that keep our crew smiling. How did you first get into baking? Sherrie: My mom would always bake on the weekends, whether from a box mix or from scratch. Some were family recipes, some were from magazines — she didn’t have a lot of cookbooks. I remember, as a kid, sitting in front of the oven door watching pita pockets rise — that was a Sunset Magazine recipe she made often. Cookies, cakes, bread, pies, fudge, or Grandma’s divinity recipe during the holidays.What inspires your baking today?Sherrie: I have a lot of cookbooks (don’t ask how many!) and follow a lot of food bloggers, chefs, and authors. The history lover in me is drawn to old-school, classic recipes — they’re cool, and some are even making a comeback.  I love being creative in the kitchen, whether it’s the blending of cultures or cuisines to come up with something new and delicious or using an everyday ingredient in a new way.What's the story behind your legendary date bars? Sherrie: My mom used to make it from a mix — I can’t remember if it was Betty Crocker, Duncan Hines, or Pillsbury. Maybe it just seemed “healthier” than chocolate something-or-other, but it was always a favorite in our household. The mix was discontinued years ago. When I moved back to Seattle after college (shoutout to Boston University!), I had a temp job. Someone brought in date bars they’d made, and they tasted just like the mix! They gave me the recipe and I found it again years later and finally made it. It was just as good as I remembered, but sooooo sweet. Dates are plenty sweet on their own, and most recipes add way too much sugar, so I set about making it a little healthier. The original recipe only called for cinnamon, but Advieh felt like the perfect upgrade — especially knowing how loved dates are in Persian cooking.What makes this recipe special to you?Sherrie: It’s super easy to make, uses Advieh — one of my favorite spice blends — and can be easily adapted to be gluten-free for my gluten-free friends. Plus, it satisfies my sweet tooth without too much guilt. And of course, the senses of smell and taste definitely trigger memories. I often tell folks in the shop to trust their noses — your nose remembers what you like to eat better than your brain does! Have you made any changes to the original recipe over the years?  Sherrie: Sometimes I substitute coconut oil for the butter in the dough, and I’ve subbed rye, spelt, gluten-free, or wheat flour for the all-purpose flour. I’ve also used various oat blends — my favorite is one from Trader Joe’s that has gluten-free oats, amaranth flakes, quinoa flakes, chia seeds, and ground flax seeds. It’s an easy way to sneak more nutrition into something sweet. Life’s too short to eat boring food, you know?Any tips you can share?  Sherrie: I find that using parchment paper or foil to line the pan makes it easier to remove the date bars so they can be cut. If you don't have Advieh, you could absolutely use just cinnamon — they’d still be delicious.Do you have a favorite tea to pair with the date bars? Sherrie: Obviously, Onyx Rose — my favorite black tea blend. Toasted Kukicha would be fabulous, too. And for herbal options, Honeybush, Floral Sonnets, or Ginger Sunrise would all be great choices. Get the recipe.   Try It, You'll Like It   Advieh, the secret ingredient in Sherrie's Date Bars, is a mix of sweet Cinnamon, Cardamom Seed, and Roses, which are grounded by the earthiness of Cumin and Black Pepper, and finished with a bright pop of Indian Coriander.       

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Why We Only Carry Loose Leaf Tea

When it comes to tea, we like to let it all hang out. Loose leaf tea has big advantages over bagged blends — from flavor to freshness to full-on tea joy. Here’s why we’re all in. In order to go through the mechanical process of being packaged into bags, tea leaves must be cut into small pieces so they can move through the machinery. Just like ground spices, these tea leaves become stale more quickly and lose flavor faster than if they are left whole.  But Really, What's in the Bag? Well ... stems, stalks, and a whole lot of dust.The process of crushing or cutting the tea leaves can also reduce the amount of good-for-you natural compounds that are the reason many people choose to start drinking tea in the first place.  Sourcing loose, whole-leaf teas allows us to keep an eye on the quality of our teas, and pass on a product that we’re proud of. When tea isn’t cut finely and hidden away in a bag, everyone can see, smell, and taste the difference. Loosen Up Already! Loose leaf tea means that you have more control over your brewing experience. Some people like very strong tea, some prefer light and mild tea. With teabags you’re stuck with pre-measured amounts, but with loose leaf you can adjust to your perfect cup. How To: Loose Leaf Made Easy If you want to stick with teabags, cool. But ditching them is easier than you think. Every pouch of our loose-leaf tea includes simple brewing instructions — right on the label — so you’ll know exactly how much to use and how long to steep. Whether you're a first-time sipper or a daily tea devotee, we’ve got the tools to help, including our staff-favorite heat-and-steep kettle for the perfect cup and a soothing daily ritual. Ready to brew? Check out our favorite brewing wares!

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Tea Talk: All About Tisanes AKA Herbal Teas

We've written about the world of true teas already (if you missed it, it's a must-read!), but for a quick refresher: true teas come from the plant Camellia sinensis and include Black, Oolong, and Green. Today, let's introduce tea’s cool hippy aunt: the tisane. You might not have been formally introduced, but trust us — you’ve definitely met. Also known as herbal tea, tisanes are made from the leaves, bark, roots, flowers, or fruit of a stunningly wide variety of plants. If you brew it like tea but it’s not Camellia sinensis, it’s a tisane. Chamomile, Peppermint, and Ginger are some of the most popular tisanes, but that’s just the start of a wildly flavorful journey of brewable herbs and spices. Pick Your Potion: Tisanes for Every Mood We carry standalones like tangy Hibiscus, sunny Lemongrass, and floral Chrysanthemum as well as house-crafted blends like zesty Copper Lemon and sweet, earthy Mystic Licorice.  If you're craving the body and flavor of true tea, minus the caffeine, go for Rooibos or Honeybush.  Looking to try something more unique? Try our sharp and heady Huacatay, relaxing Damiana, or Butterfly Pea Flower that brews up electric blue and changes color with a splash of lemon. All About That Base Tisanes also make excellent bases for simple syrups, vinegars, infused spirits, and ice pops!

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What Is True Tea?

Tea isn’t just a drink — it’s an experience, a journey, a never-ending exploration of flavor. At Colorful Tea Co. we’re here to make that journey fun, delicious, and totally approachable. This week, we’re diving into the classics: the true teas. But what exactly is a true tea? Black, green, and oolong, as well as white teas and pu’er, are known as “true teas” and all come from the same plant — Camellia sinensis. The differences in color, taste, and character come from when the leaves are harvested, how they're dried and processed, and where they're grown. A Rainbow of Flavors Each tea has its own unique taste, aroma, and brewing method. One of the biggest factors in how a tea develops its character is oxidation — the process of exposing tea leaves to air as they dry. The more oxidized the tea, the deeper its flavor and the hotter the water you’ll need to brew it just right. From bold and malty black teas to delicate white teas, here’s a quick look at the most common types, ranked from most to least oxidized: ☕ Black Tea: fully oxidized, rich, and robust 🌿 Oolong Tea: partially oxidized, floral and complex 🍃 Green Tea: lightly oxidized, fresh, and grassy 🌸 White Tea: minimally processed, delicate, and subtle 🫖 Pu’er Tea: fermented and aged, earthy and deep Black Tea You know it, you love it, it's the most well-recognized and user-friendly tea. Black tea is heavily oxidized, evident in the deep color of its dried leaves and the rich, dark hue of the brewed tea — almost resembling coffee. Expect a strong flavor (think malty, earthy, fruity, and smoky!) along with astringency, which is the quality that makes your mouth feel dry when you sip it. Black teas to steep, sip, and savor: Keemun and Assam.      Oolong Tea Lighter than black tea and brewing up a golden or yellow color, Oolong is less common than green or black tea, and falls right between them in terms of oxidation. Oolongs have the sunniest and sweetest flavors of all the teas, with floral, haylike, nutty, and buttery notes. Oolong tea to steep, sip, and savor: Magnolia Oolong Green Tea With very light oxidation, these teas are milder and are steeped at lower temperatures for shorter amounts of time, brewing in shades of pale yellow and green. Green tea flavors lean vegetal, brothy, oceanic, and grassy. While it tends to be the most divisive of all the teas, it's all about perfecting the brew method, and we're here to convert the naysayers. Green teas to steep, sip, and savor: Nepalese Green and Rwandan Green

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Easter Brunch Ideas

We’re all for an epic egg hunt — but it sure works up an appetite. (Sorry, chocolate bunny ... you’re not exactly breakfast.) Whether you’re keeping it cozy with a small gathering or scaling up for a crowd, we’ve got some delicious recipes your brunch bunch will love. Top This These mini Caraway Seed pancakes can serve as a base for anything from jam to smoked salmon. Pile them high on a serving tray and let your guests choose their toppers. We love them with apricot jam, ricotta and berries, crème fraîche and salmon, or a swipe of roasted garlic hummus. Get the recipe. Crowd-Pleasing Khachapuri Sure, you could make a quiche, but who wouldn’t be absolutely delighted by a bread boat filled with melty cheese and eggs? These Georgian pastries featuring our Green Za'atar are a showstopper on the table and can be sliced crosswise for easy, individual servings. Jumping for Juniper This light arugula salad, topped with pear and a touch of protein from Gorgonzola and toasted pepitas, comes together in just a few minutes. It's the surprising hint of Juniper in the vinaigrette that adds an unexpected depth, making it a standout brunch addition. Get the recipe. Beverage Service Don't forget to invite the Colorful Tea Co. to the table.  

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💌 Spicy Love Letters

Happy Valentine's Day from all of us at World Spice. We love spices every day, but for Valentine's Day, we really wanted to show it. Everyone on our team has a favorite, and we’ve got the prose (and poetry!) to prove it.    

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Brining Poultry: Wet & Dry Methods

What is brining? Brining, whether using the wet or dry method, is a key technique to maintain meat's juiciness and freshness during cooking. The wet method involves immersing meat in a saltwater solution, enhanced with spices and herbs like our Northwest Forest Brine. In contrast, the dry method, a more recent approach, utilizes dry ingredients, primarily salt, to draw out surface moisture and enhance flavor and tenderness by reabsorbing both the moisture and seasoning. How to brine The Wet MethodYou’ll start by adding one 8oz package of salt (or our Northwest Forest Brine) to 2 quarts of water in a large pot and bring the solution to a rolling boil. Stir to dissolve the salt and sugar, take off the heat, then let sit for 5-10 minutes. Add another 2 quarts of cold water and wait for the brine to return to room temperature (this is important to avoid accidentally cooking your turkey in the hot brine). Place the turkey and the brine into a large container or food grade plastic bag and keep in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours before cooking. The turkey will absorb the flavors, resulting in a deliciously seasoned and juicy bird when cooked. Dry MethodCarefully rub salt or the Northwest Forest Brine all over the turkey, including under the skin and inside the cavity. Then place the turkey in the refrigerator in a large container or food safe plastic bag for one hour per pound of turkey. Rinse off the brine and be sure to pat dry the turkey for crispy skin.  Pro tip: Get a brining bag for your turkey online or at your local grocery store. It simplifies fridge storage. Once you incorporate brining into your holiday routine, it simply adds to the bustle and flavor of the season, along with a dose of stress reduction because your turkey will not be dry. Bonus! This favorite recipe of ours is perfect for a lightly sweet brine. 

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