Other foods: mushrooms, pasta, vegetable oil (olive, sesame), butter, honey, rice wine, sugar, soy sauce, juice (lemon), vinegar, bread and bakery products.

Seasonings and spices: vanilla, cloves, mustard, ginger, cardamom, cilantro, coriander, cinnamon, onion, nutmeg, oregano, paprika, allspice, black pepper, chili, rosemary, sumac, thyme, garlic.

Cuisines and dishes: Middle Eastern cuisine, stir-fry dishes, Indian cuisine, Chinese cuisine, Lebanese cuisine, tahini sauce, Turkish cuisine, hummus, Japanese cuisine.

STAR ANISE

Star anise has a warm, tart, sweet, spicy aroma, similar to licorice and fennel, and its taste is similar to anise, but brighter and with a pronounced sweet note. It is characterized by floral scales, sweetish taste and distant shades of cloves and mustard. It is an excellent part of Chinese and Vietnamese cuisine. Indian and Indonesian cuisine also uses these amazing aromatic stars. Strar anise is good for all kinds of poultry and wild game, for soups (main part of in Vietnamese soup pho bo), various sauces, stews and gravies. Star anise superbly shades any fatty meat and flavours fish and seafood. Unfortunately, star anise is not popular in the West, but in the oriental cuisine it a very important ingredient. Talk about the famous Chinese five-spice powder, where star anise plays a dominant role! Star anise is used in the beginning of cooking process.

Star anise pairing:

Fruits and vegetables: pineapple, cherry, pear, green onion, cabbage, potato, lemongrass, leek, raspberry, mango, carrot, tomato, beet, plum, pumpkin, citrus.

Protein product: legumes (especially rice, tamarind), pork, beef, poultry (especially chicken, duck), wild game, eggs, fish (especially salmon, tuna), seafood (especially scallops, shrimps), nuts.

Other foods: broths (especially beef and chicken), maple syrup, honey, drinks (including liqueurs, wine, tea), fish sauce, soy sauce, juice and zest (lemon, orange and lime), dough, bread and pastries, chocolate (including milk chocolate).

Seasonings and spices: basil, vanilla, cloves, cumin, ginger, cardamom, cilantro, coriander, cinnamon, sesame, turmeric, bay leaf, onion, nutmeg, mint, allspice, Szechuan pepper, black pepper, chili, fennel, garlic.

Cuisines and dishes: Vietnamese cuisine, Indian cuisine, Chinese cuisine, Malaysian cuisine.

SUMAC

Sumac has a pure fruity aroma with a mawkish citrus smell and a tart fruity astringent taste with a slight sourness. Sumac is very good for replacing lemon juice or other acidic medium for many dishes, marinades and sauces. It is especially popular in the Middle East: in Turkey, Lebanon, Iran and Iraq. You can try sprinkling onions and serve it to barbeque. It is very popular for grilling, whether it is meat, chicken or fish. Sumac is an integral part of za’atar mix.

Sumac pairing:

Fruits and vegetables: avocado, eggplant, pomegranate, zucchini, potatoes, lettuce, carrots, cucumbers, bell pepper, tomato, beet, citrus.

Protein product: lamb, beef, legumes (beans, peas, lentils, chickpeas), yoghurt, chicken (especially fried and baked), seafood (especially oysters), nuts (especially cedar, walnuts), fish (especially fried), cheeses (feta), eggs.

Other foods: olive oil, salad dressing, juice (lemon, lime, orange).

Seasonings and spices: cumin, ginger, coriander, sesame, onion, mint, oregano, paprika, allspice, black pepper, chili, parsley, rosemary, thyme, fennel, garlic.

Cuisines and dishes: Middle Eastern cuisine, kebab/doner, Lebanese cuisine, Moroccan cuisine, grilled meat and stews, vegetable dishes, Turkish cuisine.