28 Feb 2016, 7:33 am
You need to come to Tooting, it is spice heaven, and also super cheap quauilty veg, better the supermarket.
I understand that it can be intimidating, however bare in mind that Indians have a completely different body language. British Indians mostly don't, but in US they are less heavily populated. When I went to India it was completely different.
They are business minded, so they don't want discourage white people from shopping.
They can be brash, but actually mostly of them are really nice. They tend to have a formal polite way of talking. These shops are really cool. Does your self veg? Often they have better produce than supermarkets, and it is not over packaged.
Even if you don't ask, it the produce is no going to kill you. Try bitter gourd. 
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Momordica_charantia
It is bitter, but healthy and I like it.
Regarding spice tea, or other dishes:
I suggest you don't try all the spices at once. Try single spices like cardamon, cinnamon, clove, ginger, fennel, black pepper in small quantities. Btw even something as simple as pepper, you can get better quality in these places.
Cardamon is deceptively strong, especially if fresh (fresh cardamon is bright green rather than the pale green that is commonly sold). Use the smallest whole one you can find. Or you can break one open and use 2-3 of the seeds. Black cardamom has a completely different taste, more savoury and subtle (but great for long cook curries an stews). You should leave this to brew for some time in hot water to infuse it.
Nutmeg just a tiny amount. Star anise is too, as is a little anise. One small clove.
Caraway is underrated IMO. Cumin, is very strong and has a generic madras taste if over used.
Some of them you may want to dry roast to get the aromatics. This is heating them low flame without burning for around 30-60 seconds. cloves puff up, fennel also works well.
Then you can work on combination 2-3 at a time. It changes things dramatically.
28 Feb 2016, 7:59 am
28 Feb 2016, 1:49 pm
I understand that it can be intimidating, however bare in mind that Indians have a completely different body language. British Indians mostly don't, but in US they are less heavily populated. When I went to India it was completely different.
They are business minded, so they don't want discourage white people from shopping.
They can be brash, but actually mostly of them are really nice. They tend to have a formal polite way of talking. These shops are really cool. Does your self veg? Often they have better produce than supermarkets, and it is not over packaged.
Even if you don't ask, it the produce is no going to kill you. Try bitter gourd.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Momordica_charantia
It is bitter, but healthy and I like it.
Regarding spice tea, or other dishes:
I suggest you don't try all the spices at once. Try single spices like cardamon, cinnamon, clove, ginger, fennel, black pepper in small quantities. Btw even something as simple as pepper, you can get better quality in these places.
Cardamon is deceptively strong, especially if fresh (fresh cardamon is bright green rather than the pale green that is commonly sold). Use the smallest whole one you can find. Or you can break one open and use 2-3 of the seeds. Black cardamom has a completely different taste, more savoury and subtle (but great for long cook curries an stews). You should leave this to brew for some time in hot water to infuse it.
Nutmeg just a tiny amount. Star anise is too, as is a little anise. One small clove.
Caraway is underrated IMO. Cumin, is very strong and has a generic madras taste if over used.
Some of them you may want to dry roast to get the aromatics. This is heating them low flame without burning for around 30-60 seconds. cloves puff up, fennel also works well.
Then you can work on combination 2-3 at a time. It changes things dramatically.
Thank you
I am actually used to a lot of spices in food. I'd like to get some green cardamom, star anise, cloves, etc. I know that the quality of spices is much better than what I'd find in a supermarket. I like curry pastes, too. I'd like to get some higher-quality premade ones to try before I'd make my own. I actually eat cinnamon sticks by themselves on occasion (true cinnamon, not cassia). I also chew on fennel seeds sometimes.
I enjoy "hot spicy" foods as well. I tend to enjoy foods with a lot of flavor, such as south Asian, southeast Asian, east Asian, Mediterranean, Mexican, etc.
I find many European foods to be lacking in vegetables and often bland. I'm not putting these foods down, but I don't enjoy the tastes as much. And I'm not much of a meat eater.
I will try your tips on using spices.
28 Feb 2016, 4:22 pm
28 Feb 2016, 4:32 pm
28 Feb 2016, 4:58 pm
28 Feb 2016, 5:06 pm
lostonearth35
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Joined: 5 Jan 2010
Age: 50
Gender: Female
Posts: 12,671
Location: Lost on Earth, waddya think?
28 Feb 2016, 5:15 pm
I prefer tea over coffee and I worry sometimes that I may be a tea-aholic. A lot of people where I live like tea, mainly Orange Pekoe. But most people just call it "regular tea", as there are many other varieties now available. In fact I once asked for orange pekoe at a fast-food restaurant and even though the name of it was on the menu they were confused as to what I really wanted. Go figure.
28 Feb 2016, 6:14 pm
29 Feb 2016, 11:39 pm
It is one of the greats. These are teas that I drink:
Earl Grey
Lapsang souchong
Darjeeling
Assam
English Breakfast
Cuo Technique: Water first. Dip in bags up an down. You can fold over the edge and poor directly though it. I don't like to leave it in there. I will reuse the bag an number of times. People who squeeze the bag with a spoon what up with that?
Pot technique, warm the pot, fill with water. put bag or loose (small amount). Remove the bag early.
I don't use sugar or milk. The taste of tea is complex and subtle so lemon is not welcome, except for Lipton ice tea which is an underwhelming refreshment.
Here are the herbal/fruit/root teas I drink:
Chamomile (calming)
Turkish apple tea (tip use a cafetiere)
Rooibos
Lemon grass (used to make it from fresh leaves not stem, also called fever grass in the Caribean)
Mint (fresh only + little sugar)
Ginger and Honey (fresh root or blend, good if nauseous with less/no honey)
Peppermint (for digestion)
Fennel (for digestion/IBS)
Lemon & Honey (when stuffed up)
Cordial with hot water:
Blackcurrant and Apple
I drink any of these as often as a feel like, it can be several time a day, or several days in-between. I don't drink proper tea too late, more likely to have herbal/fruit/root teas in the evening.
I guess I drink for comfort relaxation, enjoyment and taste, and some specific health uses. It is the whole sensation of it I like.
You can't "taste" tea without your nose as is mostly aromatics and tannins. So if you are stuffed up recommend lemon and honey, or something strong and fruity like blackcurrant and apple hot cordial. Then again use lemsip if you feel terrible (paracetamol hot drink)
Thanks for tea expert advise
It sounds good, I want to try
But what is Lapsang Souchong?? i dont know
01 Mar 2016, 1:38 pm
02 Mar 2016, 5:46 pm
07 Mar 2016, 2:05 am
08 Mar 2016, 5:40 am
08 Mar 2016, 9:54 am
CockneyRebel
Veteran
Joined: 17 Jul 2004
Age: 50
Gender: Male
Posts: 116,873
Location: In my little Olympic World of peace and love
08 Mar 2016, 1:32 pm
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