Help describe new spice

beertons

Hey guys. Got a selection of spices this morning from Thailand. Curcuma, Kefir Lime, Galingale and Chuang Chia.

What is Chuang Chia and in what recipies is it used? What does it taste like? Ideas welcome for dishes.

Minder

Apparently Chaung Chia is Allspice - not an ingredient synonymous with Thai cooking - probably more Malaysian or Indonesian.

Chuck the galangal and kaffir lime leaves into curries to lift the flavours in shop bought pastes. Use both kaffir & galangal in big pieces as a flavour enhancer rather than an ingredient to eat.

beertons

So Chuang Chia can be used in anything hot really?

Minder

Minder wrote: »

Apparently Chaung Chia is Allspice - not an ingredient synonymous with Thai cooking - probably more Malaysian or Indonesian.

..... or Carribbean, being used in jerk paste or rice and peas.

Is the spice whole or ground?

Alun

Minder wrote: »

Apparently Chaung Chia is Allspice - not an ingredient synonymous with Thai cooking - probably more Malaysian or Indonesian.

There's no mention of allspice (piment) anywhere in my Dutch Indonesian cookery book.

The swedes use it a lot (kryddpeppar) as a condiment instead of where we would use black pepper, and it's an ingredient in swedish meatballs, that's the only real place where I use it.

Minder

Alun, you're quite right, I thought it featured in a beef rendang but after checking, it's not an ingredient used there and I can find no mention of it in other Indonesian recipes. It's also not mentioned in David Thompsons Thai Food.

The Sweeper

Allspice strikes me as more a baking ingredient than cooking. I'm sure there are various fruitcakes, christmas cookies and such like where you use a little allspice.

beertons

Minder wrote: »

Is the spice whole or ground?

It's whole.

Got another parcel of spices from Malaysia today too. A nice bag of dried chillies too.

What's the difference between Saffran and Saffron, apart from the colour and spelling of course?

Minder

If it looks like this then its allspice.