The Spicecast

Huacatay is a South American herb with some of the most unusual names we've heard. Join Reuben for a quick foray into the world of wakataya, muster John Henry, stinking roger, and black mint. Along the way, we'll talk about the most famous dish that uses huacatay and the non-culinary uses for the herb. Spice Oddities is a shorter-form series that highlights uncommon spices and ingredients from aro...

Content warning: This episode of The Spicecast contains one minor instance of adult language and may not be suitable for children. In this episode of The Spicecast, co-hosts Reuben and Dee discuss cardamom. The show delves into cardamom's history, its use for culinary and medicinal purposes, references to cardamom in pop culture, and more! There are also segments in which green and black cardamom,...

Korarima is one of the native spices that is most widely used in Ethiopian and Eritrean cooking. Join Reuben for a brief journey into korarima and the various spice blends and medicinal contexts in which it is used. Spice Oddities is a shorter-form series that highlights uncommon spices and ingredients from around the world. Follow The Spicecast on social media! Facebook: https://facebook.com/thes...

Jakhya, though widely known in the Indian state of Uttarakhand, is virtually unused as a spice outside of that region. On this edition of Spice Oddities, Reuben delves into the most prevalent uses of jakhya in food and medicine, as well as the tempering method for spice in general. Spice Oddities is a shorter-form series that highlights uncommon spices and ingredients from around the world. Follow...

The barberry, though now primarily used in Persian cuisine, was once common throughout Europe and western Asia. On this episode of Spice Oddities, Reuben describes the most common uses for barberries in food, medicine, and more. Spice Oddities is a shorter-form series that highlights uncommon spices and ingredients from around the world. Follow The Spicecast on social media! Facebook: https://face...

On this episode of The Spicecast, Reuben introduces Dee as a co-host of the show. Join the pair to learn about aniseed and fennel seed in food, history, and pop culture. Additionally, the episode includes a tasting of aniseed and fennel seed in whole, ground, and tea forms, as well as star anise seed. Follow The Spicecast on social media! Facebook: https://facebook.com/thespicecastpodcast Twitter:...

Bush tomato is a term for a number of species of fruiting plants in the nightshade family. On this brief edition of Spice Oddities, Reuben lays out some of the most commonly used types of bush tomato and describes their various uses in food and medicine. Spice Oddities is a shorter-form series that highlights uncommon spices and ingredients from around the world. Follow The Spicecast on social med...

Did you know that a spice can be made from ground cherry pits? On this quick episode of Spice Oddities, Reuben explains some common uses for mahleb, a popular baking spice around the Mediterranean Sea. Spice Oddities is a shorter-form series that highlights uncommon spices and ingredients from around the world. Follow The Spicecast on social media! Facebook: https://facebook.com/thespicecastpodcas...

On this brief edition of Spice Oddities, Reuben delves into the Mexican culinary uses for epazote, a widely used and flavorful herb. Listen in for a quick overview of epazote's place in food and culture. Spice Oddities is a shorter-form series that highlights uncommon spices and ingredients from around the world. Follow The Spicecast on social media! Facebook: https://facebook.com/thespicecastpodc...

On this quick episode of Spice Oddities, Reuben investigates West African alligator pepper, which isn't related to black pepper but is related to another spice with which you may be familiar. Tune in for an overview of alligator pepper's use in food, medicine, and culture. Spice Oddities is a shorter-form series that highlights uncommon spices and ingredients from around the world. Follow The Spic...

On this episode of Spice Oddities, Reuben delves into filé powder, an herbal seasoning made from the leaves of the sassafras tree. Listen in for a brief dive into the history behind and culinary and medicinal uses for filé powder. Spice Oddities is a shorter-form series that highlights uncommon spices and ingredients from around the world. Follow The Spicecast on social media! Facebook: https://fa...

On this edition of Spice Oddities, Reuben discusses jimbu, a wild herb that is virtually unknown outside of Nepal. Tune in for a quick look at this unusual allium. Spice Oddities is a shorter-form series that highlights uncommon spices and ingredients from around the world. Follow The Spicecast on social media! Facebook: https://facebook.com/thespicecastpodcast Twitter: https://twitter.com/thespic...

On this episode of Spice Oddities, Reuben delves into curry plant, a Mediterranean plant with culinary, medicinal, and cosmetic uses. Listen in for a brief taste of this fascinating spice and herb. Spice Oddities is a shorter-form series that highlights uncommon spices and ingredients from around the world. Follow The Spicecast on social media! Facebook: https://facebook.com/thespicecastpodcast Tw...

On this brief edition of Spice Oddities, Reuben discusses pipicha, a Mexican herb with numerous culinary applications. Tune in for a quick look at an herb you may never have heard of before. Spice Oddities is a shorter-form series that highlights uncommon spices and ingredients from around the world. Follow The Spicecast on social media! Facebook: https://facebook.com/thespicecastpodcast Twitter:...

On this episode of Spice Oddities, Reuben briefly covers costmary, an herbal plant that has been used in medicine and cooking for centuries. Tune in to discover the interesting history behind this tasty herb. Spice Oddities is a shorter-form series that highlights uncommon spices and ingredients from around the world. Follow The Spicecast on social media! Facebook: https://facebook.com/thespicecas...

On this edition of Spice Oddities, Reuben quickly delves into golpar, a plant in the carrot family that is used as a spice and as an herb. Listen in to learn about how this ingredient is used to enhance Persian dishes. Spice Oddities is a shorter-form series that highlights uncommon spices and ingredients from around the world. Follow The Spicecast on social media! Facebook: https://facebook.com/t...

On this episode of Spice Oddities, Reuben briefly discusses keluak, the highly poisonous seed of the pangium edule plant. Tune in to learn about how to prepare keluak safely, as well as culinary and medicinal uses for the spice. Spice Oddities is a shorter-form series that highlights uncommon spices and ingredients from around the world. Follow The Spicecast on social media! Facebook: https://face...

Happy holidays from The Spicecast! On this edition of Spice Oddities, Reuben quickly covers the culinary and medicinal uses for koseret, an African herb in the verbena family. Spice Oddities is a shorter-form series that highlights uncommon spices and ingredients from around the world. Follow The Spicecast on social media! Facebook: https://facebook.com/thespicecastpodcast Twitter: https://twitter...

On this episode of The Spicecast, Reuben is joined by special guests Dee and Isaac for a rousing discussion of star anise. Join the crew as they work through the many uses for star anise, including as a spice, in cosmetics, and in medicine. Additionally, the show walks through the history of star anise and references to star anise in pop culture, and also includes a Chinese five spice guessing seg...

On this episode of Spice Oddities, Reuben briefly covers salep, a flour popularized in the Levant thousands of years ago and still enjoyed today. The conversation touches on culinary uses for and history of salep. Spice Oddities is a shorter-form series that highlights uncommon spices and ingredients from around the world. Follow The Spicecast on social media! Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/th...

On this edition of Spice Oddities, Reuben quickly discusses boldo, a South American plant used as an herb and spice. The episode also briefly covers medicinal uses for boldo. Spice Oddities is a shorter-form series that highlights uncommon spices and ingredients from around the world. Follow The Spicecast on social media! Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thespicecastpodcast Twitter: https://twit...

On this episode of Spice Oddities, Reuben does a brief overview of many species called pennywort, including Asiatic pennywort, Java pennywort, manyflower marshpennywort, wall pennywort, lawn marshpennywort, liverwort (also known as pennywort), and Virginia pennywort. Stop by to learn a bit about each of these useful plants. Spice Oddities is a shorter-form series that highlights uncommon spices an...

On this edition of Spice Oddities, Reuben discusses three species of myrtle (anise, cinnamon, and lemon) that are used as herbs, primarily in Australia. Learn a bit about the culinary and medicinal uses for each of these types of myrtle in this brief episode. Spice Oddities is a shorter-form series that highlights uncommon spices and ingredients from around the world. Follow The Spicecast on socia...

On this episode of Spice Oddities, Reuben talks about borage, a fragrant flowering plant used both as an herb and as a spice. Briefly learn about the historical, culinary, and medicinal uses for this common plant. Spice Oddities is a shorter-form series that highlights uncommon spices and ingredients from around the world. Follow The Spicecast on social media! Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/th...

On this edition of Spice Oddities, Reuben discusses orris root, a rhizome from two species of iris plants. Learn all about the culinary, medicinal, and aromatic uses for this uncommon spice on this brief episode. Spice Oddities is a shorter-form series that highlights uncommon spices and ingredients from around the world. Follow The Spicecast on social media! Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/the...