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I disagree that chefs from hot climates are more aware of the value of fresh herbs and spices. European cooking has a long tradition of using fresh herbs and s
by toomanybeersies 9y ago
I disagree that chefs from hot climates are more aware of the value of fresh herbs and spices.
European cooking has a long tradition of using fresh herbs and spices that are geographically available. Fresh herbs are an essential part of French cooking, and fresh paprika is essential to Spanish cooking.
It's the spices that don't grow in Europe that get neglected for cooking. I have a suspicion that gin distillers are a bit more discerning in the freshness of their spices though.
- jpster 9y agoWhy gin distillers in particular?
- toomanybeersies 9y agoThe specific aromas of what you're distilling come through very strongly when distilling gin, especially any aromas from essential oils. I used to do home distilling, and I made gin from old juniper once and it was foul, you really need botanicals that are as fresh as possible. Also, especially for the bigger distillers, consistency in your product is important, so they'll likely have quite thorough sourcing for their botanicals, rather than just buying them from a local wholesaler.
- dx034 9y agoThey'll usually grow them themselves where possible. Otherwise the seller has too much power and you could be forced to change flavour if you don't agree with their terms.
- HeyLaughingBoy 9y agoThe interesting thing is the difference between aroma and taste. I had a friend who tried making his own gin a few times. Since I have (far too many!) juniper bushes/trees on my property, I gave him some fresh juniper berries to try. The resulting gin smelled absolutely amazing, but tasted like ass!