How does one buy spices?
When buying various kinds of spices it is important to pay attention to three parameters which affect the spice freshness and quality: color, scent and shape. Color: It is important to examine the spice’s color. The more faded the color is the spice looses more of its freshness and taste. Scent: The spice’s aromatic scent is an important parameter in checking its quality. A scentless spice is most probably not fresh and will also be tasteless. Shape: In the case of whole black pepper, it is important to observe that the grains are whole. In the case of herbs, it is important to check that the leaves are whole and not torn, and that all the leaves are of the same size. If one needs exaggerated quantities of the spice to note its taste, it is probably not qualitative enough. In using a qualitative spice a small quantity of the spice should suffice to sense its taste. It is recommended to store all sorts of spices in a shady and cool cupboard as far as possible from the gas, the oven and
