I oscillate between cooking with seasoning cubes that contain MSG (monosodium glutamate) and not cooking at all with them for long periods. To be honest I do not care for arguments for or against using MSG, it’s a sink hole I’m unwilling to explore.
I like cooking with spices, herbs, roots… because
- Layering flavours is almost a lost art because of the quick fix appeal of seasoning cubes.
- There’s an abundance of nutrients and health benefits to be derived from them
- I try to be deliberate about what I put in my body. There is already an over exposure to chemicals we encounter on a daily basis, so if I can at least reduce one exposure I try to cut out what is processed.
- MSG is naturally occuring in many foods and I can enjoy it in its natural occurring form instead.
This spice mix is so good and I’m so miffed that I didn’t measure this out when I made. I just eyeballed some spices I use regularly, and blended them together, adjusting accordingly.
Turns out so good, I hope I can make it as good the next time. I’d do it over sometime soon and hope I nail it or even do better.
Ingredients
- Mustard seeds
- Cinnamon,
- Coriander seeds
- Fennel seeds (not too much as it can turn the mix bitter)
- Cardamom pods (green)
- Black pepper
- Dried mint
I’ve used this to cook my meats, gave me a really nice rich stock, cooked stew, jollof, fried rice with it
Habits are hard to break maybe some day my cooking is 100% MSG free. If you are interested in exploring MSG free cooking there are a couple of Nigerian advocates teaching natural alternatives to MSG cooking, chief amongst them is Lagos HouseWife, check her social media pages out
I’ve really enjoyed going through your blog. I’ve recently become interested in natural herbs and food so your blog was an interesting find.
Please what are the local names for fennel seeds, cinnamon, coriander seeds and cardamom? I don’t know if the Hausa local vendors would know the English names. Thanks
Thank you for the kind feedback. Once I’m aware of the local names for these spices, I will update the blog and reply to this message as well. For now, if you have an idea of what it is or a picture of what you want, there are high chances you will find them at the hausa spice vendor.
Alright. Thank you for the quick response. I’ll take your advice and see what I can find. Enjoy the rest of your day.
And you too. Cheers 🍻
The Hausa vendors are aware of the names of the herbs and spices. The ones that sell in bulk have them in labelled containers. If you are in Lagos, you can get them at markers around the island, mile 12- ketu. Hope this helps.