Dear Eric: Can you tell me where to find whole star anise, whole nutmeg and vanilla-bean pods? I can’t find them in Sidney, so am hoping Victoria?
Pam Turner
Dear Pam: You won’t have to travel far to find the items you’re looking for. I’m told all three items are available at every location of Fairway Markets, including the Sidney store.
I also noticed all three items at the Fairfield location of Thrifty Foods in Victoria. I later contacted that company’s customer service department and they told me star anise and vanilla bean pods are also available at their Sidney store, but not whole nutmeg. However, their nearby Saanichton store, 7860 Wallace Dr., does stock all three.
Few people know where these spices come from.
The nutmeg is an oval-shaped seed found in the fruit of a tropical evergreen tree native to Indonesia. When the fruit is ripe, it splits in half, revealing the seed, which is then harvested and dried.
The seed’s outside covering — the aril — is removed. The aril is ground, creating a spice called mace, which is similar in aroma and taste to nutmeg, but not as intense.
When the aril is gone, the remaining part of the seed is the nutmeg. It is sold whole, or is ground and sold as a powder.
Nutmeg has a bold taste and most often is used in modest amounts as it can easily overpower flavours of other ingredients. This spice is added to a wide range of savoury and sweet creations, such as sauces, vegetable dishes and baked goods. Don’t buy a lot of this spice as a little goes such a long way.
Star anise is a seed pod harvested from a small evergreen tree native to China. It got its name honestly — it is star-shaped and has a licorice-like taste similar to (but even more intense than) regular anise, although it is not related botanically.
Because of its heritage, it’s not surprising that star anise is used in a wide variety of dishes in Chinese and other Asian cuisines. It is often used whole and used to infuse flavour into such things as soup, braised dishes and marinades. It is also ground and is one of the spices used to make Chinese-style five-spice powder.
Vanilla-bean pods are the fruit of the vanilla orchid, native to tropical parts of Central and South America. The beans can be used whole to infuse flavour into such things as granulated sugar that you might add to desserts or your morning coffee.
The beans can also be split and added to cooked mixtures, such as custard, delightfully flavouring it.
Another way to use vanilla pods is to split the pod and scrape out the tiny seeds. These are added directly to such things as ice cream and crème brûlée.
In today’s recipe, I’ve used star anise, vanilla bean and whole nutmeg to flavour mulled cider spiked with rum. This would be a warming drink to serve on a cool autumn night. It’s a recipe worth keeping for the December party season.
Heavenly Aromatic Mulled Cider with Rum
Vanilla, nutmeg, star anise and cinnamon gives this mulled drink an alluring and welcoming aroma and taste. The recipe could be expanded if you’re serving a larger group.
Preparation time: 5 minutes
Mulling time: 30 minutes
Makes: About 6 (1 cup) servings
1 whole vanilla bean pod
7 cups apple cider or unsweetened apple juice
2 Tbsp maple syrup or honey
4 star anise
2 whole nutmeg
2 cinnamon sticks, each broken into 3 pieces
3/4 cup amber or dark rum
Cut the vanilla bean into four equal pieces and set in a medium pot. Add remaining ingredients. Bring mixture to just below a simmer (gently heating, but not bubbling). Heat 30 minutes, or until the liquid has become wonderfully infused with the taste of the vanilla and spices. Strain the mixture into another pot and discard the spices and vanilla. Serve warm.
Eric Akis is the author of the hardcover book Everyone Can Cook Everything. His columns appear in the Life section Wednesday and Sunday. If you have a question about cooking techniques or ingredients, you can contact Eric by email or write Ask Eric, Victoria Times Colonist, 2621 Douglas St., Victoria, B.C., V8T 4M2.
