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CULTURAL CHANGE IN SPICES ®

Mincing Overseas Spice Company

Products & Services

Mincing Overseas Spice Company is a full service supplier, dedicated to helping their customers making the right choices for spices and seasonings blends in their food products. Being a part of the market trends, it belives in the neccessity of customer satisfaction and cooperation by keeping them informed about their pricing,
avalilablty and quality.

We will work with you on a personal basis to insure the best service available in the industry. MINCING OVERSEAS SPICE COMPANY is a full service spice supplier, dedicated to helping our customers make the right choices for spices, and seasoning blends in their food products. Because we are in the market on a full-time basis, we are informed about the frequently changing aspects of a very complex industry. We keep you informed on current pricing, quality, and availability. We, as your supplier, believes in the necessity of cooperation. Click on the spices (or mouse over) below to view details.

SPICE

SEED

HERB

SEASONING

DEHYDRATED

ALL SPICE
ground
cracked
whole

As we sip ouzo in a Greek cafe, its' sweet licorice taste intoxicates us before alcohol does. Used by the ancient Assyrians, Romans and Greeks to soothe sore throats and aid estion, today it is an

essential flavoring in many drinks, such assambuca, ouzo, arrack, pernod, miglee or raki. Similar to the flavor of star anise or fennel, it has a more delicate sweet licorice-like taste and a fruity camphor-like aroma. It is sold as whole, cracked or ground. It is added to both sweet and savory applications such as cakes, sweet rolls, applesauce, sausages, salad dressings, hoisin sauce, curries and tomato-based sauces.

ANISE
ground
cracked
whole

BASIL LEAVES

A touch of sweet basil adds 'soul' to an Italian salad of tomatoes, mozzarella and olive oil. Called herb royale by the French, basil was revered by ancient Greeks

and Romans, for its protective powers, while Indians use it for temple ceremonies. The best-known basil globally is sweet basil. Others such as Thai basil (anise basil), lemon basil and holy basil are becoming better known because of Thai and Vietnamese cuisines. They are sold as fresh, dried or as a paste in oil. Sweet basil adds a sweet, floral aroma and cooling anise-like notes to Italian pestos, pasta and pizza sauces and salads. Thai, lemon or holy basil add pungency to Asian dishes, with their spicy anise-like, fruity lemony or musky camphor like notes.

ground
special cut
whole

CURRY POWDER
hot
mild

ONION
powdered
granular
chopped
minced
sliiced

CINNAMON

ground
cracked
whole

As we walk by our neighborhood bakery, we are drawn to the enticing sweet aromatic sensation coming from freshly ground cinnamon. Derived from the Greekword, "kinamon"cinnamon was

used by Egyptians, Chinese and Greeks is medicine, body perfume and for embalming.There are several varieties, including Ceylon cinnamon, Vietnamese, Indonesian cinnamon (or Korintje), and Chinese cinnamon. The dried scented bark is sold as whole sticks called "quills" or ground. Cinnamon adds a spicy sweet aroma and delicate pungent notes to our local pumpkin pies, Chinese hoisin, Mexican moles, North African berbere, Vietnamese noodle soups or "phos", and Indian garam masalas.

ANNATO
ground

BAY LEAVES
ground
special cut
whole

When we enter a Moroccon restaurant, we are drawn to the chicken tagines, which offer an intense piney sweet flavor from its simmering bay leaves. Also called true

laurel or sweet bay,bay leaf hasa different flavor and appearance from the other so-called bay leaves such as the Indian, Indonesian or West Indian. Though symbolic to the Greeks, the Romans first used it as a spicing. Today it is cultivated in Mexico, France, Turkey, Greece and the U.S. and sold as whole, crushed or ground. It is an essential spicing in Mediterranean meals, especially Turkish, North African and French. It adds a strong pungent taste with nutmeg and clove like notes to soups, bouillabaisse, pickled or grilled fish,kebabs, and steamed dishes.

CHILLI POWDER
dark
light

PEPPER-JALEPENO
ground
granular
diced

What is Worcestershire sauce or ketchup without the spicy sweet and musty note of clove? Cloves are symbolic to the Moluccans, where they originated, but today are cultivated in Brazil, Malaysia, Madagascar, Sri Lanka and

Zanzibar.It has been one of the ancient spices.and traditionally used to relieve pain and improve blood circulation. Cloves are dried unopened buds with stems,and which are sold as whole or ground. Asians add them to aromatic biryanis, pungent curried dishes and pickles, while Europeans enjoy its flavor in baked ham, sausages, pickled cabbage, desserts and puddings.

CLOVES
ground
whole

	According to ancient Arab and Greek folklore, you can keep your partner from straying by sprinkling caraway seeds in their food. Derived from Arabic word, "karawya", caraway is an indispensable
flavoring in Austrian rye breads and German roast pork. Cultivated in North Africa, Europe, north India, Russia and the U.S, it possesses a similar flavor profile. It has a warm dill and anise-like flavor, with sharp, bitter aftertaste and is sold as whole or ground. It flavors sauerkraut, Dutch cheese, central European candies, kummel, harissa, zhug and dahi wada, a snack from North India.

CARAWAY
ground
whole

CHERVIL
ground
whole

PICKLING SPICE

PEPPER GREEN
ground
cracked
whole

NUTMEG

Sitting in the living room on a cold winter evening, we smell the warm fresh oregano coming from the kitchen from mom's home made chili. Oregano has

been a traditional remedy for stomach upsets, low blood pressure and insect bites for the Europeans. Derived U.S, it possesses asimilar flavor profile from the Greek word, "oros ganos", it is an essential spice in Italian, Greek and Mexican cooking. There are many varieties of oregano, including Greek, Spanish, Mexican, Turkish, Moroccan and Italian.
It has an herbaceous and camphor-like aroma, with lemony pungent notes. It is an essential spicing for pizza sauce, and also added to pasta sauces, seafood dishes, chili con carne, black beans and other Tex-Mex and Southwestern dishes.

ground
cracked
whole

The aromatic sweet spicy and floral scent of the cardamon pods in chai masala often 'greets' us at train stops in India. Called the 'queen of spices' cardamon is grown in India, Southeast Asia, Sri Lanka and Guatemala.The more popular cardamoms, called lesser or true cardamon, are sold as

whole (green or bleached white pods),crushed, or as ground seeds.The smoky and pungent greater or false cardamons, are sold as large dark brown pods. Green cardamon enhances Indian kormas, Iranian pilafs or North African kabsah, as well as Arabic coffees, North Indian rice puddings, and Danish pastries. False cardamon is crushed and braised for vindaloos, snacks or pilafs.

CARDAMON
ground
sticks
asssorted volatile oils

CILANTRO
ground
whole

SAUSAGE SEASONINGS

GARLIC
powdered
granular
chopped
minced
sliiced

PAPRIKA

As we sat down to a plate of Hungarian goulash, the brilliant red hue of paprika visually hit us before its sweet caramelizing notes. Sold as ground or

powdered form of non-pungent red varieties of Capsicum annum, paprika is grown in Hungary, Morocco, Spain, Mexico, Turkey and the U.S. Indispensable to Hungarian cooking, paprika has a wide range of colors and pungencies. Popular in eastern European stews, sausages, omelets, soups and BBQs, it is also added to Andalusian sofritos, chorizos and fish dishes, North American potato salads, devilled eggs and chilis. It is also an essential ingredient in many spice blends of the Middle East, North Africa and North India.

assorted ASTA units

CELERY

As we sip the cold spicy Bloody Mary cocktail at the Miami bar, we taste the herbaceous, citrus-like notes of celery seeds, balanced with hot Tabasco

sauce. Popular with Europeans as aseasoning or to reduce swellings, celery is grown in Europe, India, China, Japan, U.S and Hungary.It is sold as whole seed or ground and, depending on its variety, its flavor ranges from harsh and bitter to herbaceous and sweet lemon-like. Added to dill pickles, tomato juice, coleslaw, stews, soups, sausages and salami, it is also popular in Bengali pickles, chutneys and curries.

ground
whole

MARJORAM
ground
whole

RYE SEASONING

GINGER

Using chopsticks, we picked the crunchy pieces of aromatic pickled ginger that accompanied the California style sushi. Derived from the Indian

Sanskrit word, 'shringavera", ginger is popular throughout the world. Traditionally used as a remedy for stomach ailments by Asians, its flavor and color varies depending on its origins, maturityand processing.It is sold as fresh, dried, preserved or crystallized. Cochin, Chinese, Jamaican or Japanese ginger, provides a sweet spicy and pungent note to South Asian curries and teas, Scandinavian cookies and cakes, Chinese congee and stir-fries, Southeast Asian laksas and desserts, and Caribbean ginger beer.

In a French bistro, black peppercorns give bouquet and bite to poivre sauce. Without them, it would not be French! Native to the Malabar Coast of India, pepper is derived from the Sanskrit word "pippali".

Also called black gold, black pepper was a valuable commodity in ancient era and so became a quest for European nationsto discover possible routes to reach it.They are sold as whole, cracked or ground in varying mesh sizesThere are many varieties of black and white peppers, including Tellicherry, Sarawak, Vietnamese, Muntok, Chinese and Brazilian. Black pepper has a biting taste with a hint of lemony clove-like notes and a wonderful aromatic sensation.

PEPPER-BLACK
fine
table style
gourmet
butcher
cracked
whole

MUSTARD FLOUR
hot

As we bite into our classic New York street hot dogs, we taste the biting, pungent and nutty notes of prepared mustard. The first table mustard was

made by Romans to promote blood flow or to relax stiff muscles. It was later followed by Dijon and other prepared mustards in France and England. Grown in southern Europe, India, Iran, China, Canada, Russia and South America, mustard seeds come in three varieties- large pale yellow, medium brown and small dark seeds. Mustard is sold as whole seeds, ground as meal or flour, and as a prepared condiment with water, salt, vinegar, oil and spices. It is used on cold cuts, roast beef, ham, grilled steak or fish, egg rolls and in Caribbean hot sauces. In India, mustard seeds are 'popped' and added to vegetarian cooking, while its fixed oil is used as cooking oil and for pickles.

meat grade

OREGANO LEAVES
ground

Sitting in the living room on a cold winter evening, we smell the warm fresh oregano coming from the kitchen from mom's home made chili. Oregano has

special cut
whole

PIZZA SEASONING

	White pepper is picked near ripe, soaked in water or steamed, and outer hull removed, then bleached and dried.There are many varieties of black and white peppers, including Tellicherry,
Sarawak, Vietnamese, Muntok, Chinese and Brazilian. Black pepper has a biting taste with a hint of lemony clove-like notes and a wonderful aromatic sensation. White pepper provides a bite for sauces and dressings that require no specks, but without the bouquet of black pepper.

PEPPER WHITE
ground
whole

SESAME SEEDS
hulled
natural

At the Shanghai Chinese restaurant, the children quickly savored the sweet nutty cold sesame noodles, before the other dishes arrived. Taken by the Assyrian

Gods as wine, and by Indians as massage oil, sesame seeds come as three main varieties: white, brown and black. They are sold as whole seeds, ground, as pastes or as oil. The seeds have a buttery, earthy taste with a nutty sweet aroma, and after roasting, acquire additional flavor nuances. They are popular in the Middle East where they are made into tahini to flavor hummus, added to sweets, or pars with thyme in zahtar to zip up dips, meats or vegetables. It is also popular in Muslim-style savory dishes or as garnishes for Japanese and Chinese confections, steamed vegetables and grilled meats.

A sprig of parsley adds visually enticing décor to an entree. Parsley
is a garnish and a sometimes a flavoring, especially for European

soups, salads, stews, pies, poultry and fish. It is also chewed on as a breath cleanser after a meal. The two main typesare the flat leaf parsley, also called Chinese coriander, and curly leaf parsley. Parsley is sold as fresh or dried as flakes, minced or ground. Parsley tends to harmonize, tone down or extend the flavors of manyother herbs, such as basil, mint, tarragon or cilantro. Flat leaf parsley is also sautéed or pureed for stews and sauces because of its herbaceous and slight lemony flavor. When chopped, it blends well with garlic or
shallots for tabbouleh, chimmichuri, persillade or gremolada.

PARSLEY LEAVES
ground
cracked
whole

ITALIAN SEASONING

TURMERIC

In a restaurant along the Chao Praya river, in Bangkok, the waiter comes to our table with a steaming bowl of fiery yellow chicken curry. Mentioned in the

Hindu Vedas, turmeric has played a significant role in Indian religious ceremonies and traditional medicine. Called " Indian saffron", it is cultivated in India, Southeast Asia, China, Jamaica and South America. Sold as a bright orange yellow fresh rhizome, or as a lemon yellow to yellowish orange ground form, it has a musky, earthy aroma and gingery peppery notes. An essential coloring of curry powders, laksas and mustard-based condiments, it is also added to chicken soups, stews, egg salads, spreads and relishes. Today it
is being researched to treat high cholesterol, liver disease and digestive ailments.

ground

The strong spicy pungent aromatic sensation of Thai green curry comes from the coriander plant-a combined flavor release from its 5000 BC and found in Egyptian tombs seed, leaf and its root. Mentioned in Sanskrit

literature as far back as as early as 1090 BC, coriander has been a popular ingredient with many global cultures for seasoning and for healing. It is grown in Southeast Asia, India, Morocco, Romania, Mexico, the and the U.S. Coriander seed is sold as whole, cracked or ground.The leaf comes mainly in two forms - coriander leaf, also called cilantro, which is a flat leaf like parsley; and thorny leaf coriander, also called culantro, recao, ngo or Japanese saw leaf, which is sold as fresh or dried, the latter as whole or crushed; and its root and stem as whole, chopped or minced.Each of them has a different flavor profile-the seed has a nutty spicy flavor with cedar and floral tones; cilantro has a refreshing piney flavor with anise-like lemony tones, while the thorny leaf has stronger notes, and the root has intense pungent notes. The seeds are popular with Indian curries and Middle Eastern and North African seasonings such as zhug, baharat and berbere for dips, couscous, lamb roasts and stews. Cilantro adds color and flavor to Mexican salsas, beans and tacos, Indian chutneys and bhel puris, Malaysian kurmas, Moroccan tagines or Egyptian bissara.CIlantro is popular in Latin American.

COORIANDER
ground
cracked
whole

POPPY SEEDS
whole

SAFFRON

At Madrid, as I lay my eyes on the paella being dished out by the waiter, I am drawn by its delicate earthy aroma and bright golden tinge, created by saffron. Derived from the

Arabic name "zaafaran", saffron's color is sacred to Hindus and Buddhists. It is the most expensive spice in the world since it is harvested and processed by hand. Cultivated in Spain, France, Turkey, Iran, Kashmir and the U.S., it is sold as whole threads or ground. With a deep burgundy to yellowish orange color, it possesses a floral bouquet with warm earthy notes. Found in bouillabaisse, zarzuela de pescado, paella, risotto Milanese or zafran pollous, saffron is also added to biryanis, desserts and yogurt drinks in India.

MACE

The deep piney clove -like aroma from mace fills the air around us as the beef rending simmers for our lunch in Jakarta. Called the flower of nutmeg, mace is the

deep red lacy covering around the nutmeg, which is sold as whole blades, broken pieces or ground.More bitter than nutmeg, it's flavor retains better than nutmeg when ground. Cultivated in Indonesia, Caribbean, Brazil or South Asia, mace is used in sausages, cream soups, sauces, and baked products of Europe. It is also popular in the Middle Eastern lamb and vegetable dishes, and is sprinkled over North Indian pulaos and meat dishes for added aroma.

ground

Entering the Indian restaurant, we are met with the strong smell of cumin, an essential spice in curry.Derived from the Sanskrit word "sughandan",cumin has become a valuable piceglobally,especially

in Indian, Mexican, Southeast Asian, North African and Cuban cooking. Indians and Egyptians took cumin to relieve stress, stimulate circulation and dispel gas. Sold as whole seed or ground, it has a nutty and earthy taste with a strong aroma having slight lemony notes, and which even becomes more intense when dry roasted. It is also a dominant flavor in Mexican black beans, burrito and enchilada fillings, and flavors sauerkraut, cheese, pastries and a liqueur called kummel.

CUMIN SEEDS
ground
whole

ROSEMARY LEAVES
ground
whole
cracked

The intense piney taste of rosemary leaves rubbed on roast chicken gave it an extra boost at the French bistro. Native to the Mediterranean, rosemary is

grown in North Africa, Europe, Russia, the U.S. and Turkey. With a piney and tea-like aroma and minty, sage and camphor-like peppery taste, it is a popular spicing in the Mediterranean regions for pot roasts, stuffing, soups, sausage, grilled lamb or veal and lamb tagines. Its leaves are sold fresh or dried, whole, chopped or ground. It is an essential ingredient in quatre epices, bouquet garni and herb de Provence for slow cooked French style lamb and vegetable dishes. It is used as a natural antioxidant for meats to preserve its color.

PEPPER RED
assorted scoville
heat units
ground
crushed

DILL SEED

As we dip our pita breads into the cool refreshing tsatsiki, the anisey taste of dillweed hits us. It is a favorite spicing for Scandinavian breads, pickles and creamy sauces, Cultivated in Turkey, north India, U.S,

Poland and England, its seeds and leaves possess different flavor profiles. European dillseed is oval with sweet caraway, anise-like flavor, while Indian variety is longer and narrower, with less intense notes. Fresh dillweed is bluish green with milder flavor than the seed. They flavor northern European sauerkraut, meats, sausages, stuffed cabbage, potato soup, boiled fish and salad dressings. In North India, dillseed is added to braised spinach and a meat-vegetable-lentil dish called dhansak, while the Middle Easterners and Greeks add them to baby lamb, yogurt dips, dolmadakis and pureed beans. Used to soothe the stomach of crying babies since the Assyrian, Egyptian and Roman era, dill is still a popular home-made remedy for indigestion.

ground
whole

SAGE LEAVES
ground
cracked
whole

As we sit down at the outdoor café in Rome, the camphor-like aroma of sage in saltimboca alla Romana captures our senses. Considered a sacred herb by Romans, the many varieties

of sage are cultivated in Eastern Europe.or ground, sage hasa strong bitter camphor and herbaceous -Mediterranean, China, Turkey, the U.S. and Mexico. Sold as fresh, dried, chopped, crushedlike taste and aroma. It is a popular spicing for Italian, Greek and Eastern European pork, turkey, fatty fish, sausage, goose stuffing and gravies. Middle Easterners add it to beans, salads and teas while in the U.S., sage flavors chowders, baked fish, poultry stuffing or processed meats to retain its colo.

FENNEL

In Bombay, as we chew on the paan masala to digest our meal, we feel the sweet licorice taste of fennel soothing us. Similar to anise, cumin and caraway in

flavor profile, fennel has fresh, camphor and anise-like bittersweet taste. It comes mainly as two types, sweet and bitter, grown in Italy, France, Argentina, Morocco, India and the U.S. Sold as whole seeds or ground, fennel is present in herbes de Provence, sauerkraut, breads, fish dishes, pizzas, sausages, cakes and sambuca. It is essential for Chinese 5-spice blend, which flavors braised meats, roast duck and pork dishes. In India, it is added to a Bengali seasoning called anchphoron, and to flavor egg, fish and mutton curries.

ground
cracked
whole
special dustless cracked

SAVORY LEAVES

The fragrant peppery aroma of the cabbage dish served in a Frankfurt restaurant came from the spice, savory, which is also called "bean herb" by

Germans, since it complements legumes. Savory comes as two types, summer and winter, the former more commonly used. It is grown in ermany,France, Spain, North Africa, Eastern Europe and the U.S., and sold fresh or dried, and as whole or crushed. With a fragrant herbaceous aroma and slightly peppery bitter aftertaste, summer savory is popular in Mediterranean cooking. It is added to fines herbs and herb de Provence to flavor beans, potatoes, cabbage, lentils and scrambled eggs, vegetable juices, sausages, fish chowders, gravies and liqueurs.

ground
cracked
whole

FOENUGREEK
ground
whole

TARRAGON LEAVES
ground
special cut
whole

THYME LEAVES
ground

The strong aroma of thyme fills the air as we wait for our beef bourguignon in a café, in Quebec. Native to the Mediterranean, the many varieties from

Morocco, Spain, France and theCaribbean generally come as small narrow or large broad leaf varieties. Sold as fresh, ground or dried, it has a piney phenol-like taste and herbaceous aroma. Romans and Greeks used thyme to disinfect water and treat infections, but today, it is a dominant spicing in French cooking. Popular in herb de Provence and bouquet garni, it also flavors meats and fish, or mixed with olive oil to serve as a dip for breads in the Middle East. In the U.S., it is added to clam chowders, sausages, stuffing or blackened fish,
and in Jamaica, it is combined with all spice for
jerk products.

whole

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