Products:
Allspice (Pimenta Dioica):
Allspice berries are the fruit of a tree native to
Jamaica and Central America (particularly Honduras, Guatemala and southern
Mexico) and have an aroma reminiscent of cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg all rolled
into one. Allspice is often used in
soups, salad dressings and on a variety of meat, chicken and fish dishes,
actually it can be used on any dish traditionally seasoned with black or white
pepper, often as a compliment to black pepper.
Allspice is used in a multitude of seasoning blends, and is often ground
together with Black and White Pepper in a home pepper mill. In Scandinavia & Germany it is often used
to season herring and fish marinades. It is also used with other “sweet” spices
in the baking industry for such as items as spice cakes and cookies.
Black Pepper (Piper Nigrum):
Black pepper is the fruit of a vine that grows in
tropical forests, traditionally in India but today it is grown throughout the
tropical regions of East Asia as well as in South America. Black Pepper and White Pepper are actually
the same berries; the difference is that black pepper is picked to dry before
the fruit is fully ripe (when the berries are still green). White pepper is picked after the fruit is
fully ripe, then soaked in water for about a week to loosen the outer covering
of the berries, which are then removed and the berries dried.
Pepper is the most popular spice in the world and is
arguably the most versatile. Black
Pepper and white pepper make up about 25% of the total trade in world
spices. Pepper can be used as a
seasoning for almost any kind of dish imaginable. We carry only the ASTA Grade whole black
peppercorns, conforming to both ASTA cleanliness guidelines and to the
requirements for density. Our Gourmet
Ground Black Pepper is ground to an 16-24 Mesh range which better preserves the
volatile oil and is well sifted prior to packing to remove dust and powder.
Caraway (Carum Carvi):
Caraway is known to have been cultivated more
than 5000 years ago and is thus among the oldest, if not the oldest of the
herbs & spices cultivated by man.
Native to Europe and the entire Mediterranean region, Caraway today is
grown primarily in Canada, Germany, the Netherlands and Egypt. The Egyptian variety generally has a paler
color than the northern European or Canadian Caraway. We carry only the premium grade Canadian
Caraway. Caraway seeds can be used in
breads, cakes, and cookies, as well as casseroles, cole slaw, cabbage &
potato soups, rice and pasta dishes, and baked fruits (especially with baked
apple).
Cayenne Powder & Crushed Chilies
(Capsicum Annum):
Our Pure Cayenne is ground “S4” or Sanaam
Chilies from India. This is a hot
variety of capsicum annum pepper, typically around 30,000 – 40,000 scoville
heat units (significantly hotter than the jalapeno chili, for comparison). Our Crushed Chilies (Red Pepper) comes from
the same S4 chilies. Handling even just
a spoonful of cayenne or crushed red pepper close to your face can easily make
your eyes water and can cause you to sneeze.
For those sensitive to heat in food, only small amounts should be used
at first; one can always add a bit more later to reach the desired level of
heat. Cayenne is always used to make
chili and most salsas, but in addition cayenne can be used literally in any
dish to which you want to add heat. It
can add a spicy zip to hamburgers, casseroles, soups, or just about any sort of
dip or spread, or can be sprinkled on top of scrambled or fried eggs along with
black pepper for an extra bite. Cayenne
is also often used in baked goods such as muffins or biscuits. Crushed Red Pepper is used very often as a
pizza topping. We are very proud of our
excellent quality cayenne, re-cleaned prior to grinding to conform to ASTA
cleanliness guidelines, and sterilized.
Our Crushed Red Pepper are clean with a bright red color, jus the right
amount of seeds, and very well sifted to remove dust. In short, our quality is better than any
other brand we have seen on the market.
Cinnamon (Cinnamomum Cassia):
Cinnamon (Cassia) comes from the inner bark
of a tropical evergreen tree native to East Asia. Cinnamon is one of
the oldest known spices throughout recorded history, being mentioned in the
Bible at the time of Moses.
Cinnamon is perhaps the most popular of the
“sweet” spices, used most often in pies, cakes, sweet rolls and muffins, or
sprinkled on pancakes or oatmeal, but in Mexico, Central America and many other
tropical climates it is often used as a meat seasoning as well. It enhances the flavor of meats without
making them taste sweet. One
of the natural constituents of cinnamon and cassia is a phenol that slows the
growth of bacteria that causes meat to spoil.
Thus, its use as a meat seasoning in many tropical climates is
logical. Cinnamon is
also used in tea infusions, cider blends, and of course on cappuccino.
Cloves (Syzygium aromaticum, Eugenia
caryophyllata):
Cloves are actually dried flower buds, native
to the famous “Spice Islands” of the East Indies (in what is now part of
Indonesia). These dark, dried buds have
a unique sweet scent and are used in many ways, not just for cooking. Cloves are of course an essential element of
potpourri. Clove cigarettes are
very popular in East Asia, and the oil of cloves is used often in mouthwashes,
perfumes, lotions and other cosmetics.
Also, cloves are anesthetic and have been used for hundreds of years by
dentists to relieve toothaches and prepare patients for dental work. When cooking with whole cloves, as with other
whole spices, you can use a tea infuser or even in a cheesecloth bag tied with
a string, to cook a soup or stew or to make a punch, thus adding flavor without
leaving the whole cloves in the final meal.
Cloves are used in many sweet dishes, such as pies and cookies, but also
in a variety of dressings and vegetable pickles, and for pot roast and in many
other meat dishes as well.
Cumin (Cumimum cyminum):
Cumin is native to the Mediterranean region
and has at times been confused with caraway because of its similar
appearance. Cumin is very popular in
Mexican and “Tex-Mex” cooking, as well as in Middle Eastern and Indian cuisine,
and is also popular in Europe. Cumin is
an essential ingredient in any curry powder and in most varieties of
chili. Often used in black bean dips and
soups, cumin is also popularly used in beef stew and in many rice dishes.
Curry Powder (Madras):
Our Madras Curry Powder is a special blend of
coriander, turmeric, cumin, fenugreek, cardamom, ginger, pepper and other
spices prepared by our long-time supplier in India (the same factory that packs
our cayenne and crushed chilies). As you
know, every packer’s blend of “Curry Powder” is unique. We are very proud of our Curry Powder and we
hope you will try ours!
Italian Seasoning Blend:
Please try our unique Italian Seasoning, a
special blend of selected herbs, each of very high quality: Oregano, Basil,
Marjoram, Thyme, Sage, Rosemary & Savory.
Nutmeg (Myristica fragrans):
Nutmeg is the fruit of a tropical evergreen tree native
to a tiny archipelago, the Banda Islands, in the Moluccas (or “Spice Islands”)
of eastern Indonesia. Indonesia and
Grenada produce the vast bulk of the world’s supply of nutmeg today. We sell both whole nutmeg and ground, and for
those of you who buy the whole, we also sell nutmeg grinders. By grinding nutmeg fresh, the consumer can
get the maximum pleasure from nutmeg’s amazing flavor and aroma. Nutmeg can be sprinkled on yogurt, ice cream,
on many salad dressings, or used in baking any kinds of sweet bread such as
banana bread or apricot bread, or in cakes, pies and cookies. And of course, do not forget to use nutmeg in
your holiday eggnog!
Oregano:
This warm, aromatic herb is essential for
Mediterranean cooking, in particular for Italian cuisine. The intensity of oregano varies greatly
according to the quality and the origin.
Mexican oregano has an essential oil with a different constitution than
that of Mediterranean oregano. Good
quality oregano should have at least 2 – 2.5% volatile oil, but cheaper grades
are available with much less. Oregano
and Basil go great together!
Paprika (Capsicum Annum):
Paprika is the ground dried ripe pepper pods
of a sweet, mild variety of capsicum annum peppers native to Spain and much of
the Mediterranean region, as well as South Africa, Chile and Peru. The raw material is sorted prior to grinding
to produce paprika of various color grades, measured by ASTA Method 20.1
Extractable Color. We sell only the
highest grade of Paprika produced regularly in Spain with a bright red color
and an ASTA Color of 140-160 (the average paprika in the market normally would
have about ASTA 100, and many brands have much lower than that; generally
paprika with an orange to orange-red appearance has a lower ASTA Color
grade).
Paprika is one of
the best natural colorants: it is a way of adding color (red) without using
artificial colorants, that is why it is used in large volumes by industrial buyers
as an ingredient in a wide variety of foods, including sausages, dressings and
salsas. In the kitchen it is used in
soups, goulash, rice dishes, and sprinkled on chicken, fish and eggs.
Parsley:
We use a high grade Israeli Parsley, the curly
leaf variety, with a rich green color.
Parsley from other origins is often a flat leaf variety with only a pale
green color, sometimes a light brownish-green, thus not as attractive when used
as a garnish.
Pink Peppercorns (Schinus):
These bright pink berries are not technically
peppercorns as they are not of the genus Piper, though they are similar
size and shape to black and white peppercorns and thus were called “Pink
Pepper”. Pink Pepper has a bite similar
to black or white pepper, but it is a milder and with a sweeter flavor
profile. Pink Pepper is used in many
pepper blends such as a typical “Four Pepper Blend”, together with Black, White
& Green Peppercorns. Pink
Peppercorns are especially popular in French cooking as a gourmet flavoring.
Saffron (crocus sativus linnaeus):
The dried threads (or filaments) of a special
flower grown in the Mediterranean region are removed by hand, separated and
dried to produce the precious spice we call saffron. Spain is among the world’s leading exporters
of saffron and produces the highest quality grades available. We import exclusively Pure Mancha Grade
Saffron from Spain. Because the process of removing the stigmata from the
flowers cannot be automated, each flower has to be handled with care by an individual. Each flower has only 3 stigmata (these are
the deep burgundy-red threads that contain the essential oils crocine and
picrocrocine, which give saffron its amazing coloring and flavoring power). More than 75,000 flowers are required to
produce just 1 lb of dried saffron threads.
It is not hard to imagine why saffron is the most expensive spice in the
world!
Sesame Seeds (sesamum indicum):
We import white hulled sesame seeds. Sesame seeds are very healthy, as an ounce of
sesame seeds has more protein than a full cup of milk. Sesame seeds are of course used on breads and
rolls (just sprinkle on prior to baking), and can also be used in four coating
for fried or sautéed chicken, or in breading for fish. Sesame seeds can be easily toasted in a frying
pan on medium heat for just a couple of minutes (no need to add oil). Toasting sesame enhances the flavor and makes
a wonderful addition when sprinkled on sliced tomatoes, baked potatoes or any
type of salad!
White Pepper (Piper Nigrum):
White pepper is the fruit of the same tropical vines that
grow black pepper. Most white pepper
comes from Southeast Asia. White pepper
is picked after the vine’s fruit is fully ripe, then soaked in water for about
a week to loosen the outer covering of the berries, which are then removed and
the berries dried and bleached in the sun’s rays.
Click on the Item #s link for our Item Codes
and pack information. Please contact us
to place your order, or for any additional information you might need.
Courthope Imported Spices & Herbs, LLC
32 Grove Street, Suite 110, Chester,
NJ 07930
Mailing address: P.O. Box 534,
Chester, NJ 07930
Tel: (908) 879-2942, Fax: (908)
879-2486
www.courthope.com
E-mail contacts:
courthopespices@comcast.net
Retail Shop now open in the historic borough of Chester, NJ
(see address above)
Simply click on the link “store” at the top of the page
