Crucial Condiments

 

Put a new twist on an old favourite...

A mediocre meal can become a taste sensation with just a splash of chilli sauce, a pinch of fresh herbs or a dash of lime juice. The use of condiments can put the yin into a yang meal: chopped chives added to miso soup or the yang into a yin dish: parmesan added to a light salad. Condiments can aid digestion and improve the all-round flavour and balance of the ingredients.Here are just a few of our favourite condiments in the store:

White Miso is a fermented blend of white rice and soybeans and has a sweet and delicate flavour. Mix a teaspoon in with cooked noodles for a creamy sweet flavour and top with a light green garnish. It may also be used in a curries, laksas and dips and as a reviving light snack to tide you over between meals. Miso is best stored in glass, wood or enamel in the fridge.

Tahini is a paste made from sesame seeds. It is very rich and ought to be used in small quantities. To make a dressing or a sauce, mix it with warm water, a little lemon juice and a generous amount of sweetener such as honey or maple syrup to lighten it.
 
Dried Ancho Chilli Peppers - The heat scale of these beauties is only 3/10 and they add a rich bodied taste without the heat to any meal. They may be rehydrated, ground or sliced and added to dishes such as couscous, tomato sauce, polenta, salads, stews and roast veges. Like sundried tomatoes they bring a gorgeous rich red colour to any meal.

Karengo is a sea vegetable. It is a rich source of minerals and natural iodine. Karengo can be eaten without any preparation. It mixes deliciously well with avocado and can be added to any meal – soups, stews, curries, roast or steamed veges and salads.For a deliciously crispy garnish try lightly toasting karengo in a cast iron fry pan, or toast it with a little oil and sesame seeds.

Raw Cacao Nibs - These little nibs are packed with antioxidants, magnesium and energy. To enjoy their uplifting stimulating quality sprinkle on a fruit salad, add to a smoothie or include in raw desserts like bliss balls, macaroons and in the base of raw pies.  You can also eat them straight or add to scroggin mix.

By Amber McLennan, Harvest Wholefoods Grey Lynn.