A nose full of Christmas
We can tell that Christmas is just around the corner by all the Christmas decorations, fir sprigs and festive smells. But what exactly are those smells and flavours that are in the air and in our mouths?
You will find oranges and lemons in supermarkets all year round. And it's no wonder! These fresh citrus fruits taste great in any season. Not only are they delicious, but they are healthy, too. They contain Vitamin C, which helps boost the immune system during the colder months.
Oranges and lemons are also used for baking at Christmastime. The juice or grated zest add a wonderful flavour to biscuits such as orange Mailänderli and lots of other little FOOBY recipes. You can also use orange or lemon juice in punch – along with lots of spices, such as those listed below.
This warm and fragrant spice is an essential ingredient in Christmas bakes. Just one or two pinches of this reddish-brown ground spice will make almost any sweet treat taste like a cosy evening in front of a log fire. Ground cinnamon can be added to biscuit dough, cakes, desserts and hot chocolate. And let's not forget cinnamon stars – Christmas would not be complete without them.
In addition to ground cinnamon, you will also find whole cinnamon sticks in the spice aisle of your local Coop. These thin sticks are made from cinnamon tree bark, which is rolled up into these traditional sticks during the drying process. Cinnamon sticks are often found in punch recipes.
Cloves have a very characteristic shape. They look like little nails. Whole cloves are used in punch, for instance. However, you can also buy ground cloves for seasoning gingerbread and other biscuits. But be careful! Cloves have a very intense flavour, so you don't need a lot.
Cloves are also on the ingredients list for spicy dishes. They are used in curry powder as well as in fish and meat dishes, and red cabbage. Cloves have a very unique flavour and are therefore fairly easy to identify in food.
Star anise not only tastes Christmassy but looks it, too. It gets its name from its eight-pointed star shape. Star anise is not to be confused with regular aniseed, even though they taste similar. Star anise has a liquorice-like flavour and is sweet yet slightly acidic and peppery. The star-shaped casing has a more intense flavour than the little seeds that are hidden inside. This is why whole star anise are often used to flavour drinks and dishes. Star anise is also available as a powder.
At Christmastime, whole star anise are added to teas and punches for flavour, while ground star anise is used in gingerbread. In savoury cuisine, star anise is a key component of Chinese five-spice powder and also tastes great in meat dishes and gravy.
Vanilla is a key ingredient in the kitchen, and not just at Christmas. You will find vanilla in many dishes all year round – such as vanilla ice cream and cakes. The warm flavour is perfect for adding to biscuits and Christmas desserts and goes well with cinnamon, for example. However, it can sometimes also be the star of the show – like in Austrian vanilla crescent cookies. What many don't know is that vanilla not only goes with sweet dishes but also savoury ones containing fish, crustaceans or meat.
Vanilla is available in various forms in the supermarket. There are vanilla pods that you scrape the seeds out of, as well as vanilla paste and ground vanilla. Vanilla sugar used in baking usually contains artificial vanilla flavouring and is cheaper as a result.
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