More than Masala

Meet the duo behind this podcast. Who are Ragini and Chef Keith? What makes them tick? What are their thoughts on the history of spices? What perplexes them? What would they be doing if it weren't for food? What excites them? Join us for a chat about this, that, and the other through this unscripted episode.

Turmeric, turmeric, turmeric. From religious symbolism to counterfeit saffron, to the mainstay of curry powder. Turmeric is perhaps one of the most easily recognizable spices in the world. Its brilliant yellow hue has captivated cooks and doctors alike. An old superfood in the East, a more recent superfood in the West. Ragini and Keith explore the journey, the symbolism, the colonial impact on curry, and everything in between. Grab your cup of tea and settle in for more than masala. 

Ah Cumin. Cumin is that spice, you know, the one that is almost everywhere? It's used pretty ubiquitously across the subcontinent, from the southern tip of India, all the way north, and well into Central Asia. It goes to the east into China, and in the other direction across the Mediterranean and the Middle East. We also see it in North and East Africa, and then over the oceans into Mexico. Later in history, we see cumin show up in the Southern United States. This month Keith prepares an Afghan dish to celebrate this beautiful spice that is incredibly versatile. You can't imagine hummus, dal, garam masala, foul medammes, tacos or chilli without cumin. Grab your cup of tea, and maybe a cumin biscuit to go with it, and settle in for more than masala. 
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EPISODE SOURCES:
Maskevich, Adam. From 'Ancient Sumeria To Chipotle Tacos, Cumin Has Spiced Up The World', https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2015/03/11/392317352/is-cumin-the-most-globalized-spice-in-the-world#:~:text=To%20the%20east%2C%20cumin%20traveled,from%20there%20throughout%20South%20Asia.

Prior, David The Jewels of Afghanistan. https://www.prior.club/inspiration/parwana-afghan-cookbook-durkhanai-ayubi

Subhash Padhye, Sanjeev Banerjee, Aamir Ahmad, Ramzi Mohammad, and Fazlul H

Sarkar, "From here to eternity - the secret of Pharaohs: Therapeutic
potential of black cumin seeds and beyond". https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2583426/pdf/nihms-73138.pdf

How Black Cumin is Harvested in Afghanistan", https://www.rumispice.com/blogs/rumi-red-saffron/cumin-harvest

Achaya, K.T, The Illustrated Foods of India A-Z, Oxford University Press, 2009

Achaya, K.T, A Historical Companion Indian Food, Oxford University Press, 2004

Nabhan Gary, Cumin, Camels and Caravans

The hero of masala chai, cardamom. Flavourful and delicate, but also pungent and astringent. From the ancient texts of Ayurvedic and Unani medicine, to the Arab spice trade - cardamom is the official queen of spices. Join food researcher Ragini and Chef Keith as they talk about eating, understanding and contextualising this beautiful spice. Why is it used in so many of the subcontinents' desserts? How much cardamom does India really use? Where does the "best quality" cardamom grow?  Grab a cup of tea (cardamom, preferably), sit back and listen to More than Masala.

Ah Saffron. Flavourful, delicate, and very very fragrant saffron. From La Mancha in Spain, to Morocco, to Iran, to Afghanistan, to the Indian subcontinent - saffron is the queen spice. Join Ragini and Chef Keith as they talk about eating, understanding and contextualizing this beautiful spice. Why is it used in so many of the subcontinents' desserts? Why does Iran consume so much? Why do we talk about the chickens of the Mughal royal kitchen? Grab a cup of tea (saffron, preferably), sit back and listen to More than Masala.

Our first episode! The history of spices is complex and loaded with stories, folklore, warfare and cultural connections. Spices have the potential to flavour, to heal, to become tea or food - in olden times they were even used as salary! It's safe to say they've been a pretty important part of human history. Join Chef Keith Sarasin and Ragini Kashyap of Third Culture Cooks, as they explore spices of the Indian subcontinent. 

This month, we chat about a brief history of the spice trade. Grab a cup of tea, tune in, and join us?

Our first episode to whet your appetite for spices! The history of spices is complex and loaded with stories, folklore, warfare and cultural connections. Join Chef Keith Sarasin and Ragini Kashyap of Third Culture Cooks as they explore spices of the Indian subcontinent. Spices have the potential to flavour, to heal, to become tea, to become food - in olden times they were even salary! It's safe to say they've been a pretty important part of human history! This month, we're chatting about a brief history of the spice trade. How is it, that we can buy spices all over the world, and relatively cheaply today? Why does pretty much every part of the world use cumin? Grab a cup of tea, sit back, and listen in to More than Masala.