Edible Vancouver Island September/October 2023

The season’s most prominent flavours autumn spice & everything nice

Like cream with berries in summer, there is no better match than warming spices for cold weather.

WORDS, PHOTOS + RECIPE HEIDI RICHTER

Undeniably, cinnamon is the most pervasive, versatile and complex, ranging from strongly sweet and spicy cassias to the finer, less sweet and more subtle-tasting Ceylon. Indonesian cassia cinnamon is the most common in North America, yet it’s not uncommon to find the punchy, sweet and spicy Saigon or the delicate Sri Lankan Ceylon on the spice rack of aficionados. While Ceylon is often referred to as “real” cinnamon, all cinnamons are in fact genuine and originate from the same laurel species–variations in flavour and texture are solely a matter of harvest method and region. Cinnamon finds its way into a multitude of fall dishes both sweet and savoury–most notably apple, pear and pumpkin desserts, oatmeal, roasted vegetables, coffee and teas, cookies, spice cakes and stews. Another Indonesian native is nutmeg, its sweet notes

As the days turn cool and the skies cloak themselves in overcast, I instinctively turn towards warmth and comfort. Autumn has arrived on the Island, its telltale signs not measured by temperature or precipitation, but rather by thick wool socks, cozy firesides, crunchy leaves and glorious seasonal fare laden with spice. Like cream with berries in summer, there is no better match than warming spices for cold weather. From traditional apple pie to commodity pumpkin spice lattes, certain flavours are inescapable come September–cinnamon nutmeg, clove, ginger and allspice, along with the overlooked star anise and green cardamom, all fall under the umbrella of autumnal spices. Their diverse origins and traditional uses vary considerably; however, these spices have a natural affinity for each other and pair effortlessly with the season’s predominant ingredients.

22 SEP/OCT 2023 EDIBLE VANCOUVER ISLAND