Spice blends and pastes

Exploring the world of spice blends and pastes with ehefs and other food experts... 

We have not presented the results to all of the participants at the time of the completion of the manuscript, but those to whom we have presented the results responded enthusiastically to the information. To many chefs this is a completely new method to organize their tastings, and the results can be understood by chefs in terms of their culinary organization of knowledge about what different spice blends and pastes can be used for, or as a reminder of what they have tasted on a particular occasion. The variation of the method we introduced - so-called Big Grid napping - was perfectly suited for a large number of samples. The use of a plastic-coated sheet of paper had the additional benefit that it could easily be cleaned with a wet cloth. It has proved very durable and can still be used more than a year later. 

Currently in the United States, some spices such as black peppers, ground paprika and some blend of spices are irradiated for the wholesale market and for some speciality foods such as pastrami. The purpose is decontamination at a dose range of 10 kGy and higher. These spices and seasonings have been irradiated in the past few years at commercial irradiation plants in New Jersey, California and elsewhere. The quantities irradiated in the past two years are estimated to be around 1,000 to 2,000 metric tons per year. 

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