The Grimoire

The cocoa has a very singular story. Indeed, of appearance little edible at the start. However, he was tamed by the Olmeques at first. Arriving in Europe, cocoa undergoes a long series of culinary and manufacturing innovations, in front of one of the most popular products in the world. Here is its story.

Vincent Durant, Meilleur Ouvrier de France Chocolatier and Max Daumin have joined forces culinaryly to offer you unique creations of cocoa Grands Crus with Berlingot spices. It is the meeting of two know-how of the Ain. Here is his portrait.

Curry is universally used around the whole world. Where does she come from? Is it a spice? A mixture of spices? How to use it? How to make your homemade curry?

The Cajun or Cajun assembly is a spice composition that comes from Acadian cuisine (Louisiana French in the USA). It is an assembly of cultures where French aromatic herbs encountered the hot spices of Mexico and Caribbean. A mixture of character, slightly raised, on a background of paprika, garlic, onion, cumin, pepper and aromatic herbs. Where does this mixture come from? What is its origin?

It is with pleasure that we offer you a nice pepper of Espelette Aop from Itxassou (Basque Country). Unlike all our ground spices, it is offered in the form of a 40g glass jar. Several times we had this question: "Why didn't you put it in berlingot so that it could be protected? »»

There are two types of salts in the world: marine salts and gem salts or rock salts. Gem referring to gemology, studying stones. What are their differences? What salt can I use for my mill?

Ras el Hanout is one of the world's most complex spice blends. It's a blend that can be used in place of a curry, and its flavors transport you to a faraway imagination.

If there's one of the world's most popular spices, it's cinnamon. It can be found in many dishes, drinks, desserts and pastries. It's also a seasonal spice, coming back with a vengeance every winter, to be found in cakes, cookies and gingerbread, and sometimes even as decorations on our Christmas tables! For as long as human beings have consumed spices, they have been quick to learn that most of them can be beneficial to the body, and that some can be included in the pharmacopoeia. Cinnamon has been used for centuries in Ayurvedic (Indian) medicine to treat respiratory and digestive problems. Today, there are hundreds of scientific studies on the subject. Most of them demonstrate the benefits of cinnamon for our health. So what's the reality today?

Saffron is often a spice that is not used correctly. Indeed, it is common to hear that saffron brings little flavour, that its potency is relatively weak. (Saffron, like vanilla, is an infusion spice, and should be used as such. The few pistils added at the end of cooking will only have an aesthetic effect, not a taste.

Ras el Hanout is one of the most complex spice blends you can find. Traditional Ras el Hanout recipes vary from 24 to 27 spices, and some contain as many as 40! Here's a look at its origins, history and composition.

Foie gras is a dish that readily accepts spices. Whether spices, herbs or peppercorns, they'll go wonderfully well with your foie gras. The foie gras should nevertheless remain the centerpiece of your dish, while the spices or peppers add a delicate, fragrant touch.

Here, we'll only be talking about the Piper genus, and piper nigrum in particular. This is the black pepper we all know. It comes in a variety of colors, depending on maturity and processing (green pepper, black pepper, white pepper, red pepper, yellow pepper), but is there a pepper that stands out from the crowd? Which is the most powerful pepper?

One test, which is regularly repeated, consists of immersing peppercorns in water and then asserting: “If the peppercorns float, it's because they're of poor quality and not concentrated in essential oil”. Let's take a closer, scientific look.

How do you define a good pepper? How to recognize a good pepper? How do you choose quality pepper? Are there any tests?

Pepper is one of the few fruits that can be used in a variety of colors. You can find black, white, green, red, yellow and even grey pepper on the market!

History and origins of the fabulous Kampot pepper.

The origin and history of gingerbread

Four-spice and five-spice blends are readily available on the market. Of course, you can also make your own. There is often confusion about these two very different blends.

Cardamom, queen of spices. Origin and use

What is the quality of a spice? How to choose your spices on the Internet? at the store? travelling?

Standards to qualify it and fight fraud: Since 1993 there are ISO standards that have contributed to fighting fraud and helps to recognize quality saffron producers. Saffron is considered pure when it complies with the requirements set in ISO 3632 standard and no material has been added to the natural product.

Saffron is one of the oldest cultivated spices. It is the most expensive spice in the world, it is also the most expensive food. It is the most falsified spice too. How to recognize real saffron? How to use it? How to cook it? Where does the saffron come from?

Sichuan's pepper has been cultivated since Antiquity in the eponymous province in China. It is a mountainous region where Sichuan's pepper acclimatizes very well, even high altitudes (1500m). This small purple red bay is harvested in the fall to remove that the shell (the black seed inside brings bitterness).

Salt remains an essential and essential element in our lives. We have been using it since time immemorial. For our health, it makes it possible to maintain correct blood pressure and prevents disorders linked to an insufficient concentration of salt in the blood as it is seen in certain cases of dehydration. The minimum physiological need is around 2G/d. The iodine contained in sea salt is also vital for our metabolism. Iodine deficiency is associated with severe disorders; Inhibiting growth until you can cause mental disorders. The term Rottin was first a medical term in the 19th century designating people affected by these disorders. Cretinism disappeared from 1920 when iodine was systematically added the kitchen salts. We now have the Terure Cretin used to designate stupidity.

It's simple: in our spices, there are only spices, nothing else. The spices come from plants (fruits, seeds, pistils, bark, root, rhizomes, flowers, akene, etc.), they are therefore in essence natural. We respect this nature without disguising it.

Tahitensis vanilla (vanilla tahitensis) prized by the great chefs is a different botanical variety of bourbon vanilla (vanilla planifolia). It is a remarkable vanilla. Essentially cultivated in the Pacific, the Tahitensis vanilla is found in French Polynesia in the islands Under the wind (Raiatea, Tahaa, Huaninée) and Wind Islands (Tahiti).

Among all the spices that are found worldwide, a minority brings a more or less intense feeling of spice depending on the spice. These spices that bring heat and spice can be classified in what is called fireplace. It will be found there on peppers, peppers but also ginger, mustard, wasabi for the best known!

In France coexist two names the Timur and the Timut. But are these the same products?

The spices are indisputably linked to the Christmas period. They are used in both sweet and salty preparations, infusion and even decoration. What is the origin of this tradition? What are the Christmas spices? What are their uses? Before discovering these, it is necessary to immerse yourself for a few moments in the Middle Ages.

How to keep vanilla? How to use it?

Would the Tonka bean be a dangerous spice? We sometimes hear that this spice is harmful like cinnamon because both contain coumarin. Studies a little more in depth this chemical compound and would we make us stop consuming tonka bean?

It is quite common to hear the word spice used in the feminine and male. But what is he? Can we say both? The spice would be like the angels whose genre we know?

Today there are several notions as to the "green" packaging, more virtuous for the environment. It is sometimes poorly easy to see clearly between the concepts of biodegradability, compatibility, recyclability and bio -based. Let's take a quick overview of these concepts.

The history of pepper, or how this business shaped the world. This spice so coveted since antiquity constantly created new trade routes in Europe and Asia. The quest for pepper literally shaped the world and its exchanges between peoples.

Do you like it or hate coriander? If you think it has a taste of dishwashing liquid, your genes are responsible for it!

Coriander, a magic plant with multiple uses partly use fresh or powder? leaf ? The fruit (powder) or the root?

What is the Ras El Hanout spice? The Ras-el-Hanout spice is a must in Maghreb cuisine. It is a mixture of several spices whose purpose is to raise the taste of your dishes. It is most often made up of a dozen spices, but traditionally, this composition can go up to fifty ingredients.

We are proud to announce our collaboration with Recipe & Cabasse, a local company located in Lyon. Regularly Recipe & Cabasas offer us their recipe that you will find in our grimoire https://maxdaumin.com/le-griMoire and regularly on our social networks (Facebook, Instagram)

Spices that give taste, flavors. Since Antiquity, spices have been used to travel our palaces through flavors. They are flavors of flavors. We use spices in marinade with meat, seasoning a sauce, in final sprinkling ... They are there to add flavor. However, we must know that the use of spices must follow a certain rule to give No more concordance at our kitchen. So we can optimize food flavor.