I think the key is the cooking. I was going to bring my jar of cumin in to taunt my coworkers, and when I opened it in my kitchen and took a whiff - nothing. Well, nothing BO-like.
BUT SO HELP ME WHEN IT'S COOKING IT SMELLS LIKE SWEATY PEOPLE.
It is impossible to make good chili without cumin. It's more important than chili powder or red peppers, IMHO. I've never thought it smelled like ass or B.O. while cooking.
There is some spice in Thai food that smells like old sweat socks. I don't know what it is, but it can be off-putting.
I agree - cumin is THE essential chili spice. You don't need a lot, but it's gotta be there.
Besides cumin and chili powder, the next most important spice, IMHO, is ground mustard. I kept on seeing it pop up in recipes from chili cook-offs, and I'm glad I tried it.
After that, there's a lot of different ways to go. But that's the holy trinity of chili spices, AFAIAC.
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branchandroot
no subject
Date: 2005-03-05 08:13 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-03-06 12:47 am (UTC)BUT SO HELP ME WHEN IT'S COOKING IT SMELLS LIKE SWEATY PEOPLE.
no subject
Date: 2005-03-06 03:41 am (UTC)There is some spice in Thai food that smells like old sweat socks. I don't know what it is, but it can be off-putting.
no subject
Date: 2005-03-06 11:50 am (UTC)Besides cumin and chili powder, the next most important spice, IMHO, is ground mustard. I kept on seeing it pop up in recipes from chili cook-offs, and I'm glad I tried it.
After that, there's a lot of different ways to go. But that's the holy trinity of chili spices, AFAIAC.