STORE REVIEW: The Head Nut

Store, I am disappoint.  Located in the ever-crowded Reading Terminal Market, The Head Nut fails as a spice shop on far too many levels.  It first showed up in 2012 as a branch of their location in Philly's suburbs and has left a bad taste in my mouth ever since.

Now, to start with the good, one thing the store has going for it is selection.  They have many spices on hand, but they also feature nuts, candies, dried goods, coffee, tea and flour.  They even feature gluten free flour alternatives.  The store is simply packed to the point of bursting with variety.

That's really the only good thing I can say about it, though.  As far as I'm concerned, if a store ultimately sells good spices, I can forgive a lot.  That's the most important part, right?  I mean, I'm going to a spice store to buy spices.  Well, the quality of the spices here is a bit lacking and I've had to throw out some of their wares because it was just flavorless.  I'm certain that the cheap plastic jars holding the stock don't help this at all.

The buying process is awkward and unintuitive.  Nothing is pre-bagged.  Instead, you must take each jar up to the counter where the spice is measured and bagged.  If you're buying 5 different things or more this is just not ideal at all.  This could be forgiven if it were clearly indicated somehow with a sign or by the staff, but it isn't.

The staff tends to come off as apathetic.  This is the worst part of the experience.  While you're trying to figure out how to actually buy the spices, the staff won't bother explaining how that works to you.  Or anything.  If you're looking for something in particular, you're just as likely to get a blank look as you are actual help.

The baggies are sealed with twist ties, so if you run out of room in your jar and have to keep some paprika in the bag (an all too familiar occurrence for spice fiends) it's probably going to spoil.  Last I checked they did not appear to sell jars, so even that is something that must be addressed elsewhere.

I suspect the fact that this store is an offshoot is to blame for a lot of the problems.  It certainly seems like there isn't a lot of care put into running the place.  It doesn't have a whole lot of internet presence either.  There is a mention on Reading Terminal Market's website here but there isn't much actual info.  The original main line store has a (rather atrociously designed) website here and they will ship their spices, but I'm not reviewing that location.

I can't help but give The Head Nut a big thumbs down and a very disappointed 2/5 anise stars.  Their wide selection is their saving grace, but they fall flat in every other way.

Ajwain Seed

This was easily one of the most bizarre experiences I've ever had with tasting a spice.  Ajwain, also known as carom seed, Bishop's weed and trachyspermum ammi is a member of the same family of plants as cumin, celery, parsley and dill.  The taste is said to be a bit like cumin and thyme, with elements of oregano, anise and a bit of its own unique tang but...  Well...  Read on.

Ajwain is always sold as whole seeds, apparently.  This is because in its native lands of India and north Africa, it is always used as such in recipes.  The seeds look a lot like cumin or caraway seeds but they have a stringy little tail on them.  Do not fear the tail.  This is normal.  It is not turning into a sperm.

When I buy a new spice, the first thing I like to do is taste it on its own.  I like to know what I'm putting into my food, how strong it is, etc.  The first thing I noticed about ajwain is the distinct, unusual taste.  It was familiar but unfamiliar at the same time.  The next thing I noticed was that my tongue and the roof of my mouth went numb.  Not weird enough for you?  For the next 15 minutes, all I could taste was metal.  Apparently this is a normal side effect of eating way too much.

We can't stop here.  This is ajwain country.

Fortunately, this is not something that happens when it is used properly in an actual recipe instead of just chewing on a dime sized palm full of the raw seeds.  Its most popular use is in north African peanut soup, but since that's not a vegetarian recipe (and it calls for the similarly uncommon grains of paradise) I decided this easy lentil dish would be more appropriate.  I seriously recommend cutting the paprika in half or to a third, though, and maybe use veggie stock instead of water.

Ajwain seed is an extremely unusual find in the United States so don't be too surprised if you never encounter it.  The taste is pretty good (when it isn't unleashing Lovecraftian madness on your palate) but you may be hard pressed to find a recipe that actually calls for it.  This is definitely the most far out adventure I've had with a spice.  ...so far.

The Star of the Spice Rack

Star anise, or illicium verum, is the cool kid at school that everyone just likes. He gets good grades and is super popular without even really trying. It's like he has a strange mystique about him for no apparent reason. It's not that he's a bad guy, he's just very, very pretty.

Farmed and popular in China, India and southeast Asia, star anise has that famous licorice flavor and aroma that it shares with regular anise, but it's also the coolest looking spice hands down (which is why I use it for ratings).  In fact, its most common use is in taking stock photos of spices, even if that blend doesn't contain star anise at all.

But...  What are you making other than a mess?

The beautiful, star shaped pods are, unlike most spices, sold intact because the pod's shell contains more flavor than the seed.  It is worth noting that it has a more delicate flavor than proper anise which makes it better for marinading meats (or so I hear), which is its main use.

Anise and star anise are actually completely unrelated plants. They share a name because of the chemical they both contain that tastes like licorice.  However, star anise is cheaper than anise anise so it is used as a substitute. This all changes if you feel a need to buy whole, unbroken stars with all 8 arms.  Sorta like how you can buy whole cashews, you know, if you're that guy.

Seeing as star anise is most popular in Asia, I thought I'd give one of my favorite Asian recipes of the moment, phở.  The main flavors of the broth are cinnamon, star anise, ginger and pretty much any other spice you want. There is a vicious rumor that phở simply cannot be a vegetarian soup because it needs to be made with meat stock. Lies. It exists and it is called phở chay.  I have a legitimate Vietnamese recipe here and you won't be surprised to learn that I recommend going heavier on the spices.

Phở Chay recipe

Ground or whole, star anise is a must for someone looking to make Asian recipes.  You might not find much application for it in the west aside from scented candle labels and photos of impractical spice arrangements, but you won't find many spice enthusiasts who don't have it lying around.

I give it 6 out of 5 anise stars, just because.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT: Why Indian Food Is So Delicious

I'm not going to talk too much about this one.  Suffice to say some very smart, sciency people did some complicated stuff with flavors and figured out what it is about Indian cuisine that makes it so amazing.  It's not the least complicated read in the world, but it's certainly interesting to me.

Scientists have figured out what makes Indian food so delicious

This whole business of pairing dissimilar flavors makes perfect sense.  The classic pairing of cumin and coriander, for example, gives you both earthiness and tanginess.  For whatever reason, India figured this whole thing out and they've got it on lock.  Or wait, is it "on fleek" now?  Damn kids and their slang...