What is it? Fenugreek

You've probably tasted Fenugreek without knowing what you're tasting. It's that warm, slightly sweet note that shows up in curry ... the one that reads almost like maple syrup. That's Fenugreek, working quietly in the background.

It comes from a plant called Trigonella foenum-graecum (say that three times fast!). It's actually part of the legume family, so it's a closer family member to peas and lentils than it is to something like black pepper, for example. Both the seeds and the leaves end up in cooking, though when most people talk Fenugreek, they're talking about the small, hard, squared-off, golden seeds, which is what we carry at AllSpice. They hold their smell in the jar for a long time, which is part of why this spice has stuck around in kitchens for as long as it has. In fact, it's been used for thousands of years in kitchens across the Mediterranean, the Middle East, and south Asia. It was showing up in cooking long before most of the spices we now consider everyday spice rack staples.

Here's what catches most folks off guard the first time they cook with it: Bite into a raw Fenugreek seed and it's bitter. Not a little bitter, either ... it's more like you chomped down on something medicinal. That doesn't match up at all with the sweet, nutty flavor fenugreek is known for. That shows up once heat is involved. Toast the seeds gently in a dry pan for a minute or two and the bitterness fades, replaced by something closer to butterscotch. In fact, Fenugreek is frequently used as a base for imitation maple flavoring. Leave them on the burner for even a second too long, though, and the bitterness comes back with a vengeance, taking your whole dish down with it. Keep the pan moving and put your nose to work, pulling them off the heat as soon as they start smelling toasty. Don't wait for a color change.

Fenugreek is used extensively in Indian cooking, where whole seeds go into hot oil at the start of a dish right alongside things like mustard seed and cumin. It's also one of the five spices in panch phoron, the Bengali blend, and it shows up regularly in curry powders and pickling spice mixes, usually to round out flavors in a supporting role vs. being the flavor lead. Head west and you'll find it in Ethiopian berbere and in a handful of Middle Eastern blends too. 

Fresh Fenugreek leaves are called methi and are often cooked down like a hearty green. Dried, they become kasuri methi, crumbled over a finished dish for a bittersweet, almost hay-like smell that we've not seen any other herb or spice quite replicate.

When you cook with Fenugreek seed, start with a small amount because it's much more potent than its mellow, toasted smell might lead you to believe. We carry it in both whole and ground and which one you reach for depends on what you're making. Whole seeds are what you'll want if you're tempering oil at the start of a dish, since they need that time in the heat to soften and toast alongside everything else in the pan. Ground Fenugreek skips that step and is best included in a homemade spice blend or marinade. 

You don't need a curry night to take advantage of it, either. Think of it like cumin or paprika, adding a dash here and there to punch up the flavor of your dish.

Try a pinch of ground Fenugreek in your scrambled eggs or tossed in with carrots or squash before roasting. Stir it into softened butter and let it sit a few minutes before spreading on toast. Add a bit to rice or lentils while they cook, or whisk a little into a vinaigrette alongside some mustard, since the two get along so well. 

Find both whole and powdered Fenugreek in the spice aisle at either AllSpice location.