The Encyclopedia of Spices and Herbs: An Essential Guide to the Flavors of the World - Padma Lakshmi (2016)

SPICES, HERBS, AND BLENDS FROM A TO Z

Q

QÂLAT DAQQA

See Tunisian Five-Spice Mix.

QUATRE ÉPICES

OTHER NAMES: French four-spice mix

Quatre épices is a classic French spice mix, but the actual mix may vary from cook to cook—and from the savory kitchen to the sweet one. And while some blends are made with just four (quatre) spices, others may contain five or even more. A typical mix is black or white peppercorns, nutmeg, cloves, and ginger, all ground to a fine powder; some include cinnamon in addition to these or instead of the cloves. Both cinnamon and allspice appear in blends used for baking. Quatre épices is an important seasoning for charcuterie, from sausages to pâtés to terrines. It is also added to beef or game stews, braises, and other long-cooked dishes. Many recipes for pain d’épices, a traditional loaf cake sometimes described as the French version of gingerbread, call for quatre épices. The mixture is also used in some Middle Eastern cuisines. A similar blend called Middle Eastern five-spice consists of allspice, peppercorns, cloves, nutmeg, and cinnamon.