Spice It Up! From the Middle East to the Far East, here are some spices to add exotic flavorings to your meals. Sumac The dried berries of this Mediterranean shrub are ground into a reddish-purplish powder. Available in local Lebanese and Middle Eastern food stores, sumac is used to infuse a dish with lemon flavor, without adding any liquid and is sprinked on fattoush. Wasabi Wasabi is the root of a native Japanese plant, eaten freshly grated or made into a paste. A green, powdered form is available, which is mixed into a paste with water. Used with sashimi and sushi, this hot condiment is mixed with soy sauce for dipping. Paprika Hungarian goulash would not exist without this ingredient. Used in soups, sauces, salads, spreads, sausages and salamis, a host of meat, poultry and fish dishes, and in ketchup. It is made from finely gournd, dried, red capsicum. Galangal A member of the ginger family, but differing in flavor when dried, the powdered form of this root is also sold in local Asian markets as "laos". Use in Indonesian hot and spicy dishes and Malaysian fish and seafood dishes. Juniper Berries Use whole or crushed, especially with game, and in marinades for a gamy flavor. Sauerkraut is much improved by adding a few crushed berries. Also used in English gin and a number of schnapps and brandies. Five Spice Powder Used in Chinese cuisine, especially with meat, poultry or fish dishes, this is a mixture of Sichuan pepper, star anise, fennel, cloves an cinnamon. Garam Masala There are many versions of this spice mixture used in Indian and Middle Eastern cuisines and its exact composition is often kept a secret by cooks. Common componenets are cumin, cloves, cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg and pepper. For a powerful flavor boost, add the mixture in the last minutes of cooking. Dill Seed Used in soups and stews, for pickling, and, particularly in Scandinavia, in the preparation of salmon and crayfish. Said to have a generally soothing effect, dill is an important ingredient in infants' gripe water given to relieve colic. This information was gathered and edited from the book Ingredients by Loukir Werle and Jill Cox and published by Konemann Verlagsgesellschaft mbH, Cologne. This website: Copyright © 2000 Dream World Media/ Urban Mozaik Magazine. All rights reserved. This website/publication, in whole or in part, may not be reproduced without written permission from the publisher or the previous publisher of original republished materials.