Inspirations

From what inspires us around the world to our traditional family inspired recipes, we want to share our expertise, history and culture with you. Discover Indian food, be inspired to mix and match flavours and spices to create your own delicious recipes and become part of the Patak’s® community.

Find Inspiration in Spices

Cardamom

What does it taste like?
Made from the seed pods of various plants in the ginger family, cardamom adds the flavours of lemon, mint, and smoke to many iconic Indian dishes.

How do I cook with it?
The cardamom spice (available in both black and green) can be purchased in the form of pods, seeds, and ground. The pods can be added whole to recipes, or the individual seeds can be mixed in or ground with a pestle and mortar.

Ginger

What does it taste like?
Fresh ginger is known for its powerful warming aroma and pungent flavour. The flavour of ginger is characterized by its unique combination of lemon and citrus but also embodies earthy notes.

How do I cook with it?
Fresh ginger is often used in soups, stir fries, and even hot drinks. Ginger is also a great snack and is often pickled in vinegar. Ground and dried ginger, is more commonly used to bake pies, cakes, candies, and cookies.

Turmeric

What does it taste like?
Fresh turmeric is known for its potent smell and distinguished flavour. It can best be described with bitter notes of orange and ginger.

How do I cook with it?
Turmeric can be purchased in root or powder form. Perfect to eat or drink, it can be added into smoothies, rice, soups, teas, curries, and more. There’s even liquid turmeric, which can be found in the supplement section of most grocery or drugstores.

Whether it’s for its unique taste or noted health benefits, turmeric is a spice that has, and will continue to play a role in Indian culture, cuisine, and beyond.

Cardamom

What does it taste like?
Made from the seed pods of various plants in the ginger family, cardamom adds the flavours of lemon, mint, and smoke to many iconic Indian dishes.

How do I cook with it?
The cardamom spice (available in both black and green) can be purchased in the form of pods, seeds, and ground. The pods can be added whole to recipes, or the individual seeds can be mixed in or ground with a pestle and mortar.

Ginger

What does it taste like?
Fresh ginger is known for its powerful warming aroma and pungent flavour. The flavour of ginger is characterized by its unique combination of lemon and citrus but also embodies earthy notes.

How do I cook with it?
Fresh ginger is often used in soups, stir fries, and even hot drinks. Ginger is also a great snack and is often pickled in vinegar. Ground and dried ginger, is more commonly used to bake pies, cakes, candies, and cookies.

Turmeric

What does it taste like?
Fresh turmeric is known for its potent smell and distinguished flavour. It can best be described with bitter notes of orange and ginger.

How do I cook with it?
Turmeric can be purchased in root or powder form. Perfect to eat or drink, it can be added into smoothies, rice, soups, teas, curries, and more. There’s even liquid turmeric, which can be found in the supplement section of most grocery or drugstores.

Whether it’s for its unique taste or noted health benefits, turmeric is a spice that has, and will continue to play a role in Indian culture, cuisine, and beyond.

Find Inspiration in Our Cookbooks