Introduction to brine spices 鹵水香料簡介

[Ho Kwok Leung]

Introduction to brine spices
brine spices
People often ask: Why can some secret braised ingredients only require a few grams to achieve effects that others cannot achieve if they use hundreds of grams?
In fact, a reasonable combination can create a unique fragrance, so it’s not about using too many ingredients, but the quality and combination.
The more marinades, the better. Different ingredients and the use of spices will be different.
Even taste differences caused by different regions will lead to differences in the use of spices.
Before using spices, the odor and bitterness must be removed to ensure the purity of the fragrance.

Spice classification:
The spices used in brine can generally be divided into two types: aromatic and bitter.
Aromatic spices include: star anise, cinnamon, cloves, cumin, bay leaves, lemongrass, etc.;
Bitter spices include: cardamom, kaempferol, caoguo, amomum villosum, angelica dahurica, galangal, etc.
These spices all contain impurities that produce odors and bitterness. Because their contents are different, the methods for removing odors are also different.

Aromatic spices
Deodorization treatment of aromatic spices: Since aromatic spices contain less odor and bitter impurities, they can be soaked in water to remove the odor.
Here are some commonly used methods for processing aromatic spices:
1. Star anise: Star anise has a strong fragrance, and relatively small odor and bitterness. However, because its meat is thick, the soaking water temperature is best around 50°C, and the soaking time takes 3 hours.
2. Cinnamon: Although cinnamon has less odor and bitterness, its thick skin and oily nature make it difficult to remove the odor and produce fragrance. Therefore, the water temperature during soaking is relatively high - around 70°C.
The soaking time is also relatively long-------about 4 hours. In addition, it is best to break the cinnamon bark when soaking.
3. Clove: Because of its less peculiar smell, bitterness and oiliness, the soaking water temperature should be controlled at around 40°C, and the best soaking time is 3 hours.
4. Cumin, bay leaves, and lemongrass: When soaking these three spices, the water temperature should be around 30°C for 2 hours.

Bitter spices
Deodorization treatment of bitter spices: Because bitter spices contain a lot of odors and bitter impurities, they are generally soaked in white wine to remove odors.
Here are some commonly used bitter spices as examples:
1. Cardamom: Cardamom has a strong aroma, but also has a strong odor and bitterness, and its fruit is large, plump and solid, so it should be broken and then soaked in white wine.
The soaking time is usually 2 hours. It should be noted that the sulfur smell remaining on the surface must be rinsed with clean water first, and then soaked in white wine.
2. Grass fruit: When processing, you should first use clean water to rinse away the smoky smell on the surface, then smash it into pieces and soak it in white wine for 2 hours.
3. Kaempferia japonica, Amomum villosum, Angelica dahuricae, and galangal: The soaking time for these four spices is about 1 hour.

In addition, different spices not only require different frying times, but also need to follow the following principles:
1. Fry the two types of spices separately: the frying time of aromatic spices is relatively long, and the frying time of bitter spices is relatively short.
The purpose of frying separately is to avoid the temperature rising due to too long heating time, which will cause the bitter taste of unremoved bitter spices to leak out.
2. The spices that are fragrant slowly should be put into the pot first: Since the spices that are fragrant are different at different speeds, the spices that are fragrant slowly should be put into the pot first.
After the spices are fragrant quickly, stir-fry them in the pot, so that the spices can be fragrant and consistent, thus ensuring that the flavor of the hot pot or brine remains unchanged.

When frying aromatic spices, star anise, cinnamon, etc. that are slow to develop fragrance should be put in first. Cumin, bay leaves, lemongrass, etc. that produce fragrance quickly should be placed later;
When frying bitter spices, cardamom, grass fruit, amomum villosum, etc. that develop slowly should be put in first. However, kaempferol, angelica dahurica, galangal, etc. that produce a quick fragrance should be placed later.

鹵水香料簡介
鹵水香料
常有人問：為什麼有的秘制滷料只要區區數克，就能達到別人用量上百克都達不到的效果？
其實合理搭配能造就獨特香型，所以用料不在多，貴在精和組合，
鹵料從來都不是越多越好，食材不同，香料的運用會有所不同，
甚至因為地域不同而導致的品味差異，也會使香料的運用也會有差異。
香料在使用前，必須先除去異味和苦澀味，以保證香料香味的純正。

香料分類：
鹵水所用的香料，一般可分為芳香類和苦香類兩種。
芳香类香料有：八角、桂皮、丁香、小茴、香叶、香茅草等；
苦香类香料有：豆蔻、山柰、草果、砂仁、白芷、高良姜等。
這些香料均含有會產生異味和苦澀味的雜質，因各自的含量不同，故去異味的方法也有所不同。

芳香類香料
芳香類香料的去異味處理：
因芳香類香料中含有的異味和苦澀味雜質較少，故可以採用清水浸泡去異。
下面介紹幾種常用的芳香類香料的處理方法：
1.
八角：八角的香味較濃，異味和苦澀味也比較小，但因為其肉質較厚實，故浸泡的水溫最好在50°C左右，浸泡的時間需要3小時。
2.桂皮：桂皮雖然異味和苦澀味較小，但因其皮層厚、油性大，不易去異出香，故浸泡時的水溫較高------70°C左右，
浸泡的時間也比較長-------約為4小時。 另外，浸泡時最好將桂皮掰碎。
3.丁香：因其異味和苦澀味較小，油性較大，所以浸泡的水溫宜控制在40°C左右，浸泡時間最好為3小時。
4.小茴、香葉、香茅草：這三種香料在浸泡時，水溫宜在30°C左右，時間為2小時。

苦香類香料
苦香類香料的去異處理：因苦香類香料中所含異味和苦澀味雜質比較多，故一般都是用白酒浸泡以去異。
下面還以幾種常用的苦香類香料為例子：
1.
豆蔻：豆蔻的香味較濃，但異味和苦澀味也較大，而且其果實個大飽滿堅實，故應拍破后才用白酒去浸泡，
浸泡的時間通常為2小時。 需要注意的是，要先用清水漂去殘留在表面的硫磺味，然後才用白酒浸泡。
2.
草果：處理時應先用清水漂去表面的煙熏味，然後再拍碎，放白酒中浸泡2小時。
3.
山柰、砂仁、白芷、高良姜：這四種香料用白灑浸泡的時間約為1小時。

另外，不同的香料不僅下鍋炒制的時間不同，而且還需要把握以下原則：
1、兩類香料分開炒制：芳香類香料的炒制時間比較長，苦香類香料的炒制時間比較短，
分開炒制是為了避免因加熱時間過長溫度升高，而造成苦香料未除淨的苦澀味滲出。
2、出香慢的先下鍋：由於香料出香的快慢有所不同，故出香慢的香料應先下鍋炒制，
出香快的香料后下鍋炒制，這樣才能使香料出香趨於大同，從而保證火鍋或鹵水的風味不變。

在炒制芳香類香料時，出香慢的八角、桂皮等應當先放。 出香快的小茴、香葉、香茅草等則應後放;
在炒制苦香類香料時，出香慢的豆蔻、草果、砂仁等應當先放。 而出香快的山柰、白芷、高良姜等則應後放。