Silk Road Seasoning

To celebrate the Chicago Silk Road project, we created a blend with ingredients that commonly travelled the historic Silk Road trade route. For centuries, from about 100 BCE to 1500 CE, this road was a major source of commerce between the East and the West, running from China, through India and the Middle East, all the way to Eastern Europe. Although it's named after the valuable fabric brought from the Orient, spices were also an important and lucrative trade item. The pungent flavors and aromatic oils inspired the minds and palates of Europeans, for whom food would otherwise have been bland and boring. Not for nothing is some of the best writing and poetry filled with spice imagery, from the Song of Solomon to the plays of Shakespeare. Until Europe developed strong sea travel, the only way to get spices out of the Orient was overland, on the Silk Road.

This blend contains a savory balance of some of the most popular of these spices, including the Medieval mainstays of pepper, ginger, and mustard, and the more exotic cinnamon, cardamom, and turmeric. It round out with cumin, coriander, salt, and sugar, all of which were available in the West. Use this blend as a rub for meat, especially for kebabs, or mix with yogurt for a marinade or dipping sauce. If you make your own crackers, this seasoning is great sprinkled on top. Shake onto roasted vegetables or stir-fry for an exotic twist.