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Old 01-28-2020, 10:08 AM   #1
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Default Are all store sold spices created equal?

I was walking through Wal-Mart yesterday and had a question pop up in my head again that I have long been pondering. Are all store bought spices the same? Does a name brand (such as McCormicks etc.) make better spices than say Great Value?
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Old 01-28-2020, 10:22 AM   #2
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I generally think of spices (or meat for that matter) like beer.

You can buy natural light or Budweiser or Milwaukee’s Beast and they will all get ya drunk. High volume, generic ingredients.

You can go with Lienenkugel or Sam Adams, New Belgium or Rolling Rock. A bit more specialized but still mass produced.

But the hand crafted special local breweries are where the magic happens. Different flavors from differed use of ingredients grown in different locations. Maple beers in the north east. Hatch Chile beers in the southwest.

They all get ya drunk. Some are better than others.
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Old 01-28-2020, 10:32 AM   #3
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And by the way, same thing goes for rubs.

Weber or Blackstone branded rubs, Rub Your Butt from Lowe’s

Not equal to Oakridge, or Naturiffic, or Big Poppa or Simply Marvelous. These are special brew.

Edit. Please feel free to add others I’ve forgotten below. I already want to add Owens BBQ for their jerky and sausage mixes and hot wing rub.
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Old 01-28-2020, 10:53 AM   #4
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Stlsportster View Post
I generally think of spices (or meat for that matter) like beer.

You can buy natural light or Budweiser or Milwaukee’s Beast and they will all get ya drunk. High volume, generic ingredients.

You can go with Lienenkugel or Sam Adams, New Belgium or Rolling Rock. A bit more specialized but still mass produced.

But the hand crafted special local breweries are where the magic happens. Different flavors from differed use of ingredients grown in different locations. Maple beers in the north east. Hatch Chile beers in the southwest.

They all get ya drunk. Some are better than others.
So, don't buy Great Value beer? haha
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Old 01-28-2020, 10:57 AM   #5
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When I was in college in Peoria, IL in 1988 we drank Rhinelander in green bottles and you got money back on the bottle returns so the net was about $9 a case. Great Value would have been an improvement.

On edit: technically, ‘I’ didn’t purchase said beer in 1988, as that wasn’t legal until 1990.
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Old 01-28-2020, 12:45 PM   #6
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I think all ingredients make a difference. Home grown tomatoes are better then store bought. Fresh ground pepper is better.
Try Penske spices. Keep a log and see if you think it is better.
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Old 01-28-2020, 01:50 PM   #7
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Every store bought rub I've tried has been way too heavy on the salt.
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Old 01-28-2020, 04:05 PM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JohnH12 View Post
Every store bought rub I've tried has been way too heavy on the salt.
Salt is cheap.
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Old 01-28-2020, 04:45 PM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by thirdeye View Post
Salt is cheap.
...and apparantly, so is Rhinelander!!
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Old 01-28-2020, 06:08 PM   #10
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Some will say that spices are all created equal: oregano is oregano, cinnamon is cinnamon. Some even have the same mindset with cooking oils being equal.

It's like Joel said, beer brands and varieties differ dramatically, the same holds true with spices.


The problem with store shelf spices is that you have no idea what variety of the spice, or what region it originated from.


Yes there is a difference in flavors between varieties, as well as the region of origin.

Lets take Cinnamon for an Example...
The difference between store cinnamon falls between two varieties, burmannii and cassia but they are never listed as such on the label (sometimes they are even blended). Then there is Ceylon cinnamon, which is slightly sweeter and more aromatic, is also available in some specialty retail markets. For the average consumer, it's much harder to find Ceylon cinnamon and Saigon cinnamon as well as the fact that they are much more expensive.

As with many other spices and products, each variety of cinnamon has a grade scale (A, B, and C). Most stores typically carry the lower grades (B or C), but Grade "A" can be purchased through specialty spice outlets.


Cinnamomum burmannii - Called Korintje cinnamon, Padang cinnamon, or Indonesian cinnamon; It has a sharp flavor with a slightly bitter edge. Indonesian cinnamon is by far the most common and the cheapest type of cinnamon sold in the US. It contains no eugenol, but has higher amounts of coumarin than cassia. It is grown on west coast of the island of Sumatra and Jambi province of Indonesia. It is a common choice for cheap commercial bakeries because it has a familiar flavor and a very low cost.

Cinnamomum cassia - Called cassia cinnamon, or Chinese cinnamon; It is grown in southern China, and southeastern Asia. Chinese cassia is used as a common flavoring agent for confectioneries, desserts, pastries, and meat. Commonly the only cinnamon sold in European countries, and it is simply labeled as "cassia".

Cinnamomum verum - Called Sri Lanka cinnamon or Ceylon cinnamon; Sweeter than cassia cinnamon, it also has a higher price because of it's quality. Sri Lanka alone still produces 80% of this variety, the remainder of the supply is commercially grown in Seychelles and Madagascar. Many artisanal bakers favor this variety of cinnamon because it is sweeter, more aromatic, a bit more subtle, and a more delicate taste than the cheaper varieties. Many claim Ceylon to be the "true" variety of cinnamon and some bakers refer to the other cheaper varieties are "fake".

Cinnamomum loureiroi - Called Saigon cinnamon or Vietnamese cinnamon; it has 1-5% essential oil in content, which is the highest of all the cinnamon species. It also has a more pronounced and complex aroma, so consequently it commands a higher price because of the demand for it's quality. Because of it's high price, pure Saigon cinnamon or Vietnamese cinnamon are mainly sold through specialty purveyors of fine spices.

Cinnamomum citriodorum - Called Malabar cinnamon, it has a characteristic smell of lemon grass. Once a highly prized type of cinnamon, which was harvested nearly to the edge of extinction. The World Conservation Monitoring Centr added Cinnamomum citriodorum to the list of "Threatened Species" in 1988.

Cinnamomum tamala - Called Indian bay leaf. Unlike other species of cinnamon where the bark is harvested from the plant; the leaves of this have a clove-like aroma with a hint of a vibrant "peppery" flavor. The leaves are used for culinary purposes for their flavoring. The bark is sometimes used for cooking, although it is regarded as inferior to the true cinnamon varieties listed above.



This is true of other spices as well.....

Just look at all the varieties of chili peppers, each imparting a different flavor (some completely different) with varying levels of heat.
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Old 01-28-2020, 06:50 PM   #11
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A little salt in Rhinelander takes the edge off of it.
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Old 01-28-2020, 06:51 PM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by IamMadMan View Post
Some will say that spices are all created equal: oregano is oregano, cinnamon is cinnamon. Some even have the same mindset with cooking oils being equal.

It's like Joel said, beer brands and varieties differ dramatically, the same holds true with spices.


The problem with store shelf spices is that you have no idea what variety of the spice, or what region it originated from.


Yes there is a difference in flavors between varieties, as well as the region of origin.

Lets take Cinnamon for an Example...
The difference between store cinnamon falls between two varieties, burmannii and cassia but they are never listed as such on the label (sometimes they are even blended). Then there is Ceylon cinnamon, which is slightly sweeter and more aromatic, is also available in some specialty retail markets. For the average consumer, it's much harder to find Ceylon cinnamon and Saigon cinnamon as well as the fact that they are much more expensive.

As with many other spices and products, each variety of cinnamon has a grade scale (A, B, and C). Most stores typically carry the lower grades (B or C), but Grade "A" can be purchased through specialty spice outlets.


Cinnamomum burmannii - Called Korintje cinnamon, Padang cinnamon, or Indonesian cinnamon; It has a sharp flavor with a slightly bitter edge. Indonesian cinnamon is by far the most common and the cheapest type of cinnamon sold in the US. It contains no eugenol, but has higher amounts of coumarin than cassia. It is grown on west coast of the island of Sumatra and Jambi province of Indonesia. It is a common choice for cheap commercial bakeries because it has a familiar flavor and a very low cost.

Cinnamomum cassia - Called cassia cinnamon, or Chinese cinnamon; It is grown in southern China, and southeastern Asia. Chinese cassia is used as a common flavoring agent for confectioneries, desserts, pastries, and meat. Commonly the only cinnamon sold in European countries, and it is simply labeled as "cassia".

Cinnamomum verum - Called Sri Lanka cinnamon or Ceylon cinnamon; Sweeter than cassia cinnamon, it also has a higher price because of it's quality. Sri Lanka alone still produces 80% of this variety, the remainder of the supply is commercially grown in Seychelles and Madagascar. Many artisanal bakers favor this variety of cinnamon because it is sweeter, more aromatic, a bit more subtle, and a more delicate taste than the cheaper varieties. Many claim Ceylon to be the "true" variety of cinnamon and some bakers refer to the other cheaper varieties are "fake".

Cinnamomum loureiroi - Called Saigon cinnamon or Vietnamese cinnamon; it has 1-5% essential oil in content, which is the highest of all the cinnamon species. It also has a more pronounced and complex aroma, so consequently it commands a higher price because of the demand for it's quality. Because of it's high price, pure Saigon cinnamon or Vietnamese cinnamon are mainly sold through specialty purveyors of fine spices.

Cinnamomum citriodorum - Called Malabar cinnamon, it has a characteristic smell of lemon grass. Once a highly prized type of cinnamon, which was harvested nearly to the edge of extinction. The World Conservation Monitoring Centr added Cinnamomum citriodorum to the list of "Threatened Species" in 1988.

Cinnamomum tamala - Called Indian bay leaf. Unlike other species of cinnamon where the bark is harvested from the plant; the leaves of this have a clove-like aroma with a hint of a vibrant "peppery" flavor. The leaves are used for culinary purposes for their flavoring. The bark is sometimes used for cooking, although it is regarded as inferior to the true cinnamon varieties listed above.



This is true of other spices as well.....

Just look at all the varieties of chili peppers, each imparting a different flavor (some completely different) with varying levels of heat.

This is why I buy my spices at the Indian and Asian stores. You buy them whole and grind your self... No telling hos long ago the wally and Gstore got ground!
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Old 01-28-2020, 07:06 PM   #13
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You would be surprised at how many name brand products (McCormicks, Lawrys, etc) also make the generic store brand stuff. It'snot like Walmart has a seasoning factory or any other food item factory, that's not their game. They pay big bucks to contract it to manufacturer and sell it as a generic.
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Old 01-28-2020, 07:33 PM   #14
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JDM46 View Post
A little salt in Rhinelander takes the edge off of it.
Sometimes we’d buy a 6 of bud light for 3 of us and save the Rhinelander for the 3rd. By then we cared less.
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Old 01-28-2020, 07:54 PM   #15
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I'm curious if any of you guys have had good luck using the spices that come in the bag in the Hispanic section of the grocery store....definatey cheaper
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