Food History

Today I’m taking you back to my childhood.

When I was exceedingly young, someone gave me a herb reference book by Rosemary Hemphill for my birthday. I still have it. It was the first step in the long path that led me here.

A friend recently gave me an extraordinary reference book by Rosemary Hemphill’s son and introduced me to him when I was in Sydney earlier this year. You can find him in his shop in Rozelle (where I met him), on his website, or in the pages of one of his books (click on the pictures for more details). I recommend all three. But start here - Ian has answered some questions for us.

Question 1: Your family is an important part of Australia’s food history. Can you tell us about it, and how herbs and spices have interwoven with family life?

My parents, John and Rosemary Hemphill started growing herbs and selling herbs and spices in the mid 1950’s. My mother was the first Australian to have a book on herbs published in 1959. Our family had an extensive display garden as well as selling herb plants, seeds and all things to do with herbs and spices. During my childhood, herbs and spices were a part of my life, helping my father in the nursery, picking and drying herbs and of course being exposed to my mother’s recipe developments as she worked on the numerous books she and my father wrote. In my latter years at school I got the nickname Herbie which has stuck with me ever since. My wife Liz (we married in 1970) and I continued to be involved in the family business until the mid 1980’s when my parents retired and we sold the property. Liz and I went to Singapore where I was Managing Director of a spice company and after that I worked in the corporate world (with spices of course) until 1997 when Liz and I decided to start Herbie’s Spices.

Question 2: How did you decide that Herbie’s was going to be your future?

Our children (3 daughters) had grown up and left home and we were wondering what we would be doing for the next 20 years! Liz and I felt what was needed was a good spice shop where people could get all the culinary herbs and spices they needed, be sure of getting the best quality available at a reasonable price, and always be able to get advice. We did a business plan and estimated we would be able to earn a living, the results have exceeded our expectations. And we have stuck to the initial strategy and not wavered for the last 10 years.

Question 3: How much and in what ways does the history of each herb and spice come into your love of them?

The history is very important as it is what underlies the use and perceptions we have of spices today. By knowing their history one can better understand their use.

Question 4: Do you have favourites, either in herbs and spices or in the regions they come from?

I think India is my favourite country for spices as it has the largest range and generally the best quality. It does depend though on the country of origin, for example vanilla from Mexico and sumac from Turkey are also favourites.

Question 5: If you had to explain to someone who had never tasted your favourite spice and had no particular interest in food, why it is important to you, how would you get them interested?

My favourite spice is cardamom, native to the Western Ghats of Southern India. Cardamom ads life and freshness to the most robust of curries, the most savoury of tagines and the sweetest of desserts!

Question 6: Can you give us a couple of your favourite recipes, please?

These 2 recipes are from Spice Notes & Recipes, in hardcover, published by Pan Macmillan in 2006.

Cardamom and Lime Tart

If you don’t have time to make pastry, use a prepared short-crust pastry and sprinkle some lime zest over it, fold and roll out with a rolling pin to required size.

Tart filling:
½ cup lime juice
1 tbsp lime zest (rind)
2 tsp ground green cardamom seeds
5 medium-sized eggs
300 mL single cream
¾ cup caster sugar

Lime pastry:
170 g flour
1 tbsp sugar
100 g cold butter, cut into cubes
1 egg yolk, beaten
few drops vanilla extract
iced water
1 tsp lime zest

Place lime juice, rind (zest) and cardamom in a small saucepan and heat for 3 minutes. Whisk eggs, cream, sugar and lime mixture in a bowl then cover and refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight.

For the pastry put flour, sugar and butter in a food processor and pulse until resembling breadcrumbs (alternatively, rub in the butter with the tips of your fingers). Mix the yolk with 2 tbsp of water and the vanilla extract and stir into flour to make a dough. Add more water if necessary then knead gently for 20 seconds until smooth, then wrap in cling film and chill for at least 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 190°C. Line a 20 cm tart case with pastry and chill again until firm. Bake blind (cover with baking paper then fill with rice and cook for 10–15 minutes), then remove paper and rice and bake for another 5 minutes, remove from oven and cool. Reduce oven temperature to 160°C.

Pour tart mixture into pastry case and bake for 35–40 minutes, until set but with a very slight wobble. Cool, remove tart case and dust with icing sugar before serving. Serves 6–8.

Herbie’s Saturday Curry

2 tbsp curry powder Madras
2 tbsp oil
1 tbsp panch phora
1 onion, chopped
500 g beef, lamb or chicken cut into 2 cm cubes
2 tsp lemon juice
1 can (400 g) whole peeled tomatoes
1–2 cups of water (depending on desired consistency)
2 tsp garam masala
2 tsp chaat masala
3 dried long chillies
2 tbsp large garlic flakes
2 tbsp tomato paste
8 curry leaves
1 tsp methi (fenugreek leaves)

Heat a heavy-based pan on the stove, add curry powder and dry-roast, stirring continuously with a wooden spoon for around 2 minutes, being careful not to burn. Add oil and make into a paste, then add panch phora and stir until seeds start popping. Add onion and stir for 2 minutes; do not overcook. Add meat, about 6 pieces at a time, making sure each piece is browned and coated with spices. Add lemon juice, tomatoes and water, roughly chopping tomatoes while stirring. Sprinkle garam masala and chaat masala over surface and drop in whole chillies and garlic flakes. Add tomato paste, curry leaves and methi, stir, then turn off heat. Place in ovenproof pot with lid on and cook in an oven at 125°C for 2 hours. Remove from oven, allow it to cool and store in the refrigerator ready to heat and serve the next day.

Kind Regards

Ian

food history, foodways, Ian Hemphill, Herbie, spices, herbs, Australia