Back in my college days someone slipped me some drug laced mint. Like a dummy I ingested it, had a really bad reaction to it and ended up hugging the China bowl half the night. Ever since then even a whiff of mint makes me want to upchuck.
I'm also rather sensitive to cumin. I do use it (what's chili without cumin right?) but a little goes a long way. I swear I can taste a thimble full in a 16 quart stew. If it's a thimble and a half I gotta pass.
My wife's sister made her eat a couple spearmint plants when they were kids. To this day the smell of spearmint makes her gag. Heaven help me if I accidentally buy the wrong toothpaste.
Count me in the "Cilantro is a devil weed" group. Can't stand the stuff.
Cumin is one that can definitely go overboard if not used properly. I don't hate it necessarily but when that is the primary flavor of something I am not a fan. Same with turmeric. It is OK in small doses but lots of people go overboard.
Not a huge fan of rosemary either. Really don't like it when the leaves are left whole on something like chicken or potatoes. Tastes like someone sprinkled the food with pine needles.
If not cooking outdoors, I am cooking on the stovetop with my 14" carbon steel wok, 12" CI skillet, or in the oven with my two Lodge CI pizza pans, or two dutch ovens. I've also got a nifty Lodge carbon steel grill pan that rocks for veggies outdoors.
I have to say for me the absolute worst is "pumpkin spice". Barf. I cannot stand anything made with it - worst is when folks brew beer and put it in the beer, and someone hands you said beer saying "try this - ain't it great?". Keep pumpkin spice out of my beer, out of my coffee, and out of all my food. I can eat pumpkin or pumpkin seeds, but that's not the same thing as the pumpkin spice blend...
One of my brewer friends had it right re: Pumpkin beer. He took a beer that was really good to begin with and then added pumpkin spice to it. Didn't ruin the beer so he saw it as a victory.
For the record...I have nothing against "pumpkin spice" but for the love of $#@&% keep it OUT of my beer!
I went to a local brewery years ago that had a "pumpkin beer." The barmaid said, "Oh you have to try this!" Pumpkin (often darn near flavourless), spice & all... Thankfully, it was only slightly worse than it sounded like it would be. LOL
I figure they were pushing samples just to clear out the kegs. To this day, and I like pumpkin pie, I will NOT drink a pumpkin spice beer. bleh
A little tarragon goes a long way for me. And anything that adulterates the flavor of good black coffee, such as nut flavored oils. Why would you do that??!!
I used to like tarragon but a few years back I had something with tarragon in it (can't for the life of me remember what) but it was WAY too much tarragon. Since then I have avoided it.
I'm not a great fan of caraway except I often add a modest amount in the sauerkraut I ferment. The caraway adds an indefinable trace of flavor that really sets off the kraut.
I really want to love nutmeg, but I'm just really underwhelmed by it. One year at Christmas I tried grating it on top of eggnog and it was like eating saw dust. No thanks. I do plenty of that in my shop 😯
Rosemary. I ripped out a bunch of it in the planter beds in the yard when we bought our house in 1993. It was a hot day and ever since, I can’t stand the smell of it either.
My wife can’t stand cumin and I don’t care for it much. When we make chili that calls for cumin I cut the amount way down & she always asks, "did you put cumin in this?"
My gear:
22 Weber Kettle
Napoleon PRO Charcoal Kettle Grill
Broil King Keg
Traeger Pro 34
Napoleon Prestige Pro 500
Pit Barrel Cooker
Blackstone Range Combo Griddle
So the pedant in me feels the need to point out that curry, for the bulk of the world's population, is a dish and not a spice. Even here in North America, curry powder, is not a spice but rather a blend of spices which commonly include; coriander, turmeric, cumin, fenugreek, and chili peppers.
Now that my inner pedant has been sated, to answer the question, I can't think of any spice that I hate.
Wow! That would essentially eliminate West Indian/Caribbean and South and Southeast Asian cuisines. I would have practically nothing left to cook indoors.
Equipment
Primo Oval xl
Slow n Sear (two)
Drip n Griddle
22" Weber Kettle
26" Weber Kettle one touch
Blackstone 36†Pro Series
Sous vide machine
Kitchen Aid
Meat grinder
sausage stuffer
5 Crock Pots Akootrimonts
Two chimneys (was 3 but rivets finally popped, down to 1)
cast iron pans,
Dutch ovens
Signals 4 probe, thermapens, chef alarms, Dots, thermapop and maverick T-732, RTC-600, pro needle and various pocket instareads. The help and preferences
1 extra fridge and a deep chest freezer in the garage
KBB
FOGO
A 9 year old princess foster child
Patience and old patio furniture
"Baby Girl" The cat
I usually makes my own Curry powders. I also happen to like dried thyme. Like most dried herbs, you have to use a lot less of it (about â…“ by volume) than fresh. I like fresh thyme but the last couple of years our attempts to grow fresh herbs have been underwhelming. I'm not sure why.
Also, you just can't have Jamaican/West Indian food without thyme. It's almost as ubiquitous there as allspice. Fresh is generally better, but I just can't get it all the time.
Dewesq55, I read in this thread that ground up rosemary is less intense. What say you? You have experience with that? I'm willing to try anything once.
au4stree - I have only used it in Memphis Dust where I like it fine. In my experience, most dried herbs are more intensely flavored than fresh which is why you use a lot less of it when substituting.
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