How to recognise good quality

2023-12-7

Herbs and spices add flavour to life and allow us to be creative in our cooking. However, they can only unfold their full effect if the quality is right. Kotányi has therefore always relied on strict quality controls and provides tips on how you can easily recognise high quality herbs and spices yourself.

How can I recognise quality?

The good news is that you don’t need to have completed any special training to recognise the quality of herbs and spices. This is where your own senses come into play: with dried herbs, for example, the greenest possible colour and a low proportion of stems are crucial. You can also recognise good quality by smell: Simply rub the herbs between your fingers. This causes the oil glands to burst and the essential oils to be released. An intense scent is a sign of good quality.

How do I preserve the full flavour when cooking?

The following also applies when processing spices: in order for them to develop their full flavour, the essential oils must be released. This means that many spices need to be ground or crushed with a mortar, preferably very fresh, just before preparation. Others – such as paprika or the individual ingredients of a curry mix – develop their flavour best when they are briefly roasted in hot oil.

And how do the pros do it?

At the Kotányi site in Wolkersdorf, Lower Austria, all incoming batches of spices are scrutinised: For example, it is analysed whether the herbs and spices are contaminated with pesticide residues or germs. The Kotányi quality control team also ensures that the herbs and spices have not been adulterated or diluted with other substances – crushed olive leaves are often found in oregano, for example. Such spice deliveries are unusable for further processing and must be disposed of. If the incoming spices are flawless, complex sieving and cleaning processes follow. Artificial additives, flavour enhancers or colourings are an absolute no-go at Kotányi. Only natural ingredients are used for all herbs and spices, true to our motto: 100% natural. Genuine in flavour.

Did you know? Kotányi now also offers herbs and spices from purely organic farming. You can find the whole variety of Kotányi organic spices here: Organic quality from Kotányi – Kotanyi.at