Originally when I added cinnamon to my Japanese Curry it really didn’t seem to work for me. Too hot, not quite right, didn’t add the richness that I’ve quested for. But that was quite a few experiments ago, so I decided to revisit using it on that big batch of curry I made awhile ago.
The result was different – it added heat, but also hinted at an increase in richness and taste complexity. I’m not entirely sold that it’s a must-have, but I’m thinking that it’s something to at least consider.
The cinnamon brought not just heat, but it played well with the other ingredients – the cocoa powder and maple syrup. In fact, I’m thinking that if I used cinnamon, I could remove either the black or the red pepper from the mix and maintain a balance of heat while keeping the complexity I’m looking for. Not entirely sure, however.
This is a great reminder that when you’re evolving a recipe that you need to revisit ingredients. When enough elements of a recipe change, what failed in the past should be reviewed, especially if the failed ingredient seemed like a good idea at the time. Maybe it was a good idea, but just not then.
So not sold, but I can definitely say if you’re pursuing Japanese Curry, keep it in mind. I can see why it’s one of the spices I’ve seen recommended in my research.
– Steven Savage
Steven Savage is a Geek 2.0 writer, speaker, blogger, and job coach. He blogs on careers at http://www.musehack.com/, nerd and geek culture at http://www.nerdcaliber.com/, and does a site of creative tools at http://www.seventhsanctum.com/. He can be reached at https://www.stevensavage.com/.
