Ground Spices or Spice Extracts? How Commercial Kitchens Keep Flavour Consistent

In short: For consistent flavour in a commercial kitchen, a liquid spice extract measured by the drop is easier to control than ground spice, which loses aroma once opened and varies from batch to batch. Holy Lama Spice Drops replace ground spice at fixed ratios, such as 2 drops for 1/8 teaspoon of ground cinnamon, keep for up to three years, and come with specifications, safety data sheets and certificates of analysis for your food safety file.

If your chai, gingerbread or curry tastes slightly different from one week to the next, the recipe is rarely the problem. The spice usually is. This guide answers the questions chefs, bakers, café owners and small food producers ask us most often before they switch from ground spices to Holy Lama Spice Drops.

What is a spice extract?

A spice extract carries the flavour of a spice in a liquid that you measure by the drop. Spice Drops are made at our own factory in Kerala, India, by a family business that dates back to 1946. The spices are crushed in a hammer mill or under a roller without heat, then extracted, and the solvent is removed under vacuum. For some flavours the distilled oil of the same spice is added back, and leafy herbs such as Mint are distilled essential oil only. The result is real spice flavour: the natural compounds that give each spice its taste and aroma are still there, such as piperine, which gives black pepper its heat. A plant derived emulsifier, polysorbate 80, is added so the drops mix easily into food and drink.

Spice Drops contain no artificial colours, flavours or preservatives and are oxalate free.

Why does flavour vary when you use ground spices?

Ground spice starts to lose its aroma once the pack is opened, and its strength changes from one harvest and one batch to the next. A teaspoon in March may not taste like a teaspoon in October. When several people make the same recipe across different shifts or sites, those small differences add up.

Measuring by the drop takes much of that guesswork away. A recipe written as “4 drops” reads the same for every member of the team. There is also no grit or specks, which matters in clear drinks, icing, custards and light sauces.

How many drops replace ground or whole spice?

These ratios come from our product pages. Start with them, taste, then adjust to your recipe.

Spice Drops can be added to cooked or raw food, so they work at the end of cooking, in cold preparations such as dressings and icings, and straight into hot or cold drinks.

How long do spice extracts keep?

Stored in a cool, dry place out of direct sunlight, Spice Drops keep for up to three years. Shake the bottle before use and check the best before date on each pack. For a busy kitchen that means fewer half used jars of ground spice going stale at the back of the shelf.

Do Spice Drops contain allergens or additives?

Our product specifications show none of the 14 allergens that UK food law requires you to declare. Spice Drops are also vegan, gluten free and alcohol free. They do contain one additive, the emulsifier polysorbate 80, so we never describe them as additive free. We would rather you knew exactly what is in the bottle.

Which size suits a business?

Most trade customers start with a 5ml bottle to test a recipe, then move up. The 100ml bottle holds around 3,000 drops and suits cafés, restaurants and bakeries. A 1 litre size, holding around 30,000 drops, is available to trade customers on request for caterers and food producers.

Some ideas by type of business:

• Cafés: Chai Spices, Cardamom and Cinnamon in milk drinks, hot chocolate and syrups you make in house. Our post on chai lattes goes into more detail.
• Bakeries: Orange Zest, Vanilla and Cardamom in doughs, buttercream and icing, with no specks in pale bakes. See our page for bakery and dessert manufacturers.
• Restaurants and caterers: Garam Masala Spices and Cumin Seed added at the end of cooking, so large batches taste the same every service.
• Bars: Lemongrass, Rose and Mint in cocktails and alcohol free drinks. See our cocktail extracts post.

What documents can I get for my food safety system?

For each flavour we can send a product specification, a safety data sheet and a certificate of analysis. The specification includes a labelling recommendation, so your technical team can check it against your own recipe and product labels.

Have Spice Drops won any awards?

Yes. The Spice Drops range won best new ingredient at the World Food Innovation Awards 2015, and individual flavours have won 18 Great Taste awards between 2015 and 2017, including two stars for Cinnamon, Cardamom and Chai Spices.

How do I order Spice Drops for my business?

Visit our Trade page for trade prices and larger sizes, or our HORECA and Manufacturers pages if you run a kitchen or make food to sell. Retailers can also find us on Ankorstore and Faire.