Tell us about your favorite condiments and how you use them. What do you like and what do you hate? Perhaps some living in other countries can tell about some condiments not easily available in the US.

Braggs liquid Amino
Nutritional yeast
Spike (seasoned salt)
Cinnamon (on cereal)
Agave Nectar (as a sweetner)

I forgot to vote for hot sauce, as in Marie Sharp's, which is made with fruit juices.

Cinnamon is not in very good company and it is not described as being all that holy.




I can't imagine craving 'clay'. That is unless it is good ol' American clay. lol

Slate pencils and burned coffee? I can see why she called that depraved!

I read about a condition, and for the life of me I can't think of what it is called, where if one is lacking a certain mineral or something then their body tries anything and everything to get it. They will eat newsprint, dirt, just about anything and everything to get this mineral.

And then there is a medical condition, again I can't remember what it is called--I am sure the doc's will chime in soon--where they eat anything and everything that is not considered food, such as plastic, metal, paper, and even hair.

I am not doubting that we have perverted our tastes, because then I would always go for the carrot sticks instead of the ice cream; however, reading that quote by E. White, I am curious if she saw some of the above and just lumped it all together with tastes?


LOL--I was obviously still typing away, when Amelia posted hers. Great minds and all that.....:)

It would be interesting to find out just what the people of the era WERE eating. If it's anything like the Little House on the Prairie books, it would likely have been salt pork and whatever they could grow.

My son used to chew on pencils. So, I can imagine that some appetites can be depraved.

Cinnamon is great for lowering blood sugar. My mother-in-law, who is diabetic, has tried it with very good results. Same with fenugreek seeds (which have a delicious spicy "curry" fragrance).

Turmeric is full of antioxidants which fight cancer. Chilli lowers blood pressure, clears the sinuses, and actually helps protect against stomach ulcers (by killing Helicobacter Pylori germs and causing the lining of the stomach to produce more of its protective mucus lining).

More and more spices and seasonings are being discovered to have health benefits. Truly, all edible plants are a gift from God.

Some condiments that I have discovered recently (living in a very multicultural area):

Soya sauce (in all Asian dishes)

Satay sauce (a creamy sauce made from peanuts, coconut milk, garlic, spices and either tamarind or lemon to give a touch of sourness). Used a lot in Malaysian, Thai and Indonesian cooking and utterly delicious. You can make it as mild or hot as you like.

Garlic and yoghurt dip (Lebanese? Greek? The ethnic name is "Labneh".) It is like a super-concentrated version of Tzatziki without the cucumber. The ingredient list on the package I have in my refrigerator says it is 20% garlic. (By comparison, garlic butter for making garlic bread is about 2-3% garlic.) Very addictive but I have to keep it for occasions when I am not going to work that day.

And my favorite at the moment...Bombay Sandwich Spread, which I discovered at the local Indian food store. A vivid green paste made of green chili, mint and coriander and just spicy enough to be interesting without burning my mouth. Wonderful for dipping all sorts of stuff into and also for putting on bread, either by itself or with something creamy (cheese, soy cheese, etc.)

Aldona