Star anise
Star anise Pronounce it: star an-eese Star anise is one of the central spices in Chinese cooking. It has a strong anise flavour, with a liquorice-like aroma. The dominant flavour in Chinese five-spice powder, star…
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Stevia
Stevia Stevia is a South American wilderness herb with leaves that contain an ingredient of exceptional sweetness. Weight for weight, the sweetening compound in stevia is about 150 times sweeter than sugar but it has…
Strawberry
Strawberry Pronounce it: straw-bare-ee Once available in Britain for just a brief period during the summer, strawberries are now a year-round fruit, thanks to imports from warmer climates. However, the varieties grown for export tend…
Sweetcorn
Sweetcorn Pronounce it: sw-eet corn Also known as corn on the cob, sweetcorn is composed of rows of tightly packed golden yellow kernels, growing along a tough central core. When ripe, the kernels are sweet…
Spelt
Spelt Pronounce it: spell-t Spelt is an ancient member of the wheat family and an evolutionary hybrid of emmer wheat and goat grass. Its high energy content led the Romans to dub it the ‘marching grain’. Lower yielding than modern…
Sauvignon Blanc
Sauvignon Blanc Pronounce it: sew-vin-yon blonk Mouthwatering and fresh When the world got tired of Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc was ready to step into its shoes. The producers of New Zealand led the charge with their…
Syrah / Shiraz
Syrah / Shiraz Pronounce it: sirrah / shih-raz International celebrity The northern Rhone is the traditional home of Syrah, where it is renowned in the wines of Hermitage, Cote-Rotie and Cornas. In the Southern Rhone…
Sugar
Sugar Pronounce it: shuh-ga Honey and syrups made from concentrated fruit juice were the earliest known sweeteners. Today, refined sugar is the most popular type of sweetener and it is made from sugar cane or…