Chilli & Lemon Seasoning - Wild Elephant

For most British households, the spice rack is a collection of dusty glass jars, many of which have been sitting there since the last house move. We think of spices as mere "flavour enhancers," but in the world of functional nutrition, spices are the most concentrated sources of antioxidants on the planet. However, there is a significant "Potency Gap" between mass-market seasonings and professional-grade whole food spices. At Whole Food Earth, we believe that if a spice isn't potent enough to be medicinal, it isn't fresh enough to be in your kitchen. Here is the guide to identifying quality, understanding the science of "True" spices, and why bulk sourcing is the secret to a high-performance pantry. 1. The Purity Problem: Fillers and Anti-Caking Agents Have you ever wondered why supermarket garlic powder or turmeric stays perfectly free-flowing for years? Often, it’s because of hidden additives. Many industrial spice packers use anti-caking agents (like silicon dioxide) or cheap fillers to bulk out the product. These don't just dilute the flavour; they interfere with the purity of your "Pro" bakes and savoury dishes The Whole Food Earth Organic Standard: Our organic spices are 100% pure. When you buy our Organic Turmeric or Organic Ginger Powder, you are getting the root and nothing else. No fillers, no flowing agents—just the raw, vibrant plant. 2. The Ceylon vs. Cassia Debate: Why "True" Cinnamon Matters If you are buying "Cinnamon" from a standard UK grocery store, you are almost certainly buying Cassia. While Cassia is delicious, it contains high levels of coumarin, a natural compound that can be hard on the liver in large doses. The Authority Choice: Organic Ceylon Cinnamon Known as "True Cinnamon," Ceylon is native to Sri Lanka. It has a lighter, more citrusy flavour profile and contains significantly lower levels of coumarin. For the health-conscious baker or the daily "Cinnamon Coffee" drinker, Ceylon is the only professional choice. Shop Organic Ceylon Cinnamon TRUE CINNAMON 3. Maximising Bioavailability: The Turmeric & Pepper Synergy Turmeric is perhaps the most researched spice in modern science, celebrated for its active compound, curcumin. However, curcumin is notoriously difficult for the human body to absorb on its own. The Pro Hack: Research shows that pairing turmeric with Piperine (the active compound in Black Pepper) increases curcumin absorption by up to 2,000% The Application: When you buy our Organic Turmeric Powder in bulk, always ensure your pantry is also stocked with our Whole Black Peppercorns. Whether you’re making a "Golden Milk" latte or a batch of curry, this synergy is the key to unlocking the spice's anti-inflammatory potential. 4. Why Buy Spices in Bulk (up to 5kg)? In the UK, spices are often sold in tiny 30g jars at a high markup. For the frequent cook or the professional caterer, this is neither cost-effective nor sustainable. Buying in bulk ensures you always have a fresh supply for high-volume needs, such as: Batch Cooking: Making large-scale meal prep for the month. Fermentation: Using whole spices (like mustard seeds or cloves) for pickling. DIY Spice Blends: Creating your own signature Garam Masala or Ras el Hanout without the "stale" taste of pre-mixed powders. Storage Tip: To maintain the volatile oils that give spices their aroma, store your bulk spices in glass jars in a cool, dark cupboard. This prevents light-degradation and keeps your spices as fresh as the day it was packed. The Whole Food Earth Promise Spices are incredibly valuable. When you are ordering premium Organic Cardamom, or a wholesale 5kg bag of Organic Cumin, you need to know that your investment is well protected. At our warehouse, we treat spices with care and precision. Every order is verified by our team. They make sure that the smallest pouch and the largest bulk bag you receive is exactly what you paid for. We don't just ship flavour; we ship a tracked, verified promise of purity. Ready to revitalise your spice rack? Experience the difference that fresh, organic, and professionally handled spices can make to your health and your cooking. Shop Our Full Organic Spice Collection and the Wild Elephant Range

At Wholefood Earth, we want to inspire you to discover new things for your cooking and baking by constantly expanding our offer with new ingredients and flavours. We source and purchase fresh quality herbs and spices, most of which are organic. We have brought unique and hard-to-find ingredients of the best quality to our whole foods store. Our rare herbs and spices are available to buy online and in bulk. Before you learn to cook meals with more flavour(s), you must learn how to buy the best herbs and spices and how to store them. Here's a little guide we've prepared for you. Essential herbs and spices you should have in your kitchen pantry This is just a shortlist for beginners. These herbs and spices are the most popular and often used in different cuisines and recipes. Of course, the list could have been much longer, but this is where you should start. Herbs basil parsley thyme rosemary oregano chives dill sage Spices black pepper paprika cinnamon cumin ginger turmeric chilli coriander allspice Storage tips for herbs and spices There are some ways you should keep your spices organised to keep them best for the longest and always have them at hand. Store your spices in a jar or can in a clean, dark, dry cupboard or drawer. You can also store them on a small shelf on top of your kitchen counter, where they will be easy to access. Avoid storing your spices on top of your cooker. This is where the steam goes each time you cook. Spices and herbs don't like humidity and heat. There, they may get mouldy quickly and lose all the aroma. When you open a new spice bag or jar, use a marker to note the date. This way, you will always know how old your spices are and if they're still good before you throw them away. How do you check if your seasonings are still good? Just smell them, and you will know! Quality of herbs and spices matters Remember, much cheaper herbs and spices are also of worse quality. Things are cheaper for a reason! Always buy quality and organic herbs and spices whenever possible. Non-organic cheap dry seasonings may contain some nasty ingredients you would not like to eat or even hear about! Shall we name a few? Mould, insects, rat hair, microplastics, string... etc. Buying spices in a specialist shop Supermarkets are not the best places to buy your seasonings. Dried herbs and spices on the shelves of your supermarket or grocery store may have been there for a very long time - even a few years before you buy them! And before that, they were stored in a warehouse for a long time. Although the average shelf life of ground spices is quite long (1-3 years), chances are that you're buying spices that are not very fresh and they will lack the aroma and flavour they are supposed to provide. Plus, depending on where you live supermarkets will have limited spice selection. Ethnic shops, organic shops, or wholefood shops specialise in real more natural food, and they will have the best choice of herbs and spices for cooks and food lovers. Which spices have the longest shelf life? Whole spices like peppercorns, whole chilli or whole cinnamon and nutmeg have a long shelf life, and these you will more likely find in specialist shops. If you cannot find a spices specialist in your area, consider buying them in an online store specialising in health foods, like Wholefood Earth.

Since prehistoric times, people have been using herbs and spices for seasoning to give flavour to food as well as to preserve food. In the past, herbs and spices were also used as medicine. Many of these plants have medicinal properties and can help prevent and fight diseases. Herbs and spices were so precious in the past that they were often used as currency in trade. Today, herbs and spices are essential ingredients in our daily cooking. They create the look, smell and taste of our meals. How do you distinguish herbs from spices? Often herbs and spices are considered as the same group of seasoning, but in fact, they vary from each other. They are made from different parts of plants and processed in different ways. They can be perfectly used together to create unique flavours, colours and aromas for our dishes. What are spices? The name “spice” comes from the Latin word 'species', which means something of special value, as compared to ordinary. Spices are made from bark, aromatic seeds, flowers or roots of plants. These parts have been dried and crushed. Spices are usually stronger in aroma and flavour because they are made from parts of plants rich in essential aromatic oils. One great example is Cinnamon which is a spice made from the powdered bark of trees from the type of the genus Cinnamomum. The best cinnamon is Ceylon Cinnamon, originally from Sri Lanka. The most popular spices are: paprika, chilli, turmeric, cinnamon, cumin, coriander, cardamon, cloves, nutmeg, mustard seeds. What are herbs? Herbs are typically aromatic leaves of various plants. Most of them come from relatively small herbaceous plants and bushes (plants with fleshy stems rather than woody stems). However, a few do come from woody plants. One example is the bay leaf which derives from a large tree found in the Mediterranean. Oregano is an example of a herb that comes in the form of leaves of a tiny herbaceous oregano plant. You buy herbs online in different variants: whole, chopped or dried. The most popular herbs are: oregano, basil, thyme, parsley, cilantro, rosemary, marjoram, tarragon. What are the most popular spice mixes? Garam Masala is a mixture of ground coriander seeds, ground cumin seeds, cardamom, black pepper, cloves, cassia, red chilli, fennel and turmeric. The best option is Organic Garam Masala. Curry contains different aromatic spices usually including turmeric, coriander, cumin, fenugreek, and chilli pepper. It can also include ginger, black pepper, mustard seeds, curry leaves, fennel seeds and curry leaves. Chinese Five Spice is an aromatic mixture of ground star anise, cinnamon, cloves, fennel seeds and szechuan peppers. Italian Herbs are made from a classic blend of Mediterranean herbs: oregano, basil, thyme and rosemary. Herbs de Provence mix contains dried Mediterranean herbs: rosemary, marjoram, tarragon, thyme, oregano, fennel seed, dried savory and organic lavender. Caribbean Seasoning is a mix of allspice, hot bonnet peppers, cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, thyme and garlic.