”Turmeric is pretty hot right now, so I’ve been playing around
with this....” and with that, John from the Oaktown Spice Shop opens a large
mason jar of whole turmeric rhizomes and passes it under my nose. The scent is
aromatic and similar to galangal, but not as strong, and is topped by a
slightly floral note. He pulls out a wizened yellow chunk, “Take a look at
this,” he says while heading across the shop to where a red antique spice mill
sits in the front window. He tips a bowl with the milled contents to show an
intense course-ground mixture of savory green and yellow herbs, and explains
how he was test grinding sage with the antique mill when he came up with an idea
to create a base for a new poultry rub.
