Piquant Post is a monthly spice subscription that sends 4 handcrafted spice blends from a different region of the world along with a corresponding recipe in each package. Subscriptions are $11.99 monthly with reduced prices for longer subscription terms.
*product was received free for review / contains affiliate links
Check out the unboxy box video
Here’s the Box Breakdown
Everything that we received in the April Piquant Post Box. This month they explored the flavors of Japan. We have been waiting for this for, forever!
So what is all this stuff?
Our first recipe is Black Cod with Mushrooms. This recipe may appear simple with it’s list of minimal ingredients but do not be fooled. This recipe has not only rich flavors but also a complex profile!
This packet had just one spice in it… the Sansho Pepper. This pepper is from the berry family and has a bright citrus flavor and trust us..a little bit goes a long way!
Our second recipe for the month is Japanese Beef Curry. While curry is a relatively new dish to Japan that does not change it’s absolute popularity throughout the region (up there with ramen). The Japanese style is a much more mild curry – so it broadly appeals to the masses!
The Japanese Curry blend contains; turmeric, coriander, cumin, cardamom, cloves, honey powder, fenugreek, ginger, cinnamon and black pepper.
Our next recipe is for Udon Noodle Soup which is a rather thick noodle and made with a wheat flour. This recipe is special because of the broth (made from dashi) that enhances the flavor and creates a star in this meal. Unfortunately for us.. there are few stores that carry what we need to complete this recipe (in the amount of time we need to write up a review) or we probably would have made this amazing sounding soup!
The Shichimichi Togarashi spice packet included; chili flakes, tangerine zest, sansho pepper, white sesame seed, black sesame seed, ginger and nori
Our final recipe is for Okonomiyaki a savory pancake that is popular in South Central Japan. The literal translation is, “grill it as you like” and when you order these in restaurants you can literally choose to add whatever you’d like to yours! They suggested getting creative but we wanted our first time trying these to be good… so we went with their recipe!
Our spice packet included just sea salt, black sesame seed, white sesame seed and nori. Because we had a LOT of these ingredients on hand and this seemed so incredibly unique.. we decided to try this recipe out this month!
We first whisked together our flour, baking soda and salt
Next we added in our dashi or broth as well as our milk
We stirred this together until we had a smooth batter and then we set aside for at least 15 minutes.
Next we do our prep work. We coarsely chop a half head of cabbage.
We also chop up some scallions
As well as a handful of cilantro.
Then you’ll measure out 6 ounces of shrimp. They suggest cooked and peeled but we just don’t roll like that. These are the kind you have to cook but trust us.. that extra time is totally worth the extra flavor!
You’ll coarsely chop these as well!
Now you’ll move on to your sauce, which is a mixture of hoison sauce, honey, ketchup and worcestershire sauce. Whisk well and set aside.
Once your batter has rested add all your ingredients (veggies and meats) to it.
Then crack 4 eggs on top
Toss to thoroughly coat the entire mixture in batter.
Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a skillet and once hot add your pancakes (which are huge – 2 inches thick and 6 inches in diameter). Once you’ve put it on the pan put a lid on it and wait 5 minutes
At 5 minutes you’ll flip your pancake and reveal the gorgeously browned underneath! We were so hungry watching these cook!
Our spice blend is very pretty looking – the mix of black and white sesame seeds give it a really minimalist look.
Our finished dish. This was as delicious as it looked and absolutely every single person in our family enjoyed it!
So in summary
We look for three things in a subscription box; quality, curation and presentation. The Piquant Post is a great way to teach yourself new tricks in the kitchen as well as enhance your own personal flavor profile. The presentation is great, everything arrives perfectly. The quality is amazing. Each spice blend is handcrafted and made with the highest quality spices. Curation is fantastic – we love Japanese food and were waiting for a Japanese spice package since we started receiving this subscription. We finally got our wish and are absolutely thrilled with not only the assortment of flavors and recipes but also the results of our recipe! Great month from Piquant Post!
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