Spice up your spring with these aromatic flavors from our Bulk Herb & Spice Department: Lapsang Souchong Tea and Organic Cumin Seeds.

Lapsang Souchong

Lapsang Souchong is a black tea from the Fujian province of China, famous for its smoky aroma and flavor. To create this, the finished tea is given some extra drying over smoking pine fire, imparting a sweet, clean smoky flavor to the tea. Like traditional black tea, Lapsang Souchong tea is a great source of antioxidants.

Celebrate Mexican-American culture with this festive herbal cocktail!

Fireside Margarita (makes 1 serving)
Ingredients:

• Yakima applewood smoked salt (recipe actually calls for Kiawe salt but we don't carry it)
• 1 lime wedge
• 1 oz Lapsang Souchong simple syrup (recipe below)
• 2 oz tequila, silver
• 1/2 to 1 lime, juiced (amount depends on how tart you like your margaritas)
• 1/2 tsp elderberry syrup

Directions: Swirl lime wedge around outside rim of a margarita glass. Dip rim of glass into small plate covered with yakima salt and garnish with lime wedge. Place all remaining ingredients in a cocktail shaker. Fill with ice. Shake vigorously for 30 seconds. Strain into glass. Recipe Credit: Mountain Rose Herbs

Lapsang Souchong Simple Syrup Recipe
Ingredients:

• 1 cup water
• 1 cup cane sugar or honey (sugar has a more neutral taste)
• 4 Tbsp loose leaf Lapsang Souchong tea

Directions: Boil water in a medium saucepan on stove top. Put tea into an empty tea filter and set aside. Once water boils, take pan off heat and steep tea in water for 5 minutes. Remove tea bag. Bring water/tea back to a boil. Once boiling remove from heat and add sugar or honey and stir until dissolved. Set aside and let cool 1 hour before storing. Can be kept in fridge up to 1 month. Recipe Credit: Mountain Rose Herbs

Organic Cumin Seeds
Make you own Dukkah Spice!
This wonderfully nutty, herby, aromatic blend is a delicious condiment found in traditional Egyptian cuisine, and can be paired with warm, crusty bread, tossed on roasted veggies, added to salads, and rice dishes, sprinkled on baked potatoes, spread on pizza dough, used to crust tofu and other proteins, or mixed in yogurt as a savory sauce.
Hazelnut Hemp Dukkah

Ingredients:

• 1 cup hazelnuts
• 3 Tbsp hemp seeds
• 3 Tbsp sesame seeds
• 1/3 cup coriander seeds
• 3 Tbsp cumin seeds
• 1 Tbsp fennel seeds
• 1 Tbsp caraway seeds
• 1 Tsp peppermint leaf
• 1 Tsp fine sea salt
• 1/4 Tsp black pepper

Directions: In a pan, lightly dry toast the hazelnuts and sesame seeds in separate batches until they turn golden. Remove from heat. Mix all spices together (except peppermint) and toast in pan over medium high heat for several minutes until they become fragrant. Do not burn the seeds! Pulse mix in food processor to finely grind. Add other ingredients and pulse until it becomes a coarse meal-but not a butter. Serve with olive oil and bread, swirl into dough before baking, or add to veggie dishes. Recipe Credit: Mountain Rose Herbs