Mixed spice facts for kids
Mixed spice, also known as pudding spice, is a popular blend of sweet spices. It's often used in British baking, similar to how pumpkin pie spice is used in the United States. The main flavors you'll taste are cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice. People often use it to make cakes, cookies, and other sweet treats, or to add a special touch to fruits.
The name "mixed spice" has been used for this blend for a very long time. Cookbooks from as far back as 1828 mention it.
Mixed spice is quite similar to a Dutch spice mix called koekkruiden or speculaaskruiden. These Dutch spices are often used for sweet pastries during the colder months. You might find them in treats like speculaas (a type of shortbread cookie) and appeltaart (apple pie). Koekkruiden can sometimes include cardamom, along with cinnamon, cloves, allspice, and sometimes nutmeg. The tradition of using these mixed spices in festive foods became popular due to historical trade routes.
What's in Mixed Spice?
Mixed spice usually contains a few key ingredients:
Sometimes, other spices are added to the mix, or people might add them when cooking:
- Cloves
- Ginger
- Coriander (the seed part)
- Caraway
- Cayenne pepper (this was sometimes used in the past)
