I've cooked many many times bean dishes usually chick peas AKA garbanzo bean AKA Chana Masala an indian dish with a tomato sauce and garlic ginger base using spices like:
cumin seeds
cumin powder
smoked and regular paprika
tumeric
kashmiri and regular chili powder
mace, nutmeg
cinnamon
clove
green and black cardamom
black pepper
coriander powder
etc
These canned ful medemas california garden brand are really good like nothing I've ever had, they have many varieties like Egyptian, Palestinian, Secret recipe, Yamani, and all are good and have some unique flavor I can't pin point.
Some are fava bean (peeled or w skin I like both) or sometimes mixed w chickpeas.
Some have tomato paste, and sugar.
Some varieties have a very simple ingredient list like: Premium Fava Beans, Water, Sunflower Oil, Salt, Sugar, Cumin, Citric Acid, Chili, Calcium Disodium EDTA, and Sodium Sulfite.
Even if I tried to duplicate the above for some reason it doesn't seem it'll have that good distinct flavor, and I doubt it's because I'll omit citric acid (I add lemon juice sometimes) or EDTA or sodium Sulfate.
Some like the "Secret Recipe' just say 'spices'.
Zaatar I bought from market is usually something like: oregano, marjoram, thyme, cumin, coriander. Sumac I have.
To be honest I'm hoping someone really happens to have had these a few times and really knows exactly or thinks what makes them so good and unique.
I have to admit, for some reason, I'm really not great at making beans even though I've done it hundreds of times, either south american type or indian or these fava basically ful medemas. Sometimes it comes out decent but not unique enough, sometimes it's too over the top like a spice rack, I know to add a tiny pinch of each sometimes less is more but sometimes it's not enough.
Same with indian chana masala for some reason I've made that hundreds of times but often a restaurant's is better, I know it has something to do with when I'm at a restaurant and there's other choices I decide on chana masala will hit the spot at that moment makes it more enjoyable, but when I make a big batch at home with the pressure cooker and freeze portions it always seems to be hit or miss. I've tried even hindi-only speaking 'restaurant style' youtube recipes and it's still hit or miss, same with ful medemas aren't as good as these.
Same thing with South american beans, I get from a restaurant and they are just amazing but I try making Pinto etc with youtube recipes etc and they're not as good, and the restaurant ones don't have lard or chicken brother or anything.
I gave up on buying many individual spices and now I mostly buy pre-mixed Indian chana masala packets but those are almost never good I only like about 1 or 2 brands and the other 15 I've tried become a chore to eat.
It's as if these california garden brand beans were a very long trial and error of tons of different spice blends and ratios of tomato sauce, oil and sugar to get this unique commercial flavor which I don't know if it's that (basically try using a pinch of all the spices above plus more) or just if someone happens to be very familiar with this brand and has a great sense of taste that they think exactly how it can somewhat closely be duplicated.
by Imaginary_Tomato_905
Dining and Cooking