Whats quatre d'epices?

[Dio di Romanese]

I making a soup and the recipe calls for 1/4 teaspoon of quatre d'epices, what is this?

[Xanthippe]

And I'll bet your D & D tin didn't come cheap! It's a trip (and less expensive) to make one's own spice blends; they make great little gifts packed in a pretty spice jar with a couple recipes utilizing the blend included (perfect stocking stuffers).

From Cook's Thesaurus:

quatre epices (épices) = epices Parisiennes To make your own: Combine 1 part ground nutmeg + 1 part ground ginger + 1 part ground cloves + 2 parts ground white pepper Substitutes: Chinese five-spice powder (especially in pates) OR nutmeg

[Candy]

That is generally it. It does pay to read the lable on the container. My Dean and Deluca tin of quatre epices should be labled trois epices it contains cinnamon, allspice and nutmeg.

[saffy]

It means "4 spices" which are usually white pepper, nutmeg, ginger and cloves. Some people also use cinnamon and allspice instead of the ginger and pepper. Hope that helps.