Row 1: Aleppo Pepper, Allspice, Basil, Bay Leaves, Cayenne, Celery Salt, Celery Seeds, Cinnamon, Chinese Five Spice, Chili Powder, Freeze Dried Chives, Whole Cloves, Cream of Tartar
Row 2: Cumin, Dill Weed, Flax Seed, Garlic Powder, Garlic Salt, Ginger, Italian Seasoning, Mint, Mustard Powder, Nutmeg, Onion Powder, Oregano
Row 3: Paprika, Parsley, Pepper, White Pepper, Popcorn Salt, Red Pepper Flakes, Rosemary, Salt, Himalayan Salt, Sea Salt, Seasoned Salt, Sesame Seeds
Row 4: Sugar, Taco Seasoning, Thyme, Turmeric
Ah, ok. I don’t do much baking, and when I do it’s just bread / focaccia, so that’s probably why I’ve never used Cream of tartar. To me it sounds like tartar sauce, which I think is used with fish… so it’s strange it’s something for cookies.
I do lots of baking, and that was the first time I ever had to use it. I also had the same thought as you.
Cream of tartar is a type of acid, and is usually used in baking as along with baking soda as a leavener. Baking powder is generally just baking soda and cream of tartar mixed together, but some recipes call for adding them separately in different ratio then you would find in baking powder.
Oh, interesting!
Apparently Cream of Tartar is Potassium bitartrate, a potassium acid salt. And baking powder is basically an acid (Cream of Tartar for example), mixed with a base (Baking Soda, or Sodium Bicarbonate) and a desiccant like corn starch to prevent the two from reacting by getting wet.
When they do mix, an acid/base reaction occurs releasing CO2, which is why it’s useful in baking because it makes pockets in the dough.
Apparently cream of tartar was a naturally occurring byproduct of wine making, and has been known for thousands of years, but was only used for baking in the last few hundred years.
The word “tartar” seems to be basically as old as wine making. The latin word “tartarum” has its roots in Byzantine Greek. But, it doesn’t seem to be connected etymologically to tartar sauce.