- Luz Adriana Villa via Wikimedia Commons
- Luz Adriana Villa via Wikimedia Commons
If you're looking to enhance your cooking by adding more flavor and pizazz, look no further than the spice aisle of your local grocery store. It's veritable treasure trove that can turn that boring old chicken dish into a spicy Moroccan delicacy or a savory Indian delight. If you're spice impaired, fear not, just read along to gain inspiration for your culinary repertoire.
Before you begin experimenting with various spices and spice blends, I must urge you to purge any spices in your cabinet that have been sitting in there for longer than six months, namely the ground spices. Why? The longer they sit, the more they lose their potency and flavor. Cooking with a dull dose of cumin or paprika isn't going to do your food any good. My best advice is to buy jars of the ones you use most often (e.g.: cinnamon, cayenne, cumin, etc.) and buy ones that aren't used as often in the bulk section of your store or from a specialty grocer (like Rollin' Oats or Whole Foods). You don't need to be holding on to seldomly used jars of nutmeg for two years, right? If you're really gung-ho about using fresh spices, buy them whole and grind them yourself using a coffee/spice grinder, blender or food processor.
- SKopp via Wikimedia Commons
- SKopp via Wikimedia Commons
The Basics: The following spices are ones that you should always keep on hand for regular use (unless you can't stand one of them). Either buy them in small jars or in the bulk section.
Cayenne (ground): used alone to add a bit of heat to a dish or in various blends, from South American to Sri Lankan.
Cinnamon (ground): can be used in both sweet and savory cuisine; great in desserts, cinnamon can also enhance a Mexican mole sauce or a Middle eastern spice mix.
Crushed Red Pepper (red pepper flakes): a mix of dried peppers like cayenne, red pepper flakes can add a dash of heat with a hint of smokiness to dishes.
Cumin (ground): one of the most versatile spices of the bunch as its used in American Southwestern, Arab, Greek, Indian, Mediterranean, Mexican, and Turkish cuisines (to name just a few); earthy and good on just about anything.
Garlic (fresh): though it's actually considered to be more of a fresh vegetable in the onion family, I had to add this to this list as it's an absolute staple because it is probably the most widely used fresh "spice"; use it on anything (except for desserts, unless you're into that).
Ginger (fresh and dried): great for Indian curries, Asian stir-fry and Caribbean sweet and savory dishes, or even to add a pop of flavor to baked goods.
Pepper, black or a melange mix (preferably freshly ground peppercorns): found in black, green, pink, green, and white (all with their own distinct flavors), ground black or mixed peppercorns are a great way to add a dash of piquancy to just about any savory dish.
Salt: I recommend using Kosher or fine sea salt over iodized (which I find to be too salty).
Vanilla (pods or extract): predominantly uses in sweet dishes, vanilla can also be paired with other spices, fresh herbs, and vinegars and used in savory dishes.
Spices have been used around the world and traded for thousands of years, dating all the way back to 2000 BCE in South Asia and the Middle East. While many regions around the globe use some of the same spices in their food, each have their own unique blends that epitomize their cuisines.
Regional Spice Blends: Use these basic spice mixes for marinating and/or cooking with. Make these using whole, dried spices and grind them up yourself, if possible — the fresher ground the better they'll taste.
Cajun: 1 part pepper (preferably an equal mix of black and white), 2 parts cumin, 2 parts coriander, 1 part cayenne, 2 parts paprika, 2 parts celery salt, 2 parts garlic powder, 2 parts onion powder, 2 parts dried thyme, 2 parts dried oregano, 2 parts salt
Chinese Five-Spice: 1 part Szechuan peppercorns, 1 part star anise, 1 part fennel seed, 1 part cinnamon, 1/2 part cloves
French (Quatre Epices): 7 parts white pepper, 1 ground nutmeg, 1 part cloves, 1 part ground ginger
Jamaican Jerk: 3 parts garlic powder, 2 parts cayenne, 2 parts onion powder, 2 parts dried thyme, 2 parts dried parsley, 3 parts brown sugar, 2 parts salt, 1 part paprika, 1 part allspice, 1/2 part black pepper, 1/2 part crushed red pepper, 1/2 part nutmeg, 1/4 part cinnamon
Indian Curry: 2 parts coriander, 1 part cumin, 1 part ground turmeric, 1 part chili powder, 1 part dry mustard powder, 1 part cardamom, 1/2 part cayenne
Indian Garam Masala: 2 parts cinnamon, 3 parts black pepper, 2 parts cloves, 2 parts cumin, 1 part mace, 1 part cardamom, 2 bay leaves
Italian: 3 parts dried basil, 3 parts dried parsley, 3 parts dried oregano, 1 part dried rosemary, 1 part dried thyme, 1 part garlic powder, 1 part onion powder
Mexican: 2 parts cumin, 2 parts (basic) chili powder, 2 parts paprika, 2 parts dried oregano, 2 parts onion powder, 1 part garlic powder, 1 part cayenne, 1/2 part ground cinnamon, 1 part salt, 1 part ground black pepper
North African (Ras El Hanout): 3 parts allspice, 3 parts black pepper, 3 parts coriander, 2 parts, cumin, 2 parts cloves, 2 parts cinnamon, 2 parts ground ginger, 1 1/2 parts cayenne
Pumpkin Pie Spice: 3 parts ground cinnamon, 1 part ground ginger, 1 part ground nutmeg, 1/2 part ground allspice, 1/2 part ground cloves
Tex-Mex Chili and Taco Seasoning: 2 parts paprika, 2 parts garlic powder, 2 parts onion powder, 4 parts chili powder, 1 part dried oregano, 2 parts ground cumin, 2 parts salt, 2 parts black pepper
Resources:Creative Cooking with Spices, Jane Walker; The Flavor Bible, Karen Page and Andrew Dornenburg; Spices, Manisha Gambhir Harkins.