Which seasonings to use

A little bit of heat is useful for many dishes, like honey-chile chicken wings and spicy guacamole , or just sprinkling onto your next plate of pasta or vegetables. Whole chile peppers are useful for crushing up to make curry pastes, or for putting in a pot of beans or chili as it simmers, and then fishing it out.

Turmeric is part of the ginger family and has a bright, floral, mild taste. One of the staples of French cooking, bay leaves can come off as mysterious. You should get a pleasant, spicy, floral scent. Garlic is a building block in the kitchen. Youngman prefers granulated garlic to the powdered form, and Gould likes the powdered version better. For Youngman, granulated is the way. Gould noted that the difference in origin between cinnamon matters for the flavor. It adds a little rich smokiness to a dish.

It really carries that smoke flavor really well. Like when you leave a bonfire and your clothes smell. Dried oregano is a fundamental spice in many Mediterranean and Latin American dishes, and another one of those spices that you see in shakers in pizza parlors. The flavor is warm and slightly bitter, making it a wonderful spice for all kinds of things, like grilled shrimp , roasted chicken , or just sprinkled over roasted potatoes or raw tomatoes.

The flavor of cardamom is complex: it has notes of citrus and mint, as well as a kind of zesty spiciness. This chart below gives you an idea of the flavor each spice will add to your meal, what spices go well together, and what foods to add them to. Spice up your meals and add flavor to your meals with this handy spice chart. Along with standalone spices, there are also a variety of spice blends that combine complementary spices to create a whole new flavor.

We recommend picking 2 or 3 depending on your favorite ethnic cuisines. Many ethnic cuisines are distinguished by the spices used in preparing them. Create dishes from all around the world with ethnic spice combinations. We hope using these resources gives you the confidence to be adventurous with spices and elevate your cooking to a whole other level.

The Ultimate Infographic Guide to Spices Knowing how to use spices can greatly enhance the flavor of all your dishes. Spices serve several purposes in cooking and can be used to: Add Flavor and Aroma. Spices can transform a meal by adding a range of flavors, from a hint of sweetness to a kick of heat. They also give beautiful aromas that are often our first determining factor for whether we want to eat a meal or not. Enhance taste of food. Many people tend to store spices near or above their stove out of ease during cooking.

Additionally, most dried herbs and spices start to lose potency after 6 months, although they're still fine to use, just keep that in mind and adjust seasoning add more when cooking, if needed. Now let's get to the good stuff! Here are the top 10 most essential spices for your spice cabinet.

Use red pepper flakes in pasta and pizza sauces, soups, anything with sausage, brines, and marinades. Use red pepper flakes in this Romesco Sauce.

Skip any with added herbs and flavorings. Use garlic powder in rubs, spice blends, dressings, and vinaigrettes.

Ground Cinnamon An absolute essential in baking and cooking. Use it in desserts, breads, drinks, stews, curries, sauces, and chilis. But trust me, grated fresh nutmeg offers so much more flavor than the pre ground stuff. Use nutmeg in desserts, baked goods, drinks, and anything creamy like alfredo, basic white sauces, potato soup, and more. Cayenne Pepper In similar vein to red pepper flakes, cayenne pepper adds heat to a myriad of dishes.

This versatile spice, made from ground chiles, is often used in hot sauces, and is prevalent in Mexican, Cajun, Southern, and Indian cuisines. Add a little kick to chocolate waffles with a hearty dose of cayenne pepper. Ground Cumin Actually the dried fruit of a plant in the parsley family, cumin comes in both seed and ground form, but ground appears on this list due in part to its convenience. Cumin is at home in these Healthy Chiles Rellenos.

Onion Powder Onion powder makes the list for the same reason that garlic powder does. Use onion powder in rubs, spice blends, dressings, and vinaigrettes. Essential Dried Herbs: Dried Bay Leaves An aromatic herb with woodsy aroma, dried bay leaves are often used in stews, soups, long simmered dishes, meat dishes, and vegetable dishes. Most recipes call for 1—2 dried bay leaves since using too many can cause the dish to become bitter.

They should be removed from the food before eating. When in season, I recommend keeping fresh basil on hand as much as possible. Dried Oregano Related to marjoram, oregano is more pungent in flavor and is featured a lot in Mediterranean cooking. Use dried oregano in Greek dishes, pizza, meat dishes, and vegetable dishes. Dried Oregano offers a classic, comforting flavor to this hearty Vegetarian Eggplant Bolognese.

This aromatic spice is great in cocktails and baking as well as curries and stews. Taste as you go, because a little goes a long way. I'll just direct you to the cardamom archive on ZK. Dried Rosemary Use this aromatic spice in stews, soups, meat dishes, and vegetable dishes.