How To Pick Your Spices
When it comes to buying your spices there are generally two options, whole spices or ground
spices.
Let’s talk about ground spices
Bottles of ground spices are often easier to use and therefore more convenient. You can even buy ground spices in bulk to save on cost and refill your bottles as needed. The downside to buying ground spices at your local grocery store is that often these spices have been mixed with additives such as dyes or salt and some manufacturers will add flour to cut down on their costs.
Whole spices
Whole spices take a little more time since you’re going to need to do the grinding yourself and that’s going to require some extra equipment as well. We think you’ll find that the extra effort is worth the time and initial outlay of equipment. Fresh ground spices are fresher and more flavorful while the whole spices also tend to last longer on your shelf or in your cupboards.
One of the great things about spices is that they never really go bad, however, they do lose their flavor as they age so if you’re not using them regularly you may want to consider replacing older spices as you go in order to maximize the flavors of your final dish.
Which spices to buy?
If you’ve checked the shelves at your local grocery store you’ve no doubt found a bewildering array of herbs, spices, blends, flavored salts, and rubs. So, what to choose?
Well, in the end, we recommend you go with what you like. But if you’re looking for recommendations, we’ve found the following spices to be the most common and useful. Some dishes may call for a specific spice or combination of spices, but the list below is the one we use the most often:
Cinnamon
The most often used spice in sweets and desserts, cinnamon also has a bite and can add dimension to spicy dishes.
Garlic
This one seems to make just about everything better. It’s even been used in ice cream at garlic festivals. You can find it in a powdered form or in whole cloves or already chopped and stored in oil.
Turmeric
You need to be careful with this one since it can stain pretty much anything it touches, but it will give a wonderful color to your cooking. Turmeric tends to be earthy and bitter, adding huge amounts of flavor. It’s most widely used in Indian cuisine but don’t let that stop you from using it in other dishes. There are also reports of various health benefits from using turmeric.
Chili Powder
This is usually a blend of different peppers and can range in flavor and heat. You can use store-bought or make your own with dried peppers like jalapeno, habanero, or ghost pepper.
Italian Seasoning
Another blend but this time of classic Italian spices, most often oregano, basil, thyme, and rosemary. Oddly enough, you won’t find bottles of Italian seasonings in Italian grocery stores since the locals are more likely to use the individual ingredients.
Cumin
This spice is what gives a hearty Texas red chili its distinctive flavor and aroma. But its usefulness doesn’t end there, add cumin to savory dishes as well as Latin American and Indian cuisine.
Cayenne
A powerful spice that brings the heat, use sparingly and taste often while using this one. Paprika can help cut some of the heat while leaving the wonderful flavor of the cayenne. I’ve even used Cayenne and cinnamon in a spicy-sweet cookie recipe.
Paprika
Paprika is actually a blend of various peppers, including bell peppers. Depending on where the paprika was made it can vary from mild to spicy. Paprika is an essential part of many spice blends and as mentioned above it can help cool down an overly spicy dish. Smoked Paprika can add a spicy, smoky flavor.
Nutmeg
Nutmeg is wonderful in the colder months, especially as part of the ever more common “pumpkin spice” which seems to be added to everything these days. But even on its own nutmeg can be used in soups or stews since it’s considered to be a warming, grounding spice.
Curry Powder
This blend was created in England as an attempt to replicate the flavors found in Indian cuisine. It’s wonderful in Indian dishes of course, but curry potatoes, curry carrots, and curry sweet potatoes are excellent choices as well.
