Let's talk spices!

BaconMD

I'm making an effort to reduce the amount of sodium I get, and in order to make my food taste better and get some illusion of variety when using the same base, I've naturally turned to spices.

So, do you have any special spice mixes or spice pairings for certain types of foods?

Here are two examples:

For rainbow trout, I often load it with dried dill weed and some paprika; sometimes I'll sprinkle cayenne on it too. And if I remember, a squeeze of lemon juice on top adds a nice touch.

For chicken, I use this spice mix:

2.5 tsp sea salt
2 tsp white pepper
2 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp each: onion powder, chili powder
3/4 tsp sage
1/2 tsp each: coriander, ginger
1/8 tsp each: allspice, chinese 5 spice, mustard powder, nutmeg, marjoram, thyme, corn meal, garlic powder

I put this into a shaker and just shake about 1/4 to 1/2 tsp onto the chicken when I'm about to bake or pan-fry or grill it. This is the closest to KFC I've found so far, and I've tried a bunch of supposed recipes that never taste right. I think if I put this into flour and made a batter and then fried the chicken it'd turn out pretty close to KFC.

The next time I mix it, I'm going to try reducing the salt, and will keep doing that until I reach the lowest point before the taste radically changes.

So, do you have anything to share? Or are you a spice master and need a challenge? I have one taste I'd love to be able to replicate (without the MSG): Mr. Noodles Spicy Chicken! I used to take the packets of spicy chicken flavor and put them into rice, boy was it ever good! I'd love a recipe for that.