Best Used Spices In Cooking!

CoryIda

And above all else, my personal kitchen wouldn't be complete without cayenne pepper. Seriously, I love this stuff. I tried to set my Facebook relationship status as "In a relationship with Cayenne Pepper" ... but it wouldn't let me.

It wouldn't let you because Cayenne Pepper is ALREADY in a relationship with ME.


Oh, and I also use a TON of chili powder and quite a bit of garlic and cinnamon (but not those last two together - ewww).

Allie_71

I taught cooking classes for a few years and for a starting pantry, I'd always suggest, as far as dry spices:

Soups - dried oregano, tarragon, thyme

Stuffings/dressings - sage, celery seed, poultry seasoning

Chili - cayenne, chili powder, cumin

Indian - cardamon, turmeric, good curry powder, cinnamon.

And for every day use - dried garlic powder(not garlic salt) dried onion powder, good (not stale) black peppercorns, kosher or sea salt.

Hope this helps

Pebble321

The spices I use most often would be:
- smoked paprika (it adds a lot of flavour and richness, and it a great addition if you like things like chorizo, as it gives some of that flavour with a whole lot less cals)
- Ground cumin
- Ground coriander
- Ground cinnamon (for savoury as well as sweet things)

And one that I don't use so often (it's expensive!) but that is fantastic, is saffron. I made a chicken and apricot tagine recently and the saffron adds so much sweetness and flavour and aroma, it's magic.

A few things that aren't spices but that add soooo much flavour: lemon zest, balsamic vinegar, fresh basil, coriander, parsley.

mrs_deg1983

I love anything Garlic.

Lainnee

Great thread...saving!

_hi_hat3r_

mrs dash

kitinboots

My mum sent me a Harissa spice mix grinder over a year ago. I use it on everything (I recommend it on popcorn) and as it has such a strong and spicy flavour I only need a bit and the jar is still almost full over a year later!

Laura_beau

It really depends on the dish/cuisine you are cooking. I adore cooking, and always have plenty of herbs/spices and seasonings. It's best to invest in several different cook books which explain the culture/cuisine and how to cook with the spices. Here are a few ideas:

Greek Cuisine (souvlaki skewers, beef stifado, greek salad, meatballs etc)
Oregano
Mint
Dill
Lemon juice
olive oil
cinnamon
Garlic

Indian Cuisine (Curries, Daals, biryanis) Btw this is a short list- there are thousands of herbs/spices used in Indian cookery this is just a list of the most popular/common.
Chilli
Ginger
Garlic
Coriander seed/Ground coriander
Fresh coriander (Cilantro)
Lime juice
Cumin seed/ground cumin
Mustard seed
garam masala
turmeric
cardamom pods/seeds
fenugreek/methi

Thai/Vietnamese cuisine- (Thai curries, soups, salads)
Garlic
Chilli
Ginger
lime juice
lemongrass
mint
basil
coriander/cilantro
fish sauce
shrimp paste
tamarind
palm sugar

Spanish (Paellas, stews, tapas)
Garlic
Parsley
Smoked paprika (Pimenton)
unsmoked paprka
Saffron
lemon juice
ground almonds

Italian (Pasta dishes, meat/fish stews/ salads/ pizzas)
Garlic
Basil
Chilli
olive oil
oregano
parmesan
mint
lemon juice
sundried tomatoes

English (the widest used UK products in my cupboard)
Stock cubes (Veg, beef, chicken, fish, ham, pork)
Salt & pepper
worcestershire sauce
tomato puree
parsley
sage
Chives
rosemary
thyme
Mustard
Ketchup!

French:
Garlic
wine
tarragon
parsley
mustard
pepper
saffron

Moroccan: (Tagines, cous cous, meze)
Garlic
Preserved lemons
lemon juice
parsley
cinnamon
cumin
ground coriander
rosewater
chilli
mint
coriander (Cilantro)

Mexican: (Taco's, chilli's, burrito's, stews etc)
Chillis (Loooads of varieties of fresh & dried)
Cayenne pepper
cinnamon
Thyme
saffron
orgeano
garlic
lime
coriander (cilantro)
cumin
paprika
cocoa/chocolate

Carribean (Curries, jerk meat, stews/soups)
Chilli (Especially scotch bonnet)
ginger
Pepper
lemon
lime
thyme
allspice
nutmeg
cloves

Laura_beau

Bump

TGKvr

Absolute must-haves in my kitchen or I'll go into convulsions:

Garlic powder, sea salt, kosher salt, fresh ground pepper, cayenne pepper, ground mustard, onion powder, basil, oregano, allspice, thyme, paprika, white pepper, marjoram, rosemary, parsley...

I have a thousand more (one of my food cabinets is nothing but spices, oils, and vinegars), but I'd say those are my go-to staples.