My Spice Drawer | Essentials, Key Pairings and Cuisine Classics
My spice drawer is my cooking pride and joy. Spices and herbs are expensive but worth every penny. I think of them as an investment, a collection and a real indication of my passion for cooking with bold flavour. Spices can turn the cheapest of meals like baked beans, tinned chickpeas, tomato sauce or vegetable soup into something incredible. Spices also allow me to travel through my food, to experience so many different cuisines. Basically they make cooking fun and experimental. I love how you can take a meal to a completely different place just by switching up the ingredients. A simple tomato soup can be Italian style, curried or complex and North African inspired simply by changing your spice blend. I really hope this insight into my spice drawer will be inspiring, helpful and interesting! Of course when it comes to seasoning, salt and pepper are essential.
Woodsy, Fragrant and Fresh
- Bay Leaves - Used dried or fresh. Slight woodsy flavour but not meant to be eaten. Commonly used in Mediterranean cuisine such as spaghetti bolognese. Indian bay leaves are common in most curries.
- Thyme - Like sage and rosemary, thyme is woodsy and aromatic. Thyme pairs really well with rich, bold flavours such as mushrooms and red wine.
- Oregano - One of the most used herbs with a distinct, almost lemony flavour. Very popular in Mexican and Mediterranean cuisine.
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- Dill - Light and earthy when dried with slight oniony tones. Common in Northern European and some Asian dishes especially pickles and with potatoes. Pairs well with seafood.
- Tarragon - Very aromatic with anise flavour. Especially nice when fresh. Pairs well with creamy sauces and white wine, for example Italian pasta dishes.
- Sage - A fragrant dried herb with pine like notes similar to rosemary but with lemon and eucalyptus notes. Found in many English sausages and usually the best veggie sausages too! Common in European cooking especially English and Italian.
Not Pictured
- Basil - Often used fresh, dried basil is also great in Italian cuisine such as creamy pastas. Dried basil still has that fragrant almost sweet flavour but slightly earthier.
- Garlic Powder - Made from dehydrated garlic, it definitely tastes like you would expect. Garlic powder is a bit mellower and sweeter than fresh garlic. Commonly found in many Mexican spice mixes.
- Rosemary - Very fragrant, woodsy, pine-like and pungent. Pairs well with roast meats but also a lot of vegetarian cuisine. Excellent with roast vegetables, in soups and with eggs even.
Warm, Earthy and Aromatic
- Turmeric - A very yellow spice common in most Indian curries. It has a mild, peppery, woodsy flavour and can be used with paprika as a saffron replacement. Turmeric is a rhizome like rhubarb and ginger and is actually valued for its medicinal properties namely anti-bacterial. Also, it makes mustard yellow!
- Fenugreek - Another aromatic, earthy flavour but with slight sweet notes. Common in Indian and Middle Eastern dishes.
- Coriander - The seed (as opposed to the plant) is similar to cumin in its earthiness but carries a slight lemony flavour. Like cumin it is popular in Mexican and Indian cuisine.
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- Paprika - Earthy, sweet and complex. One of my favourite spices used in a huge variety of cuisine. Think anything from Gulash stew to Shakshouka to tacos.
- Nutmeg - A very aromatic, strong flavour. Pairs well with other sweet spices such as cinnamon, cardamon and cloves to add warmth to desserts and meals. Nutmeg pairs especially well with fall inspired flavours such as roast pumpkin and sweet potato.
- Ginger (not pictured) - Best used fresh but even when dried adds a complex heat and zest.
Chilli (From Left to Right)
- Chilli powder- Simply dried chillies that adds heat and a little smokiness. Often found in a range from mild to hot. Very useful if you made your own curry powders or Mexican seasoning.
- Cayenne Pepper - Made from dried chillies and definitely packs a punch. Can be used like hot sauce to add some heat to any desired dish.
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Whole Spices
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- Saffron - More expensive than gold, in terms of weight anyway. Saffron is the styles and stigmas of crocuses and is a very unique spice. For me saffron is a sentimental spice because it reminds me of Christmas for its use in Swedish "Lussebullar." It has a very unique flavour quite unlike anything else. It is, as you would expect, floral and aromatic. Like turmeric it gives food a distinct yellow colour. Saffron is also common in Middle Eastern and Indian cuisine.
- Cinnamon - True cinnamon in called Cinnamomum verum but Cinnamon cassia is often what is found in supermarkets. Cinnamon is a dried bark and is common in both sweet and savoury dishes. See cardamon.
Blends
- Garam Masala - A common Indian spice blend consisting of cinnamon, cardamon, cloves, cumin, coriander, nutmeg and pepper. It is slightly sweeter than normal curry powder as it features these sweeter spice flavours.
- Mustard Powder - Can be just ground mustard seed, sometimes with added turmeric.
- Chinese Five Spice - Fennel, cassia (see cinnamon), clove, Szechuan pepper corns and star anise. The main flavour comes from the star anise. This blends adds some sweetness and a lot of aroma to savoury dishes. Commonly used with red and pink meats.
- Curry powder - Usually made with coriander, cumin, turmeric, fenugreek and red pepper. Most store bought curry powders are used for quick Indian dishes.
- Italian Seasoning - This one simply contains dried parsley, dried garlic and chilli flakes.
Cuisine Classics
- Cajun - Bay leaves, cajun seasoning, cayenne pepper, oregano, paprika, rosemary, thyme
- Caribbean - Allspice, cinnamon, cloves, garlic powder, ginger, nutmeg
- French - Bay leaves, herbs de provence, garlic powder, nutmeg, oregano, rosemary, thyme
- Indian - Bay leaves, cardamon, cayenne pepper, cinnamon, coriander, cumin, curry powder, garam masala, ginger, nutmeg, paprika, turmeric
- Mediterranean - Basil, bay leaves, cardamon, cinnamon, cloves, coriander, cumin, nutmeg, oregano, rosemary, thyme
- Mexican - Chilli powder, cinnamon, coriander, cumin, garlic powder, oregano, paprika
- Middle Eastern - Bay leaves, cardamon, cinnamon, cloves, coriander, cumin, garlic powder, ginger, oregano, za'atar
- North African - Cardamon, cinnamon, cumin, ginger, paprika, ras el hanout, turmeric
- Thai - Basil, cardamon, cumin, garlic, ginger, thai curry powder or paste, turmeric
References
A more comprehensive list for pretty much any spi
ce or herb you can imagine: the kitchn "Quick Guide to Every Herb and Spice in the Cupboard"
An excellent visual spice guide: COOKSMARTS "THE ULTIMATE INFOGRAPHIC GUIDE TO SPICES"
