Culinary Guide
The Spice Hunter Recommends.
We are frequently asked if there are certain spices that are recommended for different types of food. The following is a list of recommended spices by food groups and types – always feel free to experiment!
| Food Types | Recommended Spices |
|---|---|
| Beans | cumin, cayenne, chile, parsley, pepper, sage, thyme |
| Beef | basil, bay, chile, cilantro, curry, cumin, garlic, marjoram, mustard, oregano, parsley, pepper, rosemary, sage, thyme |
| Breads | anise, basil, caraway, cardamom, cinnamon, coriander, cumin, dill, garlic, lemon peel, orange peel, oregano, poppy seeds, rosemary, saffron, sage, thyme |
| Cheese | basil, caraway, celery seed, chile, chives, coriander, cumin, dill, garlic, lemon peel, marjoram, mint, mustard, nutmeg, paprika, parsley, pepper, sage, tarragon, thyme |
| Corn | chile, curry, dill, marjoram, parsley, thyme |
| Eggs | basil, chile, chives, curry, dill, fennel, ginger, lemon peel, marjoram, oregano, paprika, parsley, pepper, sage, tarragon, thyme |
| Fish | anise, basil, bay, cayenne, celery seed, chives, curry, dill, fennel, garlic, ginger, lemon peel, marjoram, mustard, oregano, parsley, rosemary, thyme, saffron, sage, tarragon |
| Fruits | allspice, anise, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, coriander, ginger, mint |
| Lamb | basil, bay, cinnamon, coriander, cumin, curry, dill, garlic, marjoram, mint, mustard, oregano, parsley, rosemary, tarragon, thyme |
| Potatoes | basil, caraway, celery seed, chives, coriander, dill, marjoram, oregano, paprika, parsley, poppy seed, rosemary, tarragon, thyme |
| Poultry | allspice, basil, bay, cinnamon, curry, dill, fennel, garlic, ginger, lemon grass, mustard, paprika, rosemary, saffron, sage, tarragon, thyme |
| Salad Dressings | basil, celery seed, chives, dill, fennel, garlic, marjoram, mustard, oregano, paprika, parsley, pepper, rosemary, saffron, tarragon, thyme |
| Soups | basil, bay, chile, chives, cumin, dill, fennel, garlic, marjoram, parsley, pepper, rosemary, sage, thyme |
| Sweets | allspice, anise, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, fennel, ginger, lemon peel, mace, mint, nutmeg, orange peel, rosemary |
| Tomatoes | basil, bay, celery seed, chile, curry, dill, fennel, garlic, ginger, gumbo file, lemon grass, marjoram, oregano, parsley, rosemary, tarragon, thyme |
Useful Tips
Use a light hand when seasoning with herbs and spices. Your goal is to compliment your dish without crowding out the flavor of the food.
To release the flavor of dried herbs and spices, crumble them in your palm or grind with a mortar and pestle before adding them to your favorite dish
Lightly toasting spices in a dry skillet over a medium heat, before grinding, will bring out even more flavor
For long-cooking dishes, add whole spices during cooking to permeate the food and add ground or cut herbs and spice an hour or less before serving. After measuring, finely crush dried herbs before adding to your dish.
Black pepper, granulated garlic, salt and cayenne (red pepper) are excellent "finishing" seasonings - add them after cooking is complete