Allspice |
---|
Tastes like: A pungent blend of cinnamon, nutmeg and clove with a hint of juniper and peppercorn. |
Great in: Caribbean and Latin savory and sweet dishes (such as Jamaican Jerk sauce), spice mixes, pickles, chutneys, vegetables, soups and desserts. |
Anise Seed |
---|
Tastes like: Has a licorice-like flavor (different from star anise, which is generally used in Chinese dishes). |
Great in: Cakes, biscuits, rye breads, desserts and to flavor fish, poultry, soups, root vegetable dishes and liqueurs such as anisette, ouzo and pastis. |
Basil |
---|
Tastes like: Its pungent flavor is a gentle blend of licorice and clove. |
Great in: Dishes featuring tomatoes, onions, garlic, olives, pasta sauces, and as a flavor for oils. Basil is used in tomato-and-mozzarella salad and in pesto sauce. |
Bay Leaf |
---|
Tastes like: A robust, fragrant herb from the evergreen bay laurel that lends a woodsy flavor to dishes. |
Great in: Soups, stews, vegetables and meats – the leaves are generally removed from a dish before serving. |
Caraway Seed |
---|
Tastes like: Has a nutty, delicate anise flavor and hails from the parsley family. |
Great in: German, Austrian and Hungarian dishes and cheese, breads, cakes, stews, meats and vegetables. Often used in rye bread and sauerkraut. |
Cardamom |
---|
Tastes like: Available ground or in pods of around 20 seeds, it has a pungent aroma and a warm, spicy-sweet flavor. |
Great in: Scandinavian and East Indian cooking. Often used in chai tea. |
Cayenne Pepper |
---|
Tastes like: Also called red pepper, this hot powder is made from ground dried hot chilies, and has a smoky, fiery flavor. |
Great in: Mexican and Southwestern dishes; chili. |
Clove |
---|
Tastes like: Sold whole or ground, it comes from the dried flower buds of the clove tree. Its flavor is penetrating and sweet. |
Great in: Pickling spice, baked ham, mulled wine and baked goods. Chutneys, too. |
Coriander |
---|
Tastes like: The dried seeds of cilantro, which have a spicy citrus flavor, are used whole or ground. |
Great in: Indian curries. |
Cumin |
---|
Tastes like: Shaped like a caraway seed, this strong spice with a nutty, earthy taste comes in seed and ground forms. |
Great in: Middle Eastern, Asian and Mediterranean cooking, and for curries and chili powders. |
Dill Weed |
---|
Tastes like: This feathery herb with a fresh, sweet, slightly licorice-like flavor is available fresh or dried. |
Great in: Salads, vegetables, meats and sauces, as well as potato salad and cooked new potatoes. |
Dill Seed |
---|
Tastes like: The dried fruit of the dill weed tastes like a mild version of caraway seed. |
Great in: Pickling brine. |
Fennel Seed |
---|
Tastes like: This licorice-flavored seed is available whole or ground. |
Great in: Pork, pasta, bread, seafood and to flavor liqueurs. |
Fines Herbes |
---|
Tastes like: A classic mixture that usually includes chervil, chives, parsley and tarragon. It has a delicate onion-like taste from the chives and also chervil's hint of anise. |
Great in: Add to cooked mixture (such as chicken, beef or a casserole) shortly before serving. Nice in omelets. |
Fresh Ginger |
---|
Tastes like: Has a peppery and slightly sweet flavor and a tan skin and flesh that ranges in color from pale greenish yellow to ivory. |
Great in: Asian and Indian cooking. |
Ground Ginger |
---|
Tastes like: A common baking spice (not an appropriate substitute for fresh ginger) that is pungent and spicy and indispensable in sweets. |
Great in: Soups, curries, meats and gingerbread as well as gingersnaps and other spice cookies. |
Juniper Berry |
---|
Tastes like: These bitter, blue-black berries – the essential flavoring in gin – are usually sold dried and are crushed before use. |
Great in: Meats, sauces and stuffings. |
Marjoram |
---|
Tastes like: Has oval, inch-long pale green leaves and a sweet flavor similar to oregano, but more mild and delicate. |
Great in: Meats (especially lamb and veal) and vegetables. |
Mustard |
---|
Tastes like: The seed of the mustard plant is sold whole, ground or prepared. It can be quite hot and spicy. |
Great in: Whole, for pickling and in Middle Eastern dishes. Ground to season meat and salads. Prepared mustard is often found in deviled eggs, potato salad and vinaigrettes. |
Nutmeg |
---|
Tastes like: Sold ground or whole, it's delicately warm, spicy and sweet. |
Great in: Baked goods, milk or cream-based dishes like custards, white sauces or eggnog, and on fruits and vegetables (potatoes, spinach and squash). Pumpkin pie. |
Oregano |
---|
Tastes like: Sometimes called wild marjoram, it has a strong, pungent flavor and aroma. |
Great in: Tomato-based dishes and pizza. |
Paprika |
---|
Tastes like: Made by grinding aromatic sweet red pepper pods. Its flavor ranges from mild to pungent and hot; color from bright orange-red to blood-red. |
Great in: Seasoning and garnish for savory dishes. Creole spice dishes, goulash, roast turkey breast and paprikash potatoes. |
Peppercorns |
---|
Tastes like: The world's most popular spice has a hot, biting, pungent taste. Freshly ground whole peppercorns have more flavor than pre-ground pepper. |
Great in: Nearly everything – delicious freshly ground on salads, in eggs, pasta and even as an ingredient in some sweet dishes. |
Rosemary |
---|
Tastes like: Available in whole leaf form and powdered, the silver-green, needle-shaped leaves are highly aromatic, and their flavor hints at both lemon and pine. |
Great in: Soups, vegetables, meat (especially lamb and pork), fish and egg dishes, stuffings and dressings, fruit salads. |
Sage |
---|
Tastes like: The narrow, oval, gray-green leaves of this pungent herb are slightly bitter and have a musty minty taste and aroma. |
Great in: Pork, cheese and beans, and in poultry and game stuffings. Sausage makers use it to flavor their products. |
Saffron |
---|
Tastes like: The world's most expensive spice comes from the yellow-orange flower of a small purple crocus. Each flower provides three stigmas that are carefully hand picked and dried. Primarily used as a flavor and to tint food, it comes powdered and in threads and is delicate and pleasantly bitter. |
Great in: Bouillabaisse, risotto Milanese and paella, and many European baked goods. |
Tarragon |
---|
Tastes like: Narrow, pointed, dark green leaves with a distinctive anise-like flavor. Available fresh in summer and early fall and year-round in dried and powdered forms. Can easily overpower other flavors. |
Great in: Classic French cooking including chicken, fish and vegetables, as well as Bearnaise sauce. |
Thyme |
---|
Tastes like: Has a warm, pungent, slightly lemony flavor. Fresh thyme is available in some supermarkets during the summer; dried thyme – in whole leaves as well as powder form – is available year-round. |
Great in: Vegetables, meat, poultry and fish dishes, soups and cream sauces. Often used in French cuisine. |
Turmeric |
---|
Tastes like: The root of a tropical plant related to ginger. It has a bitter, pungent flavor and an intense yellow-orange color. Adds flavor and color to food. |
Great in: East Indian cooking and curries. Gives American-style prepared mustard its bright yellow color. |