Spice of Life
Pantry 101: Part 2- Spice 🌶 & Herb 🍃 Flavor 💣
Welcome Friends, 🥂
Continuing the Pantry 101 Series today with some lowdown on Spicing Up Your Eats.
Feel free to refer back to Part 1 on Pantry Essentials to get a well-rounded idea of good products to have on hand.
Remember: Your Pantry Should be the Treasure Trove of Your Kitchen. A time saving, efficiency, flavor-bomb resource to constantly cook up delicious meals.
In part 1 Spices/Herbs were mentioned, as a placeholder. This is because we could spend weeks breaking down spices, exploring flavor profiles, preparation and blend options, and then spend more weeks going through specific Food Cultures across the Globe.
Every food culture has their own pantry and spice/herb palate that is distinct and unique. As a curious cook, 🐙 never tires of exploring more and discovering new combinations, preparations and uses.
Herbs & Spices:
Both of these have a place in your pantry.
The difference?
“Herbs are obtained from the leaves of herbaceous (non-woody) plants. They are used for savory purposes in cooking and some have medicinal value. Herbs often are used in larger amounts than spices. Herbs originated from temperate climates such as Italy, France, and England. Herb also is a word used to define any herbaceous plant that dies down at the end of the growing season and may not refer to its culinary value at all.
Spices are obtained from roots, flowers, fruits, seeds or bark. Spices are native to warm tropical climates and can be woody or herbaceous plants. Spices often are more potent and stronger flavored than herbs; as a result they typically are used in smaller amounts. Some spices are used not only to add taste, but also as a preservative.”- Iowa State Horticulture Dept.
Maximum Flavor:
When you look at herbs and spices, think of these as Nature’s Flavor Bombs 💣
If you are consistently getting bored or tired of the food you’re cooking at home, chances are you could up the flavor with some herb and spice know-how. In addition to the 5 flavors of Sweet/Sour/Salty/Bitter/Umami, using herbs and spices opens up an unlimited possibility of delicious flavor combinations. Further, certain spices can add characteristic color to certain dishes. Think deep orange-yellow of Turmeric powder or bright red from Kashmiri chili 🌶 powder.
*Note: Come across quite a few eaters who are averse to leftovers. Leftovers that are well seasoned with herbs and spices, generally, taste delicious the day(s) after they are prepared.
-Dried vs Fresh Herbs
Fresh herbs are an absolute cheat code for flavor-bomb cookery, but that’s a separate Substack topic.
The herbs that you are storing in your pantry/spice cupboard will be dried. It’s important to know that heartier, sturdier herbs will retain more flavor when dried vs thinner, more fragile herbs.
In addition the amount of essential oils contained in different herbs plays a factor.
For example; basil is a very aromatic and vibrant herb when fresh. However, the thin leaf structure and essential oil content contribute to this herb retaining little flavor when dried. The same goes for parsley.
Contrast that with rosemary or thyme. Woodier, heartier leaves that have a higher essential oil content make these herbs very forgiving when dried and great to have on hand when using for cooking.
Oregano and Sage fall more in the center, leaning to the thyme and rosemary spectrum of being useful. Less essential oils but still hold aroma and flavor well.
-Buying & Storage
Buying the best quality spices makes a difference but everyone has a different budget so don’t stress. Some premium brands are just fluff marketing. If you’re on a budget then check out middle eastern and asian markets where spices tend to get bought and rotated out of the shelves frequently. Middle eastern markets especially. Black peppercorns, mustard seeds (yellow, brown, black) and other commonly used spices can be found here.
Storage is important, especially for longer term (~6 months). Avoid heat and light. Your spices and herbs are chocked full of essential oils. Swings in temperature and/or staying in direct late will cause faster degrading of flavors.
If you have to leave your spices out, avoid glass that lets in light all day. Glass containers and tubes are fine for keeping in cabinets. Container Store or IKEA are great places to look for glass or metal storage vessels.
As an OCD, storing alphabetized is the go-to. However, consider storing your herbs and spices by Frequency of Use, Savory vs Baking, and even by geographic cultures. Whatever works for you and is easy to grab, go, use and return.
-Fat vs Water Soluble Flavors
This was mentioned already, but important to remember. While ~all herbs and spices have essential oils and flavor compounds. Some favor water solubility and others favor fat solubility.
A dedicated Substack post on this is likely but for now, use the below as a quick reference:
Fat-Soluble / Woody Herbs – thyme, rosemary, sage, oregano, bay.
Water-Soluble / Leafy Herbs – mint, basil, dill, chives, coriander, parsley.
-Essential Spices & Herbs
Use the below list as a reference to build your flavor profile memory-bank.
When using herbs and spices, smell them… familiarize yourself with them. Repeated smelling will ingrain those flavors in your mind and will begin to form a war-chest of info to draw from when cooking.
All Spice: Warm and Sweet Spice; Similar to cloves, but more less “heat”. Very good in spice mixes and also pickling liquids.
Bay Leaf: Adds a mild menthol and woodsy background note to soups and sauces.
Cardamom: A warming, aromatic spice. Widely used in Indian cuisine and in the Garam Masala blend. Also useful in certain baked goods; combines well with spices like clove and cinnamon.
Cayenne Pepper:Made from dried and ground red chili peppers. Adds a sweet heat to soups, braises, and spice mixes.
Cinnamon:Found in almost every world cuisine, cinnamon serves double duty as spice in both sweet and savory dishes.
Clove: Sweet and warming spice; a little goes a long way. Too much can take pleasant warming to downright hot on the palate. Used most often in baking, but also good with braised meat or hams.
Coriander: Earthy, lemony flavor. Frequent in Mexican and Indian dishes
Cumin: Smoky and earthy. Cumin appears in a lot of Southwestern U.S. and Mexican cuisine, as well as North African, Middle Eastern, and Indian. Cumin is on the aggressive-strong side of the spectrum. Use judiciously.
Fennel Seed: A sweet and licorice flavored spice.
Garlic Powder: Made from dehydrated garlic cloves. Less vibrant than fresh, powdered version can add a sweeter, softer garlic flavor.
Ginger Powder: Ground ginger is made from dehydrated fresh ginger. Carries a zesty bite, but more mellow than fresh.
Mustard: Spicy, fresh, clean aromatics, with a sharp, tangy flavor. This makes mustard powder or seeds perfect for cutting through rich ingredients like beef and butter sauces.
Nutmeg: Sweet and pungent. Primarily a baking spice, it also adds warm notes to savory dishes (like purees, root vegetables, etc).
Oregano: Robust, somewhat lemony flavor. Appears frequently in Mexican and Mediterranean dishes (Esp. Italian).
Paprika: Mild pepper with a sweet note and a bright red color. Used in stews (Chicken Paprikash) and spice blends. (Also can get “Hot” variety)
Peppercorns: Peppercorns come in a variety of colors (black, white, pink, and green being common). Pungent spices that pack a variety of heat. Black peppercorn tends to present up front, while white peppercorn adds more heat to the back end of flavors.
Rosemary: Strong, piney and resinous. Stands up well to robust braises, olive focaccia, or grilled steaks.
Sage: Pine-like flavor, with more lemony and eucalyptus notes than rosemary. Excellent with pork. (Think breakfast sausage and Thanksgiving white bread stuffing).
Star Anise: Sweet licorice flavor to sauces and soups.
Thyme: All Purpose Herb. Gives a pungent, floral, fresh and zesty flavor.
Turmeric: Can be used for its yellow color or its flavor. Turmeric has a mild woodsy flavor with slight peppery notes.
-Basic Spice Blends
Some herbs/spices have a natural affinity for each other. These are classics, and they’re classic for a reason.
They work!
Here are some common blends; remember, we will deep dive into specific food cultures at a later date.
Chili Powder: Used in tacos, chili, grilled meats, stews braises and more… Chili powder is a blend of ground chilis and also cumin, oregano, cayenne, and lots of optional extras depending on the maker. Another Spice blend you can make “Your Own”.
Chinese 5-Spice: Best used judiciously, this blend is powerful and full of sweet and spicy flavors. Star anise, Szechuan peppercorns, fennel, cassia, and clove. The blend adds sweetness and depth to savory dishe; eg. beef, duck, and pork.
Curry Powder: Designed to be a handy blend for curries in general. Blends will include turmeric, coriander, cumin, fenugreek, and red pepper, but mixes will vary. (You can just make your own too 😉 )
Garam Masala: Literally means “Hot Spice”. The hot refers to the warming action of the spices in the blend. Not spicy, like scoville 🌶 . Typically includes cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, cumin, coriander, nutmeg, and pepper. Most households will have their own specific blend. (Like BBQ sauce in the South 🇺🇸)
Herbs de Provance: Classic French savory herb mix. Usually contains rosemary, marjoram, thyme, and sometimes lavender. Great for chicken, fish or vegetables.
Ras el Hanout: North African/Moroccan Spice Blend. Very aromatic. Cardamom, clove, cinnamon, paprika, coriander, cumin, mace, nutmeg, peppercorn, and turmeric.
Za’atar: Blend of thyme, sumac, and sesame seeds. This is an all-purpose seasoning in many Middle Eastern dishes. Useful on grilled meats, grilled vegetables, flatbread, and hummus.
And that should serve as a great guide to setting up and stocking your pantry for herbs and spices.
Can’t wait for Friday! Going to be dropping “Legit Orange Chicken” Recipe for the Paid Subs… it’s gonna be tasty and fun; never need to order out again!
Until Nest time! 🥂