Culinary Guide

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!

The Spice Hunter® Recommends
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 spices 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.