Don’t be afraid to get adventurous with food and experiment with herbs and spices. With the right combinations you can turn a regular meal into an explosion of flavors to spice up an otherwise ordinary day! Thanks to the detailed guidance in Herb & Spice Companion, you can uncover the magical blends and effects of even the most underrated spices. Did you know that herb and spice blends vary depending on the region of origin of the meal you’re preparing? Thanks to this fool proof guide, excerpted from Herb & Spice Companion, little work is left up to you to find the perfect flavors to take your meals to the next level. Enjoy!
HERB & SPICE BLENDS
AFRICA
Berbere (Ethiopia): dried hot chili peppers, peppercorns, fenugreek seeds, cardamom, coriander seeds, ajwain, nigella, cumin, allspice, cloves, ground ginger, cinnamon Qâlat Daqqa, or Tunisian Five-Spice Blend: peppercorns, cloves, grains of paradise, cinnamon, nutmeg
Ras el Hanout (Morocco): can contain more than 20 spices, typically including cardamom, cumin, cloves, cassia, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, chili peppers, coriander seeds, peppercorns, grains of paradise, paprika, fenugreek seeds, turmeric, ground ginger
ASIA
Chinese Five-Spice Powder: star anise, Sichuan peppers, fennel seeds, cloves, cassia or cinnamon
Shichimi Togarashi, or Japanese Seven-Spice Powder: white sesame seeds, black sesame seeds, hemp seeds (or poppy seeds), powdered dried tangerine peel, nori flakes, hot chili flakes, sansho, ginger
EUROPE
Bouquet Garni: fresh or dried herbs tied into bundles or sachets; parsley, thyme, marjoram, bay leaves; sometimes oregano, savory, sage, rosemary, and tarragon
Fines Herbes: fresh chervil, parsley, tarragon, chives, marjoram
Herbes de Provence: fresh or dried basil, bay leaf, hyssop, chervil, marjoram, fennel seeds, lavender flowers, oregano, rosemary, sage, summer savory, tarragon, thyme
Italian Seasoning: dried basil, oregano, rosemary, thyme, garlic powder or flakes Quatre Épices: black or white peppercorns, cloves, nutmeg, ground ginger
INDIA
Chaat Masala: amchoor, asafetida, cumin, black peppercorns, ajwain, dried mint, chili powder, coriander seeds
Curry Powder: cumin, fenugreek seeds, coriander seeds, hot chili peppers, turmeric, mustard seeds, black peppercorns, ground ginger, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, dried red chili peppers
Garam Masala: black cardamom, cinnamon, coriander seeds, cumin, black peppercorns; sometimes sesame seeds, fennel seeds, ajwain, hot chili peppers, green cardamom, mace,and ginger
THE MIDDLE EAST
Zhug (Yemeni paste): fresh green or red chili peppers (seeds removed to reduce heat), garlic, coriander seeds, cardamom, cilantro, cumin, black peppercorns
Hilbeh (Yemeni dip): fenugreek seeds, cilantro, garlic, ground black pepper, cardamom, caraway seeds, green chili peppers (seeds removed), lemon juice
Za’atar: dried ground oregano, thyme, marjoram, dry-roasted sesame seeds, ground sumac TIP: Za’atar is both an herb blend and an individual herb on its own: Origanum syriacum. Za’atar the herb can be used in place of oregano, thyme, and marjoram in the blend. Combine the blend with olive oil to form a paste.
LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN
Adobo: oregano, garlic, black peppercorns, turmeric
Jerk Seasoning (Jamaica): allspice, cinnamon, brown sugar, red chili flakes, cloves, cumin, black peppercorns, thyme, dried parsley, garlic powder
Recado Rojo (Mexico and Belize): annatto seeds, coriander seeds, cumin, black peppercorns, cloves, Mexican oregano, crushed garlic; sometimes cinnamon, allspice
NORTH AMERICA
BBQ Seasoning: garlic powder (or finely chopped garlic), paprika, black peppercorns, cumin, thyme, cayenne, mustard powder, brown sugar
Cajun Seasoning: paprika, black peppercorns, cayenne, fennel seeds, cumin, garlic powder (or crushed garlic), onion flakes, oregano, thyme
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You can spice up your cooking when you learn how to grow, dry, store and use over 100 herbs and spices!
Herb and Spice Companion is your ultimate guide for using fresh and dried herbs and spices in the kitchen. Inside this handy book, get descriptions of more than 100 herbs and spices from around the world. Discover useful tips on storing and using spices to create innovative combinations of flavors. This is the essential guidebook to using herbs and spices to add flavor and depth in your cooking. From basil to beebalm, from lavender to lemon verbena, learn all of the interesting aspects of your herbs, including their rich history, how to grow, harvest, and dry them, and even their unique medicinal uses. This is a must-have for anyone’s cookbook library.
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