You can have all the great cookware sets you want, follow amazing recipes, and make your food look beautiful, but it could still be bland as anything. Don’t worry, there are plenty of ways to liven your food up, and one of the easiest routes is through spices. To get you started, here are six must-have spices for improving the flavor of your dishes:
1. Garlic
Sumptuous, rich, tangy, tasty garlic comes in long-lasting powder form, so you can always have this important spice in your cupboard to enhance your food. It can sit at the base of a wide range of cuisines, from curry to pasta, dips and chips to seasonings and meaty marinades.
If you want a gentler garlic flavor in your food, try roasting the entire bulb whole and then squeezing the cloves out. The result is soft, roasted garlic that tastes delicious in all kinds of dishes, even spread alone on crackers.
2. Cinnamon
Cinnamon is a fantastic spice to have in the cupboard because of its versatility. It is warm, fruity, sweet, and deep in flavor. This allows it to enhance fruity pies, porridge dishes, teas, and sweetbreads. It can also be added to curries, stews, and meat dishes for some warmth and depth of flavor. This is one of the simplest ways to give your food layers of flavorful complexity. For vegans and vegetarians, cinnamon does a brilliant job of adding body to plant-based treats.
3. Cumin
Cumin is nutty, earthy, and incredibly rich, making it the perfect spice for a huge range of foods. Add it to home-made hummus, curried salad dressing, or as part of homemade spice blends for curries and chili. It is also a great idea to experiment with the whole seeds, which can add a stronger cumin flavor to dishes. If you have some time on your hands, there’s nothing quite like the delectable aroma of home-made cumin bread filling your home.
4. Crushed Red Chili Flakes
Crushed red chili flakes are perfect little packages of warmth that are ideal for dishes that need a quick shot of fire. You can add them to marinades, dips, salad dressings, pizza, and veggie dishes in a pinch, without having to worry about the overwhelming kick that can come with fresh chili.
5. Turmeric
Turmeric is earthy, floral, and bright in flavor. It is also very good for you and can be found in tablets and capsules as an anti-inflammatory for humans and animals.
When it comes to using it in cooking, it happens to be an extremely versatile spice. We love it in this smoothie recipe for a warming vitamin-rich boost full of flavor:
- One thumb of grated ginger
- Half an orange
- Half a fresh apple
- A pinch of black pepper or a tablespoon of coconut oil
- One banana
- A tablespoon of dairy-free yogurt
- A teaspoon of dried turmeric
Blend until smooth, then enjoy! Add a bit more ginger for extra heat.
6. Oregano
Dried oregano is a bitter and warm herb that is often overlooked because it is such a common feature of so many dishes. You find it in many pizza topping sprinklers, in pasta dishes, roasted potato coatings, and dressings. The reason it’s so common is that it’s such a fundamental flavor in so many cuisines, which is why it is an essential spice to have in your cupboard.
With these six spices, your food can go from bore to your family asking for more! Why not try spicing things up today for yummy food in a pinch?