Herbs and Spices are the cornerstone of any dish. Especially since commercially processed spices and sauces are no longer an option, understanding how to use these and the complexity of flavors can make or break a dish.
Some herbs and spices I try to use fresh whenever possible (denoted with *). I either buy them fresh from the store or grow them in my garden at home.
If I can’t obtain them fresh I use dried herbs and ground powders instead. For some spices that come in seed form, if I can buy the seed or whole chile and grind it myself as needed, that’s my preferred method (denoted with ~).
Some require a spice grater (denoted with >).
Here are my top 40 that I keep on hand or are readily available:
1) Allspice*
2) Ancho Chiles~
3) Anaheim Chiles~
4) Basil*
5) Bay Leaf*
6) Black Pepper~
7) Caraway Seed~
8) Cardamom Pods~
9) Cayenne Pepper Seeds~
10) Chervil*
11) Chipotle Chiles~
12) Cilantro*
13) Cinnamon Sticks >
14) Cloves*
15) Coriander Seed~
16) Cumin Seed~
17) Curry Powder
18) Dill weed*
19) Fennel Seed~
20) Fenugreek Seed~
21) Garlic (Whole)*
22) Ginger Root*
23) Lemongrass (Whole)*
24) Marjoram*
25) Mustard Seed~
26) New Mexico Chiles~
27) Nutmeg >
28) Onion (Whole)*
29) Oregano*
30) Parsley*
31) Peppermint*
32) Red Chile Pepper Seeds~
33) Rosemary*
34) Sage*
35) Savory*
36) Sea Salt
37) Star Anise~
38) Tarragon*
39) Thyme*
40) Vanilla Bean (Whole)*