# Favorite spice



## Twigg (Oct 7, 2020)

Just curious as to what people seem to like or have as a favorite spice. I'm looking for responses beyond the usual suspects like salt, pepper, garlic, onion, etc. You know what I mean.

My personal favorite is homemade Leutschauer paprika and the runner up is cumin.


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## M1k3 (Oct 7, 2020)

Smoked paprika and nutmeg.


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## dafox (Oct 7, 2020)

Chilis of all sorts followed by ginger.


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## spaceconvoy (Oct 7, 2020)

Dill - I add it to homemade salad dressing, chicken soup, tuna salad, roasted potatoes... mmm, now I'm hungry


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## btbyrd (Oct 7, 2020)

I'm using coriander more and more these days, especially on chicken, pork, and fish.

And though they're an herb, not a spice, I'm a fiend for chives.


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## Twigg (Oct 7, 2020)

It's good to read why you like them and you uses. Also, herbs are fine!


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## Mikeadunne (Oct 7, 2020)

btbyrd said:


> I'm using coriander more and more these days, especially on chicken, pork, and fish.
> 
> And though they're an herb, not a spice, I'm a fiend for chives.


I feel like I can fit coriander in almost anywhere - versatile


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## juice (Oct 7, 2020)

Salt
Garlic
Onion
Chillis (finally, he qualifies)


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## tchan001 (Oct 7, 2020)

Timut peppercorn.
Like Sichuan peppercorn but with a citrus flavor.


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## parbaked (Oct 7, 2020)

Posh Spice was my favorite...


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## RonB (Oct 7, 2020)

Beer - it goes with almost everything, (not so much a beer float ).


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## billyO (Oct 7, 2020)

@parbaked beat me to it. But I was going to say Sporty......


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## Chips (Oct 8, 2020)

Cumin all the way.


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## alterwisser (Oct 8, 2020)

M1k3 said:


> Smoked paprika and nutmeg.


 Smoked paprika for the win!


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## MarcelNL (Oct 8, 2020)

on #1: wild andilaman pepper, (a bit like timut, both akin to sichuan pepper), Pixian Douban (does that qualify?), fresh bayleaf, fresh holy basil, wild fennel seed (almost impossible to get), fenugreek


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## dafox (Oct 8, 2020)

Spice Melange


"melange (me-lange also ma,lanj) n-s, original uncertain (thought to derive from ancient Terran Franzh): a. mixture of spices; b. spice of Arrakis (Dune) with geriatric properties first noted by Yanshuph Ashkoko, royal chemist in reign of Shakkad the Wise; Arrakeen melange, found only in deepest...




dune.fandom.com


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## TheGreek (Oct 8, 2020)

Tough question. I'm all over the place so I don't get bored. If there is a clear winner for me it's: Greek Oregano! Wild is best. If it is fresh, only use it in the last 15 min of cooking as it gets too pungent for most tastes. My favorite is wild oregano that I dry myself. I'll mix my dried oregano with dried basil, dried mint, and dried rosemary (equal parts for all). That's my go to.


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## AFKitchenknivesguy (Oct 8, 2020)

This limits my options, but I love cinnamon.


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## LostHighway (Oct 8, 2020)

Most used herbs & spices*:* salts, peppers, chiles (both fresh and dried), basil, cilantro leaf and coriander seeds, nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger, cumin, oregano or marjoram _edit : forgot rosemary_
Less commonly used but still staples*: *turmeric, cardamon both green and black, Sichuan pepper, sage, mustard seed, ajwain, sumac, cloves, fenugreek
I also use a bunch of blends*: *garam masala, various curry blends, za'atar, ras el hanout, Chinese five spice, ...


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## Bobby2shots (Oct 9, 2020)

Chipotle/Mango blend,,,,, Yummmmmmmmm


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## rickbern (Oct 9, 2020)

Gotta give saffron a shout out here! Love it always, but it makes rice sing.


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## F-Flash (Oct 9, 2020)

Anus, star anus,... star anise I mean! And smoked paprika.


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## ecchef (Oct 9, 2020)

Been playing with Sansho pepper, galangal & sumac lately, along with staples fennel, coriander, smoked paprika. Herb-wise I like to sneak shiso in when I can.


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## pgugger (Oct 9, 2020)

So hard to pick one or even just a few... maybe cardamom, Sichuan pepper, guajillo chile...


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## KO88 (Oct 9, 2020)

Home smoked powder from my superhot chillies (I grow 7pots mainly) that thing is TNT in mouth in both world heat and taste!

Then love cardamon, star anyze or chinese 5 spice (with pork specailly). Also use a lot kaffir lime leaves (frozen or dried) - love it in when making chicken stock or stock generaly...


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## Oshidashi (Oct 10, 2020)

Ground Aleppo red pepper, rich taste and medium heat. And I am also a big fan of sambal oelek, Indonesian chili paste that I mix into almost everything. 

Regarding Aleppo pepper, for those of you who are not familiar, quoting bonappetit,com: "[Aleppo pepper is] about half as hot as the crushed red chile flakes you put on your late-night dollar-slice pizza, and easily twice as flavorful. Like salt, Aleppo-style pepper is a flavor enhancer. It marries slow-building heat with earthy, cumin-y undertones and a little hit of fruity tang—and yes, it’s as delicious as it sounds."


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## M1k3 (Oct 10, 2020)

Twigg said:


> It's good to read why you like them and you uses. Also, herbs are fine!


Smoked Paprika- I like adding it to beans. Anything that could do with a little "pop of smoke". Works good in sour cream also. And for "I want to make BBQ, but don't have the space for a BBQ, so it gets cooked in the oven".

Nutmeg- I learned from an old Argentine lady making Italian pastas that it "gives a little extra something something". In moderation. Sort of like salt. I use the fresh stuff. Not as convenient to use but stays fresh longer.


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## daveb (Oct 10, 2020)

Be careful opening this up to herbs in this crowd  

My spice "rack" is a full three shelf cabinet. Among favorites are smoked paprika, various chile, bbq rubs (I typically buy them vs make them).
Favorite herb is rosemary, like the smell, like the taste, like the visual.


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## Bert2368 (Oct 10, 2020)

Various hot chilis, who could have guessed from what I post...


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## spaceconvoy (Oct 10, 2020)

daveb said:


> Be careful opening this up to herbs in this crowd


lol

To be pedantic, most people's favorite here is chili, but that's a new world fruit and was never part of the spice trade.

I agree with Oshidashi, Aleppo pepper is the best type of spicy dried fruit. For actual spices, I've come to like blue fenugreek a lot ever since I got into Georgian cooking. I add it to soups and stews to give a nice background warmth, like how M1k3 uses nutmeg. And my favorite sap / vegetable resin is asafetida. Just a tiny bit fried in oil before making dahl is a nice alternative to onions and garlic.


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## JBroida (Oct 10, 2020)

sansho or sometimes red Sichuan pepper corns

but just know that i couldn't live without a little ajinomoto in my life either (MSG)


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## Oshidashi (Oct 10, 2020)

spaceconvoy said:


> To be pedantic, most people's favorite here is chili, but that's a new world fruit and was never part of the spice trade.



I was surprised and intrigued at spaceconvoy's implication regarding chili's qualification as a spice, especially given the global ubiquity of every common spice and herb and vegetable known to man. Why would inclusion or non-inclusion in the old spice trade qualify or disqualify the classification of any contemporary ingredient? It is fascinating how rapidly New World species became ubiquitous, many centuries ago, in the Old. Where are not chilis eaten? Or corn or tomatoes, for that matter. 

Anyway, I looked up Wikipedia's article on "Spice," which starts as follows: "A *spice* is a seed, fruit, root, bark, or other plant substance primarily used for flavoring or coloring food. Spices are distinguished from herbs, which are the leaves, flowers, or stems of plants used for flavoring or as a garnish." In that case, chili is a spice and oregano and thyme are not. (I believe, of course, that such classifications have little practical relevance.)


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## spaceconvoy (Oct 11, 2020)

Fun fact: there are only three new-world spices in widespread use: chili peppers, vanilla, and allspice. I agree about the "practical relevance," but it's interesting to imagine a world before chili pepper... not to mention tomato. What a miserable existence


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## M1k3 (Oct 11, 2020)

spaceconvoy said:


> What a miserable existence


Unless you lived in the Andes?
"Today's tomatoes began as wild plants in the Andes, growing in parts of Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru."


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## daveb (Oct 11, 2020)

So where do the Spice Girls fit into this calculus?

Pretty new world it seems to me.


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## Oshidashi (Oct 11, 2020)

spaceconvoy said:


> Fun fact: there are only three new-world spices in widespread use: chili peppers, vanilla, and allspice. I agree about the "practical relevance," but it's interesting to imagine a world before chili pepper... not to mention tomato. What a miserable existence



Oh, yeah! Sad, sad places those Mediterranean, Indian and Thai kitchens must have been before the chili brought happiness and magic, and the tomato balance and sweetness.


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## ian (Oct 11, 2020)

Kaffir lime is magical. In the last city I lived in, one of the little Italian markets used to get fresh ones for some reason. One of my most memorable meals ever was some fried softshell crabs I made with kaffir limes... can’t remember exactly what I did, but it was great. Obviously love the flavor in curries too.

Szechuan peppercorn is awesome.

I don’t use saffron much, but when I do it’s transformative.

Probably I shouldn’t really comment in this thread, though, since I tend not to use many spices when I cook.


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## Chunkybananahead (Oct 11, 2020)

The discovery of Asafoetida changed my life in the making of many Indian dishes at home. Until then the “restaurant quality dish” seemed unattainable.


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## Keith Sinclair (Oct 11, 2020)

Baharat Middle eastern spice mix.


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## panda (Oct 12, 2020)

mustard


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## tminus (Oct 12, 2020)

My go-to for steaks and pork chops is to blitz up some dried porcini into a fine powder and liberally dust while finishing in the pan or resting. And maybe some more after slicing with finishing salts. Adds a nice umami layer that reminds me of dry aging.

Also preserved lemons can completely transform a dish.


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## lechef (Oct 12, 2020)

tchan001 said:


> Timut peppercorn.
> Like Sichuan peppercorn but with a citrus flavor.



Plus 1. Love this one. Buy it from a guy in Paris that does world class sourcing. Timur sauvage du Népal - Épices Shira
Apart from that would be Star Anis and Green Cardamomme


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## lechef (Oct 12, 2020)

Btw the OG spice grinder when I don´t use a mortar is def. Krups. 30€ or so. You can see it pictured in the TFL Cookbook 25 years ago, still going strong


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## Keith Sinclair (Oct 12, 2020)

Not one spice, blends all famous around the world. When I was in India piles of spices. Get amount you want & mix your own. Milder curry north hotter in the southern end. 

Some spice blends no single recipe ingredients change according to region.

Baharat Middle Eastern & Africa
Paprika
Peppers
Cumin
Coriander
Cloves
Star Anise
Nutmeg
Diff areas have ginger, sumic, saffron.
Tumeric

Moroccan Ras El Hanout 
Ginger
Cardamom
Mace
Cinnamon
Allspice
Coriander
Nutmeg
Peppers
Anise
Cloves

Indian Garam Masaia
Cinnamon
Mace
Peppers
Coriander
Cumin
Cardamon

Curries as you know have taken on many types in different countries.

If you haven't eaten Moroccan & Middle Eastern cuisine you haven't lived yet.

It's like eating Pork Chili Verde cooked by Mexicans.


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## chappychap (Oct 12, 2020)

Chunkybananahead said:


> The discovery of Asafoetida changed my life in the making of many Indian dishes at home. Until then the “restaurant quality dish” seemed unattainable.



Curious, what are the best Indian dishes you've done with asefoetida? Struggling with a similar issue of achieving restaurant quality. Do you use it to substitute certain ingredients (garlic?), how do you use it?


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## spaceconvoy (Oct 12, 2020)

chappychap said:


> Curious, what are the best Indian dishes you've done with asefoetida? Struggling with a similar issue of achieving restaurant quality. Do you use it to substitute certain ingredients (garlic?), how do you use it?


Try this recipe








Chole (Chana Masala) - Manjula's Kitchen - Indian Vegetarian Recipes


Chole also known chickpea, garbanzo, and kable chana, Chana Masala is a cooked in a spicy tomato gravy. This is a very popular, served with Naan, Tandori Roti.



www.manjulaskitchen.com


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## daveb (Oct 12, 2020)

Damn sure not Pumkin Spice. I did a donut run on way in this morn. PS donuts, PS muffins, PS coffee, PS Tea. And they all suck.


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## ethompson (Oct 12, 2020)

Been using a lot of sumac and mace recently. Also really like long pepper.


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## martinezz (Oct 13, 2020)

Oregano, I put it on everything. I also use oregano oil sometimes, but that is for its amazing health benefits, not for the taste which is kinda awful. That is kinda weird since I love the taste of normal oregano, but hate it as oil, probably because it is just too strong. I also like to use turmeric, especially on high quality rice.


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## Iggy (Oct 13, 2020)

Shichimi tōgarashi 

Cooking a lot of japanese food nowadays. But also fits just as a general spice for different applications


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## MarcelNL (Oct 13, 2020)

chappychap said:


> Curious, what are the best Indian dishes you've done with asefoetida? Struggling with a similar issue of achieving restaurant quality. Do you use it to substitute certain ingredients (garlic?), how do you use it?


Devils dung, or asafoetida is indeed a sortof replacement for garlic.

Get a decent book, I found that the major difference betweeb result on the plate is in the amount of spices, their relative amounts and the order of adding them. YMMV. We have several Indian cookbooks but one is miles beyond the others;
https://www.amazon.com/India-Recipes-Celebrate-Family-Tradition/dp/162686523X?tag=forumyield-20 (no I do not have any shares in Amazon, nor do I get royalties from the publisher).


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## The Edge (Oct 13, 2020)

We've loaded up our spice cabinet over the last couple of years with a large variety of stuff. One thing I'm learning is to cut back on the number of spices when I'm trying to cook something, but not be afraid of the amount of any certain spice. 

My current favorite, for the last 5 years, has been coriander seed. Incredibly versatile. Can be the star of the show if crusted on a steak with pepper and salt, but can play a backup role in Indian food when paired with clove, cardamom, cumin, and ginger, etc. I find the flavor to be bright, grassy, sweet, with a hint of citrus. Though my wife isn't a fan when I do a vary coarse grind with it, as the seeds get stuck in her teeth.

I'm still adding to the spice cabinet though, as I love all spices, and they have the ability to change the whole essence of a dish when used correctly.


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## Keith Sinclair (Oct 13, 2020)

MarcelNL said:


> Devils dung, or asafoetida is indeed a sortof replacement for garlic.
> 
> Get a decent book, I found that the major difference betweeb result on the plate is in the amount of spices, their relative amounts and the order of adding them. YMMV. We have several Indian cookbooks but one is miles beyond the others;
> https://www.amazon.com/India-Recipes-Celebrate-Family-Tradition/dp/162686523X?tag=forumyield-20 (no I do not have any shares in Amazon, nor do I get royalties from the publisher).


 
Picked this up. Love Indian food. Cheap on Amazon.


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## MarcelNL (Oct 13, 2020)

ground coriander and fennel seed together is also nice! Our spice cabinets are taking over the kitchen...we are thinking how we should organize spices in our new house, and kitchen-to-be-designed, perhaos I should combine the horns with spice storage


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## Lars (Oct 13, 2020)

Keith Sinclair said:


> Picked this up. Love Indian food. Cheap on Amazon.


Me too!


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## Lars (Oct 13, 2020)

MarcelNL said:


> ground coriander and fennel seed together is also nice! Our spice cabinets are taking over the kitchen...we are thinking how we should organize spices in our new house, and kitchen-to-be-designed, perhaos I should combine the horns with spice storage


As long as you flush mount the horns, I don't care what you do with the spices..!


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