Top 10 Kitchen Spices
It was tough to whittle it down to just 10 spices you should always have in your kitchen, but here it goes. Take a look at our list of top 10 kitchen spices, and let us know what you’d add to the list!
Himilayan Salt
I never cook a dish without this beauty. Pale pink in colour, and with more minerals than any other salt, this ‘super condiment’ has been used for years to cure headaches and re-balance the body. Switch your sea salt out your shaker and replace with this. It’s not expensive either; I get mine from local health stores or T K Maxx (which always has great deals on this salt!)
Black Pepper
Another must have condiment. Perfect for adding to stirfrys, italian dishes, roasted meat and more. Just make sure you’re stocked up and ready for the occasion!
Fresh Coriander
Coriander is one of those herbs you either love or hate. Present in most Asian cooking, it adds an almost zesty, fresh flavour to curry’s, stir fry’s, noodle dishes and more. It can even be used in Asian desserts! I personally love coriander. I add it to meat rubs, marinades, soups… you name it! TOP TIP: Buy fresh and keep it in the freezer. It doesn’t take any defrosting and you can just break bits off as you need it.
Fresh Parsley
A herb used readily in Iranian/Middle-Eastern cuisine as well as Italian dishes, sprinkle over pasta, rub into meats, add to salads or chuck into casseroles. High in vitamin A and C (great for your eyes and body repair and maintenance), you can make a highly nutritious tea out of it too! Store in a similar way to coriander!
Fresh Garlic
Crushed, roasted, sliced… there’s a few ways you can use fresh garlic. My favourite recipes using crushed garlic include bombay prawns, boston beef and stuffed aubergines.
TIP: Store in a cool, dark place. In a pantry or under the cupboard work well for me!
Fresh Ginger
Awesome for adding extra flavour to salads, a warmness to biscuits and cakes, warmth without ‘hotness’ to curries and marinades, and everything in between. It’s also brilliant with fresh lemon and hot water in a morning to wake up your metabolism. WE LOVE GINGER!
TIP: Keep in the freezer and grate as necessary.
Ground Cinnamon
Did you know that cinnamon has been used for centuries in Eastern Medicines to stabilise blood sugar? It’s a natural herb used to help control blood sugar levels and stop sugar storing as fat. Great not just in curries and Middle-Eastern cuisines, but also rubbed in to lamb, and also in breakfasts like porridge and overnight oats!
TIP: You can usually get large packs from the ‘World Foods’ section isle in the supermarket that’s LOADS cheaper than the small packs you get in the herb isle!
Cajun Spices
Used loads in Mexican and American foods, cajun spices is great rubbed into various chicken dishes to add dimension with one herb mix. We don’t need to sell it any more!
Ground Cumin
Awesome for adding to soups, broths, roast meats, curries… Another simple Asian/Middle Eastern herb which can be used with pretty much anything!
Italian Herbs
Usually a mix of basil, oregano, parsley, rosemary,thyme, marjoram,sage, salt, and black pepper, the main way I tend to use these is for pasta sauces, casseroles, stews or stir frys. Quick and easy, you just toss them in and off you go!
So that’s my top 10 herbs, what would you add in to the list?