How to Use Spices Like a Pro
The Spice Girls of the 90’s had it right when they told the people of the world to “spice up your life.” But using spices can be a tricky business if you’re not confident in how they fit together. There’s nothing worse than putting the wrong spices together and ruining a good meal. However, spices don’t have to be scary! Most of it comes down to the aroma of the spice, and what key aromas it shares with other foods.
Extraordinarily, only 20% of flavour is experienced through taste, and 80% is experienced through smell. Because smell is so essential to taste, the way these pairings work is by matching up key aromas that are common between each spice. So we’ve done the work for you here, so you can get confident with your spice rack.
Anise Seed
Herbs and Spices: Pairs really well with basil, rosemary, thyme, oregano, nutmeg, cinnamon, and cumin.
Foods: Pairs pretty well with lemon zest, orange peel, mango, and blackcurrant, and carrot.
Basil
Herbs and Spices: Pairs really well with thyme, cardamom, anise seed, rosemary, nutmeg, oregano, parsley, sage, corander, anise, ginger, cinnamon, and tarragon.
Foods: Pairs really well with citrus, zests, berries, tomato, carrot, beef, pork, and mozzarella.
Bay leaves
Herbs and Spices: Pairs well with allspice, harlic, oregano, parsley, sage, and thyme.
Foods: Pairs well with artichoke, beans, beef, lentils, mushrooms, potatoes, poultry, and tomatoes.
Cardamom
Herbs and Spices: Pairs really well with basil, thyme, nutmeg, oregano, parsley, and ginger.
Fruits: Pairs very well with citrus fruits, cranberry, carrot, tomato, duck, gruyère, and mozzarella.
Chives
Herbs and Spices: Pairs extremely well with ginger and lemongrass.
Foods: Pairs extremely well with butter, coconut, sole, oyster, brie, cheddar, camembert, and curry.
Cilantro
Herbs and Spices: Pairs extremely ginger, lemon, mint, dill, oregano, basil, and cardamom.
Foods: Pairs really well with carrot, citrus fruits, carnberry, guava, mango, and mozzarella.
Cinnamon
Herbs and Spices: Pairs really well with basil, lemon zest, mint, and anise.
Foods: Pairs really well with guava, mango, berries, citrus fruits, and pork belly.
Cloves
Herbs and Spices: Pairs extremely well with basil, cinnamon, nutmeg, mint, and sage.
Foods: Pairs extremely well with gorgonzola, berries, banana, dark chocolate, gruyère, brie, and apple.
Coriander
Herbs and Spices: Pairs really well with basil, thyme, oregano, rosemary, sage, parsley, mint, and ginger.
Foods: Pairs really well with citrus fruits, carrot, cranberry, mango, and berries.
Cumin
Herbs and Spices: Pairs really well with rosemary, nutmeg, thyme, oregano, lemon zest, star anise, basil, cilantro, sage, and mint.
Foods: Pairs well with citrus fruits, carrot, and mango.
Dill weed
Herbs and Spices: Pairs extremely well with cilantro, tarragon, nutmeg, parsley, rosemary, basil, coriander, cardamom, mint, and thyme.
Foods: Pairs extremely well with guava, citrus fruits, carrot, peach, seafood, bacon, and chicken.
Garlic
Herbs and Spices: Pairs really well with ginger, curry, and onion.
Foods: Pairs really well with gruyère, ham, guava, leek, brie, french fries, brussel spouts, egg, spinach, and ciabatta.
Ginger
Herbs and Spices: Pairs extremely well with lemongrass, cilantro, basil, and thyme.
Foods: Pairs really well with lemon, citrus fruits, berries, tomato, carrot, pork belly, and oyster.
Lemon
Herbs and Spices: Pairs really well with lemongrass, cardamom, thyme, basil, cilantro, ginger, coriander, nutmeg, and tarragon.
Foods: Pairs really well with other citrus flavours, carrot, cranberry, seafood, and bacon.
Lemongrass
Herbs and Spices: Pairs really well with ginger, lemon, cardamom, oregano, basil, thyme, mint, and anise.
Foods: Pairs really well with citrus fruits, tomato, lychee, seafood, poultry, and curry.
Mint
Herbs and Spices: Pairs well with peppermint, cilantro, basil, cinnamon, rosemary, sage, and thyme.
Foods: Pairs well with mango, citrus fruits, guava, carrot, mustard, berries, and beef.
Nutmeg
Herbs and Spices: Pairs really well with parsley, basil, rosemary, oregano, carsamom, cumin, anise, thyme, and dill.
Foods: Pairs really well with carrot, citrus fruits, parsnip, and salami.
Oregano
Herbs and Spices: Pairs really well with rosemary, thyme, basil, sage, nutmeg, cilantro, lemon zest, cumin, anise, coriander, cardamom, mint, and lemongrass.
Foods: Pairs well with mustard, citrus fruits, carrot, green bean, and seafood.
Paprika
Herbs and Spices: Pairs well with tarragon, cilantro, raw garlic, and mint.
Foods: Pairs well with berries, guava, lychee, apple, tomato, potato fries, beef, salami, lamb, fowl, lobster, cream cheese, emmental, and gruyère.
Parsley
Herbs and Spices: Pairs really well with nutmeg, basil, rosemary, sage, thyme, coriander, cardamom, tarragon, dill, cumin, and oregano.
Foods: Pairs well with carrot, parsnip, tomato, citrus fruits, potato, duck, and seafood.
Rosemary
Herbs and Spices: Pairs really well with oregano, basil, sage, parsley, nutmeg, thyme, cumin, star anise, and mint.
Foods: Pairs well with lamb, chicken, stuffing, stew, breads, and tomatoes.
Sage
Herbs and Spices: Pairs really well with rosemary, oregano, basil, parsley, mint, and thyme.
Foods: Pairs well with wild rice, soups, pumpkin, squash, and pork.
Thyme
Herbs and Spices: Pairs really well with basil, oregano, rosemary, cardamom, coriander, parsley, cumin, and ginger.
Foods: Pairs well with pork, crab, corn, bean, tomato sauces, and soups.
Vanilla extract
Herbs and Spices: Pairs well with basil, mint, tarragon, cilantro, and thyme.
Foods: Pairs well with berries, pear, beef, crab, ciabatta, bacon, gruyère, and milk.
Get Cooking!
Wow, that’s a lot of information! And don’t worry if you don’t see your favourite foods pairing with your favourite spices. These pairings don’t mean that other foods won’t taste good with these spices—it just means they share some key aromas that make them better pairings than most.
So experiment! And let us know what worked for you, and what didn’t.
Source(s): VegKitchen.com and FoodPairing.com
