Herbs and Spices - Seasoning Recipes

Author:
Holle Abee
Updated:
Sep 1, 2012

Culinary Herbs

I have a lot of experience with herbs and spices because I love to cook. I’m pretty adventurous in the kitchen, and I’m always trying out or creating new recipes and experimenting with different spices and culinary herbs. I usually prefer highly seasoned foods over more bland dishes, and even a good amount of heat is fine by me. Of course, most culinary herbs aren’t hot, but some of my favorite spices sure are! Cooking herbs, however, can really impart a lot of flavor to dishes, giving them a distinctive taste. Depending on the herbs you use, you can get a woodsy flavor, an earthy flavor, a fruity flavor, or some other flavor that compliments a dish. I have tons of herbs and spices in my kitchen cabinets. With all the culinary herbs on the market, sometimes it’s difficult deciding which ones to use. Below the next paragraph is an herbs list and a general guide for pairing herbs with foods.

Herbs and Spices

If you’ve done much cooking at all, you probably have more than a nodding acquaintance with herbs and spices, but do you know the difference between the two? An herb is typically the leafy part of a plant that’s important due to its scent, its flavor, or its medicinal properties. Spices are similar, but instead of coming from the leaves, they typically come from the roots, seeds, bark, or berries of plants. Because there’s sometimes confusion, many people use the terms herbs and spices interchangeably.

Speaking of confusion, what about garlic? Is it an herb or a spice? Actually, garlic is a bulb, so technically speaking, it’s neither. When the bulb is dried and ground, however, many people classify it with their cooking spices.

There are numerous herbs and spices that are valued by cooks – and by eaters - as they have been for thousands of years! They can turn an otherwise ho-hum dish into a tantalizing temptation. These tasteful additions can add lots of flavor and aromas to a multitude of dishes, including teas, meats, salads, vegetables, breads, fruits, poultry, fish, and desserts.

Basil
used with permission from Photoxpress

Herbs List

Angelica has a taste similar to celery and is used in sauces, fruit dishes, and vegetable dishes.

Arugula has a sweet pepper-like taste and is often added to mixed green salads.

Basil has a sweet flavor that’s similar to cloves. It’s a favorite companion to tomato dishes and is an important part of Italian cuisine, including pesto, marinara sauce, pastas, pizza, and salads.

Bay leaves have a slightly bittersweet taste and a wonderful aroma. Bay is very versatile and can be used in soups, sauces, stews, fish dishes, rice dishes, chili, and pickles.

Bergamot has an orange-lemon flavor and goes well in teas, fruits, lemonade, pork, and salads.

Caraway leaves have a slightly sweet taste and are best used in salads and potato dishes. The seeds of the plant are considered a spice.

Chervil has an aroma similar to that of anise, while its flavor is much like parsley. This delicate herb is often used in soups, salads, chicken dishes, fish dishes, and eggs.

Chives have a mild onion-like flavor and can be used in potatoes, eggs, vegetables, soups, salads, flavored butters, dips, and spreads.

Cilantro has a slight peppery taste and is often used in salsas, soups, stews, chicken dishes, and tomato sauces.

Dill has a taste and aroma somewhat like licorice. It’s widely used in pickles, fish dishes, soups, eggs, potatoes, and vegetables.

Fennel leaves add a unique flavor to vegetables, salads, soups, and breads. The seeds are used as a spice.

Garlic chives, like their name suggests, has a taste similar to garlic, but it’s much milder. It can be used in any dish to which you wish to add a mild garlic flavor.

Hyssop has a taste that’s like a combination of mint and sage. It’s used with fruits, green salads, marinades, soups, and chicken dishes.

Scroll to Continue

Lavender has a wonderful aroma and a sweet lemony taste. It’s often used in teas, salads, and ice creams.

Lemon balm has a tangy flavor and a lemon-like aroma. It adds wonderful flavor to fish, fruit dishes, vegetables, and lamb.

Lovage leaves taste similar to celery and can be used in teas, green salads, soups, stews, winter squash dishes, and potatoes.

Marjoram is a versatile herb that can be used in practically any dish, including meats, fish, poultry, vegetables, breads, and potatoes. Its taste is similar to oregano, but it’s sweeter and more subtle.

Oregano has a distinct flavor and a powerful aroma. It’s most often used to season soups, stews, beef, seafood, and tomato-based sauces.

Parsley has a very mild flavor and can add interest to potatoes, eggs, vegetables, and sauces.

Perilla leaves have a cinnamon-like flavor and are best used with sushi, rice, soups, and tofu.

Rosemary has a clean, invigorating flavor and scent. It’s most often used with vegetables, lamb, fish, beef, poultry, tomato sauces, and potatoes.

Sage has a pungent, savory flavor. It’s often used to season salads, sausage, stuffing, seafood, pork roasts, lamb, and cheese spreads.

Salad burnet is similar to cucumber in taste. It’s used in green salads, steamed vegetables, salad dressings, and sauces.

Savory has a sharp taste, much like a combination of rosemary and mint. It adds a unique flavor to legumes, soups, meats, poultry dishes, and cooked green vegetables.

Sorrel leaves have a slightly fruity taste when young and can be used in green salads, soups, and stews.

Spearmint has a delightful minty taste and aroma. It’s often used in salads, lamb dishes, soups, sauces, fish dishes, desserts, and breads. The leaves can also be crushed into beverages, especially mint juleps, lemonades, and iced sweet tea.

Stevia leaves have a very sweet taste and be used to sweeten sauces, teas, coffee, and lemonade.

Sweet Cicely leaves have a strong anise taste. They used to flavor eggs, salad dressings, cream sauces, cooked fruits, poultry dishes, vinegars, and cooked greens.

Tarragon has a mild licorice taste and is often used to season carrots, mushrooms, eggs, and fish. It’s an essential part of French cuisine.

Thyme leaves taste much like a mixture of lemon and mint. Thyme gives a superb flavor to tomato dishes, poultry, lamb, veal, beef, pork, soups, eggs, fish, and sauces.

Culinary Herbs
used with permission from Photoxpress

How and Where to Buy Dried Herbs

You can find dried herbs in just about any grocery store, but for a larger and more exotic selection, visit an online spice company, an ethnic market, or a gourmet culinary shop. Dried herbs retain their flavor and aroma for as long as twelve months if properly stored, but they don’t last forever. Over time, the essential oils that give the plants their characteristic taste and smell will dissipate, so be sure to pay attention to the posted expiration dates. Also, it’s best to purchase small amounts at the time to ensure a fresh supply.

Purchasing and Storing Fresh Herbs

You can often find a limited selection of fresh herbs culinary like chives, basil, and cilantro at regular grocery stores or farmers’ markets, but for more choices, visit a specialty shop. The leaves and stems of the plants should be moist and supple, with healthy foliage that’s free of blemishes and signs of disease.

When you get your herbs home, place them in a vase or jar, with water, just as you would fresh flowers. Place the jar in your refrigerator. For chives, thyme, and rosemary, place them in a damp paper towel and then in a plastic bag. Store them in the refrigerator door for several days.

To keep your fresh herbs flavorful and aromatic for longer periods, chop them and place them in ice cube trays. Cover with water and freeze. Once frozen, the cubes can be placed in plastic freezer bags. It’s easy to pop a flavor cube or two into soups, stews, and other foods with a high liquid content.

Herbs can also be dried. Rinse the herbs and dry them well but gently. Place the leaves and small stems in a single layer on a window screen. You’ll need a dark, dry room for drying, like an attic. After a few days, shake the screen to rearrange the herbs. Your herbs should be sufficiently dried in 7-10 days. This method works well for leaves and for herbs with small stems.

For culinary herbs with larger stems, use the hanging method. Remove the last few leaves from the stalks and tie or band several stalks together. Hang them upside-down in a warm, dry place for up to two weeks.

After drying your cooking herbs with either method, store the leaves whole in tins, dark bottles, or plastic bags or containers.

Herb Garden:

Windowsill Herb Garden:

Grow Herbs - on your deck or patio:

Herb Garden

Having an herb garden is a great idea for cooks. Most herbs are easy to grow, and they don’t take up much room. To grow herbs, all you’ll need are a few containers, some seeds, some potting soil, and a good source of natural light. For years, I kept a windowsill herb garden on my kitchen counter. A window herb garden can also be planted in windowbox planters just outside your kitchen windows. You can open the window and snip some fresh herbs without even having to go outdoors. After we added a large deck onto our home, I now have room for a larger herb garden, which I grow mostly in pots. If you don’t have a deck or patio, consider growing some of your favorite herbs in a window herb garden or in a windowsill herb garden. Another option is to grow herbs in your flower beds, or even under and around shrubbery. Many folks here in the Deep South grow mint around their boxwoods and azaleas.

Cooking Spices

Cooking spices can be made of dried seeds, dried fruits, bark, roots, resins, or the dried buds of flowers. They can also be made from rhizomes, underground stems of plants. Also, some cooking spices are made of other plant parts, like stigmas, the parts used to catch pollen.

Over the centuries, spices have been used for various purposes. In addition to seasoning foods, they’ve also been used for rituals, in fragrances and cosmetics, and for medicinal purposes. Some ancient peoples believed that certain spices had magical powers. The desire for spices created trade routes, which led to explorations and discoveries.

There’s a dizzying list of spices from around the world, including some you’ve probably never used. In fact, there are several you might not have even heard of. The spices list below includes some of the more common spices you would probably find in your local grocery store or gourmet food store.

Spices List

Allspice is made from dried berries from the pimento plant. Often used in Caribbean cooking, Middle Eastern dishes, barbecue sauces, and chili.

Annatto is made from achiote seeds and is often used as a coloring agent. Often used in rice, cheeses, custards, and instant potatoes.

Black Pepper is made from the dried fruits of the pepper vine. Used in a wide variety of dishes.

Caraway Seeds are dried seeds of the caraway plant, which is similar to carrot plants. Used in rye bread, curry, puddings, cheeses, cakes, and liquors.

Cardamom is made from the dried seeds of the cardamom plant, a member of the ginger family. Used in breads, desserts, teas, and coffees.

Cayenne is made by drying and powdering hot chili peppers. Popular in Mexican dishes, Cajun cuisine, BBQ seasoning, and seafood seasoning.

Celery Seed is just what it sounds like – the dried seeds of the celery plant. Used in pickles, potato salad, and seafood seasoning. Ground celery seeds are sometimes combine with salt to make celery salt.

Chipotle Powder is made by drying and grinding chipotle peppers. It gives a wonderful smoky flavor to a wide range of dishes.

Cinnamon is made from the inner bark of cinnamon trees. Commonly used in desserts, candy, hot chocolate, teas, and coffees. Cinnamon also gives a nice flavor to barbecued meats.

Cloves are dried buds from the flowering clove tree. They can be purchased whole or ground. Used in muffins, cakes, pickles, candies, and fruit dishes. Small amounts of ground cloves are also good in BBQ rubs for meats.

Coriander is dried seeds of the coriander herb. Used in pickles, beer, soups, breads, and sausage.

Cumin is made from the dried seeds of flowering Apiaceae plants. Often used in chili powder, breads, curry powder, stews, cheeses, and sofrito.

Fennel Seeds are dried seeds from the Foeniculum plant, a perennial herb. Used in breads, sausage, pasta dishes, vegetables, and risotto.

Fenugreek is made from the seeds of the fenugreek plant, an annual. Used in vegetables, sauces, and pickles.

File Powder is made from dried sassafras leaves. Commonly used as a thickener in Cajun and Creole dishes, especially gumbo.

Ginger is made from a plant rhizome. Used in teas, breads, pickles, cookies, pies, fruit dishes, vegetables, and meat dishes.

Lemon Pepper is made from peppercorns and mashed lemon zest. Used to season fish, chicken, and other types of flesh.

Mace is made by drying the covering of nutmeg seeds. Similar in taste and fragrance to nutmeg, but mace is milder.

Mustard is made from the seeds of mustard plants and can be dried and left whole or ground into a powder.

Nutmeg is made from dried seeds of the nutmeg tree. Used in custards, pies, eggnog, potatoes, soups, and vegetables.

Paprika is made by drying and grinding certain types of peppers. It ranges from mild to hot and is used in a wide variety of dishes.

Saffron is made from the dried stigmas of the saffron crocus flower. Saffron is one of the most expensive spices in the world.

Star Anise is made from the fruits of evergreen trees of Asia. Used in soups, noodles, meat dishes, and liquors.

Turmeric is made by drying and grinding rhizomes of turmeric plants. Often used in Asian and Middle Eastern cuisines. It’s also used to color breads, cakes, sauces, yogurt, and popcorn.

White Pepper is made from the same fruits as black pepper. With white pepper, however, the seed coverings are removed, resulting in a milder flavor.

How to Store Spices

It’s important to know how to store spices. Like herbs, they don’t keep their flavors forever, and when stored improperly, spices can lose their aromas and flavors more quickly. Ground and powdered barks and seeds, for example, might retain their freshness for up to a year if stored properly. Otherwise, they could deteriorate much faster. Storing spices isn’t exactly rocket science, but it is important. Light, heat, moisture, and temperature fluctuations are all enemies of your spice collection. Place your spices in dark glass or opaque bottles or containers that are airtight. If you have a place in your home that’s consistently below seventy degrees, that’s the best place for storing spices.

Is garlic an herb, or is it a spice?? Actually, it's neither!
holle abee

Spice Rack

A spice rack can be a convenient method of storing spices. When the cooking spices are right at your fingertips, next to the stove or oven, they’re easy to grab. Sounds like a great idea, huh? The problem is that you don’t want your spices that close to a heat source. I’m not saying that you shouldn’t use spice racks close to your cooking sources, but it’s best to store only small amounts of spices there. That way, they’ll get used up before they have a chance to lose their appeal.

Of course, you could avoid this completely by buying a spice rack that fits inside your cabinet or pantry. The bottles or other containers will still be easy to see and access, but they’ll be away from the heat and away from the light. Spice racks are available in all sorts of designs and sizes, so you should have no problem finding one that compliments your kitchen décor. There’s no reason why a spice rack can’t be functional and attractive.

Spice Rack:

Caribbean Spices

Caribbean spices and herbs often include allspice, cinnamon, marjoram, basil, ginger, annatto, cloves, thyme, mace, cilantro, and nutmeg. Traditional dishes are also often flavored with onions, scallions, garlic, tamarind, bell peppers, and hot peppers. Juices from fruits, especially from limes, might also be used as seasoning agents.

Mexican Spices

Mexican spices are often on the hot side, but not always. Herbs and spices typically used in Mexican cuisine include cayenne, chipotle powder, cumin, cilantro, annatto, coriander, cloves, cinnamon, oregano, and epazote. Different regions of Mexico use different herbs and spices. Other popular seasoning agents include peppers, tomatoes, tomatillos, sesame seeds, onions, garlic, cocoa, vanilla, bitter orange, lime juice, and tequila.

Thai Spices

Thai spices and herbs are becoming more and more popular in the U.S. They usually include cumin, kra-chai, pepper powder, mint, basil, lemongrass, turmeric, cardamom, ginger, galangal powder, kaffir lime leaves, curry powder, star anise, coriander, cinnamon, white pepper, cloves, green peppercorns, and hoary basil. Thai cuisine might also be seasoned with chili paste, tamarind, garlic, onions, coconut milk, shrimp paste, soy sauce, bean sauce, peanut sauce, plum sauce, or sesame seeds.

African Spices

Some African spices are familiar to most Americans, while others are very exotic. Did you know that sesame seeds were brought to America by captured African slaves? Okay, back to African spices and herbs. First, you have to understand that Africa contains 57 countries, a billion people, and many different ethnic groups. Each group uses different cooking tecniques and different seasonings for foods. Some basic ones include red sorrel, cumin, coriander, cardamom, sage, nutmeg, curry powder, red pepper, caraway, bay leaves, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, allspice, grains of paradise, saffron, mint, and korerima. Peppers are popular additions, too – Guinea peppers, melegueta peppers, and African bird peppers. Traditional dishes might also be flavored with onions, tomatoes, almonds, roasted peanuts, peanut butter, raisins, or fruit juices.

Middle Eastern Spices

Middle Eastern spices include cinnamon, cumin, coriander, anise, caraway seed, allspice, turmeric, nutmeg, marjoram, oregano, thyme, parsley, cloves, saffron, black pepper, mint, paprika, and cardamom. Baharat seasoning, which is a sweet, spicy blend, is a staple. Aleppo peppers are also common, along with sumac berries, sesame seeds, honey, ground cherry pits, tomatoes, lemon juice, pine nuts, pistachios, yogurt, tahini, raisins, dates, chili sauces, onions, and garlic.

Asian Spices

Asia, of course, includes several nations, and culinary herbs and spices vary somewhat from country to country. Generally speaking, Asian spices might include star anise, ginger, cloves, coriander, lemongrass, fenugreek, Vietnamese mint, cumin, rice paddy herb, nutmeg, annatto oil, pandan leaf, Chinese chives, turmeric, fennel, mitsuba, curry leaves, dill, galangal, mustard seeds, bai-toey, Thai basil, black pepper, and cinnamon. Other ingredients used to season Asian dishes might include soy sauce, Hoisin sauce, prawn sauce, fish sauce, garlic, shallots, cucumbers, tomatoes, peanuts, fermented peanut butter, onions, coconut milk, coconut water, and hot chili sauce.

Chinese Five Spice Powder - ingredients
holle abee

Chinese Spices

Chinese spices cover some of the herbs and spices used in Asian cuisine. One of the most important is actually a spice blend, Chinese five-spice powder. Actually, more than five different spices are sometimes used in this combination, including ginger, cinnamon, star anise, clove, Sichuan peppercorns, licorice, and fennel. Other common Chinese spices and herbs are coriander, white pepper, and pea leaves. Chinese dishes might also be flavored with garlic, scallions, vinegar, peanuts, chili paste, and sesame paste.

Mediterranean Spices

Most Mediterranean spices and herbs are familiar to Americans. These include chervil, basil, oregano, cardamom, bay leaf, cinnamon, coriander, cloves, fennel, sage, cilantro, chives, mace, marjoram, thyme, mint, nutmeg, parsley, black pepper, white pepper, paprika, ginger, savory, saffron, tarragon, and rosemary. Others, like fenugreek and juniper berries, might not be as familiar to the typical American cook.

Jamaican Spices

Jamaican spices are most often associated with jerk seasoning, which might include allspice, cayenne, garlic powder, onion powder, white or brown sugar, paprika, thyme, nutmeg, cinnamon, parsley, cloves, and black pepper. Jamaican dishes might also be seasoned with Scotch bonnet peppers, onions, scallions, ginger, turmeric, sorrel, cumin, curry, coconut milk, soursop, annatto, and coriander. Juices from tropical fruits, along with rum, might also be used to season foods.

Greek Spices

Greek spices are similar to general Mediterranean spices. Typical Greek spices and herbs include basil, dill, arugula, marjoram, bay leaf, mint, Greek oregano, purslane, nutmeg, rosemary, savory, thyme, parsley, cloves, sage, cumin, paprika, saffron, cinnamon, and tarragon. A couple of Greek spices and herbs with which you might not be familiar are selino, which is a wild celery; Greek red saffron; and Aleppo pepper. By the way, Greek red saffron is the most expensive spice on the entire planet!

Spice Blends

Spice blends are combinations of different spices designed to season specific foods or specific types of foods. Many spice blends contain more than just spices. They might also contain herbs, salt, sugar, or other ingredients. Some include dried fruit peels that have been ground. I’m sure you’ve seen spice blends and seasoning blends in the spices and herbs section in your local supermarket.

Some popular seasoning blends that are available commercially include Italian seasoning, Soul Food seasoning, Cajun seasoning, pickling spice, apple pie spice, Mexican spices, jerk seasoning, and BBQ seasoning. Another popular blend is seafood seasoning, like shrimp boil, crab boil, and crawfish boil.

I don’t know about you, but I don’t usually have room for spice blends. I might buy them once in a while, but I figure why buy the blends when I already have all the ingredients? I usually make my own seasoning blends. I often make a big batch at a time and keep them for future use. Below are some seasoning recipes for some of my favorite blends.

BBQ Rub

BBQ rub is usually a combination of salt, sugar, and spices. Sometimes dried herbs are also included. Dry rubs contain only dry ingredients, while wet rubs might also contain vinegar, beer, hot sauce, wine, or some type of liquor. Below is a basic BBQ rub recipe that’s great on pork and chicken:

½ cup brown sugar

1/3 cup salt

¼ cup paprika

2 tablespoons black pepper

1 tablespoon onion powder

1 tablespoon garlic powder

2 teaspoons cayenne

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon cumin

½ teaspoon ground cloves

Blackened Seasoning

Blackened seasoning is popular with Cajun dishes, especially with shrimp, scallops, finned fishes,and boneless, skinless chicken breasts. In these dishes, the flesh is cooked at a very high temperature, often in a black iron skillet. Melted butter and dry seasonings are usually combined and used to season the food. Here’s a recipe for blackened seasoning:

3 tablespoons paprika

2 tablespoons onion powder

2 tablespoons garlic powder

1 tablespoon sugar

1 tablespoon cayenne

1 tablespoon dried basil

2 teaspoons black pepper

2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon lemon pepper

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon dried thyme

Cajun Seasoning

Cajun seasoning is most often hot and spicy. It can be used in a wide variety of recipes and dishes, including meats, soups, stews, dips, spreads, and vegetables. To make your own Cajun seasoning, try this: