There’s nothing better than adding that special something to your meals. Spices have such a huge variety but it depends on your taste buds and personal preferences. Check out these five spices that will “spice up” every meal!
1. Perfect Spice For Baking Goods
If you like baking goods, cinnamon is one of the main ingredients we all love using to add a little sweetness and tingle to our palate. But, it’s also used in savory dishes such as Indian and Moroccan chicken. The spice is also added to Mexican hot chocolates and wine. When buying ground cinnamon, look for the palest powders – they have the most flavor.
2. Nature’s Sweetener
Vanilla is an expensive spice to cultivate and process, and 75% percent of the world’s vanilla comes from Madagascar. The vanilla beans are the fruit of a specific orchid, and the extract is made by chipping the beans and soaking them in alcohol to draw the flavor out. Don’t ever buy a much cheaper version of vanilla – It’s usually pure artificial flavoring and it has that chemical after taste that no one wants.
3. Colorful And Spicy
Paprika is a powder made by grinding different types of red pepper pods. It’s commonly used to garnish and spice up foods, and the colors vary from orange to red. Hungarian paprika is also considered to be one of the best spice to use in traditional Hungarian dishes. Pimenton is Spanish paprika made from smoked peppers. Always keep a few types of paprikas in your pantry to pump up the flavors of any dish!
4. Spice Of The World
Cumin spice is mainly used in Middle Eastern, Asian, and Meditteranean cuisine. It’s a common ingredient in all types of curries, and chili powders. You can use toasted seeds or ground them for any dish. Cumin can also be used as a substitute for coffee. Try it with almond milk, a little bit of honey for sweetness and you’re all set!
5. The All-Purpose Spice
Ginger is a peppery root, you can use it fresh, dried, ground, pickled or crystallized. You can add it in stir-fries, soups, drinks and much more. Ginger stays fresh in your fridge for about 10 days. You can peel off the skin while cooking or squeeze the spicy juice out of it.
Dried ginger is used in many baked goods. It can be used both as a sweet and hot addition to any savory dish as well. Enjoy cooking!