These spice guides are essential for understanding and using spices and spice blends. We feature unique spices and flavors from around the world.
You’ve got to try making your own delicious, homemade lemon pepper seasoning. It’s bright, kicky, and is a wonderful topping for chicken, steak, white fish, or roasted veggies. What is lemon pepper seasoning made of? Lemon pepper seasoning is a mixture of dried lemon peel, ground black pepper, and usually a few other aromatics – …
Pomegranate molasses is pomegranate juice, sugar, and lemon juice that’s been reduced to a syrup. It’s thick, flavorful, and adds a wonderful tangy bite to many types of dishes. It can be used as a glaze, in salad dressings, or drizzled over veggies. Where is Pomegranate Molasses From? Pomegranate molasses has been used in Georgian, …
If you love a delicious, warming bowl of chili, you need to know how to add lots of flavor to it. It’s easy to do with some spices and spice blends. You can make your own spice blends or purchase them pre-made. Here are some of the best spices for chili. Links on some posts …
Allspice (also called pimenta, Jamaican pepper, and myrtle pepper) is actually just one spice that tastes like a blend of spices. It’s made from an unripe berry that grows in Central America and the Caribbean. The fruit is picked green, dried, and ground to make allspice. Allspice tastes like a blend of cinnamon, nutmeg, and …
What are Juniper Berries? Juniper berries are a small round berry that grow on conifers. They’re most notably known for flavoring gin. They have a piney, fresh flavor that’s often used in Scandinavian and Eastern European cuisine. All juniper shrubs and trees grow these berries, but some are too bitter or toxic to eat. You …
Garam Masala is a warming, aromatic spice blend from the Indian subcontinent. Blends vary by country and region (some families even have their own special blend) and it can be used on its own or in combination with other spices. Garam masala is to Indian, Pakistani, and Nepali cuisine what Ras el Hanout is to …
What is dukkah? Dukkah (pronounced doo-kah) is an Egyptian nut, seed, and spice mix used as a topping and dip for meat, fish, and vegetables. Dukkah, in Arabic, means “to crush” or “to blend”. In Egypt, dukkah is used as an all-purpose spice, and often families and vendors have their own blends. Because the seeds, spices, …
What is Ras el Hanout? Ras el Hanout is a Middle Eastern spice blend used in tagines, soups, rice dishes, and on vegetables. In Arabic, Ras el Hanout means “head of the shop”, a phrase that basically means top-shelf, signifying that this spice blend is the best thing in the shop. There isn’t really one …
Middle Eastern cuisine uses some of the most exciting spices and spice blends in the world. Richly aromatic and deeply flavorful, these spices are one of the reasons Middle Eastern cuisine is so beloved around the world. Here are the most important spices and spice blends in Arabic cuisine, that you should make sure to …
What is Aleppo Pepper? Aleppo pepper (or Halaby pepper) is a Middle Eastern spice made from a dried chili pepper that’s crushed into flakes. It’s similar to an Ancho chili in terms of heat and has undertones of sweetness and a raisin-like flavor. It’s named after the Syrian city of Aleppo although it’s also grown …
