Favorite Herbs And Spices?

Nosphaer

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I think that using a poll here would miss out on far too many specificities which we express.

Just share here, if you will, the spices and herbs that you favor. Whether you prefer the occasional sprinkle of chillies or a peppering of minced basil, you likely have something to share. Go ahead, and let us know!
_

I personally adore garlic, sage, and thyme over others, though all of the mentioned ones are essentially closer to herbs, by definition.


Garlic has such a strong flavor, that can cut through a rich or dense flavor, yet it can add to a forte of heavy flavor just as well, and it's a very versatile bulb, in my opinion.

Sage reminds me of festivities and a few classic European flavors, and it lacks versatility as seen in other herbal components, so I know exactly what I want to do with it in cooking.

Thyme has an elegant flavor that I have always liked for its value when used alongside, cheese, breads, and onions. It has the ability to cut through dense flavors, while adding an addictive aroma to foods, especially in baking and stewing, for me.


So, if I had to pick my favorite spices, they would probably be cinnamon, nutmeg, cumin, and mustard seed.

Cinnamon reminds me of my favorite sweets, going back to proper rice pudding and custards, and even snickerdoodle cookies ring a bell at the thought of cinnamon. It's more than a memory based correlation, however. I enjoy the warm, energizing sensation that the bark can give food, and it really shows its mettle in drinks.

Nutmeg is among the spices that I adore for savory and sweet alike. In a notably creamy dish, it can save the day by adding a strong note of aromatic flavor. In several masalas, it's essential to harmonize the more straightforward spices with nutmeg, simply due to it's striking, lasting flavor. This is just a quirk I have, but I really like grinding the stuff fresh, by hand. It has such an interesting texture, truthfully.

Cumin and mustard seed are just two of the spices I learned how to use from my mother, who is full-blooded of Indian descent. Being raised on the Pacific island of Fiji, she got to see spices like these being blended beautifully between cultures, and she learned to cook them at an early age. I love both of these in curries, some stews, and even omelettes. They bring in warming flavors that have become so engrained into my mind that it's hard to compare them to other spices, for they have uniqueness to me, along with the other spices and herbs mentioned here.
 
Cinnamon is Joy in my heart. I eat it or surround myself with the smell of it daily.

I tend to cook with "Mexican" flavors more then anything else. A lot of stinky cumin, Cayenne, Chili powder. I use Fresh Onions {Onions= Scallions, Shallots, Onions, Chives, etc.} in everything I cook no matter what it is {I guess that can count as an herb or spice}

Garlic goes into 90% of what I cook and that is also for me an herb or spice. Italian roots, ya see.

If we don't eat Latin flavors, we eat mostly Italian. I would LOVE to learn Indian food and curries. Spice is no threat to me, but I have not had a chance to personally experience Indian food, in it's real form.
 

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