These spice mixtures are essential for any home cook, whether you choose to prepare them yourself or buy pre-mixed blends.
Using spices is the key to making delectable meals at home, and keeping a few spice blends on hand is one easy way to use up spices before they go bad. The particular flavors of some of our favorite foods are created by spice blends, which are crucial to international culinary traditions. The jerk seasoning, which has strong, sweet overtones of all the spices, is one example of these flavors. Ground mixtures containing warming cinnamon and clove flavors, such as garam masala and ras el hanout.
Here, we offer seven traditional spice blends, each with a unique flavor profile, culinary significance, and some of our favorite uses. All of these spice mixtures are easy to make at home. For the freshest, most potent spice combination, start with whole spices and ground them in a spice mill. If you lack the time or resources , you can purchase ground spices in bulk and mix them yourself (many Latin, Mexican, Indian, Asian, Mediterranean, and Middle Eastern supermarket stores sell ground spices in huge quantities at a reasonable price). An excellent substitute for this is to purchase one of the many pre-mixed spice blends available at supermarkets or from specialty shops like Spice Walla or Burlap & Barrel.
Za’atar
Za’atar is a spice mixture that is widely used in the Middle East. It is usually created with dried thyme, oregano, sumac, sesame seeds, caraway, marjoram, and dill. The blend of spices has an earthy, tangy, and nutty flavor that goes well with many different foods. It is a necessary garnish for Lachuch, a delicate and airy Yemenite flatbread. Also, it is adaptable enough to be used with both earthy meats like lamb like in this recipe for Lamb Sliders with Yogurt-Tahini Sauce or vegetables like these Roasted Carrots with Preserved Lemons and Dates. At breakfast, za’atar can shine as well. Use this recipe for Za’atar Baked Eggs to dominate your next breakfast.
Ras el Hanout
Ras el hanout is a variation of spices blended that originates in Morocco, Tunisia, and Algeria. The name, which translates to “head of the shop,” indicates that this spice mixture varies a lot from market to market and region to region. Ras el hanout originates in Morocco, Tunisia, and Algeria. The name, which translates to “head of the shop,” indicates that this spice mixture varies a lot from market to market and region to region. Despite the lack of a set recipe, the mixture of black and white pepper with cumin, coriander, cayenne, turmeric, sumac, ginger, nutmeg, allspice, and anise cloves are frequently used. It has a well-rounded flavor character because to the nutmeg, cinnamon, and cloves’ warm and slightly sweet undertones. Usually used in tajines, this mixture also complements rich meats like pig and duck in recipes like Spiced Duck Breasts with Mandarin Oranges and Dates and Pig Chops with Sherry Pan Sauce with Ras Al Hanout. It has a well-rounded flavor character because of the nutmeg, cinnamon, and cloves’ warm and slightly sweet undertones. Usually used in tajines, this mixture also complements rich meats like pig and duck in recipes like Spiced Duck Breasts with Mandarin Oranges and Dates and Pig Chops with Sherry Pan Sauce with Ras Al Hanout.
Garam Masala
Northern India is the source of the warm, aromatic spice blend known as garam masala. Although masala means “mix” and garam means “hot,” the spice itself is not always spicy-hot.
It frequently contains ground spices like nutmeg, cinnamon, cumin, and cloves. Although the precise blend of spices might change, it is frequently used in Indian cuisine. It is frequently used in marinades, stews, and curries. In her recipe for Hyderabadi Lamb Biryani, Chef Maneet Chauhan demonstrates how to prepare her own garam masala to give the meal an extra depth of flavor. Black peppercorns, whole cloves, cinnamon sticks, caraway seeds, grated nutmeg, mace, and green cardamom pods are all toasted before being ground into a powder in this procedure. This handmade mixture gives the food a richer, more complex flavor.
Jerk Spice
Jerk spice is claimed to have been created by the Maroons, a group of enslaved Africans who fled the plantations and lived in the hills of Jamaica. Jerk seasoning embodies Jamaican cuisine. Today, it is a widely used spice blend that is popular in many Jamaican and Caribbean dishes.
Scotch bonnet peppers, cayenne pepper, allspice, nutmeg, pimento, cinnamon, garlic powder, onion powder, and thyme are popular additions to the recipe. It is highly valued for its heat and flexibility properties. By creating your own jerk spice blend, you may enhance the flavor of meats and vegetables as well as add a lot of tasty heat to dishes like Chicken and Okra Gumbo. For instance, jerk seasoning is used in this recipe for Caribbean Jerk Pork Chops to improve the flavor of the meat and veggies.
Five-Spice Powder
 The five spices that make up five-spice powder, also known as wu xiang fen in Chinese, are cinnamon, star anise, sichaun peppercorns, cinnamon and fennel seeds. The five also refers to the five tastes that are present in the spice mixture: umami, bitter, sour, salty, and sweet. They combine in perfect harmony to provide a distinct flavor that is typical of many traditional dishes, including Peking Duck and Taiwanese Beef Noodle Soup.
You may either purchase it pre-mixed or make your own, as in this recipe for Homemade Applesauce with Chinese Five-Spice, which combines cinnamon, cloves, fennel, peppercorns, star anise, and star anise as a bouquet garni before cooking the apples.
This mixture not only plays a significant role in classic Chinese and Taiwanese dishes, but it also gives dishes like Spiced Brown-Butter Apples, Purple Sweet Potato Pie with Coconut and Five-Spice, and Five-Spice Short Ribs with Ginger and Cilantro a kick.
Berbere Spice
The base of Berbere, a well-known Ethiopian spice blend, includes spices including garlic, cumin, coriander, cinnamon, chile, nigella, fenugreek, and ajwain. This spice adds distinctive flavors and a little heat to Ethiopian food. Berbere can be used in a variety of ways. It can be made into a paste or it can be used to give flavor to vegetables or traditional Ethiopian dishes like Awaze Tibs (Ethiopian Spiced Lamb Stew). Kwame Onwuachi, the 2018 F&W Best New Chef, even enjoys using it as a spice for waffle fries
This Berber-Spiced Chicken Breasts dish uses a homemade Berbere blend made of ingredients like cloves, paprika, coriander, pepper, cinnamon, and cardamon to season flavorful grilled chicken breasts. You may purchase a pre-mixed blend or make your own at home.
Chili Powder
Chili powder is a widely used spice blend in many different recipes to add flavor and heat to Tex-Mex food. Chili peppers, which have been growing in America for centuries, were used in Mayan cuisine. In the 16th century, Spanish adventurers brought chili peppers to Europe, where they quickly spread around the world. Texas merchant William Gebhardt created a chili powder mixture in the 19th century that contained ground cumin, oregano, and cayenne pepper. This marked the start of commercial production of chili powder across the country. Today, a mixture of garlic powder, paprika, oregano, cayenne, cumin, dried chiles, and onion powder is typically combined to create the blend’s recognized flavor.