15 Essential Herbs and Spices

Herbs and spices can get EXPENSIVE. Instead of wasting money stocking your cabinet with spices you don’t need, check out this list of essential herbs and spices to keep around. 

Investing in herb and spices is a very important part of learning how to cook. They add and enhance flavor without adding more fat, sugar, or calories–unlike milk or butter (which don’t actually add flavor, they just make dishes creamier).

A surprising number of people don’t use spices, besides salt and pepper and maybe garlic every once in a while. For some, it’s  because “Mom never did it that way” so they don’t know how, why, or where to start. For others, I’ve discovered that the biggest reason is a fear of over-doing it–accidentally adding too much and overpowering the dish. This is a valid concern, but not one that should completely prevent someone from learning how to use herbs and spices.

But where do you even start? This was one of the questions I had to ask myself when I moved into my own apartment. There are so many herbs and spices and so many of them have weird names that are difficult to pronounce. Which ones will I actually use?

After a few years of experimentation (and a spice cabinet that is over-flowing), I’ve come up with a list of herbs I find myself constantly needing to have on hand. (Salt and pepper will not be on this list, because they’re too obvious.)

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1. Basil

Highly aromatic, especially fresh. Always add to sauces at the last minute. Never simmer, it kills the flavor. Excellent in pestos, as a finishing touch on pasta, or stuffed into sandwiches. To preserve bulk crops from a garden, either dry it or freeze it in water or oil.

2. Bay leaves

Adds a woodsy flavor to soups and sauces. California bay leaves have a stronger, more eucalyptus-like flavor and are sometimes preferred for more fruity dishes. However, most cooks prefer the more subtle flavor of Turkish bay leaves, which add a subtly sweet astringency to dishes. Only one or two leaves are needed to flavor a whole roast or pot of soup/stew.

Contrary to popular belief, the reason the leaf gets removed from the dish before serving is not because it’s poisonous (if that were the case, we wouldn’t want it flavoring our dishes, since the flavor comes from the oil and the oil would be poisonous as well). The reason we remove bay leaves is because, even boiled, they are incredibly tough to eat. They can get lodged in your throat and/or cut the inside of your mouth and throat.

The bay leaf looks very similar to another leaf that is poisonous, though. Go here to read more about that. One excerpt that I need to share, though, is this:

Even all-day simmering in a soup or stew does not disintegrate or soften them. They’ll be leathery at best, and the edges can be a little sharp. Besides being downright unpleasant to swallow, a bay leaf can scratch your throat, stomach or intestines. In my research I found mentions in a medical journal of individuals who had inadvertently swallowed a whole bay leaf, which then became lodged in their digestive tract, causing extreme pain. The leaves had to be surgically removed. So…keep the leaves WHOLE when adding to the pot, and when removing, count to make sure you’ve gotten them all.

3. Chili Powder

A powdered version of chili peppers, usually red chili peppers or cayenne peppers. It is used in many types of cuisines, such as Indian, Chinese, Korean, Thai, and Tex-Mex. Chili powder is often sold as a “blend,” meaning is has been mixed with cumin, garlic powder, oregano, and salt. Chili powder blend is most popular in American cuisines, but you can find chili powder on its own.

4. Cilantro

Pairs well with spicy foods. Add a few leaves to tacos, anything with hot curry powder, or Pad Thai. It is the most often used herb worldwide. Many people dislike cilantro, though, saying it tastes “soapy,” which actually has a lot to do with genes.

5. Cinnamon

A surprisingly versatile spice. It can be used in sweet or savory foods. It also has many medicinal uses, such as controlling blood glucose levels in diabetics. Ants also hate it, so sprinkling cinnamon wherever you find them is a great way to take care of an ant problem.

6. Cumin

Smoky and earthy. Used in a lot of Southwestern US cuisines (Tex-Mex) and some Mexican, as well as North African, Middle Eastern, and Indian.

7. Garlic Powder

Garlic is most flavorful when using fresh, but dried powder is more convenient. It’s a very common seasoning and mostly good for pastas, pizza, and poultry. I love garlic powder and I put it in almost everything.

8. Nutmeg

Sweet and pungent. Great in baked goods, but also adds a warm note to savory dishes.

9. Onion Powder

Ground dehydrated onions. Often used in pasta, pizza, and on poultry. A very popular spice, especially in my house. I hate onions, but I love onion powder.

10. Oregano

Robust, somewhat lemony flavor. Used in a lot of Mexican and Mediterranean dishes.

11. Parsley

Chop finely and add at the last moment to seafood and meat sauces. Fresh parsley is also used as a garnish.

12. Red pepper (crushed)

Spicy. It is made from drying hot red peppers, usually a combination of ancho, bell, and cayenne. Used in pickling, chowders, pasta sauces, soups, and sausages.

13. Rosemary

Strong and piney. Great with eggs, beans, and potatoes, as well as grilled meats. Chop finely and mix with garlic. Add to burgers or fish.

14. Sage

Pine-like flavor, with more lemony and eucalyptus notes than rosemary. Found in a lot of northern Italian cooking. Use sage leaves whole on a pork roast. Or simmer with soups that contain garlic.

15. Thyme

Pine-like flavor, with more lemony and eucalyptus notes than rosemary. Found in a lot of northern Italian cooking. Use sage leaves whole on a pork roast. Or simmer with soups that contain garlic.

Not on the list

Some of you may be thinking, “Where is paprika?” The thing about herb and spices is that what you’ll want will vary on your tastes. I, for instance, don’t like really paprika. It’s very pretty, but the taste is kind of “meh” to me. Mostly I use it to sprinkle on deviled eggs, but it generally goes unused in my kitchen.

The kind of herbs and spices you’ll want to buy will ultimately depend very heavily on what sort of dishes you want to make. The ones listed above are what most often wind up in my own food.

Expense

A great way to bring down the cost of herbs? Grow your own! Basil, for instance, can get pretty pricey. Basil seeds, however, are fairly cheap. Basil also grows extremely quickly and is, honestly, the only herb I haven’t killed. As my basil plants grow, I remove leaves, and wash and dry them.

My home-grown basil will last me until the next planting season and it has a much nicer taste than anything you would find in stores. All you need is a pot, some soil, and a mortar and pestle for drying. (I recommend that one because it has three different sizes, which is more helpful than you would think. However, if you only want one, try this one.)

You can dry them by hanging them up for a while, but I find it faster to do in the oven. Set your oven to it’s lowest temperature and let the basil dry for 2-4 hours or until completely crisp. It can’t be moist at all. Then toss it into your mortar and pestle and grind it until it’s completely crushed.

Dry vs. Fresh

Fresh herbs are undoubtedly more popular than dry, but dry herbs are cheaper. Using dry herbs will also require less than using fresh would. Here’s a quick conversion to remember, if you see that a recipe calls for fresh when you only have dry (or vice versa):

¼ teaspoon powder = ¾ teaspoon dried = 2 teaspoons fresh

While dry herbs should be added to a dish early on, fresh herbs would be destroyed (along with the flavor) if added too soon. Always add fresh herbs last. You should also chop them very finely in order to release more oils and add more flavor.

Seeds/Leaves vs. Powders

Most of the spices I use are powders because they’re cheaper. However,  if you can get an herb in the form of its seed, then all the better. When an herb is still encased by the seed covering, it lasts longer and it is more flavorful once extracted.

Flavor can be extracted by seeds/leaves in multiple ways. With peppercorn (which creates black pepper), all you do is put the seeds into a grinder. With something like bay leaves, which you can really only get in full-leaf form, letting the leaf boil (usually in the dish) extracts the flavor.

As far as keeping powders versus the whole seed/leaf, there are exceptions, though many might disagree. For instance, I prefer garlic powder over minced garlic. I find that the powder has a much stronger flavor (even though everything I’ve read says the opposite…I’ve never really cared for minced).

Storing

Dry herbs and spices should be kept in air-tight containers away from the stove and any moisture. Being constantly exposed to the heat from cooking can cause the flavor to break down more quickly. So store them in a dry, cool area.

When you open a new dry herb, write the date on the container and try to use the whole container within a year. A lot of people believe it’s because the flavor quickly deteriorates which is…not entirely true. The flavor will definitely deteriorate over time, but the biggest reason you should replace your spices is because they easily attract mold.

If you don’t use them fast enough, that’s fine, and I don’t necessarily encourage throwing out a bottle of something expensive, especially if you’ve checked it and it seems fine to you. Storing them correctly will lengthen their lifespans.

As far as the flavor fading, rub a little bit of your herb between your fingers and smell it. If it’s scent is weak (or non-existent), then it’s time to buy a new batch.

This may seem like a lot of information, but it’s actually not very difficult to remember! The most important thing when trying to figure out what herbs and spices work for you is experimentation. And when you notice that a certain seasoning is showing  up in most of your recipes, increase its cost effectiveness by buying it in bulk or growing it yourself. It never hurts to have some extra lying around.

What herbs and spices are a staple in your kitchen?