angelwings
Assistant Cook
Hey everyone! I'm pretty much just getting into cooking and was wondering which herbs and spices do you find to be essential on your spice rack?
Thanks! x
Thanks! x
Suggestion of herbs and spices to purchase for the beginner cook?
- Thread starter angelwings
- Start date
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TheNoodleIncident
Senior Cook
keep in mind, most people will have a different opinion on this....everyone has different tastes, and will therefore find some spices more important than others...wyogal gave a pretty decent list, though
one other thing to keep in mind is that the form spices/herbs come in makes a big difference...for instance, i think that most would agree that whole peppercorns in a mill is a must compared to the pre-ground stuff (which is basically black saw dust)....fresh herbs have a different taste, and are often (but not always) preferred over dried....freshly grated nutmeg has more flavor than pre-ground...i personally like granulated garlic and think it has many uses, while other may only prefer to use fresh
those are just some random examples...i guess the bottom line is that you should try as many things as possible, and find what you like....perhaps start with small quantities of the herbs/spices you aren't sure about to see if you like them....its the worst when you buy the large bottle of some spice, just to discover you dont like it, then it sits in the pantry for years
one other thing to keep in mind is that the form spices/herbs come in makes a big difference...for instance, i think that most would agree that whole peppercorns in a mill is a must compared to the pre-ground stuff (which is basically black saw dust)....fresh herbs have a different taste, and are often (but not always) preferred over dried....freshly grated nutmeg has more flavor than pre-ground...i personally like granulated garlic and think it has many uses, while other may only prefer to use fresh
those are just some random examples...i guess the bottom line is that you should try as many things as possible, and find what you like....perhaps start with small quantities of the herbs/spices you aren't sure about to see if you like them....its the worst when you buy the large bottle of some spice, just to discover you dont like it, then it sits in the pantry for years
BreezyCooking
Washing Up
Angelwings - first things first.
Number One is to keep in mind that dried herbs & spices have a definite shelf life, usually based at a year or less depending on where/how they are stored.
Number Two is to sit down & think about what you like to cook. For instance, I consider a jar of Penzey's "Hot Curry Powder" & "Vindaloo Powder" staples in my pantry, but if you don't like or cook a lot of hot Indian dishes, those would be a waste for you.
That said, if I were going to be on a desert island & were just granted the very bare basics (outside of salt & black peppercorns), I'd choose dried oregano, thyme, rosemary, granulated (not powdered) garlic, crushed red pepper flakes, & ground cayenne pepper. With these I could pretty much cook up quite a feast.
Now - depending on your cooking tastes, to these you could also add ground cumin, coriander, paprika (hot, sweet, smoked), Five-spice powder, granulated onion, celery seed, caraway seed, etc., etc. But again - it's all going to depend on the type of cooking you do.
If, as you say, you're just getting into cooking, I strongly suggest just buying what you need depending on the recipes you're making. No sense in wasting money on something that will be tasteless in 6 months & have to go into the trash.
Number One is to keep in mind that dried herbs & spices have a definite shelf life, usually based at a year or less depending on where/how they are stored.
Number Two is to sit down & think about what you like to cook. For instance, I consider a jar of Penzey's "Hot Curry Powder" & "Vindaloo Powder" staples in my pantry, but if you don't like or cook a lot of hot Indian dishes, those would be a waste for you.
That said, if I were going to be on a desert island & were just granted the very bare basics (outside of salt & black peppercorns), I'd choose dried oregano, thyme, rosemary, granulated (not powdered) garlic, crushed red pepper flakes, & ground cayenne pepper. With these I could pretty much cook up quite a feast.
Now - depending on your cooking tastes, to these you could also add ground cumin, coriander, paprika (hot, sweet, smoked), Five-spice powder, granulated onion, celery seed, caraway seed, etc., etc. But again - it's all going to depend on the type of cooking you do.
If, as you say, you're just getting into cooking, I strongly suggest just buying what you need depending on the recipes you're making. No sense in wasting money on something that will be tasteless in 6 months & have to go into the trash.
mcnerd
Head Chef
madcitypaul
Assistant Cook
What? No one said cardamom yet? Cardamom!
Also, dill, thyme, lavender if you can find it, tumuric, coriander, clove, cinnimon.
Also, dill, thyme, lavender if you can find it, tumuric, coriander, clove, cinnimon.
BreezyCooking
Washing Up
Actually, cardamom wouldn't be considered a basic & necessary herb for a beginner cook unless that cook already knew that he/she enjoyed recipes using it. Remember that none of these spices remain fresh for very long, so it doesn't make sense to buy something unless you know you're going to use it.
That's why most folks are suggesting the basic herbs found in basic recipes. Once the OP starts trying & cooking different cuisines, that will be the time to start investing in things like cardamom, tumeric, etc., etc.
That's why most folks are suggesting the basic herbs found in basic recipes. Once the OP starts trying & cooking different cuisines, that will be the time to start investing in things like cardamom, tumeric, etc., etc.
Bigjim68
Head Chef
I would agree with your basic list. Past that I would purchase spices and herbs as needed. If you find a recipe that needs another spice, your choices are to purchase it when purchasing the other ingredients, or substitute. In any case, I would buy the smallest quantity from the highest turnover store I could find. Old spices are not worth using.
Dumpandstir
Senior Cook
Thyme, Oregano, Basil, Garlic powder, Onion Powder, Dill, and bay leaves. I mention Thyme because I make lots of soup. Thyme is used in many cream soups.
Thyme, Oregano, Dill Weed, bay Leaves, and Cumin all work well in the dried form.
These herbs don't translate nearly so well from fresh to dried but can be grown easily. I have a large flower pot on the patio with five or six herbs sharing space: Sage, Rosemary, Chives and Basil. If you're not in a hot climate you can also easily grow Italian Parsley, Cilantro, and Tarragon. Having these fresh herbs a few steps away and always available is a boon to cooking.
These herbs don't translate nearly so well from fresh to dried but can be grown easily. I have a large flower pot on the patio with five or six herbs sharing space: Sage, Rosemary, Chives and Basil. If you're not in a hot climate you can also easily grow Italian Parsley, Cilantro, and Tarragon. Having these fresh herbs a few steps away and always available is a boon to cooking.
Kayelle
Chef Extraordinaire
I'm with Al on this.......the key word here is "beginner cook" and although I'm far from a beginner cook, many of the spices many of you have listed as "essential", I've used maybe a half dozen times in my lifetime. It's true that dry spices loose their flavor over time, however they are not harmful to use in a recipe, so don't be overly concerned if you think they are too old to use. They won't hurt you.
Spices are very expensive on the name brand spice rack of the grocery store, but in the stores around here there are racks of spices in cellophane packets directed at ethnic cooking. Those packets of all sorts of spices are a mere fraction of the cost of spice jars. I simply use my own containers.
Whatever you buy, a good plan would be to find a shop where you can buy small amounts from bulk... that way you don't spend a lot of money on something you may realize you don't want to use again. Then when you find one that you really like, buying in bulk will save you money that way. Only buy as much as you'd use in 6 mos. - 1 yr. I go hog wild when we're in Istanbul at the spice bazaar... what I wouldn't give to have that where I live.
CharlieD
Chef Extraordinaire
I'd say start with what you used to. I'm sure you have been eating foods until now. Who cooked for you? Your parents? Did they use herbs, spices? I bet your palete is used to those herbs and those spices, That is where I would start. As you get better and more acustom to cooking you can start buying more variety of herbs and spices, try new ones. But for now I'd stick with what you used to. Makes it simple.
Hello Angelwings 
When I am buying spices and herbs, I generally buy ones that are suitable in a lot of dishes, and then add the more unusual ones when I already have all the rest.
Here are the ones I try to have as a basic supply
Dried oregano
Dried marjaram
Dried garlic powder
Dried onion powder
White pepper
Black pepper corns and grinder
Cinnamon
Dried curry mix powder
Stock cubes
Hot chili powder
Mel
When I am buying spices and herbs, I generally buy ones that are suitable in a lot of dishes, and then add the more unusual ones when I already have all the rest.
Here are the ones I try to have as a basic supply
Dried oregano
Dried marjaram
Dried garlic powder
Dried onion powder
White pepper
Black pepper corns and grinder
Cinnamon
Dried curry mix powder
Stock cubes
Hot chili powder
Mel
Have to agree with BigAl on this one. Fresh-cracked black pepper goes into almost everything I make.
Mimizkitchen
Head Chef
I agree with Kayelle and Big Al don't buy anything not needed... Spices lose their "umph" quickly, so keep it simple, and whenever possible use fresh...
