16 herbs and spices to stock your cupboard with flavour

One of the tastiest and healthiest ways to enhance the flavour of foods is to cook with herbs and spices. Here's what you need to know about cooking with common herbs and spices.

•  This spice tastes like a mix of ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon and pepper.

•  This spice has a strong liquorice flavour that works well in cakes and biscuits.

• Basil has a warm, anise flavour.
• It is a major ingredient in pesto and also boosts the flavour of tomato-based dishes.

• With its woodsy flavour, is a staple in meat dishes and stews.
• Add the dry leaf at the start of cooking; remove just before serving.

•  Black peppercorns are sharp and aromatic. Grind black pepper as needed for a fresh, spicy taste.

• Caraway seeds have a nutty texture.
• They impart an aromatic, anise flavour to breads and cakes and cheese, and vegetable and meat dishes.

• Cardamom is a relative of ginger.
• One of the main ingredients in curry powder, it is used in cakes, ice cream and mulled wine.
• Lightly crush whole pods to flavour slow-cooked dishes, as well as milk to be used in sauces.

•  Ground from dried red chili peppers, cayenne adds a hot, peppery taste to sauces and stews.
• It is widely used in Mexican dishes.

•  These seeds may be tiny but they pack a punch, adding a strong celery flavour to sauces, dips and soups.

•  Chervil tastes of anise and parsley.
• It enhances chicken, egg, prawn, potato and salad dishes.

• This spice varies in its degree of heat depending on what type of chili it is made from.
• Taste a tiny bit before using to gauge how much to use.

• Chives add a sweet onion flavour to dips, salads and sauces.
• They're easy to grow yourself in a pot or they can be bought fresh, frozen or freeze-dried.

• Cilantro is an herb and Coriander is a spice made from the seeds.
• Either form has a pungent taste that is popular in Mexican or southwest cooking and Asian cuisines.
• The seeds are included in most curry powders and spice mixes.

• In stick form, cinnamon can be used to flavour milk for sauce and custard recipes.
• Ground cinnamon is a popular flavouring in desserts and baking and is mixed with sugar to make cinnamon toast.
• It is also used in Moroccan and Greek cuisines.

• Cloves have a very intense, musky taste that mellows during cooking.
• They can be used to stud hams before baking and to spike apples for cider punch or for pies.
• Use ground cloves in cookies, cakes and sauces.

•  Both have an earthy flavour that adds richness to bean and shellfish recipes and Mexican cooking.

• Avoid herbs with wilted, yellowing leaves or brown spots.
• Store them loosely wrapped in a damp paper towel and then in plastic, in the crisper drawer of the refrigerator.
• Chop fresh herbs and crush the seeds immediately before using them.
• Grind spices yourself for the freshest taste or buy them ready-ground, in which case replace your stocks regularly.

Sometimes the simplest herbs and spices can make all the difference. Keep this guide in mind and add some flavour to your favourite dish today!

--------------------

Discover the smarter way to save time and money

Ready to start saving more on your groceries and pharmacy purchases? Download the FREE YP Grocery app today! It lets you create shareable shopping lists, automatically finds all the best deals and coupons, then delivers them right to you. No more manually scrolling through hundreds of flyers to find what you’re looking for!

Download the YP Grocery app now!