These are the 10 dried herbs and spices I use the most:
cumin
coriander seed
cinnamon
oregano
thyme
fennel seed
ground ginger
mustard seed
black pepper
Aleppo pepper
I go through a lot of cumin and oregano.
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Oregano
Basil
Thyme
Bay Leaves
Celery Seed
Cayenne Pepper
Garlic Powder
Ancho Chili
Smoked Paprika
Dried Red Pepper
I use a lot of spice blends. Greek from Penzeys, Garam Marsala, Creole like Zatarain’s, make my own BBQ rubs etc.
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I own a ton of Spice Blends, but I don’t use them that often.
I do use purchased Garam Masala, a Baharat blend ,Mexican Chili powder, Ras Al Hanout , Chinese 5 spice, Herbes de Provence , Quatre Spices, and Joe Beef butcher’s blend occasionally.
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- Dried wild mint and wild oregano (bring back from Greece). Whole long sprigs like a bouquet, flowers in tact. The wild mint is intensely aromatic, like no typical mint at all. On the walk back to my room in Athens I let people sitting around in front of their houses or shops smell my mint bouquets and they all said the same thing “Oh, wow. Amazing” (Yeah, like Greece.)
- Fennel seeds. (Toss them quickly in a dry pan to release more fennel taste before using.)
- Black and white peppercorns from Sarawak (Malaysian Borneo). Came home with me in my checked baggage, enough to last me for some time.
- Chinese Five Spice. (Love it but a little goes a long way. Too much and it’s overpowering.)
Dried chillies from Mexico, I bring back 3-5 kilos every trip. Have tried many but now only take home my top 3:
- Pasilla Oaxaqueños (absolute number one)
- Chipotle
- ChiltepĂn (Capsicum annuum var. Glabriusculum) from Sonora, Mexico. Very spicy and smells aMAzing.
Fresh chilli I like the most is Scotch bonnet.
I have bay laurel, chives, marjoram, thyme, rosemary, summer savoury , lemon balm and (my favourite) lovage in the garden which I make full use of in the summer/season.
I bought fresh sweet marjoram on Lanzarote at a organic produce stall on market day. Sofa king lovely to smell, to eat and too look at! Never saw it again until I went to Samothraki island last year where they grow everywhere in the wild. Now you know why goats taste so good on Samothraki island (or in Greece in general).
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oregano
basil
onion powder
garlic powder
lemon pepper
paprika
Montreal steak seasoning
crushed red pepper
black pepper
Creole seasoning
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oregano
thyme
ancho powder
powdered garlic
Mexican adobo mix
vadouvan
red pepper flakes
black pepper
fines herbes
Montreal seasoning
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Top Ten:
Black pepper
Smoked paprika
Oregano
Chile Molido Puro/Chile Rojo
Cumin
Thyme
Coriander
Turmeric
Garlic powder
Mustard seed
Honorable Mention:
Chipotle powder
Bay leaf
Hot paprika
Sweet paprika
Basil
Sage
Cardamom
Ginger
Cinnamon
Fennel seed
Tarragon
Celery seed
Cloves
I use a lot of black pepper and smoked paprika. Occasionally buy things like Montreal or Kinder’s seasonings.
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Cumin 1
Ground chiles 2
Black pepper 3
Pepperoncino 4
Fines Herbes 5
Herbes de Provence 6
Fennel seed 7
Nutmeg 8
Thyme 9
Oregano 10
Tarragon
Marjoram
Curry powder
Garam masala
Cayenne
Coriander
Cardamom
The honorable mentions could go on and on. If it is in the cupboard, it gets used.
I get my basil, flat leaf parsley, and, except in the dead of summer, cilantro from the garden. I have a nice Mexican oregano bush and am thinking about drying some. Likewise for my bay tree. I used to grow my own thyme but prefer dried. I have tried growing Mexican mint marigold as a substitute for tarragon, too.
I use Fiesta steak seasoning a lot but count it as a salt.
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Black pepper
White pepper
Oregano
Basil
Cinnamon
Garlic powder
Onion powder
Of course, I don’t know that I’ll have to buy ANY spices for the next year or so. Mom had several still-vacuum-sealed bottles of various odds and ends. I have enough Morton kosher salt for… ever, possibly. Certainly a good long while. I probably won’t need Maldon flakes for a number of years, either.
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