Sprinkle Some Flavor with Plant-Based Organic Spices and Herbs
Sprinkle Some Flavor with Plant-Based Organic Spices and Herbs
Enhancing your meals the natural way, with less reliance on extra salt and sugar.
When it comes to flavoring a meal, salt, sugar, and heavy sauces are the easy reach. Plant-based organic spices and herbs, flavoring agents derived from plants grown without synthetic pesticides or fertilizers, are a way to build real flavor without leaning so heavily on either. A sprinkle of dried oregano gives a salad a zesty, Mediterranean lift; a pinch of cinnamon turns plain oatmeal warm and comforting. This guide covers how to start using them, a quick reference to the most common ones, ten recipe ideas, and where to buy organic.
How to Incorporate Spices and Herbs Into Your Cooking
Start With the Basics
If you're new to cooking with spices and herbs, start with versatile staples like basil, oregano, cumin, and cinnamon, all of which work across a wide range of dishes.
Experiment With Blends
Pre-made blends like curry powder, chili powder, or Italian seasoning, or your own garam masala, let you build a complex flavor profile in one step.
Mix Sweet and Savory
Cinnamon and nutmeg are usually associated with sweet dishes, but both work well in savory stews and curries too.
Fresh vs. Dried
Dried herbs are more concentrated and more convenient to keep on hand than fresh. As a rule of thumb, use about a third of the amount, roughly 1 teaspoon dried for every 1 tablespoon of fresh called for.
Add at the Right Time
Hardy ground spices like cumin or coriander generally do well bloomed early in oil. Delicate herbs and fine spices are usually best added near the end of cooking so their aroma doesn't cook off.
Common Spices and Herbs to Know
There's no shortage of options once you start building out a spice cabinet. Here's a quick reference to some of the most common ones and what they bring to a dish:
Cinnamon
Warm and fragrant, used in baked goods, oatmeal, and coffee, as well as savory stews.
Ginger
Spicy and warming, used fresh or dried in both sweet and savory dishes.
Rosemary
Piney and fragrant, a staple of Mediterranean cooking. Not currently part of the Spicy Organic line.
Basil
Sweet and aromatic, the backbone of Italian dishes like pasta and pizza. Not currently part of the Spicy Organic line.
Turmeric
Bright yellow and earthy, central to curries and other Indian dishes.
Thyme
Aromatic and herbal, common in soups and stews. Not currently part of the Spicy Organic line.
Oregano
Pungent and earthy, a staple of Mediterranean cooking. Not currently part of the Spicy Organic line.
Garlic
Pungent and versatile, used across nearly every cuisine. Available as granules.
This is just a starting point, there are dozens more worth exploring, from mace and nutmeg to cardamom and black pepper.
10 Recipe Ideas Featuring Spices
Chickpea Curry
Chickpeas simmered in a spiced tomato sauce with cumin, coriander, turmeric, and chili powder. Serve over rice.
Roasted Vegetables
Toss in olive oil with garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, and cumin before roasting.
Lentil Soup
Cumin, coriander, turmeric, and ginger are the backbone; add chili powder or cayenne for heat.
Spicy Tofu Stir-Fry
Garlic powder, ginger, chili flakes, and black pepper with bell peppers, broccoli, and carrots.
Roasted Cauliflower
Cumin, turmeric, and paprika, with a bit of garlic and onion powder for extra depth.
Chana Masala
Chickpeas in a tomato-based sauce with cumin, coriander, turmeric, and garam masala. Serve with rice or naan.
Roasted Sweet Potatoes
Cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice for a sweet take, or chili powder and cumin for a savory one.
Vegan Chili
Chili powder, cumin, and paprika as the base, with cinnamon or cocoa powder for an unexpected depth.
Curry Roasted Carrots
Cumin, coriander, and turmeric, with a touch of honey or maple syrup for sweetness.
Spicy Roasted Nuts
Cayenne pepper, paprika, and garlic powder, great as a snack or salad topper.
Build Your Spice Cabinet
Non-GMO · Packed Fresh in McKinney, TexasStoring Spices and Herbs for Freshness
A spice cabinet only pays off if what's in it still has flavor. Keep dried spices and herbs in airtight containers, away from direct light and away from heat sources like the stove, both speed up the breakdown of the essential oils that carry their flavor and aroma. Whole spices (peppercorns, whole cloves, cinnamon sticks, whole nutmeg) hold their potency for a year or more, while pre-ground spices fade faster, generally within six months to a year, even when stored properly. If a ground spice doesn't smell like much when you open the jar, it's probably not contributing much to the dish either, that's usually a sign it's time to replace it.
Where Common Spices Actually Come From
Spices come from many different parts of the plants that produce them, which is part of why their flavors are so varied: cinnamon from the bark of the cinnamon tree, turmeric from the root of the turmeric plant, black pepper from the dried fruit of the pepper plant, cloves from the flower buds of the clove tree, cumin and coriander from seeds of their respective plants, nutmeg from the seed of the nutmeg tree, cardamom from the seeds of the cardamom plant, ginger from the root of the ginger plant, and fenugreek from the seeds of the fenugreek plant.
Where to Buy Organic Spices and Herbs
Spicy Organic's full line is available directly at SpicyOrganic.com, as well as through our official storefronts on Amazon and Walmart. Health food stores, farmers markets, specialty spice shops, and food co-ops are also worth checking for organic spices generally, though selection and sourcing transparency vary a lot by retailer. Wherever you shop, look for USDA Organic and Non-GMO Project Verified certifications on the label.
