The Ultimate Guide to Herbs and Spices

02 Aug 2017

Journalist

Want to master your spice cupboard or herb garden and not sure where to start? Let us help you unravel a new culinary world with these 7 simple lists of herbs and spices that will add depth, flavour, texture and colour to your food, as well as taking you on an exotic journey around the globe.

1) Popular Spice Blends From Around the World

You're probably familiar with the name and qualities of these nine well known blends of spices, but can you name the individual spices in each blend? For example, did you know that Garam Masala and Ras el Hanout are each made up of nine different spices or that chilli powder contains four? Traditional Herbs de Provence includes six different herby leaves that bring that classic Mediterranean flavour to meat, fish and vegetable dishes. Test your knowledge and fill in the gaps by looking at the chart of 8 popular spice blends below.

2) 21 Herbs and Spices from Around the World

This great infographic links spices to their origin around the world and lists some of the health benefits and minerals they can provide. There are some old favourites, such as Chinese Five Spice and Curry Powder, as well as the more unusual Khmeli Suneli, a blend of fenugreek, coriander, savoury and black peppercorns popular in Georgia, and Advieh, a mixture of dried rose metals and spices often used to flavour Persian stews. The infographic also offers some tips on how best to store your spices to ensure they stay fresh and tasty.

3) How to use spices

Vital for those keen to master cuisines from around the world, these two charts make great reference guides, detailing spices by cuisine as well as which ingredients can be successfully paired with each of them.

4) 10 Healing Herbs and Spices

Instead of reaching into the medicine cabinet next time you're sick, what about the herb garden? This infographic is a great source of information on 10 herbs, from how to cook with them to which physical complaint they'll tackle. Herbs aren’t just about adding flavour in the kitchen: mint is thought to ease intestinal spasms, oregano can help during menstruation and basil can even cheer you up when you’re feeling down.

5) How to Cook with Herbs

Looking to get a better understanding of the basics of herbs? This guide is a great starting point, taking you through the 10 herbs most commonly found in the kitchen and how to best use them. Getting back to basics, it offers useful tips on which leaves to pair with which dishes.

6) 11 Cooking Herbs and How to Use them

This fun herb tutorial offers up a more basic way to get to know your herbs. Why not print it out and put it on the kitchen wall to inspire you to get creative with the herb garden. It’s also great for helping you recognise the different shaped leaves.