Traditional Essential Herbs and Spices

If you love cooking and spending time in the kitchen, then you will likely already have a well-stocked collection of basic and essential herbs and spices to elevate your cooking. But, if you’re looking to improve your cooking skills or are moving into your first home, then knowing what basic herbs and spices are most commonly used in cooking can help transform your dishes and improve your cooking skills. 

Some of the most basic herbs and spices include chilli flakes, garlic powder, nutmeg, paprika, cumin, dried basil, dried oregano and bay leaves, as well as salt and pepper, and these essential herbs and spices can be used in a wide variety of different dishes to enhance both flavour and seasoning.

Using herbs and spices is a natural way add taste and flavour to your cooking and have been used for thousands of years across all cultures. Now that we have easier access to essential herbs and spices from all over the world, adding exotic spices and herbs to your cooking collection, whether they be dried, blended or fresh, is no longer a challenge and opens up the opportunity to enhance your cooking knowledge. 

Even though we have access to all of these ingredients, there are still some essential herbs and spices used in cooking that form the base flavour and spice profiles of a large number of dishes. There are some commonly used spices in cooking that you should add to your pantry, alongside your salt and pepper. Ginger, coriander, cinnamon, cumin and chilli are the most common spices used in cooking across all cuisines and are very interchangeable across a number of dishes.

Herbs & spices are some of the longest lasting ingredients that you can keep in your kitchen and often last for a number of years without impacting on the flavour and quality. So long as you store them properly, essential herbs & spices can stay fresh for a number of years. Be sure to store your herbs & spices in a cool, dry place, such as a cupboard, away from direct heat and sunlight. This is to avoid altering the taste and texture of the herbs & spices when they are used in cooking. 

Dried herbs & spices can keep for between 1-3 years when stored correctly, however salts will keep for a much longer period of time. To ensure your herbs & spices last for a long period of time, there are some things you can do to improve their longevity. Avoid sprinkling jarred herbs & spices over a hot pan or steaming tray, as this can allow moisture to get in and cause them to clump together. Instead, sprinkle onto a spoon away from the pot - not only is this more precise but allows for proper care of your herbs & spices. Check your herbs & spices frequently so that you’re not stockpiling too many of the same herbs & spices and so that you can throw out any that might be past their best.