Herbs & Spices

Herb or Spice			Use to Season		Facts About
Allspice			Use with meat, fish, gravy, soup and stew, pickles, spice cakes & cookies pumpkin and squash.		The taste of allspice resembles a blend of spices.
Anise			Use in candies, baked goods and pork.		Has a licorice-like flavor
Basil			Use in sauces, vegetables, salads, meat, seafood, egg dishes.		Leaves are used fresh or dried.
Bay Leaves			Use to season meats, fish, potatoes, sauces, soups & stews.		Leaves are usually used whole and removed before serving.
Caraway Seeds			Use on breads, especially rye bread; also in cheeses.		Has a flavor similar to dill.
Cardamom			Use in curries, cookies & other pastries, breads, and pickles.		Common in Scandinavian and Middle Eastern dishes; has a sweet, lemony flavor.
Cayenne Pepper			Use in meats, soups, sauces, chili, seafood, Mexican & Cajun dishes.		Thin, red and yellow, very hot peppers are used whole, or dried and ground.
Celery Seed			Use in salads, pickles and relishes, sauces, soups and stews, and on beef.		Seeds are sold as whole or ground; also combined with salt for celery salt.
Chervil			Use in egg & cheese dishes, vegetables, soups and stews, salads, and creamy sauces.		Looks similar to parsley; common in French cuisine.
Chili Powder			Use in chili, sauces, curries, Mexican foods.		A combination of chili peppers plus other spices, including cumin.
Chives			Use in cheese dishes, eggs, fish, sauces; as a garnish in soups, salads, and vegetable dishes.		Long hollow green leaves have a mild onion flavor. Best when used fresh, but also used dried.
Cinnamon			Use in pastries, breads, cakes, cookies, pies, sauces, apples, pumpkin and squash recipes. Cinnamon sticks are sometimes used in beverages.		A highly aromatic spice available as cinnamon sticks and as a ground powder.
Cilantro			This leafy green herb is used in many Middle Eastern, Indian, Oriental, Spanish and Caribbean dishes.		The seeds of cilantro are finely ground to make the spice known as coriander.
Cloves			Use in cakes, cookies, and candies, ham, sauces, pickles and relishes.		Have a strong, spicy-sweet flavor; used whole or ground. If used whole, they are removed before serving.
Coriander			Use in curry, pickles, breads, cakes, and cookies.		Small fragrant seeds are used ground or whole; have a slight lemony flavor. Leaves of the same herb are known as cilantro.
Cumin			Add to curries, meats, cheeses, sausages, seafood, pickles, rice dishes, and chili.		Small fragrant seeds; a main ingredient in chili powder.
Curry Powder			Use in rice, lamb, poultry, eggs, and vegetables; used in many Indian recipes.		Curry powder is not a single spice, but combination of several spices such as coriander, ginger, turmeric, fenugreek seed, cumin, pepper, cloves, and other spices.
Dill			Used mainly in pickles, but can also be used in breads, soups, meats, and salads.		Also known as dill weed, both the leaves and seeds of this flavorful herb are used to season foods.
File' powder			Use to thicken and add flavor to Gumbo and other Creole dishes. Heat has an adverse affect on File, so add it after a pot of food has been removed from the oven or stove.		File' powder is made from dried, ground sassafras leaves. It has a root beer like flavor.
Fennel Seed			Use in pickles, pizza and spaghetti sauces, breads, cakes and cookies.		A member of the parsley family, grown for its sweet seeds; has a flavor similar to anise.
Garlic			Use in meats, chicken, seafood, stews, sauces, marinades, salad dressings; used in many Italian and Chinese dishes.		An herb related to the onion, used fresh or dried; also has many health benefits and medicinal uses. Its bulb is composed of several small cloves.
Ginger			Use in Oriental dishes, meat, poultry, seafood; also in squash and pumpkin recipes, cookies, cakes, and breads.		Ginger root is used fresh or dried, whole, ground, or cracked; has a strong spicy-sweet flavor.
Mace			Use in cakes, doughnuts and other baked goods; fish, meat stuffing, and in pickles.		Made from the coating of the nutmeg seed; used both whole and ground; has a flavor similar to nutmeg, but with a touch of cinnamon.
Marjoram			Use as a seasoning for lamb, soups, stews, fish, poultry stuffing, sausages, beans and other vegetables; also in beverages and jellies.		Also called sweet marjoram; the leaves are used whole or ground. It has a sweet, minty flavor.
MSG (monosodium glutamate)			Used mainly as a seasoning for meat and seafood, frequently in Chinese and other Asian dishes. It´s added to other foods to enhance flavor.		MSG is a vegetable protein, a fine white powder, produced through the fermentation of foods such as molasses.
Mint			Use in fruits, desserts, jellies, candies, beverages, and as a garnish.		Mint leaves have a distinctive flavor and smell. It's used fresh or dried, whole or chopped.
Mustard		Used as ground mustard in salad dressings, sauces, cheese and egg dishes. Mustard seeds are commonly used in pickles, relishes, salads, beets, cabbage, and sauerkraut.				Mustard is sold as whole seeds or as a finely ground yellow powder. It has a strong, hot flavor.
Nutmeg		Use in breads, cookies, cakes, custard, pies, desserts, vegetables.				Used either ground or as a whole seed, nutmeg has a sweet, aromatic flavor.
Oregano		Use in tomato dishes, pizza, spaghetti sauce; in Greek, Italian, and Mexican dishes.				Ground oregano is an ingredient in many types of Italian food. It has a flavor and aroma similar to marjoram, but stronger.
Paprika		Use as a garnish for potatoes, potato salad, eggs, deviled eggs, beef, poultry, salads, and salad dressings.				A mild red spice, always used ground; used not only for its flavor, but for its red color.
Parsley		Use in soups or salads as a seasoning. Goes well with almost any meat as a garnish.				Parsley sprigs are used mainly as a garnish for foods and are often left untouched. It's used fresh or dried as a seasoning.
Black Pepper		Use to strengthen the flavor of meats, poultry, fish, eggs, cheese, vegetables and more.				Black Pepper can be purchased as ground or as whole peppercorns. It's best when freshly ground.
Poppy Seeds		Use as a topping for rolls, breads, cookies, butters, and pastas.				Poppy seeds have a crunchy, nut-like flavor. It's used as whole seeds; can also be used crushed or ground.
Rosemary		Use to season lamb, beef, veal, poultry, soups and stews, potatoes, and breads such as rosemary focaccia.				Small needle-like leaves are used dried or fresh, whole or ground; has a sweet but bold aroma and flavor,
Saffron		Use in rice dishes and other Mediterranean cuisine; used in paella, bouillabaisse, and sometimes in chicken dishes.				Saffron is sold as a ground powder; has a yellow color and a slightly bitter taste.
Sage	Use to season sausage, poultry stuffings, veal, pork, meat loaf, stews, and salads.			An herb grown for its leaves, used as rubbed or ground; has a slightly lemony taste.
Savory	Use with lamb, beef, poultry, egg dishes, squash, beans and lentils.			Leaves are used fresh, or dried as whole leaves; has a flavor similar to thyme.
Sesame Seeds	Use on bread, rolls, bagels, salads, and in stir fry.			Sesame seeds are always used as whole oil seeds. Most are used on hamburger buns.
Tarragon	Use to season veal, lamb, beef, poultry, seafood, eggs, salads, dressings, mushrooms, asparagus.			Leaves are used fresh or dried, whole or ground; has astrong spicy smell and taste. If using dried tarragon leaves, remove them after cooking, since once dried they will not soften again when cooked.
Thyme	Use in poultry, poultry stuffing, pork, beef, tomatoes, tomato soups and sauces.			An herb used both fresh and dried, whole or ground. It has a strong, but pleasant flavor, resembling a blend of cloves and sage.
Turmeric	Use in curries, poultry, relishes, pickles, eggs, rice.			A member of the ginger family; an orange-yellow powder with a mild flavor.