Herbs & Spices: Which ones are impossible to live without?
If you found out you'd only be able to use salt, black pepper, and, say, four single herbs and/or spices for the rest of your life, which would you choose? (no blends allowed)
Would you give up salt or pepper in favor of a fifth herb or spice?
I love cooking with herbs, so this is a tough one for me. I know I'd want thyme, as it's the one I use more often than all the others combined. I go through loads of sage, too. And it's almost impossible to imagine life without cinnamon! I'm not sure about the fourth. Cumin? Bay? Rosemary? I'm thinking it's probably basil, but I'll have to ponder it a while.
No way would I give up salt. Black pepper, possibly... but not salt!
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26 Comments:
garlic powder (assuming that counts as a spice?)
cinnamon
thyme
dried red pepper flakes
protest at 1:12PM on 02/05/08
HHHhhhmmm... garlic and red pepper. To me, these are produce/food, and not technically herbs or spices.
We'll have to see what the rest of the SeriousEaters say about this...
Stay tuned!
LoCo at 1:21PM on 02/05/08
I cannot give up pepper
but I would also keep cinnamon, salt and garlic powder. Although, I always use cinnamon with nutmeg, allspice and ginger so I may have a problem in the long run.
mommyme at 1:22PM on 02/05/08
I grow fresh herbs and keep a few all year. Right now, I have rosemary, thyme, bay, and the chives and parsley are alive at least. I have a pot roast in the oven right now with a bunch of thyme and several bay leaves. I can't wait for fresh mint, basil, tarragon, oregano, sage, dill, etc. in my summer herb garden. I'm going to pretend you're only talking dry.
Could never give up salt or pepper. I'd keep cinnamon, dry mustard, paprika, cumin. Oh my gosh, and so many more! I just love my spices!!!
PerkyMac at 1:40PM on 02/05/08
Uh oh, I can't live without my fresh herbs!:-). I won't give up salt, of course, but I just may give up black pepper (ouch!)...let's see: I have to have fresh dill, thyme and basil (hopefully, I can keep both green and purple basil as one herb:-)). And let's not count garlic as an herb/spice, pretty please?!!
In any case, even if I give up black pepper (and I really, really wouldn't want to!), I have too many candidates to replace it: cumin, smoked paprika, fresh rosemary, fresh coriander (a.k.a. cilantro), fresh or dried bay leaves, fresh sage, whole cloves, cinnamon, dry mustard (5-spice powder would be a blend, so I'm keeping it without bargaining, right?)...oooh, I really have to think about it!
brooke29 at 1:52PM on 02/05/08
Salt is impossible to give up in cooking. It does so much more than just make things salty. It helps to break down proteins, it accelerates water boiling, it preserves, sanitizes and insulates. As far as herbs go, my favorites are marjoram (fresh only), thyme, tarragon and sage. I consider basil more of a leafy green, however fragrant it is, so I get to keep that one too :) That leaves me with one spot left... Black tellicherry pepper is too versatile to give up, but I also love white red and green pepper, as well as turmeric. I'm not a big fan of cinnamon, so thats no problem, but cayenne pepper is a must for seafood, so I would miss that...
seyo at 2:03PM on 02/05/08
I would definitely keep salt and black pepper; then nutmeg, cumin, paprika (sweet and smoked count as one!!??), and cloves.
ride&cook at 2:33PM on 02/05/08
Cinnamon! I put it in everything. And black pepper. There can never be too much, in my opinion.
luswim06 at 2:41PM on 02/05/08
Garlic, cumin, cinnamon, paprika - those are my biggies. And I'd keep salt and pepper, yes, thank you!
Maureen at 3:19PM on 02/05/08
If we're pretending that fresh herbs don't count, then I just might keep the black pepper! Along with cumin, smoked paprika and cinnamon. Woo-hoo!
brooke29 at 3:20PM on 02/05/08
I’m assuming vanilla, garlic, and chili peppers are exempt.
drastic at 3:35PM on 02/05/08
Salt and pepper for me. Then cumin, basil, red pepper flakes and cinnamon. Gives me a decent range in different combinations.
Garlic is a vegetable. :)
wellred at 4:06PM on 02/05/08
Basil, thyme, rosemary, tarragon. Couldn't live without S&P!
bessfour at 4:23PM on 02/05/08
salt and pepper stay.
cinnamon, parsley, and cilantro definitely. 4th place is torn between cumin and mint.
parsley and cilantro because they are essential such a high proportion of the food i eat, and i in know way find them interchangeable. cinnamon, i use much less but would cry to lose it forever.
cumin i love for its earthiness and it's really the first spice i learned to use. mint, i rarely cook with, but i love its flavor and can't imagine a mintless world. what would my toothpaste taste like?
renzata at 4:33PM on 02/05/08
Because it will be more convenient, I'm going with garlic powder as produce!
The 4 I always use are:
1.Basil
2.Oregano
3.Thyme
4.Bay Leaves
Add the above 4 with black and white pepper to tomato sauce makes a KILLER spaghetti sauce! Best part, no salt needed.
NinjaFluff at 5:01PM on 02/05/08
Rarely use much pepper so may not miss it, but I do need a little salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and a vanilla bean to keep me happy!
JEP at 6:50PM on 02/05/08
Cinnamon, nutmeg, basil, and...oh....gosh. I'm torn between cumin and vanilla. :(
Christina at 9:43PM on 02/05/08
vanilla, nutmeg, thyme, and smoked paprika are the things i really couldn't cook without. and i'd definitely keep the salt and pepper!
cybercita at 10:20PM on 02/05/08
salt and pepper i'd keep. i also use thyme, rosemary, basil, and cinnamon all the time. this was easier than i thought!
woodenspoon at 11:04PM on 02/05/08
I could give up salt
But not pepper.
Basil
Oregano
Rosemary
Paprika
Cilantro
paris221966 at 11:05PM on 02/05/08
I would keep basil, thyme, rosemary and nutmeg...and maybe trade red pepper flakes for black pepper.
mrsmoosie at 11:35PM on 02/05/08
Garlic...does that count?
Chilis
Basil
Ginger...also wondering if this counts
Scallions
Oh no...I only get five?
I wanted to throw in anise in there...nasty on its own, but so integral to a lot of down home Chinese cooking...
fuuchan at 1:37AM on 02/06/08
Garlic= root bulb
ginger= root
chilis= veggie
pepper flakes= veggie
I couldn't live without any of those.
How about 5 herbs AND 5 spices?!?
Okay, just 5:
NUMBER ONE would have to be basil
parsley
thyme
cinn
nutmeg
But two more herbs (to go with the 3 above) would have to be oregano, and tarragon.
cucinacecilia at 10:37AM on 02/06/08
fuuchan, I'd say four of your five are not herbs and spices, but vegetables that impart flavor. Garlic and scallions are definitely vegetables IMHO -- no different than onions or shallots, right? Ginger is a root, and eaten like a food in many food cultures, so I'd say that's gonna stay. Chiles are vegetables, too -- whether it's pepper flakes or paprika or whatever, they're really no different than bell peppers or jalapenos, just dried.
So I'm keeping all of 'em (and fuu gets to keep the beloved anise)!
Gotta love seyo's rationalization on basil... not sure it flies, but nice attempt! Either way, after much tortured soul-searching, I've decided to change my basil vote to cumin. Pasta won't be quite the same, but cumin is so vital to Mexican and Indian and Mid-East, I think I'd miss it a lot more.
LoCo at 11:38AM on 02/06/08
Oregano, parsley, cinnamon and cumin. Easy. As long as we all agree that any type of red pepper product -cayenne, crushed red pepper flakes, etc.- are not spices.
Kerosena at 11:40AM on 02/06/08
- black peppercorns for the pepper slot
- Thai basil
- cinnamon
- cumin
- turmeric
Wish I could substitute the salt slot with another herb/spice, since I don't use salt. If I could, this may sound like a frivolous last item for a slot, but I think I would choose saffron despite my brain yelling, "NO, not saffron! Choose anise or even vanilla bean!" Or maybe I'd choose anise...
Very tough decisions indeed.
Cassaendra at 12:39PM on 02/09/08