Ahh yes, those simple additives that make all our food jump up and sing in our mouth, yet most of us don’t know how to use them properly…or even how they taste. Well, that’s about to change.

Spices aren’t really supposed to be scary, but I can understand how intimidating they can be…not to mention some can be down right expensive. Take Saffron for example. It’s noted to be the world’s most expensive spice by weight. A pound of Saffron for example can cost up to $5,000 USD per pound on the international market. Now you wouldn’t need a pound ever, however, what does it even taste like? Saffron is used as a flavoring and coloring agent in sweet and meat dishes. Too much can bitter a dish, way too much can even lead to medical problems…so how much is enough? There’s a saying, “A pinch of saffron will do ya”. Well it’s true, that’s about all you need. It’s used in everything from stews to cooking meats or baking cookies. It can make plain rice taste amazing, and the aroma is simply soothing. Some will say that it has a faint honey taste, others say it tastes like the sea. It’s one of those spices you might want try on your own.

Say, doesn’t that sound like a good idea? Still nervous? Ok, here’s some tips to look at for cooking with spices.

To know what something tastes like, gives you an idea of how to cook it, or what to cook it with right? I mean, we’ve all eaten at restaurants and found favourite dishes over the years. We’ve all looked at a cookbook or watched a cooking program at least once right? Using spices isn’t hard, in fact, once you’ve read what I have to say about them, you might look at them differently.

So let’s start at the beginning.

You’d like to learn how to use spices, but don’t know where to start with them. Sure you’re familiar with items like salt, pepper, garlic, onion…which in effect are all spices. To go more in depth, they can be further broken down into sweet, pungent, tangy, hot and amalgamating tasting categories, but initially, we won’t worry about such labels. I’ll explain them more later. Suffice it to say, there’s many ways to look at them, and many ways they can help you.

I recommend taking a trip to your local bulk food store, or if you have access to one, a spice market to start with. They usually have a selection of spices that you can purchase in whatever weight you want. Since you’re new to spicing things up, I suggest just getting a teaspoon or so of a few different ones. Get some that you’re familiar with, and some you aren’t. Some will go a long way, and some won’t, but that isn’t important right now, a teaspoon is a good measuring point to start with so you can get a feeling for what they taste like, how much might be needed to achieve a flavour profile in your food, and it won’t cost you very much to do so.

Now that you have your spices, here’s a few tips to introduce you to each one.

1. Pour a little onto a piece of wax paper, lick the end of your finger, and dip it into the spices, one-at-a-time tasting each as you go. This will give you a memory point to go by when you’re thinking of adding spices. Think about how it tastes…is it sweet, salty, hot, savory? How does it feel on your tongue…is it creamy, grainy, powdery, chunky? How a spice tastes and how it feels in your mouth will give you some ideas already of how to use them to enhance what you already cook….but don’t get ahead of yourself just yet.
2. Take about 1/8 of a teaspoon and put it in a little glass….boil some water in a kettle and pour about a teaspoon on top of the spice. Give it a gentle stir and bring it to your nose. Smell anything? Some spices have really mild aromas, some are pungent. Knowing what it takes to bring out the aroma of a spice will give you an idea of how much might be required to enhance what you’re cooking. We’ve all said it…that smells so good, what’s in it? Now you are starting to understand just how much spicing up your food can help your appetite….as well as starting to get a feel for what it takes to bring on that reaction.
3. As you go back and think about how each spice tasted and smelled, think about the meats, vegetables and starches (pasta, rice, potatoes and grains) that you eat, think about the meats you eat…can you start to pair them up with the flavours you’ve just tasted? Certain spices won’t do anything for one type of food, but may just wake the flavour up in others.

So you’ve taken the first step, now what? You have tasted a selection of spices, but you’re still unsure of how to use them on your own. That’s ok, it’s called a learning curve for a reason…the best part is coming up around the bend. Travel at your own speed.

Everything you put in your mouth, in its natural state (unseasoned) has a flavour profile all its own. Chicken, fish, beef, pork, tomatoes, beets, celery…everything has its own flavour. As I said before, knowing how something tastes can help you start to pair things up. I should mention here though, that some spices have multiple profiles that go with them. Some are pungent to smell, but sweet to taste….others are mild and buttery. It’s at this point where I want to introduce to you the concept of planning out the flow of your meal. For centuries, foods have been used to manipulate moods…hence comfort foods. These are usually foods that remind us of better times when we’re feeling down in some way. It’s good to have them, because they’re usually the foods we learn to cook first….and knowing how to cook something is a great place to start when you’re looking to experiment with creating your own recipes. Of course recipe books and websites aren’t a bad place either. Knowing how things taste in their natural state (before mixing them) can help you relate to recipes and get an idea of how they’ll taste before you make them. Now you won’t truly know until you actually make the recipe how it’ll taste, but a little fore-knowledge can really be an advantage going into cooking something new.

For years I’ve had a spice rack, and for years I keep moving different spices in and out of it. There are times when I’ll pack it full of savory tasting spices, some will be more sweet. Some aren’t technically spices at all, but still alter the flavour of the foods I cook. Sesame seeds are an example of that. Take a good piece of fresh tuna steak (sorry Charlie) and roll the outside in sesame seeds. Then place it in a little oil or butter in a pan and lightly sear it. You don’t have to add anything else to it and you’ll have an amazing slightly smoky-nutty taste.

Spices I feel are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to cooking. There’s herbs, seasonings (a mixture of spices and herbs), you can add juices, infused oils, cheeses, etc – all to change the flavour profile of what you’re cooking to bring a old dish to a new life.

Next article I’ll talk more about herbs, since they can be used both dried or fresh, and the flavours they bring are as unique as spices, but when used with spices can be quite complimentary.

Bottom line, don’t be scared to experiment a little with spices. If you aren’t sure, try the tips I mentioned above to give yourself a better idea of what each of them has to offer. Some spices can be used in cooking as well as baking, and visa versa. You’ll thank yourself for trying something new, and with a little practice, so will the people you cook for.

Happy Cooking!