15 Essential Spices You Should Have at Home

To make your everyday meals a little more exciting, we have gathered 15 essential spices that you should always have on hand.

Important tip: keep your dried spices in a cool, dark, dry place to preserve their freshness. Don't keep them in cabinets near appliances, like a stove, oven, or even the dishwasher , they are too warm and damp. Aim for the pantry if possible.

1.SALT

Ditch the table salt and get Himalayan Salt, whether it's coarse or fine.It goes well with all your meals. Plus, it can:

2.PEPPERCORNS

Choose whole peppercorns in a grinder to release intense flavor and aroma.

3.CINNAMON

Cinnamon has an aromatic and earthy flavor that adds depth to hearty dishes like stews and curries and it's perfect for sweets.

4.CRUSHED RED PEPPER FLAKES

Typically made from cayenne peppers, a little can go a long way to heat up or balance a dish.

5.GROUND GINGER

Ground ginger is one we recommend having on hand for baking.

6. GARLIC POWDER

Garlic powder is perfect when you're out of fresh garlic. It can give an amazing taste to marinades.

7.WHOLE NUTMEG

Whole nutmeg is recommended over ground nutmeg because of how quickly nutmeg loses its potency and flavor. You will see the taste is much more intense, spicy, and almost peppery. Both baking and cooking will benefit from this flavor boost.

8.PAPRIKA

Paprika is typically made from ground sweet red peppers. Because of its mild flavor, this can also be used as a finishing spice to add color.

9.GROUND CLOVES

Like cinnamon, cloves are thought of as a baking spice. Cloves, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg are pretty much the holiday baking dream team, but outside of the holiday season, make sure to try cloves on beef and pork dishes.

10. BAY LEAVES

Many describe the flavor of this floral leaf to be minty-pine with a little kick. It’s best practice use bay leaves whole and remove before serving as they can pose a choking hazard because of their rigidity.

11.DRIED OREGANO

Oregano adds depth to many dishes and, in some cultures, is also used as a condiment.

12.ROSEMARY

Use dried rosemary in a pinch, but this herb is also super easy to grow to have fresh on hand.

13.THYME

Fresh thyme is also an herb garden staple, but when you don’t have thyme for that , we recommend giving it a good rub between the palms of your hands to release a little more flavor before adding to a dish.

14.CUMIN

This bold spice has a spicy-sweet aroma that is easily detected in many dishes. It is part of many boldly spiced dishes like stew, curry, and chili.

15.VANILLA EXTRACT

Vanilla extract is known to increase the sweetness of a dish without adding sugar, making it a valuable ingredient in both sweet and savory dishes.