Five Seasonings That Will Spice up Your Life

There’s nothing quite like adding that special kick to your meals and getting complimented for it!  Of course, certain spices go better with specific types of food; but at the end of the day, there is such a wide variety, you’ll find the perfect seasoning that will fit both your taste buds and your personal preferences. Here are our favorite spices, and though they may not seem too groundbreaking, they’ll be sure to spice up your next meal.

If you like baking, cinnamon is one of the main spices we use to add a little tingle to our baked goods. If you’re less of a sweet tooth, you can also use cinnamon in many savory dishes, including Moroccan and Indian food. This versatile spice can be utilized almost everywhere, even in mulled wine! When you’re buying ground cinnamon, look for the lightest powders as they have the most flavor (thank us later!)

You may not know this, but paprika is the spice made by grinding various types of red pepper. It’s generally used to spice up foods and as a garnish.  There are different variations of paprika from all over the world. Hungarian paprika is also thought of as one of the best spices to use in traditional Hungarian dishes. Pimenton is Spanish paprika made from smoked peppers. There are so many types of paprika, and it’s nice to keep a couple of different varieties in your pantry to spice up any dish!

Cumin is primarily used in Middle Eastern, Mediterranean, and even Asian cuisine. It’s a popular ingredient in all types of curries. You can use ground them for any dish, or use a toasted variation of the seed. Cumin can also be used as a replacement for coffee. Use it will almond milk and a little bit of honey, and it’ll feel like you’re sipping on heaven.

Ginger is a multifaceted root; you can eat it fresh, dried, ground, and pickled. If you’re looking for a good kick, add ginger! The root is excellent in stir-fries, drinks, soups, anything! Dried ginger works well in baked goods and can be used as a sweet or spicy addition to dishes as well.

Vanilla is very expensive to cultivate, and surprisingly, around 75% percent of the world’s vanilla comes from Madagascar alone. Vanilla beans are the fruit of a particular orchid, and vanilla extract is made by splitting the seeds and then softening them in alcohol to extract the flavor out. Though it may be a little more expensive, if you’re buying vanilla, you should buy the real stuff. The cheaper version of vanilla is usually artificial flavoring.