What would we have done without the wonderful taste of spice in our food and herbs in our life? You could tell our meals would have been boring and not so enticing, and our lives not so healthy, but oh well, thanks to spice and herbs!
So, maybe you’re here to learn more about different spices and herbs and how you can use them, or you probably just want to broaden your knowledge of the spices and herbs out there just in case you opt to try an entirely different cuisine some time.
Well, you’re at the right spot at the right time, because we’ll be spilling all the answers out there about different spices and herbs, and how to use them, just like the title entails. Stick with us as we proceed.
Herbs
Cilantro
Cilantro is popularly known as one of the most eaten herbs all around the world. If you’ve eaten in restaurants before, there are high chances that you’ve eaten a meal that contains cilantro at least once. That’s how popular the herb is. However, cilantro is not loved by everybody. Some love it, while some say it tastes too soapy. To each his own. It is also known as coriander.
Uses of coriander
Cilantro possesses a favorable aura. It adds that magic touch to your meal. You can use it to garnish your soups, salads, rice dishes, pasta salads, and whatever else that is edible that you can think of.
The health benefits of cilantro
Cilantro helps to lower blood sugar, fight infections, and promote your heart, brain, skin, and digestive system.
Where can you get them?
Cilantro herbs can be gotten from any grocery store near you. You can get cilantro leaves at grocery stores like Amazon and Costco, or you can order them online from Amazon if you prefer ordering things online.
Parsley
Parsley is a green herb known for its taste in dishes and health benefits. The flowering plant is native to the Mediterranean. One of the two types of parsley commonly known is French curly leaf, and the other is Italian flat leaf.
Use of parsley
Parsley is most generally used as a garnish. Its wonderful flavors give cooked meals a pleasurable scent and taste. It can also be used as a condiment and as food. However, some people prefer parsley for its non-edible qualities. The seed oil is used as a fragrance in many soaps, while the root, seed, and leaf are used for medicinal purposes.
The health benefits
Parsley contains vitamin K, which helps blood clot and also contributes to bone health. Parsley is considered to also be rich in vitamin C and other antioxidants, which are vital in reducing serious health conditions like diabetes, stroke, heart disease, and cancer.
Where to get them?
Parsley can also be gotten in grocery shops around your locality. It can also be gotten online on Amazon.
Mint
Mint, also known as menthe, is said to belong to the Lamiaceae family that contains around 15 to 20 plant species, with peppermint and spearmint included. Mints are popular for the freshness they bring to dishes and products like toothpaste, gums, candies, and beauty products.
Use of mint
You can use your mint to make mint tea, though not in so much quantity because of its peculiar flavor. A third of mint will do quite well to give you a refreshing sip. You can also use it for watermelon salad, where you combine cubed watermelon, feta cheese, basil, and mint to make and enjoy.
The health benefits
Mint has vitamin A as one of its compound nutrients. Vitamins are important and vital for eye health and night vision.
Mints are also a good source of antioxidants, which help to fight and relieve you from oxidative stress in your body.
Where to get them?
Mints are quite a scarce herb or commodity. Grocery stores around you will likely have them in stock, so you should go ahead and have a check if it is. Shops like Walmart and Costco are likely to be selling them. If you still can’t find it in any of those, you can easily order it online.
Basil
Basil is a herb considered to have the scent of anise spice by so many. The large bushy herb is popular in so many countries as you will find it in so many cuisines, whether national or international. The basil herb is also known to possess different names: great basil, sweet basil, Genovese basil, lemon basil, holy basil, African blue basil.
Use of basil
There are so many varieties of using basil herb: you can decide to top whole leaves onto your pizza, add them as a thinly sliced leaf to your pasta, blend it into sauces, puree it into soups, chop it up to add to a salad or just garnish it on an avocado toast. The choice of how to use this favorable plant is yours.
The health benefits
Basil as an herb has been strongly linked to some good health benefits like reducing memory loss that is associated with stress and aging, reducing depression that is related to chronic stress, reducing stroke damage and supporting recovery.
Where to get them?
Depending on the actual type of basil that you’d like to get, you can easily get it from your local grocery store or a gardener that does deliveries around your state. Some types of basil herb might not be easy to find, so you do your best to make sure that you employ all the options before you, like going to the grocery stores around you, especially Walmart and Costco, or looking on online market platforms like Amazon to check for them.
Dill
Dill is a green herb that is highly associated with Scandinavian cuisine. It does trigger different reactions in people who have said they have eaten it. To some, the flavor is judged or described as clean and grassy, while to others, it is tangy and earthy, hence the reason for their dislike of the herb. Whether you like dill or not, you can not change the fact that it is enjoyed in a lot of places by a lot of people, hence it is found in international dishes.
Use of dill
Dills add a great deal of awesomeness to your meal (haha) Well, maybe that was a bit exaggerated, but yes, they actually do give your meals a good taste. You can use it to garnish soups or roasted vegetables, sprinkle it on top of your cold cucumber salads, use it in potato salads or on baked roasted potatoes, place it over gravlax, or stir it into yogurt-based dips like tzatziki.
The health benefits
Flavonoids are one of the compounds that gills possess, and they are shown to be active in reducing the risk of heart disease and stroke. Dills are said to be vital in reducing the risk of high cholesterol levels.
Where to get them?
Depending on your state and locality, the grocery stores available, you are likely to easily acquire them in any of the big stores or supermarkets. However, some people prefer to buy online on Amazon instead.
Oregano
Oregano, also known as wild marjoram or pot marjoram, The green herbs give sweetness and a spicy feeling to any dish. However, it is quite hard to find fresh oregano most of the time, but you can easily get your hands on dry oregano, which is more favorable, so it is safe to say that you should use it sparingly.
One of the fun facts of this herb is that Mediterranean oregano is most times considered to be milder that is used on pizza as seasonings while bits Italian counterpart also known as Italian oregano is considered hotter that it is used some times in chili recipes.
Use of oregano
Oregano can be used to make different dishes and for different cooking measures. You can sprinkle it on your meat, chicken as a flavor, use it in marinades or sauces, chop and mix it into bread or pizza dough for a herb flavor, add it to your salad, sprinkle it onto slices of mozzarella cheese, and tomato, drizzle it with olive oil.
The health benefits
Oregano possesses antioxidants in its compounds that are said to help fight damage from harmful free radicals and stress-generated issues in your body.
Radical buildup in the body has been linked with the development of chronic diseases like cancer and heart disease, which the antioxidants in oregano help to tackle.
Where to get them?
Gardeners and farmers that retail fresh produce might be your go-to people for fresh oregano as it is not always found in grocery shops because of its scarce nature. However, dry oregano, which is said to be more favorable, can easily be found in grocery stores and online shops for purchase.
Chive
Chives work well as a garnish material or ingredient for your different cuisines and dishes. They give off a very light onion taste that gives your meal that extra magic.
Uses of chive
Like stated before, chives are very good for garnishing your meals and giving them a great taste. Hence, you’ll find that more people use chives as a topping for their dishes. You can use it as a topping for foods like omelets, chicken dishes, pastas, and casseroles.
The health benefits
Chives are said to be very rich in flavonoid antioxidants that contribute to most of their health benefits. These antioxidants help fight cancer, improve heart health, and also help in fighting inflammation.
Where to find them?
Chives can be gotten in any local grocery store around you, like Walmart and Costco.
Spices
Thyme
Thyme is a green spice that turns a bit greenish yellow when it is dried and ground for use. It is actually an herb with white rims whose origin can be traced to southern Europe, specifically the Mediterranean region. Thyme leaves an almost minty flavor and a subtle, dry aroma in your dishes.
How to use thyme?
Grind your thyme until it turns into a powder so you can just easily add it to your dish. You can apply your thyme to any meal or dish at all. You can use it for soup, rice, etc. Spice adds a very special taste and aroma to its dishes, which is why so many people are fond of using it.
The health benefits
Thyme is said to contain compounds that can actually fight bacteria and fungal infections. It also has the potential to relieve coughs and contains antioxidants. It is known that thyme is a common treatment for hair loss (alopecia areata), cough, dementia, and so many other health conditions that are mentioned here. However, these claims are not really backed by science.
Where to buy them?
Thyme is not so hard to get, especially in its spice stage where it’s ready to be used for cooking. You can easily get to Walmart or any other grocery store or supermarket that is around where you live. However, if what you’re looking for is fresh thyme still in its herbal state, then maybe you should contact gardeners or farmers, as you might not find the fresh ones in stock all the time in grocery stores.
Green cardamom
Cardamom is a spice that is widely known not just for its sweet flavor but also for its medicinal benefits. It is an intensely sweet, aromatic spice that a lot of people say is similar to mint. Cardamon is said to have originated in India, even though it is now used worldwide because of how much you’ll find it in intercontinental dishes.
How to use cardamom
Cardamom can be used to season both sweet and savory dishes. You’ll find cardamon in a lot of Indian, Middle Eastern, Arabic, and Scandinavian cuisines. You can add cardamom to your baked goods like cookies, bread pudding, and even cheesecake. You can also add cardamom in soups or in dry rubs for meat.
The health benefits
Cardamom possesses some compounds that can be said to be very helpful for people with high blood pressure. In a study, cardamom was shown to improve cases of high blood pressure in people who suffer from it. More research needs to be done on this for it to be considered a fact.
Where to buy them?
You can buy cardamom from any of the supermarkets or organic stores in your state or vicinity; you just have to find out when they’re in stock and go for it.
Sage
Sage is among the famous herb spices like oregano, rosemary, and basil. They are all commonly found in the kitchen alongside other spices because of their aroma and flavor. Sage can be found in so many cuisines and recipes around the world because of its earthy flavor, and this is another reason why it is typically used in small amounts.
How to use sage
Known for its aromatic flavor, sage can be added to tomato sauces and creamy pasta dishes, turkey dishes, browned butter, or chicken and vegetables. How you might want to use this well-flavored spice is solely up to you. You can either go by the options stated here or you can move outside the box and try something new.
The health benefits
Sage contains some antioxidant compounds that are active in fighting stress-related chronic diseases in the body. It is said that these antioxidants can also lower the chances of getting cancer and improve brain function and memory loss.
Where to get them?
You can get sage from your local gardener or farmer and in grocery stores around you.
Rosemary
Rosemary is best and most popularly known as a food seasoning or spice because of its sweet flavor, even though it’s a herb in reality. Rosemary might be widely known for its kitchen prowess, but it also possesses strong medicinal benefits attached to itself.
How to Use Rosemary
Rosemary is generally known as a seasoning agent, so you’ll find a lot of people use it to season chicken, meats like ram, and pork. You can also add rosemary to your breads, cakes, etc. Some common rosemary pairings include homemade rosemary crackers and fresh rosemary pasta or gnocchi.
The health benefits of Rose Mary
Rosemary is believed to significantly reduce memory loss and improve general brain function because of the compounds it contains. It is also said that rosemary can help reduce pain and reduce hair loss.
Where to get them?
You can easily find rosemary in grocery stores as it’s not really hard to find. You can also decide to order it online via Amazon.
Fennel
Fennel falls into the category of a spice, herb, and vegetable. Surprising, right? Well, don’t be. This incredible culinary solution, known for its flavor in dishes, is a multipurpose-based plant. It is also said to have not only good taste in food but medicinal benefits too.
How to use fennel
Fennel seeds are added as spices to so many cuisines based on the flavor they impart.
oozes or adds to the meal. You can make use of your fennel by adding toasted fennel seeds to dishes to give them a sweet licorice flavor, making a tea by crushing a spoonful of fennel tea and adding water over them, or adding a spoonful of fennel seeds to your baked goods for better flavor.
Health benefits
Based on the compounds present in fennel, it may maintain a healthy heart. Fennel is a very good source of fiber as well as nutrients that are friendly to the heart, like potassium and folate. It may also maintain healthy skin, and it may also be anti-inflammatory. Since there’s no concrete research, we can not regard these as facts.
Where to get fennel?
Fennels are easily planted and cultivated by gardeners and farmers, so it’s not really hard to get them if you contact any of the above. It can also be gotten in grocery stores and super markets around you. Grocery stores like Walmart and Costco are likely to have it; just confirm when it’s in stock and go for it.
Celery
Celery is a good addition meant to garnish foods. It’s quite very low in calories, hence so many people prefer using it. Apart from it being a great addition to your cooking, it also has quite some wonderful health benefits too that may actually surprise you.
How to use celery
Celery gives your dishes a favorable taste. The three-in-one plant (spice, herb, and vegetable) actually has the potential to change your kitchen game because of what it brings to your food. The sticks and leaves of celery are edible, so you can decide to add them to your salad, stir fry celery for a crunchy tasty improvement, slice them on an angle at about finger length for inclusion, turn celery into soup as it’s very nutritious, etc.
The health benefits
Like I said earlier, celery has great health benefits. It is a great source of important compounds such as antioxidants; it supports digestion; it is rich in vitamins and minerals with a low glycemic index; and it has an alkalizing effect.
Where to buy them?
You can purchase celery from local gardens or from grocery stores close to you. One thing to take note of while purchasing them, however, is that they should not wilter. If you find that the celery is kind of wilted, do not eat it. Pick a more firm or healthy one, as the former might have been bad and past its shelf time.
Green onion
Green onions, also called scallions, are onions without a bulb, and they are quite often used to garnish and add flavor to food. It has its medicinal side too.
How to use them?
You can add one-inch slices of green onions to stir-fried and meat dishes, or toss them raw into green salads to add an onion appeal to them. You can decide to enjoy your green onion just how you want it.
The health benefits
Green onions are good for the heart; they lower cholesterol, are good for diabetic patients, boost immunity and keep your intestines clean.
Where to get them?
Green onions can be gotten in grocery stores in your state or around your vicinity.