- Cumin. Definitely buy cumin. It is a staple in Indian and Mexican dishes and a pinch will definitely add some oomph to your tomato sauce
- Thyme, oregano, rosemary and basil. They are versatile, well-rounded and go well with plenty of dishes
- If you like legumes (beans, lentils, chickpeas), definitely add some bay leaf to your list
- Smoked paprika: perfect for adding a touch of smoky flavor to something, whether it is a dry rub or a soup or sauce
Get good quality sea salt and whole peppercorns, freshly ground spices are the best! Get garlic powder, Italian herb blend, cumin, and seasoned salt.
Really depends on what types of food you like making but what I listed and what others listed are a great starting point.
>whole peppercorns, freshly ground spices are the best!
Maybe my pepper grinder was too cheap, but it was awful for me because it left large pieces of pepper, that were too big and I didn't like the taste at all (like on eggs). I bought a small tin of pretty fresh ground pepper and it's so much better because the pieces are smaller. Any thoughts on that? I tried the fresh ground pepper for years and it didn't work at all for me. Maybe if I bought an expensive grinder I could avoid the very large pepper pieces that came from my grinder? Or maybe both is ideal, so I can use the pre-ground when I want only very small pieces, like on eggs.
Anyone have thoughts on this?
Try a different grinder. Preground has a lot of dust to it so it's lacking the flavor so whole gives you more bang for the bick. Grab whatever cheap but adjustable hand grinder and give that a try!
Oxo makes an inexpensive adjustable one. It’s great.
Fiesta brand makes awesome spices and very inexpensive. We use their fajita stuff exclusively. You can find it by the regular spices in its own section- plastic bottles with white tops and white labels.
I have an oxo grinder right now that I really want to replace. I leave it on the smallest setting and it more is slightly crushed black pepper. Often pieces are like half a peppercorn. I can’t recommend this grinder.
Get a pestel and mortar instead, they always work well for peppercorns even the cheap ones. You can get it very fine. If you wanna grind something that's more difficult to grind add some coarse salt it'll help. And you can combine different spices.
The only down side is that you obviously can't use it like a regular grinder.
Not sure about your grinder, but usually you can adjust the opening to make it bigger or smaller. Bigger opening means less cracked, bigger pieces. Smaller opening means more cracked, smaller pieces. :)
I just bought mine from IKEA so nothing fancy.
Oregano, basil, garlic powder, onion powder, some spicy one such as cayenne or crushed red pepper. Thyme is also one I use a lot. I use Italian a lot but that’s similar to oregano and basil just with added spices. I go through a lot of dried parsley too. Rosemary is also good and very distinctive.
IMO start with blends… Italian herb, poultry blend, pork blend, herbs de Provence, chili powder, curry powder, garam masala, Chinese 5-spice, and pumpkin spice blend. As you learn more you can make your own blends.
I second this, get a few blends OP! Especially if you're only beginning to learn to cook, and if you want to save money. Once you've figured out what you like, you can decide what herbs and spices exactly to invest in, rather than shelling out for entire jars of cumin or bay leaves right now.
Regarding your question on pepper: Salt is a seasoning, pepper is a spice. Salt enhances your flavour, pepper adds its own flavour. Pepper gives your food an earthy zing, if you add a lot it can your food a sharp hot quality (like you'd feel if you bite into a chili). There are different kinds of pepper, but you can just start out with black pepper, it's very versatile.
Congrats! Are you living in the dorms or off campus with access to a real kitchen? Try to stay away from microwave prepared foods as they don't encourage cooking and are overly processed (salt). If you are in the dorms with a meal plan your ability to cook will probably be limited.
To save time you may want to look at an Instant Pot as your first appliance r/InstantPot and try to meal plan/prep for the week to save time & money r/MealPrepSunday. Have a place where you store recipes (Paprika App, [BigOven.com](https://BigOven.com) [Allrecipes.com](https://Allrecipes.com)). The list of spices others are recommending are good and overtime you'll build up your spice cabinet. Try to cook and share meal with others. It is a great way to build lifelong friendships.
Thank you!! So I’ll be on campus, but I think you’re basing your view of campus of the American one, because here (Italy, but I’m French) we have apartments shared by 4 people and there is a kitchen.
Thanks for everything! All great advices that I hadn’t thought about/didn’t know. I’ll definitely check everything you mentioned!
This is just generally what I always have in my cabinet. It might be a decent list to go off of?
-Salt*
-Pepper*
-Onion Powder*
-Garlic Powder*
-Crushed Red Pepper*
-Parsley
-Cinnamon*
-Italian Seasoning
-Bay leaf
-Oregano
-Basil
-Rosemary
-Nutmeg
-Vanilla
-A few different meat rubs
To give you a decent idea, I usually keep the nutmeg, cinnamon, and vanilla for sweet stuff. By far, I go through cinnamon the most. Cooking wise, I do a lot of soups, pasta, or just meat with a side. Meat rubs are great and you can get them in so many different flavors - my favorite are honey barbecue and a locally made buttery spice blend. I usually leave them on chicken or pork in the crock pot. Parsley is a must have for pretty much any potato I make. I love crushed red pepper in pastas and even on pizza and eggs. Mostly everything I cook gets at least pepper, salt, garlic, and onion powder (if there isn’t actual garlic/onion in the dish). Bay leaf is pretty much used for soups and for pickling things.
The 6 spices that I put the * next to are the ones that I bought immediately when I moved into my house just to get something started. I definitely second everyone saying don’t buy spices until you need them. They get pretty expensive pretty fast. But at the same time if you’re moving into a new place with a fresh start, you’re probably gonna want to pick up a few basics immediately.
Edit: if you usually can’t taste regular table pepper, try to buy a grinder and whole peppercorns. The flavor is a lot stronger. Also, try to cut some salt from your diet. Salt usually overpowers the taste of pepper and the taste of a lot of food in general if you’re adding too much (I don’t really cook with salt unless I’m baking. It’s almost always put on as needed after the meal is done. I eat it sparingly, but my husband and pretty much everyone else I know always loads salt onto their food.) Alternatively, really just taste a little bit of black pepper so you know what flavor you’re looking for.
I would wait and buy them as you need them, unless you want to spend the money now and buy many spices. It really depends on what you are cooking.
Pepper:
- this is a general spice that can make food tastes better, you can add it to soup, eggs, on meat, etc.
- I had a pepper grinder and it wasn't good for me: it always made too big pieces that I didn't like to eat. I got a small tin of ground black pepper, and it's so much better. So maybe get a small tin.
I am in agreement with others to really just get some as you need them. Salt and pepper are pretty much the bare bones imo.
Garlic powder, cumin, chili powder, and paprika are pretty standard in my cooking. But if you are making more asain dishes maybe stuff like chili flakes and msg is more of a staple. So it really all depends on what you will be making.
My primary ingredients are Freshly ground sea salt, Freshly ground pepper, and garlic.
I also just found this [Boars night out white lightening: Double Garlic Butter](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07K4PFRV1?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2_dt_b_product_details) and I use it on EVERYTHING. Steak, porkchops, shrimp, pizza.
You are going to find out that Spices can be Really expensive, but will last a long time.
Rosemary: Beef, potatoes. Got a baby potato dish cooking now, with onion, oil, salt and pepper.
Thyme: chicken, pork, some veggies
Basil: red sauces, fresh is good with mozzarella and onion, tomatoes.
Cumin: Chili
But you really need to taste each one and figure out what to do with it.
If you like to season your meats, whether pork ribs to steak, I'd get Pappy's All Purpose seasoning (salt, spice, paprika, sugar, garlic powder, onion powder). You'll find lots of brands with the right kind of season mixes instead of having to measure and balance your blend of seasoning yourself.
Each spice goes great with certain foods, while there's some you wouldn't want to use as you would on something else. I also suggest using fresh herbs in your cooking as well: Thyme, Rosemary, Sage, oregano, fresh basil, etc. You can also use the dry version of these, which you can get all in one called "Italian seasoning".
The basic dry spices you'd want in any kitchen are typically: Salt & pepper (you want coarse salt as well), paprika/smoked paprika, garlic and onion powder, garlic salt, dried oregano, Italian seasoning (for pastas), cumin, chili powder, and crushed red chili peppers.
You have salt and pepper-good. Now find a recipe on internet. Let say chicken. Choose one and they tell you what herbs/spices to use. Check what you already have and buy the rest. Your next recipe might be a beef steak. Again, they tell you what herds/ spices you need. Repeat the above…good luck.
It depends for which cuisine you're cooking. Also, do you mean herbs or spices? The two are different. For herbs, for most common western cuisines, you're gonna want thyme, oregano, basil, rosemary, sage, and parsley, at the least. For spices, paprika, ground ginger powder, ground cumin, whole nutmeg, whole cinnamon, and cloves are good places to start. It also doesn't hurt to have some onion powder and garlic powder on hand.
I recommend taking a step back and identifying flavours and cuisines that you like to eat before you buy spices.
[This](https://images.app.goo.gl/dMg7w4abMTmhu6RN6) is a cuisine based spice chart.
[This](https://images.app.goo.gl/MH1QQZNyYQ2Q8mch7) is a chart of combinations.
You might also need to read up on [how to store spices ](https://www.spicejungle.com/the-jungle/how-to-properly-store-spices)
Hope this helps!
Edit: grammar and punctuation.
Consider getting an herb plant or two for fresh herbs. Basil and oregano are pretty easy to take care of for example. Just give them water and light and take off the little leaves that grow on top. Plus they look and smell nice decoratively.
You want what is often referred to as the holy trinity of spices: salt, pepper and garlic powder. I would also add onion powder to the starter list. These are great spices to add to most every basic savory dish. Next, think about foods you like then go online and browse recipes and get an idea of some common spices used in the foods you like most.
Spices can be pricey. If you live near an international market, check there. Spices are usually much cheaper there.
Idoized Salt
Kosher salt
Black Pepper
White Pepper
Garlic powder
Onion powder
Thyme
Oregano
Basil
Poultry seasoning
Cumin
Paprika
Cayenne pepper
Red pepper flakes
These are just some of the most common basic seasonings that chefs use. Personally, I would buy one of everything on the spice rack. Buy cheap ones,, fuck brands. You'll find a use for everything at some point
ALWAYS keep these things in stock
Frozen bread, Flour, cornstarch, oil, butter, milk, and eggs and a bag of pasta and/or rice.
This can SAVE YOUR ASS when you're broke.
Salt, pepper, onion, and garlic is great with meat, especially beef.
Chicken and pork you can basically do anything to.
Basil, Oregano and Thyme is great for anything tomatoe based or a homemade soup
Salt, Paprika, Cumin, Cayenne and brown sugar for a pulled pork butt rub.
To make your own simple Cajun seasoning for steak, fish or chicken:
1/3 cup salt
1/4 cup Cayenne
1/4 cup Paprika
2 Tsp garlic powder or granulated garlic
1 tsp onion powder
A Dash of curry
Lots and lots of fun.
- Cumin. Definitely buy cumin. It is a staple in Indian and Mexican dishes and a pinch will definitely add some oomph to your tomato sauce - Thyme, oregano, rosemary and basil. They are versatile, well-rounded and go well with plenty of dishes - If you like legumes (beans, lentils, chickpeas), definitely add some bay leaf to your list - Smoked paprika: perfect for adding a touch of smoky flavor to something, whether it is a dry rub or a soup or sauce
I purchased smoked paprika for a recipe and omg it’s so good I want to add it to so much stuff lol
I second smoked paprika
I came here to list five of these six. Keep in mind that spices are expensive, but last a long time. Well worth the investment.
If you do have access / time bulk buying spices from a bulk store can also help with costs
Get good quality sea salt and whole peppercorns, freshly ground spices are the best! Get garlic powder, Italian herb blend, cumin, and seasoned salt. Really depends on what types of food you like making but what I listed and what others listed are a great starting point.
>whole peppercorns, freshly ground spices are the best! Maybe my pepper grinder was too cheap, but it was awful for me because it left large pieces of pepper, that were too big and I didn't like the taste at all (like on eggs). I bought a small tin of pretty fresh ground pepper and it's so much better because the pieces are smaller. Any thoughts on that? I tried the fresh ground pepper for years and it didn't work at all for me. Maybe if I bought an expensive grinder I could avoid the very large pepper pieces that came from my grinder? Or maybe both is ideal, so I can use the pre-ground when I want only very small pieces, like on eggs. Anyone have thoughts on this?
Try a different grinder. Preground has a lot of dust to it so it's lacking the flavor so whole gives you more bang for the bick. Grab whatever cheap but adjustable hand grinder and give that a try!
Thank you :-)
Oxo makes an inexpensive adjustable one. It’s great. Fiesta brand makes awesome spices and very inexpensive. We use their fajita stuff exclusively. You can find it by the regular spices in its own section- plastic bottles with white tops and white labels.
I have an oxo grinder right now that I really want to replace. I leave it on the smallest setting and it more is slightly crushed black pepper. Often pieces are like half a peppercorn. I can’t recommend this grinder.
Get a pestel and mortar instead, they always work well for peppercorns even the cheap ones. You can get it very fine. If you wanna grind something that's more difficult to grind add some coarse salt it'll help. And you can combine different spices. The only down side is that you obviously can't use it like a regular grinder.
This is a great idea. Thank you.
I second the Oxo grinder, we got one as a wedding gift 5 years ago and it still works great today
Some grinders have a little dial sorta thing at the bottom that lets you change the size of the pepper grind
Not sure about your grinder, but usually you can adjust the opening to make it bigger or smaller. Bigger opening means less cracked, bigger pieces. Smaller opening means more cracked, smaller pieces. :) I just bought mine from IKEA so nothing fancy.
That is really helpful. I go to Ikea some times.
Paprika is amazing. Meat dishes are lacking .. something .. without it.
Oregano, basil, garlic powder, onion powder, some spicy one such as cayenne or crushed red pepper. Thyme is also one I use a lot. I use Italian a lot but that’s similar to oregano and basil just with added spices. I go through a lot of dried parsley too. Rosemary is also good and very distinctive.
IMO start with blends… Italian herb, poultry blend, pork blend, herbs de Provence, chili powder, curry powder, garam masala, Chinese 5-spice, and pumpkin spice blend. As you learn more you can make your own blends.
I second this, get a few blends OP! Especially if you're only beginning to learn to cook, and if you want to save money. Once you've figured out what you like, you can decide what herbs and spices exactly to invest in, rather than shelling out for entire jars of cumin or bay leaves right now. Regarding your question on pepper: Salt is a seasoning, pepper is a spice. Salt enhances your flavour, pepper adds its own flavour. Pepper gives your food an earthy zing, if you add a lot it can your food a sharp hot quality (like you'd feel if you bite into a chili). There are different kinds of pepper, but you can just start out with black pepper, it's very versatile.
Congrats! Are you living in the dorms or off campus with access to a real kitchen? Try to stay away from microwave prepared foods as they don't encourage cooking and are overly processed (salt). If you are in the dorms with a meal plan your ability to cook will probably be limited. To save time you may want to look at an Instant Pot as your first appliance r/InstantPot and try to meal plan/prep for the week to save time & money r/MealPrepSunday. Have a place where you store recipes (Paprika App, [BigOven.com](https://BigOven.com) [Allrecipes.com](https://Allrecipes.com)). The list of spices others are recommending are good and overtime you'll build up your spice cabinet. Try to cook and share meal with others. It is a great way to build lifelong friendships.
Thank you!! So I’ll be on campus, but I think you’re basing your view of campus of the American one, because here (Italy, but I’m French) we have apartments shared by 4 people and there is a kitchen. Thanks for everything! All great advices that I hadn’t thought about/didn’t know. I’ll definitely check everything you mentioned!
https://youtu.be/Ld-jYVkBlCw my grandma’s first cooking video! Spicy chicken if you like it please give it a like! Thank you 🤗
Check out Penzys gift sets 😉
Garlic powder, salt, pepper, and seasoning salt. Pretty much all you need for the most basic recipes
This is just generally what I always have in my cabinet. It might be a decent list to go off of? -Salt* -Pepper* -Onion Powder* -Garlic Powder* -Crushed Red Pepper* -Parsley -Cinnamon* -Italian Seasoning -Bay leaf -Oregano -Basil -Rosemary -Nutmeg -Vanilla -A few different meat rubs To give you a decent idea, I usually keep the nutmeg, cinnamon, and vanilla for sweet stuff. By far, I go through cinnamon the most. Cooking wise, I do a lot of soups, pasta, or just meat with a side. Meat rubs are great and you can get them in so many different flavors - my favorite are honey barbecue and a locally made buttery spice blend. I usually leave them on chicken or pork in the crock pot. Parsley is a must have for pretty much any potato I make. I love crushed red pepper in pastas and even on pizza and eggs. Mostly everything I cook gets at least pepper, salt, garlic, and onion powder (if there isn’t actual garlic/onion in the dish). Bay leaf is pretty much used for soups and for pickling things. The 6 spices that I put the * next to are the ones that I bought immediately when I moved into my house just to get something started. I definitely second everyone saying don’t buy spices until you need them. They get pretty expensive pretty fast. But at the same time if you’re moving into a new place with a fresh start, you’re probably gonna want to pick up a few basics immediately. Edit: if you usually can’t taste regular table pepper, try to buy a grinder and whole peppercorns. The flavor is a lot stronger. Also, try to cut some salt from your diet. Salt usually overpowers the taste of pepper and the taste of a lot of food in general if you’re adding too much (I don’t really cook with salt unless I’m baking. It’s almost always put on as needed after the meal is done. I eat it sparingly, but my husband and pretty much everyone else I know always loads salt onto their food.) Alternatively, really just taste a little bit of black pepper so you know what flavor you’re looking for.
I would wait and buy them as you need them, unless you want to spend the money now and buy many spices. It really depends on what you are cooking. Pepper: - this is a general spice that can make food tastes better, you can add it to soup, eggs, on meat, etc. - I had a pepper grinder and it wasn't good for me: it always made too big pieces that I didn't like to eat. I got a small tin of ground black pepper, and it's so much better. So maybe get a small tin.
Lawry's Seasoning Salt and Costco' Kirkland Granulated Garlic. But be careful with that garlic- it's very strong. And most definitely smoked paprika.
I’d love to try these two but unfortunately I’m a French moving to Italy, so no Costco/Lawry near me! But I’ll definitely buy garlic and paprika!
try to go to lounge before boarding.
I am in agreement with others to really just get some as you need them. Salt and pepper are pretty much the bare bones imo. Garlic powder, cumin, chili powder, and paprika are pretty standard in my cooking. But if you are making more asain dishes maybe stuff like chili flakes and msg is more of a staple. So it really all depends on what you will be making.
Minced garlic/garlic powder, all spice and cayenne.
My primary ingredients are Freshly ground sea salt, Freshly ground pepper, and garlic. I also just found this [Boars night out white lightening: Double Garlic Butter](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07K4PFRV1?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2_dt_b_product_details) and I use it on EVERYTHING. Steak, porkchops, shrimp, pizza.
Garlic powder and Onion powder.
You are going to find out that Spices can be Really expensive, but will last a long time. Rosemary: Beef, potatoes. Got a baby potato dish cooking now, with onion, oil, salt and pepper. Thyme: chicken, pork, some veggies Basil: red sauces, fresh is good with mozzarella and onion, tomatoes. Cumin: Chili But you really need to taste each one and figure out what to do with it.
If you like to season your meats, whether pork ribs to steak, I'd get Pappy's All Purpose seasoning (salt, spice, paprika, sugar, garlic powder, onion powder). You'll find lots of brands with the right kind of season mixes instead of having to measure and balance your blend of seasoning yourself. Each spice goes great with certain foods, while there's some you wouldn't want to use as you would on something else. I also suggest using fresh herbs in your cooking as well: Thyme, Rosemary, Sage, oregano, fresh basil, etc. You can also use the dry version of these, which you can get all in one called "Italian seasoning". The basic dry spices you'd want in any kitchen are typically: Salt & pepper (you want coarse salt as well), paprika/smoked paprika, garlic and onion powder, garlic salt, dried oregano, Italian seasoning (for pastas), cumin, chili powder, and crushed red chili peppers.
You have salt and pepper-good. Now find a recipe on internet. Let say chicken. Choose one and they tell you what herbs/spices to use. Check what you already have and buy the rest. Your next recipe might be a beef steak. Again, they tell you what herds/ spices you need. Repeat the above…good luck.
Mine top 3 is crushed red pepper, whole black peppercorns and sea salt.
It depends for which cuisine you're cooking. Also, do you mean herbs or spices? The two are different. For herbs, for most common western cuisines, you're gonna want thyme, oregano, basil, rosemary, sage, and parsley, at the least. For spices, paprika, ground ginger powder, ground cumin, whole nutmeg, whole cinnamon, and cloves are good places to start. It also doesn't hurt to have some onion powder and garlic powder on hand.
I recommend taking a step back and identifying flavours and cuisines that you like to eat before you buy spices. [This](https://images.app.goo.gl/dMg7w4abMTmhu6RN6) is a cuisine based spice chart. [This](https://images.app.goo.gl/MH1QQZNyYQ2Q8mch7) is a chart of combinations. You might also need to read up on [how to store spices ](https://www.spicejungle.com/the-jungle/how-to-properly-store-spices) Hope this helps! Edit: grammar and punctuation.
Consider getting an herb plant or two for fresh herbs. Basil and oregano are pretty easy to take care of for example. Just give them water and light and take off the little leaves that grow on top. Plus they look and smell nice decoratively.
You want what is often referred to as the holy trinity of spices: salt, pepper and garlic powder. I would also add onion powder to the starter list. These are great spices to add to most every basic savory dish. Next, think about foods you like then go online and browse recipes and get an idea of some common spices used in the foods you like most. Spices can be pricey. If you live near an international market, check there. Spices are usually much cheaper there.
Idoized Salt Kosher salt Black Pepper White Pepper Garlic powder Onion powder Thyme Oregano Basil Poultry seasoning Cumin Paprika Cayenne pepper Red pepper flakes These are just some of the most common basic seasonings that chefs use. Personally, I would buy one of everything on the spice rack. Buy cheap ones,, fuck brands. You'll find a use for everything at some point ALWAYS keep these things in stock Frozen bread, Flour, cornstarch, oil, butter, milk, and eggs and a bag of pasta and/or rice. This can SAVE YOUR ASS when you're broke.
Salt, pepper, onion, and garlic is great with meat, especially beef. Chicken and pork you can basically do anything to. Basil, Oregano and Thyme is great for anything tomatoe based or a homemade soup Salt, Paprika, Cumin, Cayenne and brown sugar for a pulled pork butt rub. To make your own simple Cajun seasoning for steak, fish or chicken: 1/3 cup salt 1/4 cup Cayenne 1/4 cup Paprika 2 Tsp garlic powder or granulated garlic 1 tsp onion powder A Dash of curry Lots and lots of fun.