congrats on 1 milion Bri. :))) I think turmeric could be there also, i really like and need you to do some persian food. i am curious to see your take on our food. :))
turmeric, cardamom, coriander, asfoetida, fennel, carom, mace, cloves, mustard seeds, curry leaves are just a few to name in a very long list of spices we use everyday in Indian food
Your SM7B sounded way better than the lav. Go back please. The audio quality was one of the things that set your channel apart. Plan C: hang 1-2 shotgun mics from your kitchen ceiling. Weissman has a boom guy, and his channel sounds almost as good as yours. You could get similar with stereo shotguns permanently mounted in the kitchen.
Singaporean here. One spice that you must have for Chinese food is Chinese 5 spice (Star Anise, Sichuan Peppercorn, Clove, Cinnamon, Fennel). Its the backbone flavor of Char siew, Siew Yoke, a different flavor profile for stir frys and meats; and opens up the path to Chinese food, much like other spice blends open up their regional flavor (India, Mediterranean, etc)
The upshot of all these very reasonable comments is, there's no way just 10 spices are going to be enough for almost anyone, let alone anyone who cooks beyond a pretty boring American selection.
@@thereaction18 its not that difficult to fresh grind your own, as most are readily available, except for Sichuan peppercorn. For that, black peppercorn works too and you add the heat back with a touch of chilli powder. Give it a whirl
Who the fuck needs garlic powder? I just use fresh garlic. A lot of it. Also, I couldn't exist without tarragon, lovage, thyme, Sichuan peppercorn, ground fennel seeds, rosemary, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, cumin SEEDS, and don't even get me started on all the sauces / pastes I need. My spices take up more space than all the weekday plates.
@@akechijubeimitsuhidehave you tried to make a even tasting sauce with just garlic without chunks? To season steak? Garlic powder just works way better
I can't imagine cooking without bay leaves. Not only is it a super easy way to add a huge kick of flavor to a stew or any tomato-based soup, but it's essential for my chili con carne. Bay leaves compliment so many of the spices mentioned in this video, and every home cook should have a bottle. Plus they're about the only dry herb that tastes basically the same as fresh.
Yeah. I can't imagine my pantry without Bay Leaves. I cook Spanish, Italian, Mexican, Filipino, Indian, and Cajun food with Bay Leaves. I even use it when making stocks alongside mirepoix.
I use bay leaves basically every time I make soup, but I'm honestly not certain if I could tell the difference. What specifically does it add that you'd notice missing?
From working in a spice warehouse for years. Chili powder is like 90+% ground ancho and a little cumin and garlic powder, with cayenne added to get you Medium or Hot. Also, due to the work in a spice warehouse, I find it impossible to not have a varied spice rack. Most of it is whole and I grind when I need it. Rosemary, thyme, coriander and MSG are the ones I use most often that you did not mention.
@@cassandrakarpinski9416 i really think it's the type of food you cook. like if you cook asian dishes more, then both rosemary and thyme are useless in their pantry.
Aussie here. Our chilli powder is just cayenne, and all of us who followed an American recipe calling for a tablespoon of chilli powder found out the hard way that in the US it’s a mild blend! I buy the American one online from the US and i use it a lot. I wish we had that version here so I could get it more easily and cheaply. K
I'm a new cook in the U.S. (southern California), and I changed my recipes to say 'American chile powder' to keep me from using one of the other bottles of powdered chiles I have. 😊
My favorite is what I call all purpose seasoning. I blend equal parts Salt, granulated garlic, onion powder and then as much ground black pepper as my hands can handle (about 1/2 part.) I use it on everything. If I make more than will fit in my small shaker, I keep it in my garage refrigerator. Don't ask me why 2 empty nest adults need 2 refrigerators and a full sized freezer.
I stick to fresh herbs, in general. I also grow mine - lavender, sage, thyme, basil, parsley, coriander, rosemary, chives, oregano and spring onions grow in my garden. I couldn’t manage without them.
I have a bulk jar of something called "italian spices" which is a blend of the basil, oregano, along with thyme, for pretty much the same use-cases you described. I use it all the thyme.
Why he included dried oregano and basil in a spice list is also beyond me, as they are not spices either and this just brings his whole credibility into question. If he doesn’t know such trivial things as to how to distinguish a herb from a spice, then how am I supposed to believe his knowledge or expertise in more advanced topics is credible?
Why would he try to be helpful (by using "spices" in a commonly understood, broad, if technically incorrect sense) when he could be pedantic in a video destined to people who don't know much about cooking and might need help choosing which small bottles to buy first for their spice cabinet. A mystery for the ages...@@nogoodname8133
I think it depends what kind of dishes you lean to in cooking. I like soups and stews so I use Herb de Provence a lot. I sprinkle it on roast potatoes and it bakes wonderfully.
@@nogoodname8133 Colloquially we use the word spice both for spices and herbs that are dried. Now obviously there is a distinction between the two, and if you are defining this list based on more precise kitchen terminology then you would be right. However, this list does features both spices and herbs, meaning that we are using the colloquial term here not the technical ones. The chapter on spice six and seven is literally titled "herbs", while the video is titled "The Only 10 Spices You Need", and Brian refers to them as spice six and seven in the chapter on garlic powder. In addition "spice blend" commonly refers to both blends of spices and herbs. You correction is therefor entirely useless in this instance. Especially since if you define herbs botanically then both rosemary and lavender (both of which are commonly in Herbes de Province) fail to qualify. Now what I actually was commenting on was whether a blend counts as one whole, or is it the sum of its parts (i.e. does it count as five)?
Maybe not a huge essential, but I love cardamom in sweets and my coffee. I often just have the ground version in the cupboard, but still brings a unique sweetness without sugar necessarily.
I think ground ginger hits my top 10. Great for sweet and savory applications and has warm and citrus notes. Like garlic, the powdered version is good in rubs and marinades for meat and doesn't easily burn. I also add it to my ramen for hit of warm brightness.
Hi Bri and Lauren, To answer the chili powder question, I moved to Mexico 37 years ago and didn't find chili powder. So I made my own blend which we use to this day (even my Mexican hubby uses it now) I use mild dried chilies (a mix) Cumin Coriander Paprika (which at first wasnt easy to find) garlic & onion Powders I've been cooking for 59 years now and also make dishes from all around the world. Since my main emphasis is sweet over savory cooking for me the balance is all off. I have Cardamom, Mace, and Nutmeg along with salt and pepper as the most frequent spices. I have a huge spice rack made for over 60 spices but as I get older (71 now) I find that I put the most frequent spices on the lower shelf I also find that many reductions have been made. I do have a curry blend, but I wouldn't want to be without garam masala. I also would vote for msg which I toss into most dishes (that or ground dry mushrooms) Looking over the comments I use bay leaf every day (soup for breakfast) and rosemary every other day. This was a fun desert island type of exercise. I also wouldn't want to be without smoked salt which in the 90s I used to bring back with me from the US but which is now readily available here. Hugs from Jim Oaxaca Mexico
I know this sounds a little weird but I like to use garam masala for French toast. It churns out this crazy flavor profile that I just love and it goes great with different fruit reductions. It’s a great way to mix it up from the normal cinnamon mixture.
I grew up in a house where salt and pepper were basically the only food flavorings used. When I went off to college, I had a roommate who put cumin on chicken and it blew my mind. That's where my love of it started, and it is absolutely my #1 spice to this day! This is a great list, although I would need to find a way to fit dried thyme and rosemary in there. I'm not sure dried basil actually tastes like anything. You could have cheated with "Italian seasoning" haha.
Had to chuckle. My mother was definitely in the top 3 of America's worst home cooks. She used only salt and pepper, and they were optional, depending on whether she remembered to use them. Oh, yeah, she occasionally sprinkled - lightly - Shake & Bake on the Sunday chicken.
Your points are well made about freshness, utility and creativity. And while I keep all these on hand, I would add thyme, ginger, and whole nutmeg to a basic list. I have fresh rosemary in the garden, so I never keep it in the cupboard, and we have both Indian curry powder and Japanese curry powder. There's a distinct and noticeable difference between the two.
@@BrianLagerstrom Congratulations Brian, found out about your channel recently when searching for “best affordable Chef’s Knives”….liked the Victorinox you suggested so much that I bought one for myself and one for my Dad.
I would add as my #11, mustard powder - very useful. My #12 would be turmeric. My #13 would be fennel seed and/or tarragon/star anise. Oh, right, nutmeg! Thyme and rosemary! I use those all the time. I keep Chinese five spice powder too. While your list of ten is a good one and agree that you can get where you're going most of the time, I think I'd expand my list to about 15 if not 20 at least.
So just a friendly remark here, you bring a lot of great points and for example fennel seed and star anise should be further up his spice list, but calling tarragon(I assume dried), thyme and rosemary spices is just plain wrong. They are not spices, they are herbs. Herbs and spices are from completely different parts of plants AND processed differently. Spices, like for example cinnamon, are made from the aromatic seeds, bark, flowers, and roots of plants that have been dried and are usually crushed into a powder before use. Herbs on the other hand are leaves, and although most come from herbaceous plants (plants that lack woody stems), a few do come from woody plants, such as bay leaf, rosemary and thyme. Basil, rosemary, and parsley are often found in a kitchen’s spice rack but actually qualify as herbs because they are aromatic leaves. Spices tend to be stronger in flavor than herbs, because they are made from crushed portions of plants that are especially rich in essential oils. Also why he included dried oregano and basil in a spice list is beyond me, as they are not spices and this just brings his whole credibility into question. If he doesn’t know such trivial basic level things as to how to distinguish a herb from a spice, then how am I supposed to believe his knowledge or expertise in more advanced topics is credible?
One spice I really like to have around that you didn't mention here is sumac. It goes well on a lot of foods, and it can be used in a pinch to add a citrus-y flavor that I don't think you can get from many sources outside of citrus.
Montréal, Québec here. My list is basically the same except the chili powder (not very often). Instead, I would include: dill (I use both fresh and dried) and thyme (fresh and dried). If I have to fit in the 10 list, I would remove garam masala and keep curry.
100% agree with this list, but I'm surprised to not see mustard powder! Love adding a bit of mustard powder to stir-fried veggies, especially collard greens. Congrats on the big 1M!!!
Agreed, and I was going to mention it too, but also because it brings out the sharpness of cheese in cheese sauces, and I use that trick far too often.
I'm in near-total agreement with this list, but I would swap out basil for ground ginger. Basil is great, but most of the time I can get by with just the oregano, so I would move that to the honorable mentions list. Ginger is on my top 10 list because it pairs so well with the other warm spices. Ginger + cinnamon is like 95% of the way to pumpkin pie spice and many of the recipes that call for curry powder or garam masala also call for ginger.
I LOVE this!!! Now to get my husband on board. We can’t go to a farmers’ market without him coming home with at least 2 bottles of rub or sauces. Our daughter is forbidden from giving him any more condiments or spices! We are pretty much Montreal Steak seasoning folks, too! Thanks Bri and Lauren!
Do a video on making different spice blends with these please! I like having quick and easy mixes to add to whatever protein depending on what type of food I’m feeling.
That's a cool idea for a video. Spice blends. I'd be super interested to see what ol' bri thinks are the best ratios when it comes to some of the least known, yet most iconic spice blends out the, like bzar, jerk seasoning, szechuan, chili powder, or Korean BBQ. Some of those are wet but whatever.
There's honestly very few additions I'd make. (apart from black pepper, which I think was just omitted on the grounds that it's basically ubiquitous anyway) I'd say both Thyme and Rosemary, because I make a lot of root veggie, and they're excellent with that (and can also be your poultry blend). Ground Ginger, which like garlic and Basil is not a substitute for the fresh, but is super useful for modifying the flavor of a dish on the fly. Nutmeg, which I feel can sneak it's way into just about any cuisine (every European cuisine, Middle Eastern, Caribbean, South American, North African, South Asian) savory or Sweet. It's rare that I can't find a place for nutmeg. And coriander, which I think can be used like cumin's sibling spice, adding depth and texture to what could come across as monotonous if you relied too heavily on cumin. Also, because it's a little greener than cumin, you can use it in places where you want a little bit of earthiness, but don't want it to be muddy. That's my 5 additions.
@@gchomuk oh all the time! I love it. It's my little secret ingredient. Chef John's got his cayenne pepper, I have a nutmeg grater. I snuck a bit into my fresh NY style pizza sauce, and 🧑🍳🤌
I agree with all of this. Especially the nutmeg! I think it’s great to have dried versions of things like garlic and ginger around for those dishes where everything just needs to be dry. Also dried spices have a very concentrated flavor.
I would pick the same but with Ginger and Nutmeg. I make my own Garam Masala. Missing 3-4 spices tho.. But, l would still take the Ginger and Nutmeg over it because l use them more. My extra's would be Corriander, Clove, Fennel, and Cardamom. Btw: put a mint plant under your outdoor faucet let it leak a little for 10min everyday. You will have all the mint you need. Same with Oregano. So easy can grow on your patio too. I have a collection of several different chili powders. It's fun. I love it. That is if Salt and Pepper are just a given. But fresh peppercorns.
Agreed, they're way more versatile than garam masala, cinnamon, or curry powder, at least in North American cooking. I still like making butter chicken with cinnamon and garam masala, and chicken salad with curry is the only way to fly but they're one or two trick ponies for me. Cinnamon is one of my favorite dessert flavors, but I very rarely cook desserts. I find cinnamon pretty off putting in anything other than Indian cuisine.
One of my favorite go to spices that was almost/kinda on this list is smoked paprika. While it doesn't always fill the niche that normal paprika does it can sometimes be subbed. I mostly use it on potatoes. A left over baked potato, sliced into wheels and fried in butter with salt, pepper, garlic p, onion p, and some smoked paprika is just too good.
I agree. I need to use quite a bit because it's pretty mild (but too much gives a powdery texture). I bought a supposedly special Spanish type but didn't notice a big difference.
I don't even have regular paprika anymore, because smoked paprika does everything I want, plus that extra kick. I get a really nice Spanish smoked paprika.
@physicsfan314 I would have agreed with you, but since trying Hungarian Paprika which I have been unable to find locally in anything other than sweet (Smoked is invariably Spanish) I am not so sure. I find Hungarian Paprika has far more flavour than Spanish, but less heat, which suits my style of cooking just fine, although I accept that some would have the opposite preference for the exact same reason.
The list is solid. One thing I would like to point is: buy spices not in POWDERED form, but as whole plant parts if possible. e.g. cumin seeds or cinnamon bark pieces. They will keep their flavor a lot longer and give a much better aroma overall. Just take 20 seconds to grind them up in a mortar if needed and that's it.
I have a similar 10-ish selection like shown in the video that i like powdered because its just too convenient. Buying by the ounce helps preserve flavor, get what you need for a few weeks instead of a whole jar. But i agree for the rest buying whole is best.
im a college student with a 15m^2 room (3x5m roughly) which more than half are already occupied. How easy is it to store whole spices? do i need a lot of spaces or can i just put them in my table drawer
I agree - whole spices keep longer, and if you toast them before you grind them the flavor is exceptional! If you have access to brick and mortar spice vendors (like Penzey's, or your local Asian, Indian or Middle Eastern shops) you can often purchase whole spices in just the amount(s) you need, rather than committing to a much larger quantity of the ground stuff in a jar from the supermarket. Being able to purchase small quantities of bulk whole spices also lets you experiment with new and different flavor profiles, and determine whether a previously untried herb or spice is to your liking (or not - for years I hated curry/curry powder until I found out it was fenugreek that I couldn't stand. Now I blend my own, and I LOVE a good curry!). I bought an inexpensive (less than $20 USD) blade coffee grinder years ago that's become my dedicated spice mill, and it works great. Just clean up the blades and inner base between uses by grinding up some chunks of bread and it's ready for another use. 🙂
In a basket on my counter, I have kosher salt, black pepper, garlic powder, paprika, basil, oregano, parsley, and an olive oil dispenser. It is amazing how much this lets me take anything in my fridge and instantly spruce it up. My cabinet has many more spices, including basically everything on this list. I have wanted to really standardize the shakers I use, so I may take the opportunity to stock up the pantry at volume when I do.
I was pretty shocked that black pepper is not on the list, especially given Brian literally has a pepper grinder right there. I use black pepper more than chilli powder.
You can definitely tell Brian tends to prefer savory dishes over sweet with his spice picks. Around Christmas I tend to do a lot of baking, so spices like Allspice, Nutmeg, Cloves, Ground Ginger would be sorely missed. Nutmeg especially I consider an absolute staple spice, although I grate it from the nut rather than keep it ground.
As someone who does a lot of baking, garam masala actually makes a pretty good apple pie spice. It has nutmeg and cloves in it already! Nutmeg would definitely be nice to have, but there's really nothing on Brian's list that I feel like can be replaced without losing way more options than you are gaining.
@@Eclyptical I agree, except maybe the dried basil. I'd sub it for dried Thyme or dried Oregano. Super versatile and basil is overpowering when dried, kind of like using too many bayleafs, immediately throws off the profile.
@@Revelwoodie I misread your comment as who cooks WITH nutmeg, but I’m going to leave my comment to show my total agreement with you! Germans and Scandinavian people. When I lived in Germany we had salt, pepper, and nutmeg on the table at all meals. I go through two or three bottles of nutmeg (whole, I grind it fresh) every year, and I use a lot of cardamom in my baking. I’d use even more except my husband thinks it tastes like tin foil, so I try to restrain myself.
I just googled chili powder, and yeah, it's a blend over here. Interesting thing is, you can make it with ground chilies, garlic powder, cumin, and oregano (as a start). So technically, you don't need it on the list 'cause you can make it from the other stuff on the list. But I understand the convenience of having it premixed.
As someone who's been to New Mexico, where they take their chiles very seriously (i.e., Hatch chiles): CHILE is the word for the pepper, so chile powder is powdered chile pepper. CHILI is the word for the spicy, beefy stew, so chili powder is a mix of chile powder and other spices, like paprika and cumin.
I cook Ecuadorian food, and for me an essential is Annatto seeds. I infuse the seeds in oil, and the oil is used in many savory dishes. It's essential to the cuisine.
I’m Mexican American and never use chili powder. If I need red chili, I grind dried whole chiles 🌶️ and use them. My top ten would be in no particular order: cinnamon, turmeric, garlic 🧄 powder, Montreal steak, ginger, onion powder, thyme, oregano, cumin and dill. I use paprika but mostly for color. Love your videos, Brian!
I am so in need of more of these kinds of kitchen optimization videos. I'd be really interested in seeing more of how you organize, and what items you would recommend be the basis for a kitchen. Thanks Bri!
All I know about organization is that I don't know how to do it. I recognize it when I see it, but that's as far as I go. Other than that, I have way too much of mostly everything! 🙂
Yaaay, as a Hungarian I feel seen with the inclusion of paprika 😊❤ (we do really put into absolutely everything and it just makes the world a better place 😄). Also, congratulations on reaching 1 million!🎉🎉🎉
@@jackmac436same as oregano and basil, which made his list. Personally I never use dried basil as it is such a poor substitute for fresh basil. Love basil so grow 2-3 varieties in my garden each year and typically have parsley, thyme, sage, and rosemary available year round in my region.
@@chadburke1938 I agree I don't know why they were on the list. You ever tried Thai Basil? Another great herb. I love growing Cilantro cause if it bolts on you you end up with Coriander win/win
They are not spices, they are herbs. Herbs and spices are from completely different parts of plants AND processed differently. Spices, like for example cinnamon, are made from the aromatic seeds, bark, flowers, and roots of plants that have been dried and are usually crushed into a powder before use. Herbs on the other hand are leaves, and although most come from herbaceous plants (plants that lack woody stems), a few do come from woody plants, such as bay leaf, rosemary and thyme. Basil, rosemary, and parsley are often found in a kitchen’s spice rack but actually qualify as herbs because they are aromatic leaves. Spices tend to be stronger in flavor than herbs, because they are made from crushed portions of plants that are especially rich in essential oils. Also why he included dried oregano and basil in a spice list is beyond me, as they are not spices and this just brings his whole credibility into question. If he doesn’t know such trivial basic level things as to how to distinguish a herb from a spice, then how am I supposed to believe his knowledge or expertise in more advanced topics is credible?
Great video. You mentioned scandinavian cooking, and I agree that It's mostly salt and pepper, but an unsung hero that works great in many of our dishes is allspice (and a touch of nutmeg never hurt anyone).
what about the humble bay leaf? and Rosemary? I get that Americans don't eat much lamb, but it can be used in so many other areas. Grats on the 1 mill subs.
@@sararuhlman6559 Dried rosemary is good for flavor, but if you use it whole, it stays kind of hard and sharp even if it simmers in liquid for a long time. I use it a lot (mostly when I don't want to put on pants to go outside and clip some fresh rosemary), but I grind it up in a mortar beforehand.
Definitely agree with cumin 😊 But you left off black pepper. And onion powder. Ginger. Coriander. Those I use all the time Also sumac. Dried mushrooms. Celery seed. Fennugreek. Hing And if you're going to do blends I would say some pepper blend like Berbere or Harrisa or Shichimi Togarashi or a Tandoor mix
Regarding pumpkin pie spice blend, a few of my friends and I realized wer all had cinnamon, and among us we had the other 4 ingredients (nutmeg, allspice, cloves, and ginger), so we pooled our resources, got together with the ingredients we had, each brought a clean empty container, and each of us had a container of pumpkin pie spice blend without spending additional cash.
I rarely make anything pumpkin-spiced and do use all the individual ingredients of it in various things, so I never keep pumpkin pie spice. Can always piece it together if needed.
i cant trust other people's spices theyre always stale and expired and ive been at a friends house before and they had moldy spices and couldnt even smell it.
@@fcat2148 It's not hard to sniff their spices before agreeing to take some. I personally find many are good long past the technical expiration date (cinnamon in particular seems good indefinitely) though herbs get dusty fastest and I certainly draw the line at moldy. You may be a little fussier than most, in which case, by all means buy your own.
Amazing video Bri! My honourable mention goes to chinese five spice for all asian cooking needs 🥰 Congrats on the massive 1M milestone, happy for you and looking forward for whats more to come
Solid list, I'd add Dill as an honorable mention and I'd clump together garlic powder/granules and onion powder/granules as a single spot since I rarely use 1 without the other.
@@SilverHawk214 You can use dill on anything savory or tangy. I use it in dressings, on poultry, and imo it pairs great with lemon so just about any time I use lemon, I use dill. My favorite places to use dill is homemade ranch, in vinaigrettes and in/on deviled eggs!
I made a spice rack that has 32 slots in it. I keep myself to just that amount of spices and have selected them vary carefully so that all spaces have their own important spot and reason to be there. Highly recommend to make something yourself as it limits yourself to being more selective.
I think I'm kind of a hoarder when it comes to spices - I just noticed that I've never counted how many spices I have. And I've been thinking of making my own spice rack. Hahhaha
That's a good idea, I should do that, or branch out and try new recipes as I have just about every spice and herb except for super hot stuff and sumac, maybe a few others, I'm thinking of making some mixes too, that might help some.
Anglo-sphere here (advanced herb & spice users.). Here is my top, most used herbs and spices: Note, I use fresh or frozen chillies in place of flakes and powder. Spices: dried porcini mushroom powder, cumin powder, cumin seeds, coriander powder, smoked paprika, cardamom pods, garlic powder, black pepper, mustard powder, fenugreek seeds. Fresh herbs: fresh coriander, parsley, rosemary, chives, thyme, oregano, dill, basil. Dried herbs: bay leaves, French tarragon, fennel. Honorable mentions, Oxo cubes, turmeric, saffron, horseradish.
Totally totally agree with everything you said. I also couldn’t get along without tomato bouillon. I love how it makes my Mexican dishes really tomato-y without having to add more canned tomatoes. Love your videos! Keep up the great work.
I use a pretty extensive range of spices. Smoked paprika is high on my list. Also Sumac and fine Aleppo pepper flakes. I don’t use a curry blend but scratch make my own. Same for garam masala and Chinese five spice. I love Tajin seasoning though.
Totally agree with you & also must haves for me...thyme, rosemary, sage, fennel seed, sumac, smoked paprika, ground ginger & Chinese 5 spice. Great list of basics.
I also like to have bay leaves on hand, for making soups especially legume and sauces. Other then that I fully agree with your spice selection. Now thyme is another I can not live without and dill, same as rosemary, but I prefer them fresh when possible. So if you ever make a 15 most important spices, you might also want to add nutmeg to this and you good for cooking!
Bay leaves FTW! I use them in practically anything savory -- including tomato sauces. Except pizza sauce -- that calls for fennel seed. I also like thyme and nutmeg. Nutmeg goes in practically anything, savory or sweet. I tend to make my own spice blends, as the store-bought blends tend to be expensive. (My jaw dropped when I saw the prices in Brian's vid. They're two or three times that here in the PNW. I just bought a jar of bay leaves for $12.00.) I have a DIY "soup spice" mix that consists of 4 parts thyme + 3 parts crushed rosemary + 3 parts summer savory + 1 part nutmeg. This gets used a LOT in my soups and stews.
I think ground thyme should deserve at least an honorable mention. Also, if we are including spice blends, I think I probably use Old Bay more than any other (by a pretty wide margin).
I use everything on your list except for dried basil. I hated it so much since childhood that I didn't try fresh basil, which is now my very favorite herb, until I was in my thirties. My favorite is ground ancho from Penzeys, which I mix with cumin, ground chipotle, garlic powder, and cumin to make chili, which I eat at least every two weeks. I use dried rosemary for roasting potatoes, and dill weed and/or thyme for scrambled eggs. I put cinnamon in my oatmeal. These are all the ones I use the most.
My main spice cabinet is pretty close- I'd swap the basil for dried thyme, and I'd give an honorable mention to cayenne (because the chile flakes are just too big for smooth sauces and savory custards) and ground white pepper. I actually have a pepper grinder just for white peppercorns next to the stove- I use it a lot for chinese food and it is definitely needed for legit egg drop soup. I also always know where my bay leaves are, because stews and french onion soup just don't taste the same without them.
Speaking as someone with about 40 jars in my spice rack (which you can pry from cold dead hands), this mostly makes sense to me, but if you're going to restrict to 10: 1. Drop the dried basil (fresh go home - seriously, who uses dried basil for anything??). 2. Chili powder and chili flakes are easily substituted for each other. Drop one, don't care which Now you've got two spots free. I'd probably sub in carraway seeds and smoked paprika, but it would depend on what you cook. Edit: Hang on you haven't got nutmeg - I cannot live without nutmeg. I really like mace too, but that's optional. Nutmeg is essential.
As a Scandinavian (Norwegian), I'll have you know we use lots of spice in our food, like salt and pepper. Nah, I jest. Traditional scandinavian food probably doesn't use much spice, but luckily, we've absorbed them into our cuisine. Great video, Bri! Keep em coming!
Overall, this is a pretty good list, Bri! It is certainly worth sharing, notably with beginners in cooking or people moving in their very first apartment! For my part, my favourite spice is smoked paprika. It gives food a superb colour & smoky flavour, and I love it! As for ground cinnamon, when it is used in tiny amounts in recipes, it also acts as a taste enhancer. I often combine it with very tiny amounts of ground cloves. Wonderful! Finally, I guess I have yet to discover garam masala. Looking forward to it! Cheers! Stay hungry 😊
I'd have to add bay leaves to your list, as a Southern-Cajun cook! But as a Southern-Cajun cook, we include bacon grease as an essential spice. I've never used curry powder or garam masala but I'm willing to try. Nice video!
how do you feel about the running joke in some culinary circles where you wonder aloud if the bay leaf youre putting into your dish is actually going to do anything lol
In place of chili powder, which is a spice BLEND where I live (I don't buy blends), I just mix up my own, with the following: 2 TBS smoked paprika (yes, it has to be smoked) 2 tsp ground oregano 2 tsp ground cumin 2 tsp garlic powder 2 tsp cayenne pepper 1 tsp onion powder
I gotta say five spice, star anise, sichuan peppercorns, fennel, and gochukaru have got to be in my pantry at all times. Absolute Asian staples honestly, BUT I agree with you Bri, all the spices you listed are in my pantry too and are used quite frequently!
What example of cooking food you use for anise ,Five spices anise ,sichuan ,fennel and gochucakura Asian staples I’m not really familiar with it and want to try if it’s good condiment for Asian staple.thanks .
Great video that I didn’t know I needed. I’d love to see a video that uses these ~10 spices to make spice mixes. Examples: taco seasoning, chili seasoning, Greek, Italian, Indian, Cuban, steak, etc.
One thing i like using is ground chile de arbol and piquin. I had arbols from when i was pairing peppers, making hot sauce. I realized plain ole cholula was a combo of both, so ordered piquins to make a mild tabletop sauce. I had too much so ground some up. I add that to a lot of quick meals or snacks. Tastes great with eggs. I've been mixing large chunks of tomato and avocado together as a snack lately with salt, onion and garlic powder. The chile mix really kicks it up a bit. Piquins are slightly hotter than cayenne and arbol slightly milder. I think my ratio is 6 piquins for every 20 arbols.
I am glad to see your top ten overlaps with mine. My order is a bit different. I do use other spices as well, like sage or teragon, when the dish requires a very specific taste. You’ve certainly inspired me to go through my spice rack and chuck out what’s not used and get fresh batches of my top ten. I tried drying my own herbs but that turned out to be a lot of effort and time for very little result, plus it’s cheaper to buy bulk than grow it and dehumidify it yourself.
Thanks for sharing! You make me think of adding curry powder and garam masala to my rack, maybe also dried basil. I've been thinking of sumac and za'atar too. My top spices (after salt and pepper): 1. Garlic powder 2. Cinnamon powder 3. Chili flakes 4. Chicken bouillon powder 5. Dried parsley 6. Ginger powder 7. Dried oregano 8. Ground coriander 9. Paprika powder 10. Ground cardamom Others: sesame seeds, cumin, fennel, tumeric, szechuan pepper, dried mint, dried rosemary, dried dill, beef-fish-veg bouillon powder, cloves, star anise, dried orange peels I admit that keeping more than 10 spices is a bit overwhelming :D
I’d add sumac & fenugreek powder! Ps curry powder and Garam Masala is combination of spices so it’s cheating but useful honourable mention Cajun seasoning
Barring salt and black pepper, I keep the following herbs and spices on hand at all times: Allspice Basil Bay leaf Cayenne (I actually keep a spare on hand) Celery seed Crushed red pepper (again, spare on hand) Chili powder Ground cinnamon Whole cloves Cumin Dill weed Garlic powder Ground ginger Hungarian paprika Italian seasoning (spare on hand) Juniper berries Marjoram Ground mustard Nutmeg Onion powder Oregano Spanish paprika Smoked Spanish paprika Rosemary Sage Star anise Tarragon Thyme Tony Chacere's Creole seasoning (spare in pantry) Turmeric Some of these are used daily, others are occasional but necessary enough to justify keeping on hand. Just about everything I cook contains salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and some form of paprika. I use Hungarian the least, but sometimes it's what I want.
I'm from Brazil, but I also cook a lot of texmex, mediterranean and asian. I realy missed bayleaf in this list. I use it's dry leaves on almost every kind of stock or broath. And I also grind it to powder and use It on rubs for proteins. I missed nutmeg too, but that is probably because I cook a lot of pure, potato, pumpkin, yellow carrots... I would also use caiene instead of chilli powder, but thats probably because the kinds of chilli powder we find around here are all heat and lack flavour.
Nice list! In addition to some of the things on this list, I also use a lot of onion powder and lemon pepper. The lemon pepper is a bit tricky, though, since blends can vary so widely. I try to get some with very little besides pepper and lemon zest/oil, but many brands have more salt than either of "main" ingredients, and include other stuff such as sugar, garlic, and various anti-caking agents.
@@penelopepitstoppp I mostly use Lawry's, because it's decent and most groceries around me stock it. There are probably better options if you shop online or make your own, though!
For 20+ years my family thought chile powder was cayenne powder. Only realized the difference when our American side of the family came over and asked why our food was so spicy 🤣
I use ancho as my "chile powder" and I do think it's a bit hotter than generic, but I like that I know I can buy it from anywhere that sells it and not worry about it having salt or anything else in the blend (which I dislike because it throws off the rest of the seasoning). I'm usually ok with stuff being a bit hotter than default anyway. Am I screwing up or missing out somehow? 😅
@@BrianLagerstrom My friend kept getting "chilli powder" at the indian market telling me that he couldn't find kashmiri anywhere and that he was sure it was too spicy. ha. Fixed that problem for him.
Since you included blends, my favorite lately is Herbs de Provence. If you look at a recipe for it, it is entirely made up of spices not on your list so it would be a great one to buy as a blend. "Chili Powder" is a weird one. The ones I see are mostly cumin (which I agree is a must have) and a mix of spices already on your list, sometimes with no ground chili peppers at all! I would like to try making a ground chili blend and figure out the proper combination: Ancho, California, New Mexico, Guajillo, etc. to get a well balanced blend.
Simplifying a spice cupboard/shelf/rack is such an important cooking task, and one that may take years and years to even understand how necessary it is....from freshness perspective...from tidiness perspective...from utility perspective, and yes a tasty dish perspective! I have gone through at least 3 or 4 re-organizations in my life, as my tastes, and abilities, and even kitchen space, shifted, and I bet a have a couple more in me still. This was a great reminder of how much you can do with your favorites, and how circular the world spice wheel really is, as different spices from different cultures seep into other cultures, and fulfill both old needs and new ones. Such an interesting topic! Paprika has emerged as my clear favourite. And cinnamon has moved up the list, surprising me with it's versatility over time. I guess I am a warm, round cook at heart, and in practice!
Congrats on 1m subscribers, that's awesome! I have a large collection of herbs and spices. I know I could mix some of them but I don't want to make my own mixes. I notice a lot of people struggle with how to store a big spice collection. I put most of my spices in small glass jars from the dollar store and write the name of the spice with a Sharpie on the top. I put them all into 2 sturdy containers that fit well on my shelf. I take down the container and it's super easy to find what I want.
I agree with most of your basics, Bri, but I'd add several spices which I use frequently: nutmeg (whole), cardamom (whole and ground), cloves (whole and ground), allspice, turmeric, bay leaves, dill, rosemary, and tarragon (although I prefer using the last 3 fresh). I'd put ground ginger on my "Honorable Mentions" list because I use fresh much more often than ground, and also juniper berries. I use Montreal Seasoning like you do--it's magic! 😆 Btw, CONGRATULATIONS on 1M (well-deserved) subscribers!!! 🎉🙌👏🏆
You start off really strong with nutmeg, cardamom, cloves, allspice and turmeric, ginger and juniper berries. But bay leaves, dill, rosemary and tarragon are not spices, they are herbs. Herbs and spices are from completely different parts of plants AND processed differently. Spices, like for example cinnamon, are made from the aromatic seeds, bark, flowers, and roots of plants that have been dried and are usually crushed into a powder before use. Herbs on the other hand are leaves, and although most come from herbaceous plants (plants that lack woody stems), a few do come from woody plants, such as bay leaf, rosemary and thyme. Basil, rosemary, and parsley are often found in a kitchen’s spice rack but actually qualify as herbs because they are aromatic leaves. Spices tend to be stronger in flavor than herbs, because they are made from crushed portions of plants that are especially rich in essential oils. Also why he included dried oregano and basil in a spice list is beyond me, as they are not spices and this just brings his whole credibility into question. If he doesn’t know such trivial basic level things as to how to distinguish a herb from a spice, then how am I supposed to believe his knowledge or expertise in more advanced topics is credible?
I just paused the video to try mixing plain greek yogurt, honey, and cinnamon powder. You have my full attention now... Holy crap that was good (I also added a few dried cranberries)
Congrats on 1 million!!!! I've been watching you since around 500k and it's amazing to see that more people are recognizing the great content you put out!!! P.S. my all time favorite spice would have to be homemade curry powder (a simple blend of cumin, coriander, turmeric, and chili powder) since it is the base for most dishes I grew up eating in Bangladesh. And second place would be garam masala for obvious reasons! C:
I have never been a big fan of curry, but that was my own stupidity. I now live in denmark and believe it or not, danes use a lot of curry. Could you provide the ratios of those spices that make up your fav curry...although it goes against everything in the video i just watched, i want to try it. thanks, loved your comment.
Rosemary is like my essential. Go through a lot of it. Also the very generic names Italian Herbs which adds an amazing flavour to everything. I prefer garlic flakes though these burn but it’s much easier to find and generally cheaper. The one essential I think you missed is turmeric.
Also paprika is a no go for me. Chilli does everything you need paprika to do. You can get away with also having cayenne but I remember having a paprika spice just chilling for like years as it never added any real value.
Rosemary is a favorite here too.. which is why I have it growing in a pot! It's very very low maintenance and lasts forever, and after buying the plant it's essentially free!
As a Mexican I have a wide variety of dry chiles in my pantry but this is due to been born and raised in a mexican household and eating and cooking all kinds of different moles and salsas on a daily basis. It becomes second nature. That being said, after living for 15 years in Canada, the mighty chilli powder had made it into my spice rack and is used pretty often surprisingly. My favourite spice? Probably cinnamon! In my pantry I also love to have nutmeg, cardamom, dry mint. Special mention to celery salt and Tajin! Also, have you tried that Montreal steak mix in caesars? 🤤
Garam masala tends to differ from many Indian households who mix their own. My friend gave me a jar of his mother's garam masala that has a another oomph that the store bought doesn't have.
When I searched for recipes for garam masala on youtube my head almost exploted because no video had the same ingredients lol I even follow a woman that uses a simple one that has only cinammon, cardamom and clove, for her everyday cooking.
Tony’s Cajun is one I keep in my cabinet. It’s got a little kick and tastes real good. I could probably make it with those seasonings but the ratios might be off. Keep up the good work Bri, I am a new sub of yours and I love all of your vids😁😁
My #1 spice, after salt and pepper, is Thyme. We eat a lot of beef! AND Tumeric I use every day on my fish, chicken and when making season salt, because I can't digest garlic or onions. Another spice we always keep on hand is Star of Anise seed for PIzza and Spaghetti sauce. We also use a lot of lemon and orange peel when making cornbread. And let us not forget Bay Leaf for soups and stews.
My favorite spice is tarragon. I just love it's aroma and subtle flavor. It's a little more expensive, but not that much. Just for its aroma alone it is wonderful.
It could be too pedantic, but I think separating the herbs from the spices helps here. Brian shouldn't have put dried basil and dried oregano in there, and possibly should have called the whole thing his top ten spice blends (including the single-ingredient ones!).
Thyme Parsley Sage Marjoram fennel mustard bay leaf allspice ... I make a lot of different things my spice cupboard is large but well loved. Your list is great just depends what all you make :) great video have a nice day!
That's a good list! For me, cumin, paprika, chili flakes, black pepper, cinnamon, clove, thyme, oregano, rosemary, basil, sumac, mint. A total of 12 herbs/spices that get me pretty much anywhere I need to go.
Congrats on a million! Your channel has changed my life. Cooking has gone from a chore to a hobby and I couldn’t be more grateful, thank you. In previous videos, you said that one of the most valuable skills to develop is taste. How can I refine my palette to know when something needs more acid, salt, sugar, or any of these spices?
@@BrianLagerstrom I'd love some videos from you on fundamental cooking skills like developing taste, as well as basic kitchen techniques. How to get started cooking with stainless steel skillets, for instance.
Let me have it. What'd I miss (salt and pepper aside)?
Nutmeg
congrats on 1 milion Bri. :)))
I think turmeric could be there
also, i really like and need you to do some persian food. i am curious to see your take on our food. :))
turmeric, cardamom, coriander, asfoetida, fennel, carom, mace, cloves, mustard seeds, curry leaves are just a few to name in a very long list of spices we use everyday in Indian food
Your SM7B sounded way better than the lav. Go back please. The audio quality was one of the things that set your channel apart.
Plan C: hang 1-2 shotgun mics from your kitchen ceiling. Weissman has a boom guy, and his channel sounds almost as good as yours. You could get similar with stereo shotguns permanently mounted in the kitchen.
Allspice. I love allspice on hot chocolate.
Singaporean here. One spice that you must have for Chinese food is Chinese 5 spice (Star Anise, Sichuan Peppercorn, Clove, Cinnamon, Fennel). Its the backbone flavor of Char siew, Siew Yoke, a different flavor profile for stir frys and meats; and opens up the path to Chinese food, much like other spice blends open up their regional flavor (India, Mediterranean, etc)
We used to have this in my mother's kitchen, but I can't find it in grocery stores anymore.
Exactly. Totally agree. The host lost awareness he’s coming from white American perspective and think it’s standard.
@@thihal123 We brazilians hate star anise and sweet spices like cinnamon in savory food.
The upshot of all these very reasonable comments is, there's no way just 10 spices are going to be enough for almost anyone, let alone anyone who cooks beyond a pretty boring American selection.
@@thereaction18 its not that difficult to fresh grind your own, as most are readily available, except for Sichuan peppercorn. For that, black peppercorn works too and you add the heat back with a touch of chilli powder. Give it a whirl
Timestamps as they should help:
10. 1:15 red pepper/chili flakes
09. 2:05 cinnamon
08. 2:58 garlic powder
07. 5:03 dried oregano
06. 5:03 dried basil
05. 5:48 chile powder
04. 7:02 sweet paprika
03. 7:38 curry powder
02. 8:28 garam masala
01. 9:28 ground cumin
honorable mentions:
11. 10:23 montreal steak seasoning
12. 10:39 pumpkin pie spice
13. 10:55 poultry seasoning
Thank you --!
Thank you soooooo much! :)
Thank you. They do help.
Who the fuck needs garlic powder? I just use fresh garlic. A lot of it.
Also, I couldn't exist without tarragon, lovage, thyme, Sichuan peppercorn, ground fennel seeds, rosemary, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, cumin SEEDS, and don't even get me started on all the sauces / pastes I need. My spices take up more space than all the weekday plates.
@@akechijubeimitsuhidehave you tried to make a even tasting sauce with just garlic without chunks? To season steak?
Garlic powder just works way better
I can't imagine cooking without bay leaves. Not only is it a super easy way to add a huge kick of flavor to a stew or any tomato-based soup, but it's essential for my chili con carne. Bay leaves compliment so many of the spices mentioned in this video, and every home cook should have a bottle. Plus they're about the only dry herb that tastes basically the same as fresh.
Came here to say this.
Yeah. I can't imagine my pantry without Bay Leaves. I cook Spanish, Italian, Mexican, Filipino, Indian, and Cajun food with Bay Leaves. I even use it when making stocks alongside mirepoix.
Agreed. It’s a travesty not to include bay leaves.
I use bay leaves basically every time I make soup, but I'm honestly not certain if I could tell the difference. What specifically does it add that you'd notice missing?
@SenatorNyxen It adds a bit of herbaceousness in the background. It's really a background herb, but it adds a depth of flavor to the overall dish.
From working in a spice warehouse for years. Chili powder is like 90+% ground ancho and a little cumin and garlic powder, with cayenne added to get you Medium or Hot.
Also, due to the work in a spice warehouse, I find it impossible to not have a varied spice rack. Most of it is whole and I grind when I need it.
Rosemary, thyme, coriander and MSG are the ones I use most often that you did not mention.
Agree that Rosemary and thyme deserve a place on the list, along with dill for me (im half polish, its in my blood)
@@cassandrakarpinski9416 i really think it's the type of food you cook. like if you cook asian dishes more, then both rosemary and thyme are useless in their pantry.
@@sleepyearth good point
@@sleepyearth Thats true, since outside of asian cuisine, MSG generally isn't too useful
@@borby4584 MSG is useful in pretty much everything.
Aussie here. Our chilli powder is just cayenne, and all of us who followed an American recipe calling for a tablespoon of chilli powder found out the hard way that in the US it’s a mild blend! I buy the American one online from the US and i use it a lot. I wish we had that version here so I could get it more easily and cheaply. K
I'm a new cook in the U.S. (southern California), and I changed my recipes to say 'American chile powder' to keep me from using one of the other bottles of powdered chiles I have. 😊
Interesting, no idea if it's the same in nz
I love cayenne. But yea, American chili powder is a whole different animal. I find it a necessity for making chili.
Just use a ratio of paprika and cumin (and a bit of cayenne to taste) to make your own (American) chili powder, maybe?
Australian chilli powder is not always Cayenne but it is always just straight powdered chilli and not a spice mix.
My favorite is what I call all purpose seasoning. I blend equal parts Salt, granulated garlic, onion powder and then as much ground black pepper as my hands can handle (about 1/2 part.) I use it on everything. If I make more than will fit in my small shaker, I keep it in my garage refrigerator. Don't ask me why 2 empty nest adults need 2 refrigerators and a full sized freezer.
I think thyme is definitely in the top 10. I don’t think I could do just 10 I’d have to go for 20.
yeah thyme is pretty versatile
If you ever make anyting with potatoes you need thyme and rosemary
so much more versatile then basil and oregano. criminal they were included and thyme wasn't
I stick to fresh herbs, in general. I also grow mine - lavender, sage, thyme, basil, parsley, coriander, rosemary, chives, oregano and spring onions grow in my garden. I couldn’t manage without them.
@@SuperStella1111you cook with lavender?
I have a bulk jar of something called "italian spices" which is a blend of the basil, oregano, along with thyme, for pretty much the same use-cases you described. I use it all the thyme.
“All the thyme” hahahaha
That is a blend of dried herbs, has absolutely nothing to do with spices…
Why he included dried oregano and basil in a spice list is also beyond me, as they are not spices either and this just brings his whole credibility into question. If he doesn’t know such trivial things as to how to distinguish a herb from a spice, then how am I supposed to believe his knowledge or expertise in more advanced topics is credible?
None of which are spices.
Why would he try to be helpful (by using "spices" in a commonly understood, broad, if technically incorrect sense) when he could be pedantic in a video destined to people who don't know much about cooking and might need help choosing which small bottles to buy first for their spice cabinet. A mystery for the ages...@@nogoodname8133
I think it depends what kind of dishes you lean to in cooking. I like soups and stews so I use Herb de Provence a lot. I sprinkle it on roast potatoes and it bakes wonderfully.
That’s like five different spices in one though. Or do spice blends count as one?
@@MissCaraMint It’s literally in the name, Herbes de Provence, contains herbs and no spices it’s a mixture of dried HERBS…
@@nogoodname8133 Colloquially we use the word spice both for spices and herbs that are dried. Now obviously there is a distinction between the two, and if you are defining this list based on more precise kitchen terminology then you would be right. However, this list does features both spices and herbs, meaning that we are using the colloquial term here not the technical ones. The chapter on spice six and seven is literally titled "herbs", while the video is titled "The Only 10 Spices You Need", and Brian refers to them as spice six and seven in the chapter on garlic powder. In addition "spice blend" commonly refers to both blends of spices and herbs. You correction is therefor entirely useless in this instance. Especially since if you define herbs botanically then both rosemary and lavender (both of which are commonly in Herbes de Province) fail to qualify.
Now what I actually was commenting on was whether a blend counts as one whole, or is it the sum of its parts (i.e. does it count as five)?
Herbes de Provence is excellent on roast potatoes, I never do it any other way now.
@@MissCaraMinta spice blend counts as one since you dont have to buy all of them!
I agree with most of your list, but I would also add Smoked Paprika (my all time fav.) and of course turmeric.
Paprika in general gets put into most of my cooking. I prefer smoked but regular works as well.
Paprika, garlic powder and peber.
Pour that over a bunch of root vegetables with olive oil and oven that shit for an hour or more - AMAZING!
Me too...smoked paprika!
Smoked paprika is indeed GOATed
YES!!!!! I cannot do without it!
Maybe not a huge essential, but I love cardamom in sweets and my coffee. I often just have the ground version in the cupboard, but still brings a unique sweetness without sugar necessarily.
Dutchy here, our chilli powder is just 100% chillis. Only use full tablespoons if you dislike your family
I think ground ginger hits my top 10. Great for sweet and savory applications and has warm and citrus notes. Like garlic, the powdered version is good in rubs and marinades for meat and doesn't easily burn. I also add it to my ramen for hit of warm brightness.
Hi Bri and Lauren, To answer the chili powder question, I moved to Mexico 37 years ago and didn't find chili powder. So I made my own blend which we use to this day (even my Mexican hubby uses it now) I use mild dried chilies (a mix) Cumin Coriander Paprika (which at first wasnt easy to find) garlic & onion Powders
I've been cooking for 59 years now and also make dishes from all around the world. Since my main emphasis is sweet over savory cooking for me the balance is all off. I have Cardamom, Mace, and Nutmeg along with salt and pepper as the most frequent spices.
I have a huge spice rack made for over 60 spices but as I get older (71 now) I find that I put the most frequent spices on the lower shelf I also find that many reductions have been made. I do have a curry blend, but I wouldn't want to be without garam masala. I also would vote for msg which I toss into most dishes (that or ground dry mushrooms) Looking over the comments I use bay leaf every day (soup for breakfast) and rosemary every other day.
This was a fun desert island type of exercise. I also wouldn't want to be without smoked salt which in the 90s I used to bring back with me from the US but which is now readily available here. Hugs from Jim Oaxaca Mexico
Yes! MSG is great! Essential for me too. Not sure it’s classified as a spice though.
I know this sounds a little weird but I like to use garam masala for French toast. It churns out this crazy flavor profile that I just love and it goes great with different fruit reductions. It’s a great way to mix it up from the normal cinnamon mixture.
I sprinkle my French toast (while cooking) with nutmeg. Yum!
What? That sounds crazy to me, but I like garam masala as lot of other places. Aren't we all so different?
i use a dash a chinese 5 spice. it taste like cinnamon but better, not as spicy!!
I grew up in a house where salt and pepper were basically the only food flavorings used. When I went off to college, I had a roommate who put cumin on chicken and it blew my mind. That's where my love of it started, and it is absolutely my #1 spice to this day! This is a great list, although I would need to find a way to fit dried thyme and rosemary in there. I'm not sure dried basil actually tastes like anything. You could have cheated with "Italian seasoning" haha.
Had to chuckle. My mother was definitely in the top 3 of America's worst home cooks. She used only salt and pepper, and they were optional, depending on whether she remembered to use them. Oh, yeah, she occasionally sprinkled - lightly - Shake & Bake on the Sunday chicken.
Your points are well made about freshness, utility and creativity. And while I keep all these on hand, I would add thyme, ginger, and whole nutmeg to a basic list. I have fresh rosemary in the garden, so I never keep it in the cupboard, and we have both Indian curry powder and Japanese curry powder. There's a distinct and noticeable difference between the two.
I use whole nutmeg frequently. Essential to many white sauces.
Allspice. It's fabulous. I add it to my homemade pea soup recipe. It adds an aromatic layer I now can't do without!
I love allspice SO MUCH. I'll try in pea soup!
@@Sarah-qt3vi If you love allspice, I think you won't be disappointed! :-)
Allspice is my holy grail. I love it in lightly sweetened warm milk with choc chip cookies 😋🍪
ABSOLUTE ESSENTIAL.
@@бронза.вафля.конус Sounds yummy!
1 million!!!! You worked hard to produce high quality videos week after week. Congratulations Brian!
Congrats on 1 million, Brian!
THANKS KEV!
DON'T CONGRATULATE SOMEONE WHO DOESN'T USE DRIED OREGANO!!! ;-)
@@Mess-Lab-Kitchen-Show it's #6 or 7 on the list
Lol he mentioned dried oregano at around the 5 minute mark.
@@BrianLagerstrom Congratulations Brian, found out about your channel recently when searching for “best affordable Chef’s Knives”….liked the Victorinox you suggested so much that I bought one for myself and one for my Dad.
I would add as my #11, mustard powder - very useful. My #12 would be turmeric. My #13 would be fennel seed and/or tarragon/star anise. Oh, right, nutmeg! Thyme and rosemary! I use those all the time. I keep Chinese five spice powder too. While your list of ten is a good one and agree that you can get where you're going most of the time, I think I'd expand my list to about 15 if not 20 at least.
So just a friendly remark here, you bring a lot of great points and for example fennel seed and star anise should be further up his spice list, but calling tarragon(I assume dried), thyme and rosemary spices is just plain wrong. They are not spices, they are herbs. Herbs and spices are from completely different parts of plants AND processed differently. Spices, like for example cinnamon, are made from the aromatic seeds, bark, flowers, and roots of plants that have been dried and are usually crushed into a powder before use. Herbs on the other hand are leaves, and although most come from herbaceous plants (plants that lack woody stems), a few do come from woody plants, such as bay leaf, rosemary and thyme. Basil, rosemary, and parsley are often found in a kitchen’s spice rack but actually qualify as herbs because they are aromatic leaves.
Spices tend to be stronger in flavor than herbs, because they are made from crushed portions of plants that are especially rich in essential oils.
Also why he included dried oregano and basil in a spice list is beyond me, as they are not spices and this just brings his whole credibility into question. If he doesn’t know such trivial basic level things as to how to distinguish a herb from a spice, then how am I supposed to believe his knowledge or expertise in more advanced topics is credible?
I use star anise in looing sauce👍
One spice I really like to have around that you didn't mention here is sumac. It goes well on a lot of foods, and it can be used in a pinch to add a citrus-y flavor that I don't think you can get from many sources outside of citrus.
And za’atar.
I am a new convert to Sumac! Eggs, potato salad, so many uses!!!
@@muzaaaaak AFAIK za’atar is like that because it contains sumac.
Yeah... I think many Americans use dried orange or lemon peel for that application.
Absolutely! I have recently discovered it and love it in salads.
1 million subs in 3 years? It is well-earned, Brian. Congratulations and thank you for all you do. Now let's watch this thing (video). 😊
Thanks so much MATT!
Montréal, Québec here. My list is basically the same except the chili powder (not very often). Instead, I would include: dill (I use both fresh and dried) and thyme (fresh and dried). If I have to fit in the 10 list, I would remove garam masala and keep curry.
100% agree with this list, but I'm surprised to not see mustard powder!
Love adding a bit of mustard powder to stir-fried veggies, especially collard greens.
Congrats on the big 1M!!!
Agreed, and I was going to mention it too, but also because it brings out the sharpness of cheese in cheese sauces, and I use that trick far too often.
Toast mustard seeds, then crush them with a pestle and mortar. You'll thank me :)
It's also good for homemade coleslaw dressing if you're making a small batch (the liquid form is too dilute).
Agreed. Also, nutmeg is good in creamed spinach and accents some sauces.
Love whole mustard seeds. I grind them up for my Beef Stroganoff.
I'm in near-total agreement with this list, but I would swap out basil for ground ginger. Basil is great, but most of the time I can get by with just the oregano, so I would move that to the honorable mentions list. Ginger is on my top 10 list because it pairs so well with the other warm spices. Ginger + cinnamon is like 95% of the way to pumpkin pie spice and many of the recipes that call for curry powder or garam masala also call for ginger.
I may go as far to swap basil and oregano to Italian seasoning. And I agree with adding the ginger.
Its a good addition, but I think both basil and ginger are best used in fresh form.
Keep ginger in your freezer and grate as needed
Ew. Oregano and Basil are NOT the same smh
@@BoHorn I totally agree! Although ginger powder in baking ia crucial. 😁
I LOVE this!!! Now to get my husband on board. We can’t go to a farmers’ market without him coming home with at least 2 bottles of rub or sauces. Our daughter is forbidden from giving him any more condiments or spices! We are pretty much Montreal Steak seasoning folks, too! Thanks Bri and Lauren!
Do a video on making different spice blends with these please! I like having quick and easy mixes to add to whatever protein depending on what type of food I’m feeling.
That's a cool idea for a video. Spice blends. I'd be super interested to see what ol' bri thinks are the best ratios when it comes to some of the least known, yet most iconic spice blends out the, like bzar, jerk seasoning, szechuan, chili powder, or Korean BBQ. Some of those are wet but whatever.
I agree! Spice mixes would be great & which go best with each protein.
Agreed. I like to grind fresh from whole spices and typically have a tex-mex, Indian and middle eastern base on hand at all times.
Great idea! Herbs de Provence and Italian Seasoning come immediately to mind.
There's honestly very few additions I'd make.
(apart from black pepper, which I think was just omitted on the grounds that it's basically ubiquitous anyway)
I'd say both Thyme and Rosemary, because I make a lot of root veggie, and they're excellent with that (and can also be your poultry blend).
Ground Ginger, which like garlic and Basil is not a substitute for the fresh, but is super useful for modifying the flavor of a dish on the fly.
Nutmeg, which I feel can sneak it's way into just about any cuisine (every European cuisine, Middle Eastern, Caribbean, South American, North African, South Asian) savory or Sweet. It's rare that I can't find a place for nutmeg.
And coriander, which I think can be used like cumin's sibling spice, adding depth and texture to what could come across as monotonous if you relied too heavily on cumin. Also, because it's a little greener than cumin, you can use it in places where you want a little bit of earthiness, but don't want it to be muddy.
That's my 5 additions.
Have you ever tried a bit of freshly grated nutmeg in a pasta sauce?
@@gchomuk oh all the time! I love it. It's my little secret ingredient. Chef John's got his cayenne pepper, I have a nutmeg grater. I snuck a bit into my fresh NY style pizza sauce, and 🧑🍳🤌
I agree with all of this. Especially the nutmeg! I think it’s great to have dried versions of things like garlic and ginger around for those dishes where everything just needs to be dry. Also dried spices have a very concentrated flavor.
My phobia in watching this video was that he was going to get to number 1 and say "salt."
Definitely the nutmeg. I put that in everything!
I would pick the same but with Ginger and Nutmeg. I make my own Garam Masala. Missing 3-4 spices tho.. But, l would still take the Ginger and Nutmeg over it because l use them more. My extra's would be Corriander, Clove, Fennel, and Cardamom.
Btw: put a mint plant under your outdoor faucet let it leak a little for 10min everyday. You will have all the mint you need. Same with Oregano. So easy can grow on your patio too.
I have a collection of several different chili powders. It's fun. I love it.
That is if Salt and Pepper are just a given. But fresh peppercorns.
growing up we always had a mint plant under a tap , great for mint sauce and the sunday roast lamb
@@jeffpiper7430
Yes and mint jelly!
Rosemary and thyme got snubbed here
Agreed, they're way more versatile than garam masala, cinnamon, or curry powder, at least in North American cooking. I still like making butter chicken with cinnamon and garam masala, and chicken salad with curry is the only way to fly but they're one or two trick ponies for me. Cinnamon is one of my favorite dessert flavors, but I very rarely cook desserts. I find cinnamon pretty off putting in anything other than Indian cuisine.
And parsley and sage ;)
just get a generic poultry seasoning and it will probably have both
@@christophehorguelin7044I think that's cause parsley is usually much better fresh so buy it fresh when you need it.
Rosemary grows anywhere!! Just plant it in the garden, rosemary and thyme are micro herbs not spices
One of my favorite go to spices that was almost/kinda on this list is smoked paprika. While it doesn't always fill the niche that normal paprika does it can sometimes be subbed. I mostly use it on potatoes. A left over baked potato, sliced into wheels and fried in butter with salt, pepper, garlic p, onion p, and some smoked paprika is just too good.
I agree. I need to use quite a bit because it's pretty mild (but too much gives a powdery texture). I bought a supposedly special Spanish type but didn't notice a big difference.
I don't even have regular paprika anymore, because smoked paprika does everything I want, plus that extra kick. I get a really nice Spanish smoked paprika.
@physicsfan314 I would have agreed with you, but since trying Hungarian Paprika which I have been unable to find locally in anything other than sweet (Smoked is invariably Spanish) I am not so sure.
I find Hungarian Paprika has far more flavour than Spanish, but less heat, which suits my style of cooking just fine, although I accept that some would have the opposite preference for the exact same reason.
The list is solid. One thing I would like to point is: buy spices not in POWDERED form, but as whole plant parts if possible. e.g. cumin seeds or cinnamon bark pieces. They will keep their flavor a lot longer and give a much better aroma overall. Just take 20 seconds to grind them up in a mortar if needed and that's it.
I have a similar 10-ish selection like shown in the video that i like powdered because its just too convenient. Buying by the ounce helps preserve flavor, get what you need for a few weeks instead of a whole jar. But i agree for the rest buying whole is best.
im a college student with a 15m^2 room (3x5m roughly) which more than half are already occupied. How easy is it to store whole spices? do i need a lot of spaces or can i just put them in my table drawer
@@zwatchxdjust get the powder if you're living in borderline poverty
@@zwatchxd not at all. They barely take more space than ground versions.
I agree - whole spices keep longer, and if you toast them before you grind them the flavor is exceptional! If you have access to brick and mortar spice vendors (like Penzey's, or your local Asian, Indian or Middle Eastern shops) you can often purchase whole spices in just the amount(s) you need, rather than committing to a much larger quantity of the ground stuff in a jar from the supermarket. Being able to purchase small quantities of bulk whole spices also lets you experiment with new and different flavor profiles, and determine whether a previously untried herb or spice is to your liking (or not - for years I hated curry/curry powder until I found out it was fenugreek that I couldn't stand. Now I blend my own, and I LOVE a good curry!).
I bought an inexpensive (less than $20 USD) blade coffee grinder years ago that's become my dedicated spice mill, and it works great. Just clean up the blades and inner base between uses by grinding up some chunks of bread and it's ready for another use. 🙂
In a basket on my counter, I have kosher salt, black pepper, garlic powder, paprika, basil, oregano, parsley, and an olive oil dispenser. It is amazing how much this lets me take anything in my fridge and instantly spruce it up. My cabinet has many more spices, including basically everything on this list. I have wanted to really standardize the shakers I use, so I may take the opportunity to stock up the pantry at volume when I do.
I was pretty shocked that black pepper is not on the list, especially given Brian literally has a pepper grinder right there. I use black pepper more than chilli powder.
You can definitely tell Brian tends to prefer savory dishes over sweet with his spice picks. Around Christmas I tend to do a lot of baking, so spices like Allspice, Nutmeg, Cloves, Ground Ginger would be sorely missed. Nutmeg especially I consider an absolute staple spice, although I grate it from the nut rather than keep it ground.
As someone who does a lot of baking, garam masala actually makes a pretty good apple pie spice. It has nutmeg and cloves in it already! Nutmeg would definitely be nice to have, but there's really nothing on Brian's list that I feel like can be replaced without losing way more options than you are gaining.
@@Eclyptical I agree, except maybe the dried basil. I'd sub it for dried Thyme or dried Oregano. Super versatile and basil is overpowering when dried, kind of like using too many bayleafs, immediately throws off the profile.
I go through at least 2 bottles of Nutmeg just around the Holidays lol
Sweet or savory, who cooks without nutmeg? I'm dumbfounded.
@@Revelwoodie I misread your comment as who cooks WITH nutmeg, but I’m going to leave my comment to show my total agreement with you! Germans and Scandinavian people. When I lived in Germany we had salt, pepper, and nutmeg on the table at all meals. I go through two or three bottles of nutmeg (whole, I grind it fresh) every year, and I use a lot of cardamom in my baking. I’d use even more except my husband thinks it tastes like tin foil, so I try to restrain myself.
Chilli powder is a weird one. Seems in some places/countries it means "a spice mix for chilli" and in other places it means "powdered chillies".
Yup in Canada it is spice mix used to make chili, it has cumin and paprika in it usually.
And some of us confuse cayenne with chili powder.
I just googled chili powder, and yeah, it's a blend over here. Interesting thing is, you can make it with ground chilies, garlic powder, cumin, and oregano (as a start). So technically, you don't need it on the list 'cause you can make it from the other stuff on the list. But I understand the convenience of having it premixed.
As someone who's been to New Mexico, where they take their chiles very seriously (i.e., Hatch chiles): CHILE is the word for the pepper, so chile powder is powdered chile pepper. CHILI is the word for the spicy, beefy stew, so chili powder is a mix of chile powder and other spices, like paprika and cumin.
@@tchristianphoto The cumin is probably why I don't like most chile powder.
I cook Ecuadorian food, and for me an essential is Annatto seeds. I infuse the seeds in oil, and the oil is used in many savory dishes. It's essential to the cuisine.
I’m Mexican American and never use chili powder. If I need red chili, I grind dried whole chiles 🌶️ and use them. My top ten would be in no particular order: cinnamon, turmeric, garlic 🧄 powder, Montreal steak, ginger, onion powder, thyme, oregano, cumin and dill. I use paprika but mostly for color. Love your videos, Brian!
I am so in need of more of these kinds of kitchen optimization videos. I'd be really interested in seeing more of how you organize, and what items you would recommend be the basis for a kitchen. Thanks Bri!
Brilliant!
All I know about organization is that I don't know how to do it. I recognize it when I see it, but that's as far as I go. Other than that, I have way too much of mostly everything! 🙂
Yaaay, as a Hungarian I feel seen with the inclusion of paprika 😊❤ (we do really put into absolutely everything and it just makes the world a better place 😄).
Also, congratulations on reaching 1 million!🎉🎉🎉
Everything? Ice cream? Coffee? Milk? I know it's kinda good in some dark chocolate.
@@REMY.C. No to those things (I'm afraid I was exaggerating a bit 😇), yes to chocolate and definitely yes to everything savoury 🙂
I'm with you! Seeing paprika made me so happy 😊 😊
@@REMY.C. Onions, tomatoes, pepper and paprika are the base of many Hungarian dishes. Those are the mirepoix of Hungarian cooking 😁
@@rkatika9 thanks for those infos, I'm definitely going to look at your cuisine. And pile up paprika and chili 😂
Two that I absolutely love are Thyme and Rosemary, but I think your list is pretty spot on!
They are herbs, not spices
@@jackmac436same as oregano and basil, which made his list. Personally I never use dried basil as it is such a poor substitute for fresh basil. Love basil so grow 2-3 varieties in my garden each year and typically have parsley, thyme, sage, and rosemary available year round in my region.
@@chadburke1938 I agree I don't know why they were on the list. You ever tried Thai Basil? Another great herb. I love growing Cilantro cause if it bolts on you you end up with Coriander win/win
They are not spices, they are herbs. Herbs and spices are from completely different parts of plants AND processed differently. Spices, like for example cinnamon, are made from the aromatic seeds, bark, flowers, and roots of plants that have been dried and are usually crushed into a powder before use. Herbs on the other hand are leaves, and although most come from herbaceous plants (plants that lack woody stems), a few do come from woody plants, such as bay leaf, rosemary and thyme. Basil, rosemary, and parsley are often found in a kitchen’s spice rack but actually qualify as herbs because they are aromatic leaves.
Spices tend to be stronger in flavor than herbs, because they are made from crushed portions of plants that are especially rich in essential oils.
Also why he included dried oregano and basil in a spice list is beyond me, as they are not spices and this just brings his whole credibility into question. If he doesn’t know such trivial basic level things as to how to distinguish a herb from a spice, then how am I supposed to believe his knowledge or expertise in more advanced topics is credible?
If I had to guess, those didn't make the list because most of the time you're going to want the fresh version.
Great video. You mentioned scandinavian cooking, and I agree that It's mostly salt and pepper, but an unsung hero that works great in many of our dishes is allspice (and a touch of nutmeg never hurt anyone).
Yeah! I used a little in my Swedish Meatball vid. Loved it
Curry powder in the white sauce for fish balls! 😅
Let's not forget the cardamom!
My Midwestern Swedish mom liked to make "King Oskar's" chili which had a little nutmeg in it.
I know a guy who ate a heaped tablespoon of nutmeg. He did not have a nice time for the next three days.
what about the humble bay leaf? and Rosemary? I get that Americans don't eat much lamb, but it can be used in so many other areas. Grats on the 1 mill subs.
I cannot smell rosemary without thinking lamb although I use it elsewhere too. Is dried rosemary any good? I’ll miss my rosemary when I move.
@@sararuhlman6559 Dried rosemary is good for flavor, but if you use it whole, it stays kind of hard and sharp even if it simmers in liquid for a long time. I use it a lot (mostly when I don't want to put on pants to go outside and clip some fresh rosemary), but I grind it up in a mortar beforehand.
Definitely agree with cumin 😊
But you left off black pepper. And onion powder. Ginger. Coriander. Those I use all the time
Also sumac. Dried mushrooms. Celery seed. Fennugreek. Hing
And if you're going to do blends I would say some pepper blend like Berbere or Harrisa or Shichimi Togarashi or a Tandoor mix
Regarding pumpkin pie spice blend, a few of my friends and I realized wer all had cinnamon, and among us we had the other 4 ingredients (nutmeg, allspice, cloves, and ginger), so we pooled our resources, got together with the ingredients we had, each brought a clean empty container, and each of us had a container of pumpkin pie spice blend without spending additional cash.
This exact thing happened to me but one added a jar of asafoetida for a laugh
I rarely make anything pumpkin-spiced and do use all the individual ingredients of it in various things, so I never keep pumpkin pie spice. Can always piece it together if needed.
i cant trust other people's spices theyre always stale and expired and ive been at a friends house before and they had moldy spices and couldnt even smell it.
@@fcat2148 It's not hard to sniff their spices before agreeing to take some. I personally find many are good long past the technical expiration date (cinnamon in particular seems good indefinitely) though herbs get dusty fastest and I certainly draw the line at moldy. You may be a little fussier than most, in which case, by all means buy your own.
Great thinking
Amazing video Bri! My honourable mention goes to chinese five spice for all asian cooking needs 🥰 Congrats on the massive 1M milestone, happy for you and looking forward for whats more to come
I agree with your choices, but standard for me includes caraway seed, fennel, ginger, herbs de Provence, mustard seed, rosemary, and thyme.
Solid list, I'd add Dill as an honorable mention and I'd clump together garlic powder/granules and onion powder/granules as a single spot since I rarely use 1 without the other.
I'm trying to use more dill, what dishes do you use it in?
@@SilverHawk214 You can use dill on anything savory or tangy. I use it in dressings, on poultry, and imo it pairs great with lemon so just about any time I use lemon, I use dill. My favorite places to use dill is homemade ranch, in vinaigrettes and in/on deviled eggs!
I made a spice rack that has 32 slots in it. I keep myself to just that amount of spices and have selected them vary carefully so that all spaces have their own important spot and reason to be there. Highly recommend to make something yourself as it limits yourself to being more selective.
I think I'm kind of a hoarder when it comes to spices - I just noticed that I've never counted how many spices I have. And I've been thinking of making my own spice rack. Hahhaha
That's a good idea, I should do that, or branch out and try new recipes as I have just about every spice and herb except for super hot stuff and sumac, maybe a few others, I'm thinking of making some mixes too, that might help some.
Anglo-sphere here (advanced herb & spice users.). Here is my top, most used herbs and spices: Note, I use fresh or frozen chillies in place of flakes and powder. Spices: dried porcini mushroom powder, cumin powder, cumin seeds, coriander powder, smoked paprika, cardamom pods, garlic powder, black pepper, mustard powder, fenugreek seeds. Fresh herbs: fresh coriander, parsley, rosemary, chives, thyme, oregano, dill, basil. Dried herbs: bay leaves, French tarragon, fennel. Honorable mentions, Oxo cubes, turmeric, saffron, horseradish.
Totally totally agree with everything you said. I also couldn’t get along without tomato bouillon. I love how it makes my Mexican dishes really tomato-y without having to add more canned tomatoes. Love your videos! Keep up the great work.
Tomato Bouillon is a godsend.
I use a pretty extensive range of spices. Smoked paprika is high on my list. Also Sumac and fine Aleppo pepper flakes. I don’t use a curry blend but scratch make my own. Same for garam masala and Chinese five spice. I love Tajin seasoning though.
Totally agree with you & also must haves for me...thyme, rosemary, sage, fennel seed, sumac, smoked paprika, ground ginger & Chinese 5 spice. Great list of basics.
I also like to have bay leaves on hand, for making soups especially legume and sauces. Other then that I fully agree with your spice selection. Now thyme is another I can not live without and dill, same as rosemary, but I prefer them fresh when possible. So if you ever make a 15 most important spices, you might also want to add nutmeg to this and you good for cooking!
Bay leaves FTW! I use them in practically anything savory -- including tomato sauces. Except pizza sauce -- that calls for fennel seed. I also like thyme and nutmeg. Nutmeg goes in practically anything, savory or sweet. I tend to make my own spice blends, as the store-bought blends tend to be expensive. (My jaw dropped when I saw the prices in Brian's vid. They're two or three times that here in the PNW. I just bought a jar of bay leaves for $12.00.) I have a DIY "soup spice" mix that consists of 4 parts thyme + 3 parts crushed rosemary + 3 parts summer savory + 1 part nutmeg. This gets used a LOT in my soups and stews.
I think ground thyme should deserve at least an honorable mention. Also, if we are including spice blends, I think I probably use Old Bay more than any other (by a pretty wide margin).
You’re right about Old Bay! How’s could I forget it? I blame the rectangular box. Spices come in cylinders.
Dried thyme should replace dried basil.
I use dried thyme a lot. I often throw some in when I'm
cooking rice.
I don't think I could cook without thyme and rosemary. Really.
I use everything on your list except for dried basil. I hated it so much since childhood that I didn't try fresh basil, which is now my very favorite herb, until I was in my thirties.
My favorite is ground ancho from Penzeys, which I mix with cumin, ground chipotle, garlic powder, and cumin to make chili, which I eat at least every two weeks.
I use dried rosemary for roasting potatoes, and dill weed and/or thyme for scrambled eggs. I put cinnamon in my oatmeal. These are all the ones I use the most.
My main spice cabinet is pretty close- I'd swap the basil for dried thyme, and I'd give an honorable mention to cayenne (because the chile flakes are just too big for smooth sauces and savory custards) and ground white pepper. I actually have a pepper grinder just for white peppercorns next to the stove- I use it a lot for chinese food and it is definitely needed for legit egg drop soup. I also always know where my bay leaves are, because stews and french onion soup just don't taste the same without them.
Love white pepper! I don't really like black.
Not only do I enjoy watching your videos, I truly appreciate all of the essential and practical advice you share. Thanks ‼️
Speaking as someone with about 40 jars in my spice rack (which you can pry from cold dead hands), this mostly makes sense to me, but if you're going to restrict to 10:
1. Drop the dried basil (fresh go home - seriously, who uses dried basil for anything??).
2. Chili powder and chili flakes are easily substituted for each other. Drop one, don't care which
Now you've got two spots free. I'd probably sub in carraway seeds and smoked paprika, but it would depend on what you cook.
Edit: Hang on you haven't got nutmeg - I cannot live without nutmeg. I really like mace too, but that's optional. Nutmeg is essential.
As a Scandinavian (Norwegian), I'll have you know we use lots of spice in our food, like salt and pepper. Nah, I jest. Traditional scandinavian food probably doesn't use much spice, but luckily, we've absorbed them into our cuisine. Great video, Bri! Keep em coming!
I wind up using a fair amount of caraway when I cook Scandanavian food. So everywhere you don't use cumin, maybe you'll find caraway!
But cardamom!
I’ve always wondered why norwegian cooking doesn’t use more lovage, its a great spice
Cardamom for sure, also anise and white pepper in Swedish meatballs.
Overall, this is a pretty good list, Bri! It is certainly worth sharing, notably with beginners in cooking or people moving in their very first apartment!
For my part, my favourite spice is smoked paprika. It gives food a superb colour & smoky flavour, and I love it!
As for ground cinnamon, when it is used in tiny amounts in recipes, it also acts as a taste enhancer. I often combine it with very tiny amounts of ground cloves. Wonderful!
Finally, I guess I have yet to discover garam masala. Looking forward to it!
Cheers! Stay hungry 😊
As Chef John says, smoked paprika is the bacon of spices.
Thanks!
Thanks so much!
i really like dried fennel and dried rosemary, especially for blending into homemade sausage meat
I'd have to add bay leaves to your list, as a Southern-Cajun cook! But as a Southern-Cajun cook, we include bacon grease as an essential spice. I've never used curry powder or garam masala but I'm willing to try. Nice video!
how do you feel about the running joke in some culinary circles where you wonder aloud if the bay leaf youre putting into your dish is actually going to do anything lol
In place of chili powder, which is a spice BLEND where I live (I don't buy blends), I just mix up my own, with the following:
2 TBS smoked paprika (yes, it has to be smoked)
2 tsp ground oregano
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp onion powder
I gotta say five spice, star anise, sichuan peppercorns, fennel, and gochukaru have got to be in my pantry at all times. Absolute Asian staples honestly, BUT I agree with you Bri, all the spices you listed are in my pantry too and are used quite frequently!
Same! My most used spices are:
Black pepper
garlic powder, paprika, cardamom, oregano, star anise, fennel, Sichuan peppercorns, turmeric, allspice
Honorable mentions: cinnamon, 5 spice, sumac
Have them all and love them. Use this a lot in Chinese cooking
What example of cooking food you use for anise ,Five spices anise ,sichuan ,fennel and gochucakura Asian staples I’m not really familiar with it and want to try if it’s good condiment for Asian staple.thanks .
Great video that I didn’t know I needed.
I’d love to see a video that uses these ~10 spices to make spice mixes.
Examples: taco seasoning, chili seasoning, Greek, Italian, Indian, Cuban, steak, etc.
Pinterest lol jk, I'd like to see a video of that too😇
One thing i like using is ground chile de arbol and piquin. I had arbols from when i was pairing peppers, making hot sauce. I realized plain ole cholula was a combo of both, so ordered piquins to make a mild tabletop sauce. I had too much so ground some up. I add that to a lot of quick meals or snacks. Tastes great with eggs. I've been mixing large chunks of tomato and avocado together as a snack lately with salt, onion and garlic powder. The chile mix really kicks it up a bit. Piquins are slightly hotter than cayenne and arbol slightly milder. I think my ratio is 6 piquins for every 20 arbols.
When seasoning meat, celery seed seems to be my go to, with some others that you mentioned. Great video as always!
Agree.. and i find that i don’t need to use as much salt then..
Yes!!! Celery seed, add to tuna salad, egg salad, potato salad... mmm maybe most things with mayonnaise. Celery seed add a dash of dill, yum
I am glad to see your top ten overlaps with mine. My order is a bit different. I do use other spices as well, like sage or teragon, when the dish requires a very specific taste. You’ve certainly inspired me to go through my spice rack and chuck out what’s not used and get fresh batches of my top ten. I tried drying my own herbs but that turned out to be a lot of effort and time for very little result, plus it’s cheaper to buy bulk than grow it and dehumidify it yourself.
Thanks for sharing! You make me think of adding curry powder and garam masala to my rack, maybe also dried basil. I've been thinking of sumac and za'atar too.
My top spices (after salt and pepper):
1. Garlic powder
2. Cinnamon powder
3. Chili flakes
4. Chicken bouillon powder
5. Dried parsley
6. Ginger powder
7. Dried oregano
8. Ground coriander
9. Paprika powder
10. Ground cardamom
Others: sesame seeds, cumin, fennel, tumeric, szechuan pepper, dried mint, dried rosemary, dried dill, beef-fish-veg bouillon powder, cloves, star anise, dried orange peels
I admit that keeping more than 10 spices is a bit overwhelming :D
Congrats on hitting 1 million. Watch and use your recipes religiously.
I’d add sumac & fenugreek powder! Ps curry powder and Garam Masala is combination of spices so it’s cheating but useful honourable mention Cajun seasoning
Barring salt and black pepper, I keep the following herbs and spices on hand at all times:
Allspice
Basil
Bay leaf
Cayenne (I actually keep a spare on hand)
Celery seed
Crushed red pepper (again, spare on hand)
Chili powder
Ground cinnamon
Whole cloves
Cumin
Dill weed
Garlic powder
Ground ginger
Hungarian paprika
Italian seasoning (spare on hand)
Juniper berries
Marjoram
Ground mustard
Nutmeg
Onion powder
Oregano
Spanish paprika
Smoked Spanish paprika
Rosemary
Sage
Star anise
Tarragon
Thyme
Tony Chacere's Creole seasoning (spare in pantry)
Turmeric
Some of these are used daily, others are occasional but necessary enough to justify keeping on hand. Just about everything I cook contains salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and some form of paprika. I use Hungarian the least, but sometimes it's what I want.
I'm from Brazil, but I also cook a lot of texmex, mediterranean and asian. I realy missed bayleaf in this list. I use it's dry leaves on almost every kind of stock or broath. And I also grind it to powder and use It on rubs for proteins. I missed nutmeg too, but that is probably because I cook a lot of pure, potato, pumpkin, yellow carrots... I would also use caiene instead of chilli powder, but thats probably because the kinds of chilli powder we find around here are all heat and lack flavour.
I often use White Pepper and Italian Seasoning Blend (great shortcut). Also, fennel seed for topping pizzas is just delicious.
Curry Powder for the start of cooking
Garam Masala for the end of cooking
might want to try some Panch Phoran too if you like Garam Masala
Nice list! In addition to some of the things on this list, I also use a lot of onion powder and lemon pepper. The lemon pepper is a bit tricky, though, since blends can vary so widely. I try to get some with very little besides pepper and lemon zest/oil, but many brands have more salt than either of "main" ingredients, and include other stuff such as sugar, garlic, and various anti-caking agents.
@@penelopepitstoppp I mostly use Lawry's, because it's decent and most groceries around me stock it. There are probably better options if you shop online or make your own, though!
For easy reference:
10. Chili Flakes
9. Cinnamon
8. Garlic Powder (Honorable mention: Onion Powder)
7. Dried Basil
6. Dried Oregano
5. Chili Powder
4. Paprika
3. Curry Powder
2. Garam Masala
1. Cumin
lol I couldn't figure out how he got to 6&7 after only 3 spices... this helps
Cinnamon is my favorite! It’s amazing on roasted potatoes . It gives them a warm spiced flavor when paired with other spices.
For 20+ years my family thought chile powder was cayenne powder. Only realized the difference when our American side of the family came over and asked why our food was so spicy 🤣
Ive used Cayenne as Chile powder on accident and I was bumming HARD.
I learned that today!
Ha 😂😂😂😂😂
I use ancho as my "chile powder" and I do think it's a bit hotter than generic, but I like that I know I can buy it from anywhere that sells it and not worry about it having salt or anything else in the blend (which I dislike because it throws off the rest of the seasoning). I'm usually ok with stuff being a bit hotter than default anyway. Am I screwing up or missing out somehow? 😅
@@BrianLagerstrom My friend kept getting "chilli powder" at the indian market telling me that he couldn't find kashmiri anywhere and that he was sure it was too spicy. ha. Fixed that problem for him.
Since you included blends, my favorite lately is Herbs de Provence. If you look at a recipe for it, it is entirely made up of spices not on your list so it would be a great one to buy as a blend. "Chili Powder" is a weird one. The ones I see are mostly cumin (which I agree is a must have) and a mix of spices already on your list, sometimes with no ground chili peppers at all! I would like to try making a ground chili blend and figure out the proper combination: Ancho, California, New Mexico, Guajillo, etc. to get a well balanced blend.
I discovered that Poultry seasoning of almost identical to Herbs du Provence, and much cheaper.
Simplifying a spice cupboard/shelf/rack is such an important cooking task, and one that may take years and years to even understand how necessary it is....from freshness perspective...from tidiness perspective...from utility perspective, and yes a tasty dish perspective! I have gone through at least 3 or 4 re-organizations in my life, as my tastes, and abilities, and even kitchen space, shifted, and I bet a have a couple more in me still.
This was a great reminder of how much you can do with your favorites, and how circular the world spice wheel really is, as different spices from different cultures seep into other cultures, and fulfill both old needs and new ones. Such an interesting topic!
Paprika has emerged as my clear favourite. And cinnamon has moved up the list, surprising me with it's versatility over time. I guess I am a warm, round cook at heart, and in practice!
Congrats on 1m subscribers, that's awesome! I have a large collection of herbs and spices. I know I could mix some of them but I don't want to make my own mixes. I notice a lot of people struggle with how to store a big spice collection. I put most of my spices in small glass jars from the dollar store and write the name of the spice with a Sharpie on the top. I put them all into 2 sturdy containers that fit well on my shelf. I take down the container and it's super easy to find what I want.
I agree with most of your basics, Bri, but I'd add several spices which I use frequently: nutmeg (whole), cardamom (whole and ground), cloves (whole and ground), allspice, turmeric, bay leaves, dill, rosemary, and tarragon (although I prefer using the last 3 fresh). I'd put ground ginger on my "Honorable Mentions" list because I use fresh much more often than ground, and also juniper berries. I use Montreal Seasoning like you do--it's magic! 😆 Btw, CONGRATULATIONS on 1M (well-deserved) subscribers!!! 🎉🙌👏🏆
Love juniper berries!
You start off really strong with nutmeg, cardamom, cloves, allspice and turmeric, ginger and juniper berries. But bay leaves, dill, rosemary and tarragon are not spices, they are herbs. Herbs and spices are from completely different parts of plants AND processed differently. Spices, like for example cinnamon, are made from the aromatic seeds, bark, flowers, and roots of plants that have been dried and are usually crushed into a powder before use. Herbs on the other hand are leaves, and although most come from herbaceous plants (plants that lack woody stems), a few do come from woody plants, such as bay leaf, rosemary and thyme. Basil, rosemary, and parsley are often found in a kitchen’s spice rack but actually qualify as herbs because they are aromatic leaves.
Spices tend to be stronger in flavor than herbs, because they are made from crushed portions of plants that are especially rich in essential oils.
Also why he included dried oregano and basil in a spice list is beyond me, as they are not spices and this just brings his whole credibility into question. If he doesn’t know such trivial basic level things as to how to distinguish a herb from a spice, then how am I supposed to believe his knowledge or expertise in more advanced topics is credible?
I just paused the video to try mixing plain greek yogurt, honey, and cinnamon powder. You have my full attention now... Holy crap that was good (I also added a few dried cranberries)
Congrats on 1 million!!!! I've been watching you since around 500k and it's amazing to see that more people are recognizing the great content you put out!!!
P.S. my all time favorite spice would have to be homemade curry powder (a simple blend of cumin, coriander, turmeric, and chili powder) since it is the base for most dishes I grew up eating in Bangladesh. And second place would be garam masala for obvious reasons! C:
I have never been a big fan of curry, but that was my own stupidity. I now live in denmark and believe it or not, danes use a lot of curry. Could you provide the ratios of those spices that make up your fav curry...although it goes against everything in the video i just watched, i want to try it. thanks, loved your comment.
@smalmon Yes! Please do! I agree with @daniel destefano
Rosemary is like my essential. Go through a lot of it. Also the very generic names Italian Herbs which adds an amazing flavour to everything. I prefer garlic flakes though these burn but it’s much easier to find and generally cheaper. The one essential I think you missed is turmeric.
Also paprika is a no go for me. Chilli does everything you need paprika to do. You can get away with also having cayenne but I remember having a paprika spice just chilling for like years as it never added any real value.
Rosemary is a favorite here too.. which is why I have it growing in a pot! It's very very low maintenance and lasts forever, and after buying the plant it's essentially free!
As a Mexican I have a wide variety of dry chiles in my pantry but this is due to been born and raised in a mexican household and eating and cooking all kinds of different moles and salsas on a daily basis. It becomes second nature. That being said, after living for 15 years in Canada, the mighty chilli powder had made it into my spice rack and is used pretty often surprisingly. My favourite spice? Probably cinnamon! In my pantry I also love to have nutmeg, cardamom, dry mint. Special mention to celery salt and Tajin! Also, have you tried that Montreal steak mix in caesars? 🤤
Garam masala tends to differ from many Indian households who mix their own. My friend gave me a jar of his mother's garam masala that has a another oomph that the store bought doesn't have.
When I searched for recipes for garam masala on youtube my head almost exploted because no video had the same ingredients lol I even follow a woman that uses a simple one that has only cinammon, cardamom and clove, for her everyday cooking.
Tony’s Cajun is one I keep in my cabinet. It’s got a little kick and tastes real good. I could probably make it with those seasonings but the ratios might be off. Keep up the good work Bri, I am a new sub of yours and I love all of your vids😁😁
Tony's is fine but Zatarain's is better if you can get it.
My #1 spice, after salt and pepper, is Thyme. We eat a lot of beef! AND Tumeric I use every day on my fish, chicken and when making season salt, because I can't digest garlic or onions. Another spice we always keep on hand is Star of Anise seed for PIzza and Spaghetti sauce. We also use a lot of lemon and orange peel when making cornbread. And let us not forget Bay Leaf for soups and stews.
Nutmeg! you can't make a decent bechamel without it.
My favorite spice is tarragon. I just love it's aroma and subtle flavor. It's a little more expensive, but not that much. Just for its aroma alone it is wonderful.
It could be too pedantic, but I think separating the herbs from the spices helps here. Brian shouldn't have put dried basil and dried oregano in there, and possibly should have called the whole thing his top ten spice blends (including the single-ingredient ones!).
Thyme Parsley Sage Marjoram fennel mustard bay leaf allspice ... I make a lot of different things my spice cupboard is large but well loved. Your list is great just depends what all you make :) great video have a nice day!
Sometimes when I look up a new recipe I get easily discouraged because I have to go to the store to get yet another spice. This is super helpful!
These TH-cam cooks are the very reason why we have so many spices.
Me too, and I have a poor sense of smell, so that doesn't help at lol!
Your descriptions of how to mix and match spices to meet the flavor profile of various regions were awesome! More of that would be great.
That's a good list! For me, cumin, paprika, chili flakes, black pepper, cinnamon, clove, thyme, oregano, rosemary, basil, sumac, mint. A total of 12 herbs/spices that get me pretty much anywhere I need to go.
Congrats on a million! Your channel has changed my life. Cooking has gone from a chore to a hobby and I couldn’t be more grateful, thank you.
In previous videos, you said that one of the most valuable skills to develop is taste. How can I refine my palette to know when something needs more acid, salt, sugar, or any of these spices?
Thanks! And that's a great question...may have to make a video on that.
Thank you! Can’t wait to watch!
@@BrianLagerstrom I'd love some videos from you on fundamental cooking skills like developing taste, as well as basic kitchen techniques. How to get started cooking with stainless steel skillets, for instance.