I’m not much of a food snob, but it’s a sad day when a restaurant fails me in its mastery of flavor. There’s an infinite number of spice combinations offered to a knowledgeable chef – so there’s no excusing bland vegetable sandwiches, flavorless meat, or boring salads.

Imagine throwing a birthday dinner, a business event, or a fun easy dinner party at a new or well-known restaurant, only for the moment to fall flat at first bite because of less-impressive flavors.

The impact of aromatics (herbs) and spices are physical game-changers to the taste and appearance of food. The evidence is in the best cuisine in the world. Seasoning adds flair to a meal where there once was little or none.

Sure, steak and eggs with a good layer of salt and pepper can be satisfying – but so is Taco Bell at 4am after a night of drinking.

It’s all relative.

Aromatics and spices are often misunderstood, avoided, and feared by those new to cooking – and well-embraced by master chefs of international cuisine.

Indian food recipes – ultimately my personal favorite recipes – are packed with layers of flavor and is a major reason why the Indian community is less a fan of American food, which is often bland in comparison.

The first step towards flavorful cooking is developing a relationship with spices and learning how seasoning works. That means taking the time to learn about the variety of spice options.

Developing a strong relationship with seasoning through sensory exploration (sight, smell, taste, touch, and sound) allows a chef to wield flavor in an infinite number of impressive ways.

Start with simple and easy: Salt. Learn about it as an ingredient. Research will tell you that salt is a wonderful tenderizer for steak and lamb. When boiling pasta or potatoes, there should be an abundance of salt in the water. When cooking, do not use table salt – Kosher salt only unless otherwise instructed!

My knowledge of flavor was gained through purposeful and accidental trial and error, and proactively learning new, unfamiliar ingredients. And lots of research via Google. I highly recommend these approaches.

Trial and error means allowing your inner-child to play in the kitchen – for science! Purposefully failing is as educational as accidental failures! My preference is to reserve a small bowl for taste-testing during the cooking process, and test new ingredients as I go. This includes seasoning.

Of the world’s known spices, the aromatics and spices listed below are staples in my kitchen. They come in many forms: fresh, dried, ground. Which type to use depends on the recipe that you’ve selected, understanding that spices are more potent in dried and powder form.

allspice
savory
basil
bay leaf
sage
brown mustard
caraway seeds
cardamom
celery seed
chervil
chives
cinnamon
clove
coriander
cumin
garam masala
garlic
juniper
lemon rind
marjoram
nutmeg
onion
oregano
paprika
parsley
pepper
red chili pepper
red pepper flakes
rosemary
sage
salt
savory
tarragon
thyme
tumeric
yellow mustard

Every region around the world has a set of staple spices that are used regularly and are often sold as a complete mix.

German: ​bay leaf, brown mustard, garlic, rosemary, onion, sage, thyme

French: ​chervil, chives, parsley, marjoram, tarragon, thyme, savory

Polish: ​​allspice, bay leaf, garlic, caraway seeds, juniper, marjoram, onion, pepper

Hungarian: ​caraway seeds, celery seed, lemon rind, garlic, thyme, paprika

Italian: ​basil, bay leaf, cardamom, chervil, celery seed, garlic, marjoram, oregano, sage, tarragon, savory, yellow mustard, red pepper flakes

Indian: ​​red chili pepper, coriander, cardamom, garlic, ginger, tumeric, cumin, garam masala

Familiarizing yourself with these general spice mixes is a good start in learning which spice combinations work and which don’t.

For example, go online and pull a few Italian recipes. Compare and contrast the differences between the recipes, noting the herbs and spices that are selected or omitted. Figure out what combinations of flavor that work for you through taste-testing – a helpful technique to monitor the evolution of flavor during the process of cooking. Expand from there.

Another great idea to get a jump-start with spices is through cooking classes and cooking demonstrations. Sincerely Yours (SY) offers this service, part of which includes a 2-hour session specifically on the familiarization of herbs and spices. Through sensory learning, clients leave the session with a good understanding of the different varieties of flavors and how to wield that power of knowledge.

Whichever route you take, getting a start on active learning is the most important step. Relationships take time, passion, confidence, patience, persistence, and good information. The more you invest in your exploration of food and flavor, the better your cooking will become.