The Most Important Spices To Have In Your Kitchen and Why

A huge part of learning to cook is also learning how to add flavor to your dishes. In this post we will investigate __ spices you need in your pantry and how they can transform your dishes.

1. Salt

Salt not only tastes good as a seasoning but Harvard Health actually stated we need in to survive. In an article titled Take it With a Grain of Salt they state "The human body can't live without some sodium. It's needed to transmit nerve impulses, contract and relax muscle fibers (including those in the heart and blood vessels), and maintain a proper fluid balance. It doesn't take much to do this." Salt is used constantly while cooking to enhance the food flavor.

2. Garlic Powder

Garlic Powder is a staple in most pantry's around the world. According to Wikipedia, garlic powder is made by first drying out garlic and then sending it through a machine that grinds it down. Garlic powder is great for enhancing dishes and is a kitchen must have!

3. Onion Powder

Onion powder is similar to garlic powder in that it is onion dried out and grinned down as well. Onion and garlic powder mix well together in many dishes and have a great aroma.

4. Black Pepper

Pepper is used in dishes to add a hint of spice. According to Wikipedia, black pepper is used as a spice and also sometimes as a medicine. Wikipedia also states that it is the worlds most traded spice.

5. Cinnamon

In my opinion, cinnamon is one of the most versatile spices in a kitchen. It can be used to sweeten up a fall pasta sauce, used in baking, and can be thrown in to various drinks. You can buy cinnamon ground or in stick version. Foodandwine.com states : "While cinnamon is a crucial element in baking, it’s also useful for savory projects, and an element in many spice mixtures. Gould noted that the difference in origin between cinnamon matters for the flavor." “Most Americans are used to Indonesian cinnamon, which has that gentle, woody flavor. If you’re looking for spicy cinnamon—think about the taste of a Red Hot candy—you’ll want to look for Vietnamese cinnamon.”