Other Herbs and Spices You Want in Your Kitchen

I listed five essential herbs and spices a few posts back, and I realized there are plenty of other herbs and spices that I missed. The lesson is: buy a spice rack so you'll never have to worry about missing ingredients. I'll continue to list more as I remember them/have time to recite them all.


Ginger
It's embarrassing to say I don't know much about cooking with ginger. As a person of Chinese descent, I should be knowledgeable about its uses since it's used in Asian cuisine constantly. What I can say is that ginger has a very unique and spicy flavor, it packs a bite. If used properly, it is an amazing supplement to a dish.



Cumin
Cumin is one of the spices I use a little too much. It's hard to describe it's flavor, but it's great for marinating, chilis, sauces, and random seasoning (I like its taste). Cumin and other spices with lemon or lime juice makes a great marinate for pork, chicken, and lamb. I'll cover marinates in greater detail at a later time. It's one of the more versatile spices, so make sure you have some in your kitchen.


Cinnamon
Personally, I don't use cinnamon a lot in my cooking as it's usually used for baking and desserts. I can think of countless culinary delights that uses it and the flavor is fantastic. Cinnamon is commonly used in cakes, cookies, and desserts (especially with apples, pears, and similar fruits). It can apparently be used for savory dishes, something I have yet to try.