Basil

Basil is a native species to India and tropical regions of Asia. It is best known as a culinary herb and can be found in many Italian cuisines. There are several species of Basil and the most common is known as sweet Basil. Sweet Basil is commonly used in Italian cuisines. Basil is a fresh herb that is used in most dishes. To retain Basils flavour wait until the last possible moment to add it to your dish as its flavour is quickly destroyed in the cooking process. The leaves often taste like anise and have a strong, sweet smell. Basil is used in many common cuisines still used today, a great example of this is pesto, a common Italian sauce.

Black Pepper

Black pepper is grown as a flowering vine cultivated for its fruit. Then the fruit is dried to be used as a spice. It is native to India and tropical areas. Once dried the fruit is called peppercorn. That is commonly ground up to be used as a spice in many cuisines around the world. Pepper is used along side salt to add extra flavour to many dishes. Pepper gives an extra spicy kick to cuisines. Its popularity around the world allows pepper to be found in almost every kitchen around the world today.

Celery Seed

Celery Seed is made from the small celery seeds. The seeds are ground up to create a small powder. Once added with salt it creates a distinct food seasoning. Many people know this seasoning as it is used in the common Caesar cocktail. Celery Salt is also used in several types of stews and salads for extra flavour.

Chili Powder

Chili powder is from several varieties of ground chili peppers. Chili peppers originated in the
Americas but later got distributed throughout the world for many different uses. It is used as a spice to add flavour to many different cuisines. There are many different types of chili powders with several different combinations of spices. The spices include cumin, oregano, garlic powder, salt and ground peppers. The combinations result in several different flavours and results in different spice levels. The distinct taste of chili powder allows it to be found in many different cuisines around the world.

Chives

Chives are native to Europe, Asia and North America. It is basically a small onion. Its distinct taste allows it to be found in many households around the world. Its culinary use, is to be shredded and used as a seasoning for soups, salads, potatoes and many other dishes. Its popular flavour allows most basic dishes to become favourable in an instant.

Cinnamon

Cinnamon is from the inner side of the bark of a special species of tree called cinnamomum. These trees are native to southeast Asia and it origin was a mystery for some time. Cinnamon is a popular spice added to many cuisines throughout the world. Many people understand the taste of cinnamon as it is found commonly in cinnamon buns. Other cultures around the world use cinnamon differently depending on their culture.

Coriander

Coriander is an annual herb, native to Europe, North Africa and Southwestern Asia. It is a common soft plant that grows about a foot and a half tall. The leaves vary in shape and are shaped as a feather. The plants fruit is known as coriander. It is in a shape of small spheres and has a distinct taste. They can be roasted and eaten as a snack. When crushed the seeds have a lemony citrus flavour. Coriander is used as a medicine in some cultures. Coriander is also a key ingredient used when pickling vegetables.

Cumin

Cumin is native to India and the Mediterranean. Cumin is used in many cuisines around the world and can is used in both whole and ground form. Cumin is the second most popular spice in the world and can be found in many dishes around the world. Cumin is a staple in most chilli's and stews. Cumin adds a strong sweet, warm aroma to a dish. These traits makes cumin popular the world over.

Garlic Salt

Garlic salt is a mixture of table salt and dried ground garlic. It comes in many mixtures and is commonly used in cuisines throughout the world. It can be used at anytime and is always fresh, this makes having garlic salt a replacement for fresh garlic. This can be much easier to have on hand. Garlic is used throughout the world today and can be found in almost every kitchen or restaurant in the world.

Ginger

Ginger began in south Asia and has spread throughout the Mediterranean. Ginger is grown from what is commonly known as root ginger. Ginger is used as a spice in many cuisines around the world. It is also often eaten as a snack after being pickled in vinegar, it also can be cooked into dishes. It can also be made into a tea by boiling it in water. This makes it a very useful spice in many parts of the world as it has several uses.

Italian

Italian is a mix off several different spices that come together to for a unique blend. These spices include basil, marjoram, oregano and sage.

Marjoram

Marjoram is a perennial herb and is commonly found in Europe and in the Mediterranean. This herb has some sweet, citrus flavours which makes it useful in many culinary dishes. Marjoram is cultivated for its leaves as that is the part of the plant that has the best and most noticable flavour.

Oregano

Oregano is native to the Mediterranean and grows in warmer climates. The distinct flavour of its leaves makes it useful for many culinary purposes. It has a warm slightly bitter taste. Depending on where the herb is grown can create several different tastes. It is commonly used in pizza and adds some distinct flavours to many other culinary dishes. It is used by many different cultures around the world.

Parsley

Parsley is native to the central Mediterranean area. It is commonly used in cuisines throughout the world. The green leaves are often freshly chopped and added to dishes as a garnish. In some cultures it is added to soups and stews to add extra flavour. It is best served fresh as overtime the leaves will loose flavour. The root of the parsley is also commonly used which gives it several uses.

Paprika

Paprika is a mix of several dried crushed fruits. It is usually a combination of several peppers. Based on many different combinations of peppers, paprika can have many different tastes and levels of heat. This allows paprika to be found throughout the world and used in many different culinary dishes.

Rosemary

Rosemary is a very hardy herb. It requires little to no water to survive, with high humidity off the ocean rosemary will prosper with fast growth. Rosemary is used in traditional Mediterranean cuisine. It has a bitter taste and a strong aroma. It is also used commonly when barbecuing to add flavour to the dish. Its wide range of uses allows rosemary to be found in most kitchens in the world.

Steak Seasoning

There are many varieties of steak seasoning. They usually consist of paprika, black pepper, salt, garlic, onion, coriander, dill and red pepper flakes. The huge variety of spices allows for many different flavours to be created.

Thyme

Thyme is used throughout the world in many different cuisines. It is used to flavour many different dishes from soups to stews. Its wide use makes it commonly found in many parts of the world. However it is very hard to keep fresh thyme on your hand as its life is very short. This creates a big market for dried thyme; however, it is less favourable then fresh thyme. Thyme is slow to release its flavour so add it quickly to your dishes to allow the flavour to grow.