Spices

Spices are used to enhance a dish’s appeal, adding the right color, aroma, or a completely new flavor; they help preserve ingredients or finished dishes and eliminate unpleasant or distinctive odors.

However, if too many spices are added or they are overcooked, the dish can turn out tasteless or bitter. To remedy this, you can add broth, water, fruit juice, or purees—like apple, tomato, or plum. Neutral ingredients such as rice, potatoes, or noodles can also absorb unwanted odors.

Fresh aromatic vegetables and herbs (like onions, garlic, parsley, and dill) should ideally be chopped on porcelain or ceramic cutting boards rather than wooden ones, as wood tends to absorb and retain odors.

Fish requires more spices than meat or vegetables. When frying a dish, you need to use more spices than when boiling, and even more when serving it cold.

Each type of spice should be used wisely: currently, parsley and dill are used in generous amounts; dried herbs are measured in tenths of a gram, while so-called classic spices are used in hundredths of a gram. For instance, 100 grams of ground black pepper is enough for one person for 5 to 6 years.

The finer the spices are ground or crushed, the more effective they are in a dish. It’s best to add spices to a dish when it’s finished cooking and removed from the heat.

For chicken, good pairings include onions, dill, garlic, cinnamon, red pepper, savory, and bay leaves.

For fish, you can use onions, parsley, dill, black pepper, cardamom, nutmeg, and saffron.

Some spices can neutralize the effects of others—horseradish is a prime example. It is typically served separately. However, when horseradish is mixed with dill, lemon zest, tarragon, or lemon balm, it enhances their aroma.

Depending on the base you choose—salt or sugar—the same spices can be used in both sweet and savory dishes. Universal spices include nutmeg, cinnamon, and cardamom, among others.

The effect of spices also changes when combined with neutral ingredients. Rice with butter, onions, garlic, and dill serves as a side dish, while the same rice with cinnamon and vanilla can be a dessert. Cheese with garlic and red pepper is served as a spicy appetizer, while cheese with star anise, vanilla, and nutmeg is a dessert.