Herbs and spices to help you prepare dishes from around the world

Cooking dishes from around the world can be a challenge, but having all of the right spices can take a dish from tasty to extraordinary. Here are some facts on the spices to stock in your cupboard to ensure you can create a delicious meal.

Can you imagine a spaghetti sauce without basil, a Japanese dish without wasabi, an Indian recipe without cumin or coriander, or Mexican food without chili peppers? Preparing dishes from around the world while fully respecting the original recipe has never been easier.

• The plants used in Indian and South Asian cuisine have become very popular and successful in recent years: it is less difficult to find Thai basil, coriander, shiso, kaffir lime leaves, lemongrass and turmeric, whether in supermarkets, specialty stores or grocery stores.
• Condiments of African cuisine, the Middle East, the Caribbean and South America are also much more common.
• The recipes also use plants in all of their forms: flowers, seeds, stems, roots and powder are used in the composition of the dishes.

One of the great benefits of herbs and spices is that they allow one to reduce the amount of salt added to the dish, as they provide enough flavour themselves. The golden rule is to prevent one from outweighing the other.

• Some mixtures sometimes prove delicate to balance, such as garam masala and ras el hanout. Even if you like spicy food, too much chili pepper can overpower the most subtle flavour of the herbs and spices that accompany it.
• Similarly, very fragrant herbs, such as fresh cilantro (coriander), do not please everyone, so you have to be careful to use such herbs with a light hand.
• In Iranian and Vietnamese cuisines, a bowl of fresh plants are set on the table as accompaniments.
• In the middle of Lebanese mezze, there is always an assortment of herbs and vegetables.
• Generally, plants with soft leaves, such as cilantro (coriander), should be added after cooking in order to preserve their flavour.
• The toughest herbs, such as rosemary, are ideal for stews. Dried plants have more flavour than fresh; therefore, they should be used in smaller quantities.

For your own cooking, here is a selection of herbs and spices that you can grow on your own or buy already prepared, all of which are excellent for cooking:

• Basil
• Bay leaves
• Chili pepper
• Chives
• Cilantro (coriander)
• Dill
• Garlic
• Ginger
• Lemongrass
• Lemon
• Lovage
  Marjoram or oregano
• Mint
• Parsley
• Rosemary
• Sage
• Tarragon
• Thyme
• If you like herbal teas, you can add chamomile, dandelion and aromatic verbena.

With the array of herbs and spices now available in markets and grocery stores, it's easy to try your hand at mimicking a delicious meal from any where in the world right in your own kitchen.

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