Spice Pairing List
How to Match Spices with Foods - Tips and Suggestions -
This list is a compilation of common and unique flavor combinations gathered from regional and international cuisine, as well as a 20-year career of cooking with creative, innovative chefs. Some will seem obvious, such as basil and garlic. Others you might find a little more out-there. I urge you to give those more unusual combinations some thought, and perhaps a try. They are listed because they work together, each flavor bringing out interesting qualities of the other.
Many of the herbs and spices carry similar flavor characteristics. For instance, marjoram is very similar to oregano and could be paired with the same foods that appear on the oregano list. Similarly, lemon verbena, lemon balm, lemon myrtle, and lemons could all pair with the foods on the lemongrass list. Use the list as a guideline for experimentation.
When you finish here, visit the Herb Pairing List
Allspice - Apples, beets, cabbage, caramel, cardamom, cinnamon, foie gras, game meats, ginger, juniper, nuts, nutmeg, onions, pears, poultry, pumpkin, root vegetables, seafood
Anise - Apples, beets, beef, caramel, carrots, chocolate, citrus, cinnamon, coconut, cranberry, figs, foie gras, game meats, root vegetables, seafood, stone fruits, tea
Caraway - Beets, cabbage, cheese, cured meats, dill, fennel, garlic, nuts, mushrooms, onions, oregano, potatoes, root vegetables, sausage, seafood, yeast breads
Cardamom - Apples, bananas, beans, caramel, cinnamon, citrus, coconut, coffee, coriander, curry, dates, ginger, grains, grains of paradise, nuts, pepper, pumpkin, sugar, squash, yeast breads
Chiles - Bananas, beans, cheese, cilantro, cinnamon, citrus, chocolate, coconut, corn, cumin, basil, beef, garlic, ginger, grains, oregano, potatoes, poultry, seafood, tropical fruits
Cinnamon - Allspice, apples, bananas, beans, caramel, cardamom, chiles, chocolate, clove, coffee, cranberry, curry, dates, game meats, figs, foie gras, ginger, grains, nutmeg, pumpkin, stone fruit, sugar, squash, tea, vanilla
Clove - Apples, beets, cinnamon, citrus, foie gras, game meats, ginger, grains of paradise, nuts, nutmeg, peaches, pineapple, pumpkin, root vegetables, sausages, stone fruit, tomatoes, vanilla
Coriander - Bananas, beans, cilantro, cumin, cured meats, curry, game meats, mint, parsley, poultry, root vegetables, seafood, tomatoes
Cumin - Avocados, beans, beef, cilantro, citrus, coconut, cucumber, garlic, grains, mango, mint, onion, parsley, poultry, sausages, seafood, tomatoes
Fennel - Artichokes, anise, apples, artichokes, basil, beans, blue cheese, cabbage, cilantro, dill, eggplant, figs, garlic, olives, onions, oregano, parsley, potatoes, thyme, tomato, sausage, seafood, veal
Fenugreek - Allspice, beans, cumin, cardamom, chiles, cinnamon, curry, game meats, ginger, potatoes, poultry
Ginger - Allspice, anise, asparagus, bananas, carrots, chiles, chives, chocolate, cinnamon, citrus, cloves, coconut, coriander, cranberry, cumin, curry, dates, fennel, figs, garlic, jasmine, nutmeg, onions, pears, pepper, poultry, pumpkin, raisins, root vegetables, rose, seafood, stone fruits, sugar, tea, tropical fruits
Horseradish - Apples, beef, beets, blue cheese, capers, chives, citrus, cured meats, dill, nuts, mustard, onions, potatoes, sausage, seafood, root vegetables, vinegar
Juniper - Allspice, beef, blue cheese, cabbage, cilantro, cured meats, game meats, garlic, lavender, olives, oregano pepper, poultry, rosemary, veal, vinegar
Mustard - Anchovy, anise, asparagus, beef, beets, blue cheese, cabbage, capers, chiles, cured meats, fennel, honey, poultry, root vegetables, sausage, seafood, vinegar, yeast bread
Nutmeg - Allspice, asparagus, blue cheese, cabbage, carrots, cinnamon, cheese, clove, coffee, cranberries, cumin, eggs, foie gras, ginger, green beans, pasta, peaches, pumpkin, potato, sausage, sugar, vanilla, veal
Pepper - Allspice, artichokes, asparagus, beef, blue cheese, cheese, cinnamon, citrus, eggs, figs, foie gras, game meats, ginger, mushrooms, pineapple, poultry, seafood, sugar, tomatoes
Saffron - Basil, bay, berries, chives, cinnamon, cloves, coriander, cumin, curry, fennel, garlic, ginger, grains, mint, parsley, poultry, sausage, seafood, tomatoes
Sesame - Bananas, beans, cinnamon, citrus, coconut, eggplant, game meats, garlic, ginger, leafy greens, nuts, mustard, onions, pasta, pepper, poultry, root vegetables, rosemary, seafood, stone fruits, thyme, vinegar, yeast bread
Vanilla - Apples, bananas, caramel, chocolate, chiles, cinnamon, citrus, coconut, coffee, dates, figs, lavender, nuts, shell fish, stone fruit, tropical fruit
The Complete Idiot's Guide to Spices and Herbs
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