TOP 7 MOST POPULAR SPICES IN THE WORLD

What are the most popular spices in the world? Spices have a long history for cooking and for medicinal purposes especially the anti-inflammatory properties of spices such as ginger and turmeric. When it comes to spices and herbs for cooking, there are thousands, if not millions of them all over the world, not to talk of the spice blends and combinations.

Even though this great variety exists, there are some spices that are commonly used almost everywhere in the whole world. In no particular order, we discuss the top 7 most common types of spices used in cuisines in the world.

ONION

The first thing that comes to mind about onion is the crying issue when peeling it! This notwithstanding, onion is a master spice added to numerous dishes. Add enough blended onions to your food and you’re sure to obtain this slightly sweet aftertaste in your food. It simply makes food delicious.

GINGER

This spice has its own place among spices and herbs. It has been used for centuries to treat several diseased conditions. Ginger is one of the world’s favorite spices when it comes to marinating different kinds of meat, and it is even a major base ingredient in Jala spices. People use it to prepare tea to help with metabolism, stomach upset, among others.

Suggested reading: Why ginger has so many health benefits

GARLIC

This pungent smelling spice is no more than salt, which is awful on its own but can have massive effects when added in dishes. Fresh garlic is a great wonder. A blend of ginger and garlic is even greater. Though you decide to use fresh garlic, keeping garlic powder on hand can be beneficial in certain situations. It’s a fantastic way to quickly flavor a dish with garlic, or you can use it to make your own spice mixtures.

BLACK PEPPER

This is one of the spices a lot of people like to use in their everyday cooking – frying eggs, stews, soups, and several other foods. It is mostly common for usage in cooking meat and poultry. Fresh black pepper, thyme and onion is a particularly great blend for cooking chicken.

PEPPER

Pepper is that one spice which has also gained its own authority. It comes in different colors, sizes, varieties, tastes and hotness. Just so you know, the hotness of pepper is measured on the scoville scale. The higher up the scale you are, the hotter. Bell pepper, scotch bonnet, habanero, paprika, jalapeno, and cayenne are some common types of pepper. For instance, bell peppers are generally sweet and you can even eat them raw in a salad or another fan way. But you cannot and should not try this with cayenne!!!

Suggested reading: A beginner’s guide to spices: how to bring flavor to your cooking

CINNAMON

Just drop one stick of cinnamon in your hot chocolate or milk drink and thank us later. Cinnamon is one of the oldest spices in the world and it has its own benefits. It tastes somewhat sweet and hot at the same time.

NUTMEG

People use this spice widely for different cuisines. It got onto this list because of its importance in baking. It gives a subtle and sweet aroma to bread and other baked foods.

There are also some spice blends that have gained popularity worldwide. Garam masala is a vivid example. It’s constituents vary from place to place but generally, it consists of these base spice ingredients – cinnamon, cardamom, thyme, star anise, anise seed and ginger.

WHAT’S THE NEXT STEP?

You might want to take note of this list and refer to it when next you go for grocery shopping. It’ll come in handy.

Note that, this is not a comprehensive or exhaustive list. But based on our research, these are top most popular and most used spices in the world for food applications.