1-2 favourite herb or spice

[malkin]

We do use prepared chili powder and curry, but doesn't everything have to be doctored up to suit the occasion?

[smilingcat]

being a foodie, there is no one or two herbs I like the most. Or use:

garlic, ginger, several different kinds of chilli, basil, oregano, thyme, majorem, sage, chive, parsley, cilantro, tumeric, allspice, nutmeg, cloves, cardamon, fennel, anise, ...

My favorite is: french terragon. wonderful in soup, fish, omlette, chicken dish...

[shootingstar]

being a foodie, there is no one or two herbs I like the most. Or use:

garlic, ginger, several different kinds of chilli, basil, oregano, thyme, majorem, sage, chive, parsley, cilantro, tumeric, allspice, nutmeg, cloves, cardamon, fennel, anise, ...

My favorite is: french terragon. wonderful in soup, fish, omlette, chicken dish...

Ah tarragon, it's like a savoury version of mint. Well, to me.
There are certain herbs I simply haven't cooked often with. Whereas he likes experimenting with tarragon, majoram, etc. But both of us are still abit stumped and rarely use bay leaf, in terms of making up a dish or experimentation. Sage is another one. I can't determine the taste of sage in a dish. What is it supposed to do to a dish? It's like bay leaf, can't figure out what type of taste it adds to a dish.

I know there are different types chili pepper..but am so lazy. I use chili paste, sabal olek.

[roadie gal]

I'm a pretty indifferent cook, so my 2 spices would be garlic and Mrs. Dash - a salt-free general spice mix that I throw on nearly everything.

I almost never add salt to anything. I've had the same box of salt for almost 15 years, and it's still more than half full.

[malkin]

If you can't recognize the flavor of an herb or spice, it is possible that your samples aren't fresh. I know that when I was growing up we had the same spice containers for about 20 years and most of them tasted remarkably like the dust that covered their lids.

If you want to expand your herb and spice experience try getting fresh herbs and smell and taste them before using them to flavor a dish.

Or take a cooking class!

[OakLeaf]

When we set up our household I couldn't BELIEVE how difficult it was to find a spice rack with jars that didn't already contain herbs that had been sitting in a warehouse for G_D only knows how long.

If that's the only kind you can find, buy it and compost the contents; but empty ones are out there. Then what herbs and spices you don't grow yourself, buy them as needed at a store that sells them in bulk.

Spices tend to keep a lot longer than herbs, especially whole seeds. I grind almost everything except cinnamon, ginger and turmeric immediately before use. I have to say that since fresh turmeric has become so widely available, I haven't bought any... not quite sure how to use it, or how different it tastes from the dried and ground spice (having only ginger as a reference).

As for saffron, I doubt it's even possible to buy it fresh in the USA, and honestly, to me, it doesn't seem to lose flavor over the 6-12 months it takes me to use a packet. I still vote for "insufficient quantity" where saffron is concerned.