In Praise of Spices

The quick answer:  Anyone can flavor food with sugar or salt, but artistry with spice combinations is the true measure of a cook. 

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Christmas Parties

We’re really “B” list people, the beautiful wife and I, but dear friends invited us to their “A” list Christmas dinner-party.  It was elegant, fun, and healthy.  The dinner menu included mushrooms stuffed with butternut squash, asparagus, green salad with wonderful fruits, and grilled salmon. After such a healthy meal, chocolate Bundt cake hardly seemed decadent. 

After dinner we shared favorite Christmas stories, some touching and a few hilarious.  Mine was from a college Christmas trip across Nevada, when my car broke down in the middle of the coldest night of the year, in a tiny depressed town, and being offered help by an old man that as far as I could tell was either homeless or very poor.  Though the man has long ago passed from this world, the memory of his kind generosity still lights my life.

On the hilarious side, one couple told of their first Christmas after getting married, also during college.  Because money was tight he had secretly gotten her a present.  In the way of young love, his wife had done the same.  On Christmas Eve, as a maneuver to retrieve the gift from his hiding place, he announced he would go downstairs, where the bathroom was located, to take a shower.  He got the water running, undressed, but before slipping into the shower, darted into the adjoining room to retrieve his hidden present.  At the worst moment, he heard his wife coming down the stairs.  She had decided to retrieve her present for him while he showered!  Trapped and unaware of her purpose, he slipped into a closet to hide until she returned upstairs.  Unfortunately, he chose the closet where she hid his present. 

I’ll spare you the rest of the story, but we laughed until we cried.  I think it a good segue into our next subject—spices.

Spices and Herbs

In our series of grocery store aisle visits, we now come to the spice aisle.  We lump spices and herbs together but there's a difference—herbs come from the leaves of plants, while spices are processed from the seed, fruit, skin, or root.  Spices are healthy ingredients, in part because they’re an alternate to just dumping sugar and salt on food.  The complexity of our seasonings is a measure of our (food) culture.  A command of spice combinations is one measure of a cook’s prowess.  There’s good information on the Internet for the curious cook; another good reference is The Flavor Bible: The Essential Guide to Culinary Creativity, Based on the Wisdom of America’s Most Imaginative Chefs. 

Spices conjure up romantic images of ancient camel caravans and the adventures of Marco Polo.  Spices were the stimulus behind exploration of the New World, and the wars over the Spice Islands (known for nutmeg, cloves, and pepper; now part of Indonesia). 

The spice wars are over now.  Who won?  McCormick & Company—they’re the masters of the spice aisle in the local grocery.  Remember Schilling spices?  The brand’s gone, bought out by McCormick.  Lawry’s seasonings are there, but McCormick owns them too. 

Here’s an interesting fact about the spice aisle—the foods in the other aisles (think chips, crackers, soft drinks, margarine, etc.) have been processed into unhealthiness.  But spices remain remarkably unchanged—no other food group has survived so unchanged.  I find nothing artificial in the spice aisle.  Spices not only flavor our food, they’re considered healthy and are rich in antioxidants, which accounts for their long shelf life.

 

Spice Economics

Have you noticed the rising cost of spices?  With control of the spice aisle, McCormick has been able to steadily raise prices.  This presented a window for Trader Joes’s, which introduced their Spices of the World brand (shown in the photo below).  The local TJ’s offers twelve common spices in 4” tall bottles, usually priced at $1.99, a fraction of the cost in regular grocery stores. 

The best example is ground dill:  the local grocery charges the equivalent of $426/lb. (in 0.3 oz. bottles) while TJ’s sells the same product for $48/lb (0.5 oz. bottle).  No other food has such an outrageous store-to-store price difference.  Here are other comparisons:

• TJ’s rosemary is $42/lb. versus $104 for McCormick's version at our local grocery.
• TJ’s thyme is $34/lb. vs. $162.
• TJ’s oregano is $11/lb. vs. $97.
• TJ’s curry is $18/lb. vs. $67.
• TJ’s garlic powder is $12/lb. vs. $28.

Fair warning:  When I returned to my grocery to photograph the spice aisle all the spices were on sale.  There’s a strategy here that I see in other aisles:  Combine high prices with frequent sales, lest the native become restless.  I resent this manipulation—people aren’t dumb, they’ll figure this out, and see the grocery chain as predator rather than trusted purveyor.  You can see the same behavior with packaged breakfast cereals (where you pay dollars per pound for what is bought at pennies per pound), and other products.

Here’s a trivia question:  What’s the cheapest commonly used spice?  Garlic.

Shelf Life

This will make you laugh.  After studying the spice aisle I saw one difference between spices and other packaged foods in the store—spices don’t have shelf life data, there’s no expiration date.  Because they’re high in antioxidants, spices have a long shelf life, but it’s not forever. 

You can check the age of your McCormick spices this way:  Any spice showing Baltimore as the address (they’re now located in Hunt Valley, MD), is at least 20 years old!  No one keeps spices 20 years, right?  Wrong.  I checked the 64 spices in our drawer; we have a bunch of cans and bottles showing the Baltimore address. 

Spice Mixtures

One way to add value, or at least convenience, is to blend spices that go together and create a new product.  I didn’t realize it until now, but curry is an ancient example.  Curry is actually a mixture of turmeric, ginger, coriander and other spices.  Other examples:

• Herbs of Provence: thyme, rosemary, savory, basil, lavender, etc.
• Italian herb mix: marjoram, thyme, rosemary, savory, sage, oregano, basil
• McCormick’s Bon Appetit: salt, MSG, celery seed, and onion.
• Lawry’s Seasoned Salt:  salt, sugar, paprika, turmeric, onion, cornstarch, garlic, tricalcium phosphate (prevents clumping), etc.
• TJ’s 21 Seasoning Salute: onion, black pepper, celery seed, cayenne pepper, parsley, basil, marjoram, bay leaf, oregano, thyme, savory, rosemary, cumin, mustard, coriander, garlic, etc.
• Cajun’s Choice Creole Seasoning: salt, red, black, and white peppers, garlic, and other spices.

Excepting curry, these pre-mixed spices have limited use.  The beautiful wife, however, likes to use the Italian herb mix. 

Spices for Singles

I discovered a new convenience product, on the market since 2010:  McCormick’s Recipe Inspirations.  These are pre-measured spices, sold on a card with six separate pockets.  To cook, you simple open the card and dump the spices onto the food.  This is a product for less discriminating novices, rather than experienced cooks.   Typical blends:

• Rosemary Roasted Chicken: rosemary, garlic, paprika, and black pepper.
• Apple Sage Pork Chops: sage, garlic, thyme, allspice, and paprika.
• Caribbean grilled Steak: garlic, cumin, onion, oregano, and red pepper.

There’s a big need for products that enable the novice cook, or the single person, to make simple homemade meals.  Recipe Inspirations isn’t a healthy answer, in my view, as the current offering is based on meat dishes.  But isn’t there an opportunity for products that simplify cooking for one, that don't’t compromise the wholesomeness of the food?  They should have these criteria:  Based on whole foods, ease-to-use, and affordable.

Please comment:  Share your favorite spice combinations, or spice tricks from your kitchen.  Or tell about your favorite Christmas foods.

Comments

[Brooke]

I get a little miffed when I have to buy spices that aren't on sale. $7 for some oregano! Come on! But one nice worker at my grocery store showed me that they have larger packages of spices on a different aisle for a cheaper price. (Same spices, but due to some deal they have with the spice companies, they can't sell them on the same aisle!) He pointed me to a small endcap near the saran wrap and tinfoil. So it may pay to look around your store, especially if you aren't lucky to have a TJ's nearby.

[Sacha]

The absolute cheapest way to get spices is in bulk. I received a bunch of bottles of spices (probably 20-25) as a wedding gift, and they have been my favorite. To refill each bottle at Winco costs about 25-30 cents, because spices are sold for 3-5 dollars a pound. What a deal! I hardly even think about the cost of spices at all because of how cheap I can get them. If you don't have that option, there are often spices sold in plastic bags in the Hispanic section of the grocery store. They are still lots cheaper than buying McCormick. I've saved some baby food jars to hold spices in, and they're the perfect size.

[LC]

I loved this post!
I hope this means there is an upcoming post about herbs...

It is shocking to see how those spice prices rise! I buy mine in bulk at Costco or our health food store sells them in bulk as well. Winco sounds like a bargain! I'll have to try that.

My favorite spice is CUMIN. Just made a white chili with it. Love to put it in lentils as well. The smell and flavor of cumin reminds me of delicious food I had while in S. America--esp. chicken empanadas.

I just picked up a bag of 15 bean soup at the grocery store. Included was a seasoning packet! (Hurst's HamBeens brand) Great idea for someone like me who doesn't know beans about cooking beans but is excited to cook them because of reading this blog!!!

[Lindsey]

I love buying my spices at Winco, too! Also, I've noticed that some spices are sold lots cheaper in the latin food isle. I have to say, though, that there are lots of harmful additives lurking in the spice isle. After learning more about MSG and other names that can disguise it (natural flavorings and spices being two examples) I realized a lot of the spice mixtures I was using included these (even lemon pepper and chili powder). Also, the spice packets sold by McCormick are very unhealthy. It's been fun to learn to make food taste delicious without all the chemical additives!

[Lynn]

Yes! Buy spices in bulk. It's the best. You can buy only what you need so that it's always fresh. And if you need some strange spice for a dish that you don't usually use then you don't have to buy a whole jar of it. So much cheaper that way!

[Carina]

I purchase my spices in smaller quantities than bulk from a specialty spice store (worldspice.com out of Seattle.) They provide most herbs and spices in WHOLE form, if you desire. When you grind spices their compounds start to deteriorate and you lose flavor faster (they oxidize.) Ordering whole spices means that you can grind spices to order, creating food that is astounding in complexity without sacrificing your health, and it's cheaper to boot. I can't STAND paying so much for grocery store spices when I know I'm getting old, nasty spice flavor. Toasting cumin seeds for a few seconds before grinding them, either in a coffee grinder dedicated to spices, or in a mortar and pestle (yes, I own one,) makes the food really flavorful and delicious.

Spices/Herbs I keep in whole form:
Nutmeg
Cumin
Dill
Clove
Cardamom
Cinnamon
Allspice
Anise
Several kinds of peppercorns
Dried chiles

Spice ground and blends I order:
Curries (I'm partial to Madras from worldspice)
Ancho chile powder
Pimenton (the smoky Spanish paprika you mentioned)
Sweet Paprika
Tarheel BBQ rub
Dry mustard
And about a hundred others.

Anyway, I encourage you and my fellow readers to try a mail-order spice company, like worldspice.com or Penzey's to experience the true flavor of spices. Not to mention, it's far, far less expensive (even when you factor in shipping) than what you get at the grocery store.

[LindenLincoln]

To continue the Trader Joe's admiration, I would add their Daily Spice grinder. It has a mixture of peppercorns, mustard seeds, and other whole seeds in a grinding container. Wonderful over eggs, vegetables, and other dishes.

[Melissa]

I am always amazed at how much spices at my local grocery store cost. My husband and I recently found a small family owned middle eastern food market that sells dozens of spices/herbs for a fraction of the price (we also now get out olive oil from there too). Not only do we get it cheaper we are helping a small local business.

We live in New Orleans so Cheyenne goes into almost everything.

[Rachael C]

I really enjoyed this post. As an aspiring, vegetarian cook I realize that I rely heavily on spices and herbs to take my staple (what can sometimes feel boring) meals to new levels. My favorites are garlic, thyme, basil, and cumin. I use them in some form or another in almost all of my cooking, especially garlic.

Thanks for sharing the info about TJ's spices too. I had no idea!

And lastly, I love the idea about buying spices/herbs in whole form and using a coffee/spice grinder when I need to. More cost effective for sure.

[skip hellewell]

Carina, thanks for the information on buying whole spices direct. The only spice we grind is black pepper, but you open up other options. Spices, and herbs don't get a lot of research money so the benefits aren't well proven. Traditionally, herbs are widely used in healing. Intuitively, eating more herbs and spices and less sugar has big health benefits.

A recent article on cumin (based on research on rats) showed benefits for blood fats (lower triglycerides and LDL fat, higher HDL), immune system function, reduced cataract risk, antioxidant benefits, and bone health improvement. Cumin is found in curry, can be mixed with ground black pepper, and was the main spice in Beth's Vegetarian Enchilada recipe.

[Mame]

I LOVED this post bc I was JUST at the grocery store wondering if there was a difference between spices. I agree with the above reader Lindsey about how some spices have those additives (such as MSG), and we know how that is not good for us. Skip, do you know if they have to list such things? For example I was looking ALL OVER for the 'ingredients' list on a can of cinnamon on sale, Kroger brand, at the store. I never found one, it just said cinnamon.

[Skip Hellewell]

Mame, one-ingredient products have a simplified ingredient list. Consider cinnamon a "whole food".

[Cindy]

Skip, thank you for this post. My cousin, only 57, has recently been diagnosed with heart failure and has been put on a very strict low sodium diet. She is having a very hard time finding foods that have lower sodium, so I suggested that she start cooking with herbs and spices to enhance and add some healthy flavor. I will be sending this information to her directly and will be encouraging her to read Words of Wisdom. Thank you for all of your wonderful guidance and advice.

[skip hellewell]

Cindy, the diagnosis of heart failure is a scary thing but beneficial if one makes a strong commitment to improve their lifestyle. The fee structure for doctors doesn't allow them to take proper time to coach patients in lifestyle change. So it's important that patients listen closely, take the doctor's guidance seriously, and educate themselves to fill in the gaps.

Two cardiologists--Dr. Dean Ornish and Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn—have written books that claim lifestyle improvements are the most important thing the patient can do. I don't know that one is better than the other, but Esselstyn's book has a better layout so is easier to read. Both doctors encourage a plant-based, whole-food diet. Does your friend cook? The starting point for sodium reduction is to cook your own food.

The human body has remarkable self-healing power if we just treat it well.

[Lulu]

I am in love with Penzeys Spices. This company makes their own spices. We have a store in our Old Towne or you can order them online. Each and every spice is made fresh by them. I was wondering if they were more pricey then the grocery store and they aren't. I liked how you talked about the spices going on sale. I noticed their spices never go on sale and it's because they are all priced fairly. I love when you open up a bottle and you can smell how fresh the spices are. I got a bummed sticker from them once that said- Love People, Cook Them Tasty Food (too bad it didn't say Tasty and Healthy Food) :)

[Stephanie]

I just finished reading your past three posts (I'd gotten a little behind!) and I have to say that I love the way you write. I love the personal stories, the background information, the facts, the science, and all the personality you bring to your blog! You manage to make nutrition a very personal, interesting, and highly informative topic. Thank you so much! I greatly enjoy reading your posts, and have learned a lot. Nutrition is such an important topic, one that my husband and I have been giving much thought to in the eight years of our marriage. We hope to keep improving our family's diet and appreciate all you've done to help steer us in the right direction! Merry Christmas!

[Melissa]

We order our spices/herbs/extracts in bulk from San Francisco Herb Co. (sfherb.com) They sell most anything you would need and for only a few dollars a pound. Anyone can order from them but they do require a $30 minimum order. Thanks to them I have a very extensive spice cupboard! :) I have also had some luck buying some very small quantities at World Market for a dollar or so, basically things I don't use often but like to have on hand, like Herbs de Provence.

[Cindy]

Thank you so much for your response to my post regarding my cousin and her heart failure diagnosis. I will be forwarding your book recommendations and your very valuable advice on home cooking to her today via email. I'm with you, the food that we prepare and consume can make us or break us. Information is power.

[Meredith]

Thanks for the tip about Trader Joes! I've seen them there, but haven't price compared. My spice collection is currently stored in the door of my freezer. I heard once that it helps prolong the life of them and I didn't want to loose anything on the investment. It seems to have helped (or at least not hurt).

[Jamie]

So interesting! I've always been intrigued by the idea of grinding spices myself, but I've never done it. Such a good idea!