Herb or Spice
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Use to Season
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Facts About
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Allspice
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Use with meat, fish, gravy, soup and stew, pickles, spice cakes & cookies pumpkin and squash.
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The taste of allspice resembles a blend of spices.
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Anise
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Use in candies, baked goods and pork.
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Has a licorice-like flavor
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Basil
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Use in sauces, vegetables, salads, meat, seafood, egg dishes.
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Leaves are used fresh or dried.
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Bay Leaves
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Use to season meats, fish, potatoes, sauces, soups & stews.
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Leaves are usually used whole and removed before serving.
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Caraway Seeds
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Use on breads, especially rye bread; also in cheeses.
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Has a flavor similar to dill.
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Cardamom
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Use in curries, cookies & other pastries, breads, and pickles.
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Common in Scandinavian and Middle Eastern dishes; has a sweet, lemony flavor.
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Cayenne Pepper
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Use in meats, soups, sauces, chili, seafood, Mexican & Cajun dishes.
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Thin, red and yellow, very hot peppers are used whole, or dried and ground.
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Celery Seed
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Use in salads, pickles and relishes, sauces, soups and stews, and on beef.
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Seeds are sold as whole or ground; also combined with salt for celery salt.
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Chervil
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Use in egg & cheese dishes, vegetables, soups and stews, salads, and creamy sauces.
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Looks similar to parsley; common in French cuisine.
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Chili Powder
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Use in chili, sauces, curries, Mexican foods.
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A combination of chili peppers plus other spices, including cumin.
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Chives
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Use in cheese dishes, eggs, fish, sauces; as a garnish in soups, salads, and vegetable dishes.
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Long hollow green leaves have a mild onion flavor. Best when used fresh, but also used dried.
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Cinnamon
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Use in pastries, breads, cakes, cookies, pies, sauces, apples, pumpkin and squash recipes. Cinnamon sticks are sometimes used in beverages.
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A highly aromatic spice available as cinnamon sticks and as a ground powder.
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Cilantro
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This leafy green herb is used in many Middle Eastern, Indian, Oriental, Spanish and Caribbean dishes.
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The seeds of cilantro are finely ground to make the spice known as coriander.
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Cloves
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Use in cakes, cookies, and candies, ham, sauces, pickles and relishes.
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Have a strong, spicy-sweet flavor; used whole or ground. If used whole, they are removed before serving.
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Coriander
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Use in curry, pickles, breads, cakes, and cookies.
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Small fragrant seeds are used ground or whole; have a slight lemony flavor. Leaves of the same herb are known as cilantro.
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Cumin
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Add to curries, meats, cheeses, sausages, seafood, pickles, rice dishes, and chili.
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Small fragrant seeds; a main ingredient in chili powder.
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Curry Powder
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Use in rice, lamb, poultry, eggs, and vegetables; used in many Indian recipes.
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Curry powder is not a single spice, but combination of several spices such as coriander, ginger, turmeric, fenugreek seed, cumin, pepper, cloves, and other spices.
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Dill
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Used mainly in pickles, but can also be used in breads, soups, meats, and salads.
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Also known as dill weed, both the leaves and seeds of this flavorful herb are used to season foods.
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File' powder
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Use to thicken and add flavor to Gumbo and other Creole dishes. Heat has an adverse affect on File, so add it after a pot of food has been removed from the oven or stove.
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File' powder is made from dried, ground sassafras leaves. It has a root beer like flavor.
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Fennel Seed
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Use in pickles, pizza and spaghetti sauces, breads, cakes and cookies.
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A member of the parsley family, grown for its sweet seeds; has a flavor similar to anise.
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Garlic
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Use in meats, chicken, seafood, stews, sauces, marinades, salad dressings; used in many Italian and Chinese dishes.
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An herb related to the onion, used fresh or dried; also has many health benefits and medicinal uses. Its bulb is composed of several small cloves.
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Ginger
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Use in Oriental dishes, meat, poultry, seafood; also in squash and pumpkin recipes, cookies, cakes, and breads.
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Ginger root is used fresh or dried, whole, ground, or cracked; has a strong spicy-sweet flavor.
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Mace
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Use in cakes, doughnuts and other baked goods; fish, meat stuffings, and in pickles.
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Made from the coating of the nutmeg seed; used both whole and ground; has a flavor similar to nutmeg, but with a touch of cinnamon.
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Marjoram
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Use as a seasoning for lamb, soups, stews, fish, poultry stuffing, sausages, beans and other vegetables; alao in beverages and jellies.
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Also called sweet marjoram; the leaves are used whole or ground. It has a sweet, minty flavor.
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Mint
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Use in fruits, desserts, jellies, candies, beverages, and as a garnish.
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Mint leaves have a distinctive flavor and smell. It's used fresh or dried, whole or chopped.
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Mustard
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Used as ground mustard in salad dressings, sauces, cheese and egg dishes. Mustard seeds are commonly used in pickles, relishes, salads, beets, cabbage, and sauerkraut.
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Mustard is sold as whole seeds or as a finely ground yellow powder. It has a strong, hot flavor.
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Nutmeg
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Use in breads, cookies, cakes, custard, pies, desserts, vegetables.
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Used either ground or as a whole seed, nutmeg has a sweet, aromatic flavor.
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Oregano
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Use in tomato dishes, pizza, spaghetti sauce; in Greek, Italian, and Mexican dishes.
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Ground oregano is an ingredient in many types of Italian food. It has a flavor and aroma similar to marjoram, but stronger.
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Paprika
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Use as a garnish for potatoes, potato salad, eggs, deviled eggs, beef, poultry, salads, and salad dressings.
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A mild red spice, always used ground; used not only for its flavor, but for its red color.
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Parsley
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Use in soups or salads as a seasoning. Goes well with almost any meat as a garnish.
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Parsley sprigs are used mainly as a garnish for foods and are often left untouched. It's used fresh or dried as a seasoning.
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Black Pepper
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Use to strengthen the flavor of meats, poultry, fish, eggs, cheese, vegetables and more.
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Black Pepper can be purchased as ground or as whole peppercorns. It's best when freshly ground.
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Poppy Seeds
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Use as a topping for rolls, breads, cookies, butters, and pastas.
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Poppy seeds have a crunchy, nut-like flavor. It's used as whole seeds; can also be used crushed or ground.
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Rosemary
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Use to season lamb, beef, veal, poultry, soups and stews, potatoes, and breads such as rosemary focaccia.
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Small needle-like leaves are used dried or fresh, whole or ground; has a sweet but bold aroma and flavor,
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Saffron
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Use in rice dishes and other Mediterranean cuisine; used in paella, bouillabaisse, and sometimes in chicken dishes.
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Saffron is sold as a ground powder; has a yellow color and a slightly bitter taste.
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Sage
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Use to season sausage, poultry stuffings, veal, pork, meat loaf, stews, and salads.
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An herb grown for its leaves, used as rubbed or ground; has a slightly lemony taste.
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Savory
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Use with lamb, beef, poultry, egg dishes, squash, beans and lentils.
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Leaves are used fresh, or dried as whole leaves; has a flavor similar to thyme.
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Sesame Seeds
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Use on bread, rolls, bagels, salads, and in stir fry.
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Sesame seeds are always used as whole oil seeds. Most are used on hamburger buns.
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Tarragon
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Use to season veal, lamb, beef, poultry, seafood, eggs, salads, dressings, mushrooms, asparagus.
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Leaves are used fresh or dried, whole or ground; has a strong spicy smell and taste. If using dried tarragon leaves, remove them after cooking, since once dried they will not soften again when cooked.
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Thyme
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Use in poultry, poultry stuffing, pork, beef, tomatoes, tomato soups and sauces.
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An herb used both fresh and dried, whole or ground. It has a strong, but pleasant flavor, resembling a blend of cloves and sage.
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Turmeric
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Use in curries, poultry, relishes, pickles, eggs, rice.
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A member of the ginger family; an orange-yellow powder with a mild flavor.
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