A recent article in The Wall Street Journal claimed that you don’t need dozens of spices in your kitchen. You just need eight.
Which eight, you may ask? The writer suggested: sumac, mint, cumin, coriander, pepper, aleppo pepper, cinnamon and aniseed.
Of those, I probably use three on a regular basis and I literally make every meal at home.
For the ordinary person, someone who cooks several meals a week and bakes once in a while, I’d say you need 25 basic spices: basil, bay, cajun, cardamom, cayenne pepper, chili powder, chipotle powder, cinnamon, clove, cumin, garlic powder, garlic salt, ginger, Italian seasoning, lemon pepper, nutmeg, onion powder, oregano, paprika (smoked and sweet), pepper, red pepper flakes, rosemary, salt and thyme. These will serve you in making just about any recipe, from barbecue to babka.
But if, like me, you do a lot of cooking and baking, buy whatever spices suit your fancy. Experiment with spices unique to different cultures. Try using the spices you already have in new applications. Or be adventurous and combine some of ’em — you might just create a great new mix.