How To Mix Spices From The Grocer To Get Your Own Flavors Of The World

by Hugh Dessereau

These Spice-Herb Blends Make A Great One-Stop Go-To When Cooking.

Why buy expensive spice blends at the store when you can make your own for a lot less money. There are several advantages to this approach; not the least of which is the cost. Spice blends more closely match our pallet’s desires.

When we start to decide what’s for dinner, do we ever think, ‘Gee, I’d like something with salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme in it.’ I think not. More likely, our thoughts resemble, ‘Hmm, I think I’ll make some thick chicken noodle soup,’ or ‘I think I’m in the mood for barbeque chicken, tonight.” First we paint the picture of the meal in our minds based on what we have a taste for. Then we figure out how to make it (or if we can).

I often ponder whether I have a taste for Chinese, Spanish, Jamaican, Mexican, Cajon – that’s it; I want some Gumbo over a nice bed of saffron rice. This is a good-news bad-news approach, because I may not have all the main ingredients like the sausage, chicken, or shrimp. In fact, the ingredient I am usually lacking from this off-the-hip decision is the shrimp.

By the way, when it is -5°F outside, I am likely not going to make a special trip to my local grocer for the shrimp. That’s okay. I can still get my fix because I have my Cajun spice mix already blended, and I can do everything but the shrimp. I’m just going to make it, anyway, without the shrimp.

I keep my spice blends close at hand and keep most of my individual spices in the pantry out of the way. When I reach for a spice seasoning, I don’t have to worry about whether I forgot the rosemary or basil or cumin. It really does make my life in the kitchen easier.

It may be helpful to try to think of what flavors come to mind when you think of a regional cuisine. This approach may guide you to recreating your spice mixture when no recipe is available. In the following guidelines, I use the word “part” because you can use a tablespoon or a cup. And, they can be adjusted to your taste. Below are some handy conversions followed by my top spice seasoning mix blends from around the world:

Conversion Table
3 teaspoons (tsp) = 1 tablespoon (Tbs)
2Tbs = 1/8 Cup (C) = 1 Coffee Measure
4Tbs = ¼ C

Spice Blend Foundation
I call this my “House Blend. “This mixture can stand on it’s own or be the foundation for all the spice ingredients that follow.

1 part salt
1 part black pepper
1 part garlic powder
2 parts onion powder

European – English Blend
This is a mild blend great for stews and soups

1 part salt
1 part black pepper
1 part garlic powder
2 parts onion powder
1 part parsley
1 part sage
1 part rosemary
1 part thyme

French Blend (Southern France-Northern Italy)

1 part salt
1 part black pepper
1 part garlic powder
2 parts onion powder
1 part parsley
1 part lavender
1 part rosemary
1 part thyme
¼ part nutmeg

Italian Spice Blend

1 part salt
1 part black pepper
1 part garlic powder
2 parts onion powder
1 part oregano
1 part basil
¼ part nutmeg
¼ part ground cayenne (red pepper)

Chinese Spice Blend

1 part salt
1 part lemon pepper
1 part garlic powder
2 parts onion powder
1 part Chinese five-spice
¼ part ginger
1 part allspice
1 part ground cloves

Cajun Spice Blend

1 part salt
1 part black pepper
2 parts garlic powder
2 parts onion powder
2 parts paprika (smoky, mild, or hot)
2 part ground red pepper (cayenne)
1 part dried oregano
1 part dried thyme

Jamaican Jerk Chicken

Jerk Spice Blend (Jamaican)

1 part salt
1 part black pepper
1 part garlic powder
2 parts onion powder
1/3 part ground red pepper (cayenne)
1/3 part ground cloves
1/3 part ground thyme
1/3 part ground allspice
1/3 part ground cinnamon

My Texas Chili Spice Blend (not my recipe for chili)

1 part House Blend +
2 parts chili powder
1-2 parts ground cumin

Obviously, these aren’t all the spice blend possibilities. If you have a favorite, don’t be shy; share it in the comments. If you try one of these blends, let us know how it came out for you.

***** Happy Blending *****