Herb & Spice Pairing

  Recipes are there just for the guideline. There are millions of recipes which we get in one click moreover we get step by step picture and video recipes of any cuisine nowadatys in internet. The food is all about how we executing, choosing to right ingredient, , seasoning , pairing with herb and spice and applying heat and presentation are important. Fine-tuned from the expert is needed when we create / cook something new.Good palate of the chef, good quality ingredient, applying the right amount of temperature (cooking) , pairing base ingredient with spices and herb is most important where combiniotaion of common ingredients makes to the premium product. 

Herbs and spices, they perform best when paired with right one to harmony other ingredients and complimentary herbs and spices and gives different level of food experience. Knowing which herbs and spices to match together makes it easy to create wholesome, authentic international cuisines from scratch without the need to use pre-made bottle sauces and marinades. I hate pre- made sauce and paste which also bring invited the guest with Number and Sulphur , Benzoic and some horrific chemical.

If we look at any good restaurant menu, simple dish sells well like Chef Marco Pierre Whites says same. Chilli Ginger Salmon was the bestselling dish in my recent restaurant because of theit simplicity similar like Black Cod from Nobu , tomato soup from any italian restaurant.

 Current availability of global ingredients, herb and spices are vast and give us so much option and same time confusion . It is hard to understand which work best together and what varieties go into each of the cuisines.

We as Spice Pundit, we know our herbs and spices . I don't say learned lot here but definitely gave enough confident from my traveling experience , being a real foodie , worked in multi cuisine Kitchen , worked airline development food development kitchen which is designed to fast-track my confidence in creating authentic cuisine flavours , pleasing aroma comes pairing with right herbs, and spices with right hit.

If you are just starting to use herbs and spices, it’s a good idea to begin with what we like to call the essential / versatile herbs and spices: Garlic, Tomato, Ginger, Chilli, Basil, Onion, Pepper Coriander and Parsley.

Here are some pairing tips for the essential herbs & spices with main ingredients. Again this is just guideline it depends palette of on you and guest. Most of the pairing from below tried and tested already for either for chutneys , Curries , Stew , Smoothies , Juices , Salsa , Marinade , Dressing ....so on.

• Garlic, Parsley, black Pepper , Paprika , coriander , Chilli fits almost everywhere fits almost everywhere
• Tomato with I love with basil , but fit with almost in any cuisine and everywhere.
• Chicken is so versatile it fit with anything that’s why Chicken is so popular in any cuisine and any part of the world.
• Ginger , Cauliflower, any curry, I love with sweet potato & Grill fish
• Thyme and rosemary work well with any oven baked dish 
• Pork goes well with Sage,Celery and Apple, Pear, Star Anise , Caraway 
• Salmon goes well with Dill , Fennel
• Mustard pair well with Pork , any Curry , Fish
• Cod with Mint
• Red meat goes well with Nutmeg , Thyme
• Lamb with Mint, Cumin, Cinnamon , Thyme
• Turkey with Cranberry, Mango , Sage
• Potato, cream base sauce with Rosemary
• Chickpea lemon zest, turmeric, cumin, coriander
• Spinach goes with garlic,fenugreek , mustard
• Any fish work well with Coconut, ginger
• Smoked meat with yogurt, mint, chutney, onion
• Beef goes well with Red wine, Thyme, Paprika , 
• Clove, Cinnamon , Cardamom work with sweet dishes
• Saffron work white meat , light sauce , coconut base sauce
• All spices work well with Arabic oriental dishes
• Bay leaves work well with stew , red meat 
• Prawn pair well with dill , Mustard , Fennel
• Pumpkin pair well with Mustard , Sage , Nutmeg , Caraway
• Whitefish work well with mace , Saffron
• Coriander , Chilli , Cumin goes well with Mexican and Indian 
• Turmeric works well with North African , Arabian , Indian dishes

The following pairing worked with Chutneys , juices , Smoothies , Jam as I mentioned above most of pairing below is tasted and treid already in my culinary journey

• Elderflower with Gooseberry
• Cinnamon with pear
• Plum , Apricot with lavender
• Strawberry with Sage , Black pepper 
• tamarind with fennel 
• Cranberry with orange , 
• Basil and lime , Lemongrass
• Turmeric with honey
• Blackcurrant with star anise
• Plum with cinnamon , lemon grass 
• Rasberry with rosemary
• Lemon with lavender , Mint
• Mint with Apple