I have a reasonable understanding about how to balance sweetness and acidity. I have a good idea of how much umami to add (as much as possible, duh), and I can add salt to taste. Bitterness I just keep to a minimum.
But when it comes to adding spices, I have not been able to come up with a good method. I find that adding spices to taste is not very effective, because the flavors and spice level changes considerably as the soup cools down or as you mix the curry with rice. I also don’t know how to make a spice mix that will blend nicely, and I never know exactly how much to add. I just roll the dice each time and hope for the best.
Is any of you a spice master? I am looking for tips about how to improve my spice game.
Thanks for the tips and the guide!
Maybe my brain is just not built for imagining tastes, because I find it difficult to think about the final flavor. Or I just need more mindful practice.
Now that you mention it, I rarely cook with herbs, only when I am following a specific recipe. At some point I did experimented with fresh thyme and ended up with many small tough burnt pieces of thyme in my food.
Whenever possible, I buy the individual spices in bulk. The price of spices and mixes in my city’s supermarket is so ridiculous. A container with 24 grams of cumin seeds costs 3.45 euros, making it 145 euros per kilo. At the Indian shop literally next to it they sell a 300 gram bag for 3 euros, and the quality is indistinguishable.
I wouldn’t buy spices in bulk, because the aroma quickly dissipates, especially when not appropriately stored. Also, I’d try to get fresh herbs whenever possible & either use them as is or let them air-dry for a couple of weeks.
And always keep in mind that herbs are delicate, so never leave them in the pan/oveh on high heat, unless you adjust the amount of water accordingly.
Finally, you can always sprinkle some spices & herbs over the finished dish to add some zing to it.