Spice Blends Worldwide

Spice Blends Worldwide

Worldwide, spice blends have been an integral part of human cuisine for thousands of years. In fact, humans have been using spices for cooking, medicine, and even religious ceremonies for over 6,000 years. The use of spices dates back to ancient civilizations such as the Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans, who recognized the value of spices for their medicinal properties, as well as their ability to preserve food.

As you may recall from history lessons at school, the spice trade played a significant role in shaping the world as we know it today. On their discovery, Europe was hooked. First and foremost, worldwide spice blends enhance the flavour of food, adding depth and complexity to dishes which makes them more enjoyable to eat. Additionally, they also masked unpleasant tastes and odours, proving particularly useful for preserving food on long sea voyages.

Because of this, demand sky-rocketed and spices became an incredibly lucrative trade, leading to the era of exploration and colonisation around the world. It was the search for new spice sources that led to the discovery of the New World, and eventually the colonisation of America. Nowadays, you’ll find spices all over the globe, used in every cuisine imaginable. Typically, several are combined together, creating the spice blends and mixes you find here.

Of course, these worldwide spice mixes differ significantly around the world, as different cultures have developed their own unique blends of herbs and spices, all dependent on taste profiles and the ingredients available. For example, in the Middle East, Ras-el Hanout is incredibly popular. Featuring no less than fifteen different herbs and spices, you can use this in tagine dishes, stews, and couscous.

Meanwhile in Southeast Asia, blends such as Chinese five-spice, Malay curry powder, and Thai seasoning blend are all prominent. An iconic blend of star anise, Sichuan pepper, fennel seeds, cassia and clove, Chinese five-spice reflects the cultural influence on Chinese cuisine. It was originally created to represent the perfect partnership of Yin and Yang—a perfect balance of the five main flavours within Chinese cooking: sweet, sour, bitter, salty, and savoury. It’s best used in stir fries and with fatty meats like pork, duck and goose.

Over in Mexico, chilli powder and adobo seasoning are fond staples, breathing a fiery, spicy kick into the cuisine. As you can see (and taste), these worldwide spice blends vary wildly, and often tend to represent the regions from which they originate. Thanks to their great taste, through migration and travel, they have all grown from local, regional favourites to truly worldwide spice mixes that are known and loved by everyone.

We offer an extensive selection of worldwide spice mixes here at Seasoned Pioneers, all of which are hand-blended and roasted with the freshest ingredients, right here at our Wirral HQ.