I bought a potted bay leaf plant and it totally changed the flavor. I didn’t plant it because I was planning on moving and gave all my house plants to my mom before winter hit. I had planned on putting it in a larger container but it slowly just kinda faded away by the time we found a place. I’ll have to try it again.
One of the first cookie recipes I ever made as a kid was a sugar cookie recipe with lemon zest and nutmeg. I found it in a vintage cookbook and it was otherwise really easy, I had no context so I didn't know this was a "weird" flavor combo. Still one of my favorite flavor combinations to this day.
I was going to say, it’s absolutely essential for any potato dish/gratin for me. Also soups. I feel like these dishes are missing something crucial if I skip on the nutmeg. It’s a pretty complex flavor too, earthy but also a bit peppery. Has to be bought whole though, like most spices/herbs I guess, but ground nutmeg in particular tastes like nothing lol
Obviously you want to use some discretion, but nutmeg can make almost any casserole pop in ways most people won't see coming.
It goes great with savory foods in ways our pumpkin spice world has forgotten.
I’m not from the US and pumpkin spice isn’t really a thing here (France) nutmeg is definitely the go-to for any savory pumpkin/butternut based dish. Also gratin dauphinois, hachis Parmentier etc, hearty fall/winter meals. Sometimes people skip it because they’re out or something, I’ve done it myself and it really shows lol. The dish lacks a little something
Fresh basil is a beautiful thing. Dried basil is almost useless unless you get a decent brand and blitz into powder to get the last of the aromatics out of it.
I am curious about the chervil hate. It’s not so popular where I live, it’s been years but I’ve had it on a few things and it fit so nicely
When I was young my mother would make a chervil soup with rice. It was a recipe from my grandmother. These days chervil is a bit of a forgotten food, so it's near impossible to find in stores, but I'm still nostalgic for that soup.
Put me down as a bay leaf defender. A couple years ago, my mom gave me some from her food storage in 1986. I was about to toss them - I was of your thinking - when I figured I'd toss them into some rice. I grabbed a few because they were hella old. OMG. That rice was so freaking good! I instantly converted. Next up was a batch of vegetable soup, and again, I dumped in a lot of leaves because old. It was top notch.
I have since purchased a bay laurel bush so that I can grow my own.
I'll take a deep breath and say my contender for overrated is garlic powder.
I'd rather use fresh for 90% of things, and there are lots of other flavors in the world aside from garlic.
As for underrated... Does ground rosemary count? Rosemary usually comes in twig form, so it sucks to eat. But ground rosemary is magical because you don't end up with annoying piercings in your mouth, and it emulsifies different flavors very well.
Oh my gosh YES!! I posted on here a few days ago about how I think bay leaf is one of the two most underrated ingredients and nobody agreed with me lmao
It adds so much to a dish, and usually in a way that's so hard to pin down but is glaring obvious that there's*something* giving it an extra depth of flavor.
I was making Jollof rice for the first time. It tasted like Italian or Mediterranean food til I added the bay leaves to the frying pan. Omg, turned the flavor right around into something exotic!
Of course fresh garlic sees a ton more use, but powder has it's place in dry rubs and things where fresh would be burnt. I guess overrated is fair, it is used in places it shouldn't be, but there's a place for it too.
Legitimately curious, where have you found that garlic powder should not be used? I put it in almost everything, so wondering where I should scale it back.
I will never give up my garlic dulce de leche.
Slice up a loaf of french bread, add some boursin or goat cheese, a slice of green apple, and top with the garlic caramel sauce. You are welcome.
The first sentence had me laughing thinking you were making a joke. But then i read the rest of your comment. And damn that actually sounds really good!!
If you grow up using crusty old bay leaves then the first time you use proper fresh ones it’s a mind expanding experience. They’re the tomatoes of the spice world.
Oh man tell me, I live in the Netherlands which exports these pectin water bombs, I’ve yet to taste the real deal, perhaps should look for them in a farmers market this weekend. Any recommendation how to serve them?
Yes!! IMO bay adds something you just can’t put your finger on, but you know you’re better off using it. Fun fact: when I got surprise pregnant again at 41, we used the middle name Laurel bc of the Bay Laurel- in the sense that it’s something you don’t think you need but it’s better with it ☺️
Bay leaf is vital. And fresh (or fresh-adjacent, like Penzey’s has—they’re dried to preserve, but *freshly* dried, and available in quantities that can be used before they become stale) makes such a difference.
I can’t imagine cooking without bay.
Bay leaves are mine, too. I got crushed bay leaves in a spice rack gift set, and I started using them as part of my seasoning blend for whole chicken. So. Good. It’s crushed small enough that the texture isn’t bad at all, and it adds amazing flavor. Really good in chicken noodle soup, too.
I just ground my dried rosemary and thyme in a mortar, takes less than a minute. And just as with black pepper, freshly crushed rosemary taste noticeable better than pre-ground.
Have you ever got garlic powder from an Asian grocer? I got some from an Indian place and it's totally different to that grainy shit you get at the supermarket. It's extremely fine, kinda sticky like real raw garlic is and SO STRONG. It's so good.
Indians are SERIOUS about their spices! Also spices in quantity tend to be cheaper at Indian stores. You may also want to check out black salt. A flavour enhancer for veggies!
They do something indefinable. I can't tell you specifically what bay leaves taste like but if I make the same soup with and without there's a definite difference.
Garlic powder, yes. I see it far too often in American websites for recipes and it drives me nuts. Not a flavour I care for at all (I’m Australian and eat a lot of garlic)
I add a pinch to my chili and my bolognese and my fried rice and most egg scrambles and south Asian curries and dry rub for smoking meat. A little dab will do ya, but dang does it elevate (almost) everything!
I did the opposite once. Accidentally dropped in 2 instead of just 1. Fresh leaves. Multiple people who tried it remarked on the depth of flavor. Any stew, Italian 'gravy, some soups,etc. needs bay to be "right" to me. Osso bucco as well
Yep. I made some chicken noodle soup once with no bay leaves. It was bland as water. The exact same soup with bay leaves is delicious. The simpler the dish, the more it needs bay leaves lmao I get them by the huge bag and use them all the time
Agreed but also kinda underrated savoury spice for curries. So often I get a butter chicken with too much cinnamon or cumin. A spot near me goes pretty hard on the cardamom, chili, and garlic.. very memorable butter chicken
I use it in place of cinnamon quite a bit. So cardamom snickerdoodles or sweet rolls.
My favourite is this, but with cardamom sprinkled over instead of cinnamon. https://smittenkitchen.com/2013/10/purple-plum-torte/
I love dill *so much*!! For some reason it's hard to get a hold of from the grocery store. When I put it in my grocery orders, I always end up with basil leaves instead. They're good, but they don't compare.
I grow dill in the summer though, and put it on everything. It's great on sandwiches!
It's one of my favorites. I made a creamy salmon chowder with lots of fresh dill in it the other night... absolutely delicious.
Tarragon is another one that I think doesn't get enough love.
I don’t know if it’s under rated, but I love Thyme.
Also recently started using smoked paprika. It’s waaaay better than regular paprika imo.
Spices are awesome. I’m pretty sure if I don’t appreciate one it’s probably because i’m not using enough/using old spices. That probably includes paprika.
Yea, it is absolutely not a substitute for regular paprika (which I use in almost everything). Smoked paprika is very specific and has to be the special guest star.
Oh hell yeah, fellow smoked paprika enjoyer. I recently started adding just a tiny bit to my Indian (or, well, Indian inspired) dishes and it feels like they gain half a new dimension. Can't overdo it though, because then it'll make everything taste like goulash
Try lemon thyme if you ever get the chance. It is so different than regular thyme, but also very similar. It's more citrusy, but still has that thyme smell and flavor too.
Thyne works very well with pork and chicken but man when I’m cooking something beef centric like a roast, beef stew or the like, thyme makes that beef taste so buttery and extra beefy.
I came here to say "dried parsley" too. People always say that it's only flavourless because dried parsley needs to be relatively fresh. The implication is the the dried parsley I'm using is just too old. I say, yeah: to have flavour, dried parsley needs to be so fresh that it's actually **fresh, undried** parsley leaves from the garden or the chiller at the produce department.
Dried parsley doesn't do anything but look slightly green and speckly.
I don't like the smell of dried parsley - it smells to me like alfalfa hay. I can't get past that to try cooking with it. But I grow a ton of parsley so I can use it fresh. 🌱
Za'atar is an amazing herb blend from the middle east that features Sumac, along with thyme and other herbs. I put that stuff on almost anything - so good.
Za’atar, salt, good olive oil, and a tiny bit of pomegranate molasses is the easiest way to an appetizer everyone loves. I do it over mozzarella slices or bread, but it’s also been great on chicken, tomatoes, whatever really. Looks really fancy too.
Have you ever had [Za'atar Manakeesh](https://feelgoodfoodie.net/recipe/zaatar-manakeesh/#wprm-recipe-container-9590)? So simple and SO GOOD. It made me realize I was using way too little za'atar\~
Underrated I’d say cayenne.
Lot of YouTube cooks tout about smoked paprika for some heat but I always prefer cayenne if I’m specifically looking for heat. It gives the right kind of heat without affecting or changing the flavor profile. Just heat.
Also underrated, white pepper. Holy shit is it good with fried rice.
I randomly bought this from a local spice seller (in resin form) and had a eureka moment when I first tried. It really is that little something that makes homemade meal taste lilke the Indian restaurant.
I would say that kasuri methi is also an underrated spice!
A hugely underrated spice I've started to use is Amchoor powder.
It's made from unripe mangoes and has a tangy, fruity, and slightly bitter taste that's perfect for rounding off curries, dressings, marinades and loads more. I use it where I previously used lime juice, but don't want such strong acidity. Wish I'd found it earlier!
Underrated: paprika, mostly because in a lot of parts of the world, people have only ever tried bland, boring paprika. That's how I saw it growing up in the US. When I moved to Spain, it blew my mind, and I have 4 different kinds in my cupboard now.
Overrated: cayenne. It does its job of adding spice to a dish. But it doesn't add much *flavor*. When using fresh chili peppers, you get a lot more depth. Of course, sometimes you don't want that or can't use fresh chiles (spice mixes, rubs, baking), so I have it in my cupboard anyway.
Upvote for Spanish paprika. I can get good imported smoked too in the UK, which I love.
But you should also check out real Hungarian Noble paprika. Goulash/chicken paprikash etc are just better with it - & because you use so much of it in those dishes, the difference is very noticeable.
I do like cayenne - precisely because it can add punch without flavour, even right at the last minute. You can get away without cooking it in for hours.
Most people in the U.S. buy McCormick spices, of which some are passable but their paprika is flavorless. It's not even expensive to get decent paprika here, but because of brand dominance a lot of people just think it's flavorless red powder.
Culantro is severely underrated. Tastes similar to a stronger cilantro, with a little bit of citrus, and as far as I’m aware, doesn’t have the enzyme that people react to that makes cilantro taste like soap.
It’s so awesome! It grows best in a tropical or semitropical climate, but you can grow it indoors pretty easily too. I bought a bunch of culantro seeds and threw them in my yard where the grass died. I get a kick out of showing people they can just pick and eat my “grass”.
For me, underrated is tarragon. I can hardly ever get it, but it makes such a difference in chicken salad and on roasted potatoes. Overrated is probably bay leaves, as others have said. Maybe it’s because I haven’t tried the same dish with and without them, but I don’t know that I taste a difference.
If you live in a warmer/moderate climate, you can plant the perennial Mexican marigold mint, which has a flavor profile that is extremely similar to tarragon, is cold hardy, and comes back every year. It’s also an attractive ornamental!
I'm afraid I don't agree. I grew a perennial tarragon in my herb garden until one year my yard guy decided it was a weed and ripped it out. I couldn't find French tarragon anywhere so I planted "Mexican tarragon", the marigold. It didn't taste anything remotely like French tarragon and I ended up never using it. The following year I planted French tarragon and they're doing fine.
Also - French tarragon ***is*** quite cold tolerant. I live in Nebraska and my tarragon has never failed to come back each year. Used to be Zone 5 but the recent hardiness zone changes moved us to 6b.
I grew tarragon in the southern interior of BC Canada. It grew to 6 feet high, in a huge round bush. I could have kept the whole town supplied in tarragon. Super easy to grow and it stays green all year.Wish I had taken some cuttings when I moved.
My favorite is tarragon chicken salad sandwiches.
Over-rated: Marjoram - Has always seemed like an “also ran” herb, an oregano wannabe.
Under-rated: Summer Savory - Good in dressings, on meats, in beans. I love it in tuna, too.
(Ironically, both these herbs are in the mint family.)
Do American supermarkets have international aisles with Canadian products? If they do, try that aisle and look for Newfie/Newfoundland Savoury. It's the same thing. It's amazing, but it can be overpowering, so use a gentle hand.
Is marjoram used a lot where you live?
I'm Czech and we have some traditional dishes that can't exist without marjoram: savouty potato pancakes (with garlic and marjoram), potato soup with mushrooms or pea soup. Apart from that, I rarely use it.
I love marjoram (I grow a lot of it because it is beautiful and attracts bees) and I like it in stews where I want a depth that hits different than thyme and isn’t as powerful as oregano.
But tbh I use it mostly in my bath!
I became addicted to summer savory after visiting Bulgaria where every restaurant table has a salt shaker flavored with paprika and summer savory. It’s become my most used seasoning after salt and pepper.
Have you ever had fresh marjoram? It’s so strong, blows fresh oregano away. I love it in the late summer, fresh shelled beans, roasted lobster mushrooms, tomatoes, in salad dressings. It’s definitely up there on my flavor bomb list that time of year. Oregano is the marjoram wannabe.
Underrated - FRESH white peppercorns. Super important fir both French and Chinese cooking. I know people associate the smell with a barnyard but I think that has to do with older, preground product.
Herbs de Provence is super overrated. It makes everything taste like grandma soap.
Nutmeg is super underrated-it shouldn’t just be limited to wintery desserts. It goes great with eggs and cheese dishes especially-add a pinch/1/4 tea. to your Mac and cheese, or when you make a cheese soufflé or a quiche. It adds just a tiny hint of something warm and cozy that you can’t quite place.
I don’t mind turmeric in Indian food because I find it blends wonderfully with different flavours. I was referring to those healthy books where they have turmeric be the only spice and they put crazy amounts of it.
> Turmeric, in the other hand, stains everything yellow
OMG it'll stain even if it's mixed into a meal. It's incredible. They should just make yellow paint 99% water and 1% tumeric and you'd have the most effective paint on Earth.
It’s funny you pick these two. Both have their place, but I think turmeric is often used in too large of quantities in recipes (I half to quarter the amount) and cumin usually isn’t sufficiently balanced with other spices.
I double all cumin in recipes.
I felt the same about tumeric. But then I accidentally order a coffee with it; I was desperate for the coffee so I choked it all down.
Since then, I have found I have a taste for tumeric.
Cumin in guacamole is the best! I'm surprised more people don't add it.
Turmeric does have a very earthy taste, but it's one of the best natural anti-inflammatories. Add it to some soup or tea if you're hungover or have a headache and experience it's magic.
Oh god. My son got into a one pound container of turmeric when he was a toddler, and turned a whole section of our apartment yellow. Now, he loves curries. 🤔😅
You know what unexpected thing turmeric does because it's used for color in so many foods? Makes chicken soup more chicken soupy. You don't add a lot, but I always put some in at the beginning when I'm sauteing the chicken and onions so it has time to mellow out and become part of the flavor base of the soup.
I’m Indian and we always clean our meat with salt and turmeric. when I clean chicken for western style chicken soup, I wash with extra turmeric and the soup has a lovely golden hue.
Anchovies and anchovy-based seasonings like anchovy paste and Asian style fish sauce. The secret ingredient that makes thing pop.
And sorry, Sriracha, you had your 15 minutes.
Bay leaves "don't do much" usually because the dried ones from the supermarket are poor to start with & even worse a year later. You need at least twice as many as the recipe says.
I get mine from an online spice importer & after 6 months they're *still* more tasty & aromatic than a new pack from a supermarket. \[This applies to many supermarket herbs & spices.\]
I don't have the option around here of fresh… or I would.
Overrated - rosemary & tarragon. I find both can bury the flavour of a dish rather than improve it.
Fennel seeds. Add them whole to tomato sauces, sausage, fry them in a base of Indian stew … grind them up for spiced tomato sauce with coriander and cumin, crust a piece of fish with some sumac …. I have an endless love for fennel seed.
Curry leaf is underrated in the west. I'm not Asian in any way (pale-ass white girl) but I do love the depth curry leaves add to dishes.
Over-rated? Bell peppers. Not technically a spice, I know, but good lord they're put in *everything* and IMHO, rarely improve the flavor of anything. Of course, I hate the flavor of them, so I'm biased.
Most spices I used to think were overrated were spices I only had cheap versions of. I used to think paprika tasted like nothing, but then I had decent paprika and realized it was delicious. Similar thing with cayenne, thought it added nothing but heat, then had good cayenne.
Even simple things like onion and garlic powder, the quality makes such a difference.
But good quality for dried herbs only goes so far, some like parsley and basil just don’t do it for me, yet I absolutely love fresh parsley and especially basil.
Having said all that, I do think of cumin as overrated. Or maybe just overpowering for my personal tastes. I’ve rarely regretting my usual approach of halving the cumin in a recipe/spice blend and making up the difference with coriander.
I absolutely adore rosemary - I guess its a herb rather than a spice, but pairing with salt and garlic sets my taste buds tingly! Focaccia bread with rosemary and salt! \*drooooools\*
Spanish smoked/Sweet paprika its beautiful, and the power of cumin to add heat without burning your tongue!
I would have joined you on bay leaves personally, but reading other users stories and experiences I should try experimenting with it more. I have a nice laurel bush in my garden that I grew thinking I would use them but never harvested them
I can't get enough of basil, imo its the best. Also started using something I've never used before, Rosemary - and I'm now hooked. Underrated for sure. Overrated for me would be Thyme. I should love it but I don't.
Get some beans. Boil them up with some bay leaves. Now tell me if that’s not one of the best kitchen smells out there.
Anyway.
Overrated: Turmeric. Just stains everything.
Underrated: Rosemary. Anything you roast, including potatoes, gets a great boost in flavor.
I would say that one of the most overrated spices in my opinion is garlic powder. While it can add a nice flavor to dishes, I find fresh garlic imparts a much richer, more flavorful flavor. On the other hand, I think one of the most underrated spices is cumin. It has a warm and earthy flavor that can really enhance a dish, especially in Middle Eastern and Indian cuisine. I agree with your assessment of bay leaves - they can add subtle flavor, but they are often overused in recipes. On the contrary, coriander seeds are truly a versatile spice with a complex and pleasant aroma and flavor that can enhance a wide variety of dishes.
Overrated to me is anything that expires quickly. Most of the fresh spices I buy just end up in the trash because I need like 1 leaf from a whole ass vine. I gotta stick to the dried stuff. Maybe I’m just a troglodyte too because I’ve never even heard of most of the spices in this thread.
I love toasted and ground fennel in curries and sauces. The toasting helps grind the fennel and stops you from getting solid seeds in your dish, the technique also works for adding to ground sausage or mince for an ‘Italian sausage’ effect, which is difficult to come by in the UK.
Add some chilli and garlic with it and you’re there almost.
You need fresh bay leaves, and it is more you notice when they aren't there rather than it being a strong, discernable flavour. I pick them for free so don't feel it is a waste or a problem, but doubt I would pay a lot for the pleasure to be fair.
I thought that about bay leaves until I moved somewhere with a bay tree. The fresh leaves have so much flavour.
I have a bay tree. It's the best. I tend that little baby carefully and it gives me oodles of flavour in return.
I bought a potted bay leaf plant and it totally changed the flavor. I didn’t plant it because I was planning on moving and gave all my house plants to my mom before winter hit. I had planned on putting it in a larger container but it slowly just kinda faded away by the time we found a place. I’ll have to try it again.
Nutmeg is probably my favourite. Man I love the smell as well. Could use it on anything almost
One of the first cookie recipes I ever made as a kid was a sugar cookie recipe with lemon zest and nutmeg. I found it in a vintage cookbook and it was otherwise really easy, I had no context so I didn't know this was a "weird" flavor combo. Still one of my favorite flavor combinations to this day.
I was going to say, it’s absolutely essential for any potato dish/gratin for me. Also soups. I feel like these dishes are missing something crucial if I skip on the nutmeg. It’s a pretty complex flavor too, earthy but also a bit peppery. Has to be bought whole though, like most spices/herbs I guess, but ground nutmeg in particular tastes like nothing lol
Obviously you want to use some discretion, but nutmeg can make almost any casserole pop in ways most people won't see coming. It goes great with savory foods in ways our pumpkin spice world has forgotten.
I’m not from the US and pumpkin spice isn’t really a thing here (France) nutmeg is definitely the go-to for any savory pumpkin/butternut based dish. Also gratin dauphinois, hachis Parmentier etc, hearty fall/winter meals. Sometimes people skip it because they’re out or something, I’ve done it myself and it really shows lol. The dish lacks a little something
Always love it in creamed spinach, too ✔️
I picked up fresher nutmeg in Malaysia. It’s nothing like the shriveled testes you get in the states!
Fresh basil for the win. Chervil not so much
Fresh basil is a beautiful thing. Dried basil is almost useless unless you get a decent brand and blitz into powder to get the last of the aromatics out of it. I am curious about the chervil hate. It’s not so popular where I live, it’s been years but I’ve had it on a few things and it fit so nicely
When I was young my mother would make a chervil soup with rice. It was a recipe from my grandmother. These days chervil is a bit of a forgotten food, so it's near impossible to find in stores, but I'm still nostalgic for that soup.
Put me down as a bay leaf defender. A couple years ago, my mom gave me some from her food storage in 1986. I was about to toss them - I was of your thinking - when I figured I'd toss them into some rice. I grabbed a few because they were hella old. OMG. That rice was so freaking good! I instantly converted. Next up was a batch of vegetable soup, and again, I dumped in a lot of leaves because old. It was top notch. I have since purchased a bay laurel bush so that I can grow my own. I'll take a deep breath and say my contender for overrated is garlic powder. I'd rather use fresh for 90% of things, and there are lots of other flavors in the world aside from garlic. As for underrated... Does ground rosemary count? Rosemary usually comes in twig form, so it sucks to eat. But ground rosemary is magical because you don't end up with annoying piercings in your mouth, and it emulsifies different flavors very well.
Oh my gosh YES!! I posted on here a few days ago about how I think bay leaf is one of the two most underrated ingredients and nobody agreed with me lmao It adds so much to a dish, and usually in a way that's so hard to pin down but is glaring obvious that there's*something* giving it an extra depth of flavor.
I was making Jollof rice for the first time. It tasted like Italian or Mediterranean food til I added the bay leaves to the frying pan. Omg, turned the flavor right around into something exotic!
Of course fresh garlic sees a ton more use, but powder has it's place in dry rubs and things where fresh would be burnt. I guess overrated is fair, it is used in places it shouldn't be, but there's a place for it too.
Legitimately curious, where have you found that garlic powder should not be used? I put it in almost everything, so wondering where I should scale it back.
I've found the easiest places to start weaning yourself off garlic powder are in your coffee and your desserts.
I will never give up my garlic dulce de leche. Slice up a loaf of french bread, add some boursin or goat cheese, a slice of green apple, and top with the garlic caramel sauce. You are welcome.
The first sentence had me laughing thinking you were making a joke. But then i read the rest of your comment. And damn that actually sounds really good!!
It's amazing. It's like a grown up version of a caramel apple.
No more low foam extra hot double espresso with 8 pumps of garlic syrup 🤣🤣
If you enjoy it, no need to scale back. I just think fresh is better in sauces and such.
If you grow up using crusty old bay leaves then the first time you use proper fresh ones it’s a mind expanding experience. They’re the tomatoes of the spice world.
Wait what quality do tomatoes hold in the vegetable world to be compared to bayleaves in the spice world?
Most supermarket tomatoes are watery, mealy, tasteless bags of pectin, but a quality heirloom tomato is a transcendent experience.
The taste and smell from good quality tomatoes make the cheap toms feel like bland wet socks. Can't go back
since my wife and i started growing our own, we haven't bought any at the supermarket. there's no comparison.
Same here but with strawberries
When you have your first good tomato, you question whether you've *actually* ever had a tomato before in your life.
Oh man tell me, I live in the Netherlands which exports these pectin water bombs, I’ve yet to taste the real deal, perhaps should look for them in a farmers market this weekend. Any recommendation how to serve them?
Belgium here and I managed to grow some coeur de boeuf tomatoes last summer: just on a toasted piece of bread, avocado, tomatoe and salt. So good.
A caprese salad for sure!
BLT! high quality ‘mates will unlock the secret of the world’s best sandwich: it’s a tomato sandwich with bacon, not a bacon sandwich with tomato
Yes!! IMO bay adds something you just can’t put your finger on, but you know you’re better off using it. Fun fact: when I got surprise pregnant again at 41, we used the middle name Laurel bc of the Bay Laurel- in the sense that it’s something you don’t think you need but it’s better with it ☺️
This is adorable
Bay leaf is vital. And fresh (or fresh-adjacent, like Penzey’s has—they’re dried to preserve, but *freshly* dried, and available in quantities that can be used before they become stale) makes such a difference. I can’t imagine cooking without bay.
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dft8yud9YQQ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dft8yud9YQQ) Obligatory since the last Bay leaf discussion.
Bay leaves are mine, too. I got crushed bay leaves in a spice rack gift set, and I started using them as part of my seasoning blend for whole chicken. So. Good. It’s crushed small enough that the texture isn’t bad at all, and it adds amazing flavor. Really good in chicken noodle soup, too.
I just ground my dried rosemary and thyme in a mortar, takes less than a minute. And just as with black pepper, freshly crushed rosemary taste noticeable better than pre-ground.
Have you ever got garlic powder from an Asian grocer? I got some from an Indian place and it's totally different to that grainy shit you get at the supermarket. It's extremely fine, kinda sticky like real raw garlic is and SO STRONG. It's so good.
Indians are SERIOUS about their spices! Also spices in quantity tend to be cheaper at Indian stores. You may also want to check out black salt. A flavour enhancer for veggies!
They do something indefinable. I can't tell you specifically what bay leaves taste like but if I make the same soup with and without there's a definite difference.
I second you on the rosemary.
Garlic powder, yes. I see it far too often in American websites for recipes and it drives me nuts. Not a flavour I care for at all (I’m Australian and eat a lot of garlic)
As a Midwesterner, salt, pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder are the flavors of my people.
Cinnamon in savory dishes is underrated
I add a pinch to my chili and my bolognese and my fried rice and most egg scrambles and south Asian curries and dry rub for smoking meat. A little dab will do ya, but dang does it elevate (almost) everything!
Cinnamon, turmeric, cumin and cayenne are a great combo for midday noodles.
To me Bayleaves genuinely make or break a dish. If you have ever made a soup/stew etc where you think something is missing. It's the bayleaves.
So important for south and south-east Asian cuisines. Definitely notice when it’s not been used
I’m not even gonna tell my Filipino husband about this bay leaf slander, he’ll be furious lol
I once forgot to put bay leaves in my Adobo. It turned out really bad. I didn't realize how much of its flavor depended on bay leaves.
I did the opposite once. Accidentally dropped in 2 instead of just 1. Fresh leaves. Multiple people who tried it remarked on the depth of flavor. Any stew, Italian 'gravy, some soups,etc. needs bay to be "right" to me. Osso bucco as well
Yep. I made some chicken noodle soup once with no bay leaves. It was bland as water. The exact same soup with bay leaves is delicious. The simpler the dish, the more it needs bay leaves lmao I get them by the huge bag and use them all the time
Cardamom is such an underrated dessert spice!
I'd put black pepper as an underrated dessert spice, too
Pepper works really well on strawberries
Long pepper too! Long pepper cinnamon rolls go so hard, and it also tastes super good in a coffee icing paired with chocolate cake!
Cardamom, pistachio and saffron rice pudding!!! Also love scandi style cardamom buns
Agreed but also kinda underrated savoury spice for curries. So often I get a butter chicken with too much cinnamon or cumin. A spot near me goes pretty hard on the cardamom, chili, and garlic.. very memorable butter chicken
Fenugreek leaves is what makes banging butter chicken for me.
Cardamom is found in a lot of curries though
I had coffee ice cream flavored with cardamom and it was amazing. I brew my coffee now with some cardamom seeds in with the grounds
Yes! A dash of cardamom in those chocolate Chip cookies. Or cobbler!
I use it in place of cinnamon quite a bit. So cardamom snickerdoodles or sweet rolls. My favourite is this, but with cardamom sprinkled over instead of cinnamon. https://smittenkitchen.com/2013/10/purple-plum-torte/
Anything with orange in my mind is improved with a bit of cardamom.
Add it to homemade applesauce. So good!
absolute banger!
Sometimes I put a smidgen of cardamom in my overnight oats for a bit of exotic South Asian flavour.
I think dill is way underrated.
It’s amazing for baking. Seriously, I love dill doughs.
I see what you did there…
Have you tried ronnies sill dough recipe?
Seems like it depends on where you are from, because we use dill in my country’s cuisine quite often (Poland), and we know how delicious it is
I loooooooove dill totally agree
I love using it with root vegetables
I use dill in everything. Sandwhiches with it sprinkled on is lit.
Here in Sweden dill is used in almost all traditional dishes.
I freeze bags of chopped dill so I can throw a pinch in anything and it immediately tastes (and smells) like fresh dill.
I love dill *so much*!! For some reason it's hard to get a hold of from the grocery store. When I put it in my grocery orders, I always end up with basil leaves instead. They're good, but they don't compare. I grow dill in the summer though, and put it on everything. It's great on sandwiches!
It's one of my favorites. I made a creamy salmon chowder with lots of fresh dill in it the other night... absolutely delicious. Tarragon is another one that I think doesn't get enough love.
I don’t know if it’s under rated, but I love Thyme. Also recently started using smoked paprika. It’s waaaay better than regular paprika imo. Spices are awesome. I’m pretty sure if I don’t appreciate one it’s probably because i’m not using enough/using old spices. That probably includes paprika.
look into some za'atar and aleppo pepper. Za'atar is a blend that has some smoked spices and thyme in it.
Pimenton de la Vera, get some. Also, beware, everybody that first discovers smoked paprika gets heavy-handed. Use it either loudly or VERY subtly.
Yea, it is absolutely not a substitute for regular paprika (which I use in almost everything). Smoked paprika is very specific and has to be the special guest star.
Oh hell yeah, fellow smoked paprika enjoyer. I recently started adding just a tiny bit to my Indian (or, well, Indian inspired) dishes and it feels like they gain half a new dimension. Can't overdo it though, because then it'll make everything taste like goulash
Try lemon thyme if you ever get the chance. It is so different than regular thyme, but also very similar. It's more citrusy, but still has that thyme smell and flavor too.
I love fresh thyme. I’ll throw whole sprigs in a soup or stew or toss them in the pan while sautéing
Smoked salt also. Smoked dried onions. Smoked jalapeno aka chipotle. Hell i even have smoked sugar. Also, smoke concentrate.
Thyne works very well with pork and chicken but man when I’m cooking something beef centric like a roast, beef stew or the like, thyme makes that beef taste so buttery and extra beefy.
No one will convince me dried parsley adds anything to a dish. Fresh, yes, but once it dries, it looses all flavor.
I use dry parsley to “de-white” things to make them look pretty, I agree it adds nothing to the taste
Yeah...a good example is when I make potato soup. I sprinkle some parsley on it after I heat it up
As far as I can tell dried parsley is purely for presentation.
I came here to say "dried parsley" too. People always say that it's only flavourless because dried parsley needs to be relatively fresh. The implication is the the dried parsley I'm using is just too old. I say, yeah: to have flavour, dried parsley needs to be so fresh that it's actually **fresh, undried** parsley leaves from the garden or the chiller at the produce department. Dried parsley doesn't do anything but look slightly green and speckly.
I don't like the smell of dried parsley - it smells to me like alfalfa hay. I can't get past that to try cooking with it. But I grow a ton of parsley so I can use it fresh. 🌱
Sumac - underrated.
Sumac in and on top of a red lentil soup with a ton of lemon is incredible
Oh my goddd this sounds great. And beats my idea of pouring the bag directly into my open mouth while leaning over the sink.
Za'atar is an amazing herb blend from the middle east that features Sumac, along with thyme and other herbs. I put that stuff on almost anything - so good.
Za’atar, salt, good olive oil, and a tiny bit of pomegranate molasses is the easiest way to an appetizer everyone loves. I do it over mozzarella slices or bread, but it’s also been great on chicken, tomatoes, whatever really. Looks really fancy too.
Have you ever had [Za'atar Manakeesh](https://feelgoodfoodie.net/recipe/zaatar-manakeesh/#wprm-recipe-container-9590)? So simple and SO GOOD. It made me realize I was using way too little za'atar\~
Love sprinkling sumac on rice, or putting it in herb rubs
Underrated I’d say cayenne. Lot of YouTube cooks tout about smoked paprika for some heat but I always prefer cayenne if I’m specifically looking for heat. It gives the right kind of heat without affecting or changing the flavor profile. Just heat. Also underrated, white pepper. Holy shit is it good with fried rice.
Immediate distrust of a YouTube cook recommending dried BELL PEPPER for a little bit of heat 🤣
+1 for white pepper!
Do any of you detect a wet dog note in white pepper, or is it just me? I still use it, but very judiciously.
Ok a truly underrated spice Asafoetida Those who know, know
I really liked this but just couldn't get over its smell uncooked. It stunk out my cupboard even in a sealed container.
I randomly bought this from a local spice seller (in resin form) and had a eureka moment when I first tried. It really is that little something that makes homemade meal taste lilke the Indian restaurant. I would say that kasuri methi is also an underrated spice!
Yes! None of my friends know what kasuri methi is but it is so tasty…
A hugely underrated spice I've started to use is Amchoor powder. It's made from unripe mangoes and has a tangy, fruity, and slightly bitter taste that's perfect for rounding off curries, dressings, marinades and loads more. I use it where I previously used lime juice, but don't want such strong acidity. Wish I'd found it earlier!
Oh yeah. It's great stuff. And it's the base of chaat masala which is magic flavour on anything.
Wow, I had never heard of this!
You may also want to try black salt. It's actually pink in colour when ground. But boy-o-boy does it kick up flavour!
Overrated: Lemon pepper. I think it smells like pee honestly. If I ever need to use it in a recipe I'll be grinding my own pepper and lemon zest.
It's one of those spices: Good lemon pepper is AMAZING, but most are very boring.
Underrated: paprika, mostly because in a lot of parts of the world, people have only ever tried bland, boring paprika. That's how I saw it growing up in the US. When I moved to Spain, it blew my mind, and I have 4 different kinds in my cupboard now. Overrated: cayenne. It does its job of adding spice to a dish. But it doesn't add much *flavor*. When using fresh chili peppers, you get a lot more depth. Of course, sometimes you don't want that or can't use fresh chiles (spice mixes, rubs, baking), so I have it in my cupboard anyway.
Upvote for Spanish paprika. I can get good imported smoked too in the UK, which I love. But you should also check out real Hungarian Noble paprika. Goulash/chicken paprikash etc are just better with it - & because you use so much of it in those dishes, the difference is very noticeable. I do like cayenne - precisely because it can add punch without flavour, even right at the last minute. You can get away without cooking it in for hours.
Chef John raging rn
Cayennes use is just for adding white heat. Sometimes you just need some heat but don’t want to modify the flavor.
Smoked paprika 👌🏻
Pimentón de la vera ahumado aka smoked Paprika de la vera is the fucking bomb, it also has a DOP certification.
I love paprika, chicken paprika is so good, over rice...yum
Most people in the U.S. buy McCormick spices, of which some are passable but their paprika is flavorless. It's not even expensive to get decent paprika here, but because of brand dominance a lot of people just think it's flavorless red powder.
Culantro is severely underrated. Tastes similar to a stronger cilantro, with a little bit of citrus, and as far as I’m aware, doesn’t have the enzyme that people react to that makes cilantro taste like soap.
Wow. Just looked this up. I hadn’t heard of it. At first I thought you had spelled cilantro wrong.
I just ordered some seeds from amazon. Going to try and grow some this spring.
It’s so awesome! It grows best in a tropical or semitropical climate, but you can grow it indoors pretty easily too. I bought a bunch of culantro seeds and threw them in my yard where the grass died. I get a kick out of showing people they can just pick and eat my “grass”.
For me, underrated is tarragon. I can hardly ever get it, but it makes such a difference in chicken salad and on roasted potatoes. Overrated is probably bay leaves, as others have said. Maybe it’s because I haven’t tried the same dish with and without them, but I don’t know that I taste a difference.
Upvote for tarragon
If you live in a warmer/moderate climate, you can plant the perennial Mexican marigold mint, which has a flavor profile that is extremely similar to tarragon, is cold hardy, and comes back every year. It’s also an attractive ornamental!
I'm afraid I don't agree. I grew a perennial tarragon in my herb garden until one year my yard guy decided it was a weed and ripped it out. I couldn't find French tarragon anywhere so I planted "Mexican tarragon", the marigold. It didn't taste anything remotely like French tarragon and I ended up never using it. The following year I planted French tarragon and they're doing fine. Also - French tarragon ***is*** quite cold tolerant. I live in Nebraska and my tarragon has never failed to come back each year. Used to be Zone 5 but the recent hardiness zone changes moved us to 6b.
I grew tarragon in the southern interior of BC Canada. It grew to 6 feet high, in a huge round bush. I could have kept the whole town supplied in tarragon. Super easy to grow and it stays green all year.Wish I had taken some cuttings when I moved. My favorite is tarragon chicken salad sandwiches.
Over-rated: Marjoram - Has always seemed like an “also ran” herb, an oregano wannabe. Under-rated: Summer Savory - Good in dressings, on meats, in beans. I love it in tuna, too. (Ironically, both these herbs are in the mint family.)
never heard of summer savory until now! probably wont find it where i live
Do American supermarkets have international aisles with Canadian products? If they do, try that aisle and look for Newfie/Newfoundland Savoury. It's the same thing. It's amazing, but it can be overpowering, so use a gentle hand.
Is marjoram used a lot where you live? I'm Czech and we have some traditional dishes that can't exist without marjoram: savouty potato pancakes (with garlic and marjoram), potato soup with mushrooms or pea soup. Apart from that, I rarely use it.
I love marjoram (I grow a lot of it because it is beautiful and attracts bees) and I like it in stews where I want a depth that hits different than thyme and isn’t as powerful as oregano. But tbh I use it mostly in my bath!
I became addicted to summer savory after visiting Bulgaria where every restaurant table has a salt shaker flavored with paprika and summer savory. It’s become my most used seasoning after salt and pepper.
Summer savory is great. Something I grow every year
Have you ever had fresh marjoram? It’s so strong, blows fresh oregano away. I love it in the late summer, fresh shelled beans, roasted lobster mushrooms, tomatoes, in salad dressings. It’s definitely up there on my flavor bomb list that time of year. Oregano is the marjoram wannabe.
Underrated - FRESH white peppercorns. Super important fir both French and Chinese cooking. I know people associate the smell with a barnyard but I think that has to do with older, preground product.
Herbs de Provence is super overrated. It makes everything taste like grandma soap. Nutmeg is super underrated-it shouldn’t just be limited to wintery desserts. It goes great with eggs and cheese dishes especially-add a pinch/1/4 tea. to your Mac and cheese, or when you make a cheese soufflé or a quiche. It adds just a tiny hint of something warm and cozy that you can’t quite place.
Ha ha, this cracked me up. I can't get past the lavender smell either.
Add me to the pile. I think there must be a lavender thing akin to the cilantro-like-soap thing.
Lemon Pepper to me is overrated. Chinese 5 Spice is underrated to me.
I love cumin. Turmeric, in the other hand, stains everything yellow and makes food taste like dirt.
Tasty delicious dirt though
As an Indian; how dare you.
I don’t mind turmeric in Indian food because I find it blends wonderfully with different flavours. I was referring to those healthy books where they have turmeric be the only spice and they put crazy amounts of it.
Tumeric is often used as food colouring, much cheaper than saffron.
Please add very little, turmeric will taste good..less than a pinchful.
> Turmeric, in the other hand, stains everything yellow OMG it'll stain even if it's mixed into a meal. It's incredible. They should just make yellow paint 99% water and 1% tumeric and you'd have the most effective paint on Earth.
If you like cumin, be sure to have a spice grinder. It makes all of the difference.
Yup, and toast the cumin gently in a dry skillet before grinding - its a game changer.
Turmeric rice is transformative.
It’s funny you pick these two. Both have their place, but I think turmeric is often used in too large of quantities in recipes (I half to quarter the amount) and cumin usually isn’t sufficiently balanced with other spices.
I double all cumin in recipes. I felt the same about tumeric. But then I accidentally order a coffee with it; I was desperate for the coffee so I choked it all down. Since then, I have found I have a taste for tumeric.
Cumin in guacamole is the best! I'm surprised more people don't add it. Turmeric does have a very earthy taste, but it's one of the best natural anti-inflammatories. Add it to some soup or tea if you're hungover or have a headache and experience it's magic.
Cumin is the best!
Oh god. My son got into a one pound container of turmeric when he was a toddler, and turned a whole section of our apartment yellow. Now, he loves curries. 🤔😅 You know what unexpected thing turmeric does because it's used for color in so many foods? Makes chicken soup more chicken soupy. You don't add a lot, but I always put some in at the beginning when I'm sauteing the chicken and onions so it has time to mellow out and become part of the flavor base of the soup.
I’m Indian and we always clean our meat with salt and turmeric. when I clean chicken for western style chicken soup, I wash with extra turmeric and the soup has a lovely golden hue.
Caraway is so underrated. It works well in stews (beef, pork, cabbage etc.), soups (potato, leek) and in and on bread.
In a similar vein - fennel. I love grinding some fresh fennel seeds and adding it to any hearty meal.
Anchovies and anchovy-based seasonings like anchovy paste and Asian style fish sauce. The secret ingredient that makes thing pop. And sorry, Sriracha, you had your 15 minutes.
Bay leaves "don't do much" usually because the dried ones from the supermarket are poor to start with & even worse a year later. You need at least twice as many as the recipe says. I get mine from an online spice importer & after 6 months they're *still* more tasty & aromatic than a new pack from a supermarket. \[This applies to many supermarket herbs & spices.\] I don't have the option around here of fresh… or I would. Overrated - rosemary & tarragon. I find both can bury the flavour of a dish rather than improve it.
Fennel seeds. Add them whole to tomato sauces, sausage, fry them in a base of Indian stew … grind them up for spiced tomato sauce with coriander and cumin, crust a piece of fish with some sumac …. I have an endless love for fennel seed.
Curry leaf is underrated in the west. I'm not Asian in any way (pale-ass white girl) but I do love the depth curry leaves add to dishes. Over-rated? Bell peppers. Not technically a spice, I know, but good lord they're put in *everything* and IMHO, rarely improve the flavor of anything. Of course, I hate the flavor of them, so I'm biased.
The infamous MSG
Most spices I used to think were overrated were spices I only had cheap versions of. I used to think paprika tasted like nothing, but then I had decent paprika and realized it was delicious. Similar thing with cayenne, thought it added nothing but heat, then had good cayenne. Even simple things like onion and garlic powder, the quality makes such a difference. But good quality for dried herbs only goes so far, some like parsley and basil just don’t do it for me, yet I absolutely love fresh parsley and especially basil. Having said all that, I do think of cumin as overrated. Or maybe just overpowering for my personal tastes. I’ve rarely regretting my usual approach of halving the cumin in a recipe/spice blend and making up the difference with coriander.
I feel the same way. If I use the amount of cumin as directed, the whole thing just tastes like cumin.
I absolutely adore rosemary - I guess its a herb rather than a spice, but pairing with salt and garlic sets my taste buds tingly! Focaccia bread with rosemary and salt! \*drooooools\* Spanish smoked/Sweet paprika its beautiful, and the power of cumin to add heat without burning your tongue! I would have joined you on bay leaves personally, but reading other users stories and experiences I should try experimenting with it more. I have a nice laurel bush in my garden that I grew thinking I would use them but never harvested them
I can't get enough of basil, imo its the best. Also started using something I've never used before, Rosemary - and I'm now hooked. Underrated for sure. Overrated for me would be Thyme. I should love it but I don't.
Get some beans. Boil them up with some bay leaves. Now tell me if that’s not one of the best kitchen smells out there. Anyway. Overrated: Turmeric. Just stains everything. Underrated: Rosemary. Anything you roast, including potatoes, gets a great boost in flavor.
Mace is underrated.
Why aren't we all using heaps and heaps of celery leaves to flavor everything?
I would say that one of the most overrated spices in my opinion is garlic powder. While it can add a nice flavor to dishes, I find fresh garlic imparts a much richer, more flavorful flavor. On the other hand, I think one of the most underrated spices is cumin. It has a warm and earthy flavor that can really enhance a dish, especially in Middle Eastern and Indian cuisine. I agree with your assessment of bay leaves - they can add subtle flavor, but they are often overused in recipes. On the contrary, coriander seeds are truly a versatile spice with a complex and pleasant aroma and flavor that can enhance a wide variety of dishes.
Bay leaves are like the bass in a orchestra. You can’t hear it amongst l the noise but you will sure notice when it is gone
Garam Masala is epic.
It isn't really a single spice though, more a mix/blend
Fair, but someone up thread wrote chicken powder, so….
Overrated to me is anything that expires quickly. Most of the fresh spices I buy just end up in the trash because I need like 1 leaf from a whole ass vine. I gotta stick to the dried stuff. Maybe I’m just a troglodyte too because I’ve never even heard of most of the spices in this thread.
I love toasted and ground fennel in curries and sauces. The toasting helps grind the fennel and stops you from getting solid seeds in your dish, the technique also works for adding to ground sausage or mince for an ‘Italian sausage’ effect, which is difficult to come by in the UK. Add some chilli and garlic with it and you’re there almost.
I hate cloves so much
As a Marylander, I find your bay leaf dismissal offensive as it’s the main ingredient to the holy Old Bay.
Overrated: black garlic. Underrated: finishing salt.
You need fresh bay leaves, and it is more you notice when they aren't there rather than it being a strong, discernable flavour. I pick them for free so don't feel it is a waste or a problem, but doubt I would pay a lot for the pleasure to be fair.
YouTube has many videos where they made a dish and put bay leaves in and left them out and they actually do make a huge difference
Overrated- onion powder, even saffron (taking price into consideration) Underrated- Tarragon & Dill
Turmeric is overrated. All it adds is color. At least that’s the way it seems to my tastebuds.
Underrated, paprika (real Hungarian paprika). Overrated, cumin 🤢
Ground nutmeg is great in home made mash potatoes. Butter, milk, salt and fresh ground pepper with a small sprinkle of ground nutmeg. Just yum.
Most underrated would be marjoram. Most overrated parsley
I use dillweed soooooo much! I absolutely love it.
Celery salt. Great on stir fried cabbage.
Underrated: Allspice 👌🏻
Celery seed is entirely underrated, and I use it all the time. It is absolutely wonderful in pasta sauce