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Four Types of Seasonings
- Salt
- Pepper
- Sugar and light sweeteners
- Acids
Seasonings in Cooking
- Seasonings are used in the preparation of foods instead of after the food is cooked and ready to be eaten like condiments.
- When you season a food, you add just enough of one or more of these ingredients to change the food’s basic taste, but not enough to add a whole new taste.
- One measure of a good cook is how skillfully he blends seasonings to bring out the optimum flavor of foods.
- While a correct blend of seasonings enhances a dish, combining the wrong seasonings can destroy a meal.
Types of Common Herbs and Spices
- Common cooking herbs include basil, oregano, marjoram, parsley, rosemary, thyme, and dill.
- Common culinary spices include cinnamon, paprika, turmeric, ginger, saffron, and cumin.
- Quatre épices is a spice mix containing ground pepper, cloves, nutmeg, and dried ginger.
Importance of Seasoning in Cooking
- Seasoning is what sets the chef aside from the amateur cook, and it’s much more than just salt and pepper.
- Different types of seasoning include salt and pepper, herbs, spices, lemon juice, vinegars, and sugar.
- The best type of salt for cooking depends on what you’re using it for: finer, quick-dissolving salts are best used for baking, seasoning, or preserving food.
Seasoning Tips
- There are two main times to think about seasoning – the beginning and the end. For slow-cooked dishes, it’s a good idea to get some salt in early so it can spread through the whole dish over time.