Our cupboards aren’t complete without our favorite spices. From the basics, such as pepper and sugar, to seemingly “professional” spice selections like turmeric and cinnamon, you can trust us to provide you with the best choices.

The market for spices is more alive that ever today. With celebrity chefs here and there encouraging home cooks to be bold and try things out, America is indeed trying things out – to amazing results!

Spices have become indispensable. When you want flavorful meals, don’t just reach for herbs; check out the spice section too! This will add an exciting dimension to the food that you cook.

Cinnamon
Cinnamon is definitely one of our favorites. Considered a sweet-flavored spice, cinnamon can be added to both sweet and savory dishes. It is often used as an add-on or topping to coffee, pastries and liqueurs. If you want to venture into something different, try it on savory dishes, such as tomato-based pasta sauces and stews. It can also be used in pickling, among other things.

The best cinnamon comes from Asian countries, such as Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Burma, Vietnam and China.

Pepper
What’s a kitchen without pepper? To season just about anything, you need pepper.

The good news is that pepper is good for you. Traditionally, it was used to cure symptoms of insomia, abscesses, constipation and even toothaches. Modern medicine is now looking into how the piperine in peppers helps in better the absorption of vitamin B12, curcumin, selenium and beta-carotene. Aside from that, peppers contain phytochemicals, such as pyrrolidines and piperidines, which help with heart diseases and cancer. A tablespoon of black pepper also has vitamin K, manganese and iron.

Sugar
Sugar has gotten a bad rep, of late. With the obesity epidemic on the rise, abuse of sugary products has been called out as a leading cause. This just shows that too much of anything has repercussions.

As is, as long as you know how much and where your sugar is coming from – and you are not taking in any of those products with lots of hidden sugars – then you should be ok. Sugar can be a good thing, especially when it comes to your cooking.

There are varieties too based on where the sugar comes from. Major sources include sugarcane, sugar beets, sorghum, sugar maple and date palm. The sugar that we know – in powder form or cubes – is extracted with hot water. The resulting syrup is then crystallized to make sugar. And as of 2013, we product 175 million tonnes sugar globally.

That’s a lot of sweetness that can elevate the taste of food!

Turmeric
Turmeric is native to India but is also grown in other South East Asian countries. It is a popular spice in Indian, Bangladeshi and Pakistani cuisine that is making its way into the palates and cupboards.

Indeed, there are a lot of possibilities with turmeric, way more than just curries. And, aside from complex deliciousness it gives our food, the curcumin in turmeric is also very good for us.

This bitter and earthy ingredient is used to treat several health conditions, such as infections, colds, indigestion, and liver problems. It is also used to treat wounds and skin infections. Of course – you can also cook amazing cuisine with turmeric. It is no longer just or Asian food. Fusion cuisine has included turmeric in everyday meals, such as in breakfast omelets and stews.