Note – We’ve created this article in collaboration with Olam Spices. The article has been curated with the help of their team to provide precise information on the topic.
Herbs and spices can make any bland food more flavourful and aromatic with a pinch. They add essence to so many cuisines and dishes, but it is very important to use the best quality herbs and spices, or else the flavours can be compromised.
Using the best quality herbs and spices is important to make sure that your dish has better flavor and aroma. Herbs and spices are also great sources of nutrients, so you need to be sure while using them whether they are of top-notch quality or not.
Another reason to use the best quality herbs and spices is to avoid any contamination with heavy and harmful metals. So always get the herbs and spices from verified sources, or else you may spoil not only the taste but your health as well.
Now, if you want your favorite dish to taste good, then care to read till the end, and I am sure you will be a herbs and spices expert. So let’s begin the aromatic conversation.
What's In The Post
Do Quality Spices Make A Difference?
Yes, the quality of herbs and spices really matters because they can really make or break the dish. If you don’t use good-quality herbs and spices, you may not get the desired flavor and aroma.
There can be some harmful impacts on health as well if you use low-quality herbs and spices. Many low-quality herbs and spices carry heavy metals, which can spoil the dish and take a toll on your health.
It is very important to recognize the right quality of herbs and spices by figuring out the freshness and other important factors. There can be drastic differences between good quality herbs and spices when compared to bad quality ones.
As per a Quora user, if spices are of good quality, then you only need a little bit of it. The dish’s texture also shifts because of the herbs and spices, so make sure to add good quality herbs and spices.
Is There A Difference Between Cheap and Expensive Spices?
Yes, there is a vast difference between cheap and expensive herbs and spices. From taste to aroma and texture, one can really point out the contrast between the two.
Simply look at it this way. The cheap herbs and spices are cheap because they are not completely pure, and they have some ingredients.
The other components might not be harmful but, obviously, impact the potency of the herbs and spices. Another reason for being cheap is the original source. If the origin or production of herbs and spices is not correct or up to the quality standards, then obviously, the prices will be lower.
When it comes to expensive herbs and spices, one thing is for sure they have great potency. There is no contamination with other ingredients or elements. The packaging and storing of the herbs and spices before reaching the customer also play an important role in the price.
To maintain quality, a brand will make sure to seal the flavors and aroma nicely, and for that, proper packaging, transportation, and storage are very crucial. As per a Reddit user, high-quality spices and herbs have better flavors.
Reasons To Go For Best Quality Spices & Herbs
So far, we have learned that choosing quality herbs and spices is important, but now let’s dig in more and understand all the reasons for choosing the best quality herbs and spices in detail. I am sure that after reading this, you won’t be stingy in spending a little extra money whenever buying herbs and spices.
1. Better Taste
Without any doubt, most of the expensive herbs and spices have a strong flavor that stands out very quickly. Because of that, you don’t need a lot of herbs and spice, as a pinch or two would work perfectly fine. The main purpose of herbs and spices is to elevate the taste, and if you are compromising the quality, that means you are compromising the taste of the dish.
2. Better Aroma
The second thing you notice about the herbs and spice is the taste because the aroma is the first thing that spreads quickly all over the place. And obviously, the aroma of the herbs and spices depends on the quality. So the better the quality, the more authentic the aroma.
3. Better Texture
Not only taste or aroma but also the quality of the herbs and spices determines the dish’s texture. The good quality of herbs and spices blends really well in the dish and has a seeming texture.
4. Better Nutrients
Obviously, herbs and spices have excellent nutrient content. Chinese and Indians use some of the herbs and spices for medicinal purposes as well. Therefore, if you use good quality herbs and spices, then you make sure that you are infusing great nutrients into your body.
Brands With The Best Quality Spices
1. Olam Spices
Olam spices are the best ones in the market when it comes to the quality and taste of the herbs. They deal in great varieties of spices that are directly transported from their farms to the store.
Just a few paragraphs above, we talked about quality, and knowing that they grow their spices, assures that quality is the top thing for them. All the spices are organically grown, so you don’t have to worry about any contamination with heavy metals or so.
If you are still confused, then they have the best advisors who can guide you through all the spices and related information. This is not all; they sell bulk spices, so you obviously save a lot of money in exchange for a really good quality of spices.
2. Diaspora
Diaspora has the freshest spices all over the world, and as they say – the freshest spices start with farmers, and that’s very true. The best thing about Diaspora is that their spices are very flavorful and aromatic, but most importantly, they pay a great amount to the farmers so that there is no compromise in milling and lending of the spices. Each spice is checked in the laboratory for any pesticides, microbial counts, and heavy metals, and good-quality herbs are delivered to the customer.
3. McCormick
Another great brand that deals in herbs and spices is McCormick. They also offer spice blends, and there is a variety to choose from. They have a dedicated flavour force that is responsible for developing insights that shape tastes.
They cover all the herbs and spices from every cuisine in the world. The quality of herbs and spices is not only the main focus, but how to add them to your dishes is also a great deal. Therefore they have grinders as well for your herbs and spices.
4. Morton And Bassett
Morton and Bassett, which was founded by Morton Gothelf, was in the market way before organic herbs and spices were in trend. So you know that you will get the best quality herbs and spices from this particular brand. They have been delivering the most flavorful organic and aromatic herbs and spices since 1986 and have grown their market area since then.
When it comes to quality, they only deal with herbs and spices that are laboratory tested. And the best thing is yet to be mentioned – they are completely solar, meaning they use solar energy for all the production processes.
5. Simply Organic Spices
Simply Organic Spices also offer a wide range of good quality herbs and spices. Living up to its name, Simply Organic Spices have taken care of your need to enjoy flavorful and aromatic herbs and spices by making sure that anything and everything they sell is of the utmost quality.
Their herbs and spices are contamination-free, and that is why they have high potency. And as their name itself explains, the herbs and spices are organically grown, so yeah, you are making the right choice if you are purchasing from here.
6. Penzey’s
Spices and herbs are a very great addition to your dish, but sometimes, there are certain ingredients that are a part of the spice mix, and we simply don’t want it. Penzey spices make sure that your health is the topmost concern even before the flavors and taste. That is why they not only have organic herbs and spices but also have salt or sugar-free herbs and spices.
Another great thing about Penzy Spices is that they provide trial packs, unlike other brands, so that you can be extra sure of their products. So yes, they have good quality herbs and spices, but they go a little extra mile to satisfy their customers, which is the brand’s highlight.
How Can You Tell If Your Spices Are Good?
Even though you get your herbs and spices from the top brands that promise the best quality of the products, There are ways to check if the spices you are using are of good quality or not.
1. Appearance
The first thing you notice about any herb or spice is its appearance. The primary color of the spices can clearly tell the quality. Obviously, you need to be an expert in cooking or specialize in the field of herbs and spices to analyze the quality in a single glance.
Another way to distinguish between good quality herbs and spices and bad ones is by comparing them. The bad quality will have a dull colour and won’t look as appealing and tempting as the good one. Still, if you have no luck analyzing the quality, try smelling.
2. Smell
As soon as you open the packet of any herb or spice, there is a soothing aroma that spreads very quickly. The more profound and delicate the aroma of the herbs and spice, the better quality. If the herbs and spices have gone wrong, they will lose all the smell, and you will need to throw them out.
3. Taste
The next thing you can do after smelling it is actually taste it. Now I am not asking you to directly add the herbs and spices to the dish and then figure out their quality. Instead, you can simply take a pinch and place it on the tip of your tongue. If you taste strong flavor and potency, then it’s a green light.
4. Texture
Obviously, good quality herbs and spices have a very great texture. The soft texture of the herbs and spices also tells you that they are blended correctly, and if they are adequately blended, your dish will obviously elevate in terms of flavor. Look for the texture and make sure to go with the brands that focus on all the other aspects as well.
Are Dried Spices Better Than Fresh Spices?
Choosing between dried spices and fresh spices is completely your call. There is obviously a great difference between the two. On the one hand, dried spices are more concentrated and robust due to the loss of water, whereas fresh herbs have some moisture content that makes them a little less potent.
The choice also depends upon the type of herbs. Certain kinds of herbs and spices are better used in a fresh form as they quickly lose their essence when dried. This goes the other way around as well. Some herbs possess the best of their flavors in dried form only.
And lastly, when we look from the health lens, fresh herbs are more infused with nutrients like vitamins than dried herbs and spices. Due to the dehydration process, many important nutrients are lost, making dried herbs and spices less healthy.
Just remember that the fresh herbs and spices need to be added slightly extra amounts for the right flavors when compared with dried form.
Conclusion
After going through the complete guide about the quality of herbs and spices, I’m sure you can now be an expert in the field. There are very simple and easy ways to identify the quality of the herbs and spices and pair your recipe with them. Next time you shop for herbs and spices, act like an expert and get the best in the market. I hope you had a fun reading. I will be back soon. Until then, spice things up.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do the herbs and spices expire?
Yes, herbs and spices expire if kept for longer than their shelf life. You can clearly figure out by the smell and taste of the herbs and spices whether they have gone bad or not.
Which is the better form of herbs and spices – fresh or dried?
Fresh and dried forms of herbs and spices have their own significance. In terms of flavors, the dried dorm is stronger and more potent, whereas the fresh form is filled with healthy nutrients.
How to identify the good quality of herbs and spices?
The good quality of herbs and spices will have a better taste and aroma. Their color will also be more vibrant, and you can clearly differentiate between the good and the bad.
