Herbs & Spices – What Goes With What Food
For the less adventuresome, the table below suggests individual seasonings for a variety of foods. You will need to experiment to see which appeal to you and your family.
Food | Seasoning |
Beef | Allspice, basil, bay leaf, cayenne, chili, cumin, curry, dill, ginger, mustard, paprika, marjoram, oregano, parsley, rosemary, thyme – red wine reduction. |
Pork | Allspice, basil, caraway seed, coriander, cumin, dill, garlic, cardamom, cloves, curry, ginger, marjoram, mustard, oregano, paprika, parsley, rosemary, sage, savory, thyme – apple, applesauce, red wine reduction |
Lamb | Basil, cardamom, curry, dill, garlic, sage, mace, marjoram, mint, oregano, paprika, rosemary, turmeric – pineapple, red wine reduction |
Veal | Bay leaf, corriander, cumin, garlic, dill, oregano, rosemary, sage, thyme – apricot, lemon, white wine |
Chicken and Poultry |
Allspice, anise, bay leaf, cayenne, curry, dill, ginger, marjoram, mustard, nutmeg, paprika, parsley, pepper, sage, savory, tarragon, thyme, corriander, garlic, oregano, rosemary |
Fish | Allspice, anise, basil, bay leaf, cayenne, chives, curry, dill, fennel, ginger, marjoram, nutmeg, oregano, paprika, parsley, tarragon, thyme. |
Shellfish | Bay leaf, basil, chervil, coriander, curry powder, cloves, dill, margarine, oregano, tarragon, thyme |
Eggs | Chili powder, chives, cumin, curry powder, savory, tarragon, basil, chervil, fennel, marjoram, mustard, oregano, parsley, poppy seeds, turmeric, watercress |
Fruit | Allspice, anise, cinnamon, cloves, curry, ginger, mace, mint, nutmeg, pepper. |
Vegetables |
|
Bread | Caraway, cardamom, fennel, poppy seeds |
Herbal Combinations
Herbs can be combined for specific foods. Having premixed combinations on hand speeds cooking and helps assure consistent quality. Some combinations have special names. They can be added directly to the food or wrapped in cheesecloth and removed before serving. The following are suggested herb blends. (Assume equal parts unless specified.)
Food/Term | Seasoning Blend |
Egg | Basil, dill weed (leaves), garlic, parsley. |
Fish | Basil, bay leaf (crumbled), French tarragon, lemon thyme, parsley (options: fennel, sage, savory). |
Poultry | Lovage, 2 parts marjoram, 3 parts sage. |
Salad | Basil, lovage, parsley, French tarragon. |
Tomato Sauce | 2 parts basil, bay leaf, marjoram, oregano, parsley (options: celery leaves, cloves). |
Italian | Basil, marjoram, oregano, rosemary, sage, savory, thyme. |
Barbeque | Cumin, garlic, hot pepper, oregano. |
Fine herbs | Parsley, chervil, chives, French tarragon (sometimes contains a small amount of basil, fennel, oregano, sage or saffron). |
Bouquet garnish | Bay leaf, 2 parts parsley, thyme. The herbs may be wrapped in cheesecloth or the parsley wrapped around the thyme and bay leaf. |
Herb butter | One stick unsalted butter or margarine; 1 to 3 tablespoons dried herbs or 2 to 6 tablespoons fresh herbs (any herb or spice may be used); 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice; and white pepper. Combine ingredients and mix until fluffy. Pack in covered container and let set at least one hour. |
Vinegar | Heat 1 quart vinegar in an enamel pan, pour it into a vinegar bottle, and add one or several herbs (4 oz. fresh marjoram, sage, tarragon or thyme). Do not let the vinegar boil. Refrigerate for two weeks before using. Any type of vinegar may be used, depending on personal preference. |
Sue Snider, Ph.D.
Professor/Food Safety & Nutrition Specialist