Bloomed, Smoked, or Toasted Spices: Which One is Best?
Great Advice for Greater Spice
When it comes to cooking, the word “bland” or “boring” should never come within the stratosphere of favorite meals. That is why food lovers around the world are constantly finding new ways to unlock a world of flavor. Take your favorite spices, for example. Sure, sprinkling them on top of your meals is fine, but have you tried blooming, smoking, or toasting your spices for even more flavor?
Blooming with Flavor
You don’t have to have a green thumb to bloom your spices. Another word for heating, blooming your dried spices and herbs unlocks the deeply flavorful potential of each spice, bringing them to life in your meals. When you bloom your spices in oil, the heat releases fat-soluble compounds contained within the spice and distributes their flavors more efficiently than if you were to stir them in at the end.
Smoking-Good Eats
Smoking your spices is exactly what it sounds like. If you want to add a delicious, smoky depth to your favorite recipes, simply place your herbs and spices on a cast-iron skillet with a lid and a handful of mesquite chips. Some of the best spices to smoke are rosemary, cinnamon, thyme, crushed red pepper, and cumin for a robust flavor that knocks your meals out of the park.
Let’s Get Toasty
Since they both use heat, you might wonder the difference between blooming and toasting your spices. While blooming uses moist heat via mixing the herbs and spices in oil, toasting uses dry heat, or zero oil. This allows for the spices to become deeply fragrant within minutes.
Ready to unlock a world of flavor in new ways each month? Discover your new favorite dish, cooking technique, or foodie fact with RawSpiceBar.
The Spice Subscription Builder
More from The Pinch: A Spice Blog
View all
Leave a comment