Spice mixes are blended spices or herbs. When a certain combination of herbs or spices is called for in a recipe, it is convenient to blend these ingredients beforehand. Blends such as chili powder, curry powder, herbes de Provence, garlic salt, and other seasoned salts are traditionally sold pre-made by grocers, and sometimes baking blends such as pumpkin pie spice are also available. These spice mixes are also easily made by the home cook for later use.

Whole spices used to create garam masala

Masala

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Masala (from Hindi/Urdu masalah, based on Arabic masalih)[1][2] is a term from the Indian subcontinent for a spice mix, often confused with Marsala wine due to similar pronunciations.[3] A masala can be either a combination of dried (and usually dry-roasted) spices, or a paste (such as vindaloo masala) made from a mixture of spices and other ingredients—often garlic, ginger, onions, chilli paste and tomato. Masalas are used extensively in Indian cuisine to add spice and flavor,[4] most familiarly to Western cuisine in chicken tikka masala and chicken curry, or in masala chai.[5] Other South Asian cuisines including Bangladeshi, Nepali, Pakistani and Sri Lankan, Southeast Asian cuisine such as Burmese and the Caribbean regularly use spice mixes.[citation needed]

Notable spice mixes by region

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Ingredients for a Gulf-style baharat
 
A container of pumpkin pie spice

Americas

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European

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Middle East and Africa

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East and Southeast Asian

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  • Bumbu, several Indonesian blends.
  • Five-spice powder, a blend of cassia (Chinese cinnamon), star anise, cloves, and two other spices, usually fennel seeds and szechuan peppercorns.
  • Húng lìu, a Vietnamese blend
  • Shichimi, a mix of ground red chili pepper, Japanese pepper, roasted orange peel, black and white sesame seed, hemp seed, ground ginger and nori.
  • Shisan Xiang (Chinese: 十三香, Shísān Xiāng), a kind of Wuxiang powder whose names suggests which being made up of thirteen spices. The most popular Shisan Xiang is produced by Wang Shouyi(王守義), a time-honored brand in He'nan(河南) province of China.

South Asia

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Masala". Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary. Merriam-Webster. Archived from the original on October 12, 2022. Retrieved October 12, 2022.
  2. ^ "Masala | Definition of masala in English by Oxford Dictionaries". Oxford Dictionaries | English. Archived from the original on May 1, 2018. Retrieved April 30, 2018.
  3. ^ "Home • Masala Marsala". Masala Marsala. Retrieved October 12, 2024.
  4. ^ V.K. Modi; G.S. Sidde Gowda; P.Z. Sakhare; N.S. Mahendrakar & D. Narasimha Rao (2006). "Pre-processed spice mix formulation and changes in its quality during storage". LWT - Food Science and Technology. 39 (6): 613. doi:10.1016/j.lwt.2005.05.004.
  5. ^ "Spices in Chicken Masala and Chicken Curry Kabsa". Archived from the original on October 9, 2017. Retrieved October 9, 2017.
  6. ^ Tomlinson, Mary (December 11, 2017). "What's Really in Old Bay Seasoning?". Coastal Living. Archived from the original on August 6, 2020. Retrieved June 18, 2020.
  7. ^ Ingraham, Christopher (March 8, 2016). "They put Old Bay on everything in Maryland. Soon you will, too". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on May 12, 2015. Retrieved June 18, 2020.
  8. ^ Kloman, Harry (February 13, 2011). "Glossary". Ethiopian Food ♦ Mesob Across America. Archived from the original on October 24, 2017. Retrieved October 24, 2017. Afrinj አፍርንጅ. A very mildly spiced condiment for kids or anyone who can't handle berbere or mitmita.
  9. ^ "Visiting Sri Lanka soon? Bookmark our guide to feast like a local in Colombo". Vogue India. December 11, 2019. Archived from the original on September 20, 2021. Retrieved September 20, 2021.
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