A Spice Blend Glossary

Traditional spice blends are mysterious mixtures that give a national cuisine its characteristic flavour. They have exotic names and secret ingredients and the recipe for a particular mix will vary from region to region, village to village, and even family to family. What is constant in these mixes, though, are certain spices that appear time and again no matter the area of origin. Along with cloves, cinnamon and cumin, pepper is nearly always an ingredient, leaving an indelible footprint throughout the kitchens of the world.