Blends and masalas
Garam masala, ras el hanout, five-spice, za'atar and the mixes each kitchen makes its own.
A blend is a mixture of spices put together to season a particular kind of food. Garam masala, ras el hanout, five-spice, za'atar and curry powder are examples from different parts of the world.
What they are
Blends bring together several spices whose flavours work together. Some are strictly traditional, such as panch phoron, and others vary by family, shop or region, such as garam masala and ras el hanout. A blend may be sold whole, ground, roasted or wet.
How they are used
Cooks add blends at the start of cooking to build a base, or at the end to give aroma. A rub such as jerk or Old Bay is applied to meat or seafood, and a table blend such as shichimi or za'atar is sprinkled on at the table.
Buying and keeping
Many cooks make small batches themselves, toasting the whole spices and grinding them. Bought blends vary widely in quality, so look at the ingredients. Keep them in closed jars, and replace ground blends after six months to a year.
Blend on EveryMasala
The spices written up so far, best known first.
🇮🇳 India and 3 moreGaram masalaगरम मसाला
A ground blend of warm spices from the Indian subcontinent used to finish curries and stews.Blend · Warm and sweet-spiced · Sharp and pungent
🇮🇩 Indonesia and 5 moreIndonesian cinnamon
A strong, affordable bark from Sumatra used as a common spice and oil source.Bark · Warm and sweet-spiced · Sharp and pungent
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Indonesian cinnamon: Forest & Kim Starr, CC BY 3.0, source
- Garam masala: Miansari66, Public domain, source