Tip of the Day - Spice Substitutions

by Sarah LeTrent, Posted Oct 2nd 2009 @ 9:00AM

Are you ever in the middle of a recipe and realize a specific seasoning is missing from the spice rack? Check out these spice substitutions if you're ever in a bind.

Spices. Photo: heydrienne, Flickr.

When substituting spices, a dish will obviously not taste exactly as it would with the original seasoning. The suggestions below are here to suffice in a pinch and offer a similar flavor profile. Who knows, you may even find the flavor of the substitute more enjoyable.

Allspice - nutmeg, cinnamon and ground cloves
Aniseed - fennel seed or star anise
Caraway seed - dill seed
Cardamom - equal parts cinnamon and nutmeg
Cumin - chili powder
Dried mustard - prepared mustard (three times the amount called for)
Juniper berries - gin
Marjoram - oregano or thyme
Paprika - cayenne pepper (watch the heat)
Saffron - turmeric (for color, but the flavor of turmeric is much stronger)

Got more spice substitutions? Leave them in the comments!

Filed Under: Tip of the Day
Tags: seasoning, spice substitutions, spices, SpiceSubstitutions, substitutions, tip of the day, TipOfTheDay

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Reader comments (Page 1 of 1)

10-02-2009 @5:15PM FJHS3 said... I wouldn't call these substitutes but perhaps Alternatives. Cumin and Chili power are very different, same for things like Paprika and Cayenne particularly in the heat department. Otherwise, nice article.
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10-04-2009 @4:35PM Jessica Moore said... I agree with FJHS3. These will work, but most will taste quite different than the original recipe intended.
However, it's nice to have some options when I'm in a pinch! Thanks for sharing.
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