fbpx

10 African Spices And Herbs That Taste Great Everywhere

10 African Spices And Herbs That Taste Great Everywhere

4 of 11

African spices nay not necessarily have made their way into favorite foods around the world as much as Indian or Mexican spices have, but the word is spreading. Fusion is happening in kitchens around the world as we speak. These are 10 African spices and herbs that taste great in favorite foods around the world.

rd.com
rd.com

Harissa and lamb burgers

This spicy paste tastes incredible mixed into any burger patty or meat loaf. Its main ingredients include several varieties of hot chili peppers plus herbs such as coriander seed and a little vegetable or olive oil. The spice tastes particularly good in the bold flavor of a lamb burger. Here’s a great recipe using the red hot stuff.

userealbutter.com
userealbutter.com

 

Tabil vinaigrette

Tabil is a Tunisian spice made of coriander seed, caraway seed, garlic powder and chili powder. The coriander is the most apparent flavor, making the spice rather peppery. Tabil is a great way to add flavor to otherwise bland items and tastes delicious on roasted vegetables. Here’s a simple recipe using Tabil in a vinaigrette.

againstallgrain.com
againstallgrain.com

Berbere and barbecue chicken

Berbere is a complex spice mixture that includes familiar elements such as peppers, garlic, ginger, dried basil and less familiar ones such as rue, ajwain, nigella and fenugreek. It’s most often found in Ethiopian and Eritrean recipes but its barbecue-curry-hybrid flavor tastes delicious when you’re barbecuing chicken. We like this recipe for a chopped chicken burger.

browngoat.wordpress.com
browngoat.wordpress.com

Grains of Paradise

Grains of paradise are a member of the ginger family often known as alligator pepper or Guinea pepper. The mixture is peppery with a hint of lemon and tastes great in a rub for kebabs, steaks and just about anything grilled. But we liked it in this side dish perfect for a barbecue: watermelon and feta skewers.

arabia.msn.com
arabia.msn.com

West African Pepper

West African Pepper comes from a dried fruit and is similar to cubeb pepper, only a little fresher and with a less bitter taste.  It’s used a lot in Nigerian recipes but tastes delicious on chicken wings. Substitute it in for regular pepper in this African Chicken Wings recipe for a unique flavor.

blog.peppadew.com
blog.peppadew.com

Tsire Powder

Tsire powder has a unique flavor that’s nutty, fruity and spicy. The recipe for the mixture varies. Some include apple pie spice, chili powder, salted peanuts and salt. Such a unique spice tastes great on an item that’s often full of unique flavors: pizza! Here’s a delicious recipe for a peppadew pizza that incorporates tsire. 

tinkeringwithdinner.blogspot.com
tinkeringwithdinner.blogspot.com

 

Tunisian Five Spice

Tunisian five spice is made of cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon, peppercorns and grains of paradise (another one from our list!). It’s usually used to flavor meats and vegetables and has a mostly sweet taste. We love this recipe for five-spice vanilla ice cream. The main components are strawberries, coconut milk and cream cheese and the spice enhances each of them in unexpected ways.

vegrecipesofindia.com
vegrecipesofindia.com

Peri Peri

Peri peri may be the best known African spice. A popular chili pepper that grows in several African countries, it’s the main ingredient in peri peri spice. You’ll find it throughout Africa — and the world, thanks to Nando’s — slathered on peri-peri chicken. Are you ready for a long ingredients list? Peri peri spice is made from crushed chilis, citrus peel, onion, garlic, pepper, salt, lemon juice, bay leaves, paprika, pimento, basil, oregano and tarragon. It adds a bold and complex flavor to everything, but we love it in this recipe for homemade peri peri french fries.

sinfulcurry.com
sinfulcurry.com

Zanzibar Curry Powder

Zanzibar curry powder is a dry-roasted spice with chili flavors mixed with some sweeter flavors. You tastes great in the standard meat/vegetable/rice bowl, but we like it in this fish recipe.

theperfectpantry.com
theperfectpantry.com

 

Cloves

Madagascar, Zanzibar and Tanzania are three countries that do some major clove growing and harvesting. Cloves are usually used to flavor meats, curries and marinades. In the west, they’re associated with holiday flavors. We love them in these simple chocolate spice cookies.