Melbourne

Don’t buy anymore. A year from now, you will end up with half a dozen oregano’s and multiple same spices because you’re at the market and can’t remember what you have. So you buy yet another smoked paprika to add to the collection. I know I’m not alone on this.

Warning, spice habit can get out of control.

Garlic powder

Dill

Sechuan peppercorn (mouth numbing and spicy)

MSG - it's not bad for you, but will elevate your dishes

Rosemary, oregano, sage and thyme are good for meats and stews

If you can source Australian pepper berry I highly recommend it

That's a serious list there. I'd get some oxo beef cubes.

Others you might consider but not necessary: cinnamon sticks, tarragon, chives, smoked paprika, garam masala, basil, Italian mix, parsley, garlic powder.

I use star anise with my marmalade. After my make the marmalade before I put the lid on I put a star anise on top of the jam. It imparts a lovely flavour.

Cajun is basically my go to. Yes you can make it yourself but the big jars of it last ages and honestly probably go in 1/2 the stuff I make anyway. Same goes with Pizza topper.

Star anise has an aniseed taste. Kind of like liquorice but not that strong. Used in middle eastern and Asian stews and soups. It gives an added boost when used with other spices like cinnamon and cloves.

Whole spices keep better than ground ones generally. Asian grocers will be much cheaper than the supermarket, but you’ll be buying big quantities. Do consider the Australian natives; lemon myrtle and bush tomato especially.

My fav thing to do with star anise is a braised beef stew thing.

Cubed cow. Brown the fuck out of it. Onion, garlic, ginger, star anise, dried orange rind, honey, soy, stock. Chilli if desired. Simmer until sticky. Rice of course.

Good list. I would add whole cloves to that list, and whole cumin seeds rather than ground. I would also use whole cardamom pods in preference to ground, but that's just me. One is usually enough to get that citrussy/eucalyptussy taste & fragrance. Buy the greenest ones you can find. You can also take off the outer husk and just use the seeds for a milder flavour. I would also add sumac to that list - middle eastern spice that adds tang and is very yummy with fish, vegetables and anything with cheese in it. I would also invest in a rosemary bush in a pot, so that you can use a few leaves here are there for meat dishes. Very yummy with lamb but also goes good with beef, but it's easy to use too much so a few leaves is much better than a whole sprig. Dried rosemary from the shop is a pale shadow of the real thing. Smoked paprika is versatile, goes on practically any meat/fish and is also good with vegetables - sprinkle on potato or cauliflower for a delicious flavour.

Star anise is nice in asian dishes, but I find the flavour very strong so I usually just break off one of the spikes of the star and just use that.

One of my fab faves is to grate a couple of big carrots, and put in a frypan with 3 cardamom pods and 1 clove and teaspoon of whole toasted cumin seeds, then fill up the pan to juuuussst cover the carrot with milk. Simmer on a VERY low heat stirring frequently until all the milk evaporates and the carrot goes mushy. Add about 1/3 cup of sugar or to taste (varies with the sweetness of the carrots) and stir in. You may not need any sugar at all if the carrots are very sweet. Enjoy as a dessert with icecream or smear thickly on a biscuit of your choice.

Ginger

galangal

mild madras curry powder

turmeric

big pepper grinder with a blend of different peppercorns

spaghetti herb and spice mix from Mediterranean Wholesalers

mace

mustard seeds

mustard powder

mushroom stock cubes

whole nutmegs

dried fenugreek leaves

fresh ground lemon grass in a tube

I like to use Mild Moroccan spices from Hoyt’s

Cloves and bay leaves for speghetti bolognaise sauce.

I have chicken salt. General seasoning and Italian herb mixes as well.

@Baku a bay tree in a pot is a good option if you can (with housing arrangements and climate)

It’s easy to go overboard on getting spices and they go stale/lose flavour quickly, so maybe build a collection up by starting with a few basics and then adding as you need them?

Or look up spice mixes you’re most likely to use (ie taco seasoning if you like tacos) and buy the stuff for those.

It all depends on what you cook!

You might not need star anise or sesame oil unless you’re cooking Chinese food that specifically asks for it, and the sesame seeds are a luxury sprinkle. I see bay leaves used in soup or maybe rice dishes.

The list looks pretty solid though.

I used to use ground coriander seed with cumin and onion in a rice dish but it’s not an essential.

Paprika comes in a few kinds so pick your favourite. There’s the plain sweet paprika which adds a lot of colour but just a little bit of a capsicum taste, smoked paprika which is stronger in a good way, and also a hot paprika I haven’t tried.

Some things you might like to have as well are soy sauce, fresh or jarred garlic, or white vinegar. Also lemon juice, honey, tomato paste… it depends

Also if you do anything sweet you might like to have some vanilla essence. It’s good even just in a microwave mug cake.

Ps. Don’t feel you have to force yourself to cook meals every day! And don’t be afraid to cook very simple food.

If you live alone it is a heavy expectation to manage, especially with work and study. A lot of people struggle to do it because historically there was an extra person at home handling all that.

@[email protected] star anise is this one which I usually use in making masala’s for meat dishes like curries and Briyani. It kind of adds ooomph to the masalas. Without it masala’s taste light. This kicks up the taste to feel more heavy, if that makes sense.

Usage personally is a broken one (like half) for a masala that goes with 1/2kg of meat (or a meal for 2-3 people), it could be one full one if not ground up and used as is in things like briyani.

I always feel its flavour is wasted when not ground up. But in a briyani it could make sense if you need the extra heat, but don’t want to consume the spice (like a first time user).

Sorry for the data dump. Got a bit excited 😜