The Perfect Pantry's spice rack: 58 essential ingredients (and we turn three today)

Three spices added to my pantry in the past year.

I believe in karma.

I really do.

I believe in parking karma. My husband Ted has it, an uncanny ability to find a space for his car, even in the most crowded city on the most crowded day. Me? Can't snag a parking space in an empty lot.

I believe in shopping karma. When you find what you're looking for on your first stop of the day, your day's errands will be successful.

I believe that when three readers, three days in a row, ask for a list of the spices in my pantry, the universe is trying to tell me something. Call it blog karma.

Today is the three-year anniversary of The Perfect Pantry, and I'm celebrating with three posts this week about everything in my pantry. It's the first time I've ever published a list of all of the items that have permanent resident status in my spice rack, cupboards, fridge and freezer.

Three spices I use in small quantities, from a favorite online source.

You'll realize, of course, that my pantry is perfect -- for me, and for what I like to cook. As we've seen on Saturdays in Other People's Pantries, everyone's pantry is perfect, yet no two contain identical ingredients.

At the end of each post this week, I hope you'll suggest items that should be in my pantry, with some ideas for how to use them. I'm always looking for my next favorite ingredient, for new dishes to try and new flavors to love.

Next Sunday, I'll publish the list of what you feel is missing from The Perfect Pantry, and you can be sure that many of those items will find their way here.

To the readers who inspired this week's posts, and to all of you who read this blog and take a moment to leave a comment or send an email, or let me know if you've tried a recipe, or share your own recipes, or correct my mistakes or add to our collective knowledge about pantry ingredients, and to those whose pantry photos have appeared here in Other People's Pantries -- thank you, thank you, thank you.

You are the most important ingredient in The Perfect Pantry.

Three spices in recycled jars.

THE PERFECT PANTRY'S SPICE RACK
The 58 herbs and spices in my kitchen today
As you can see, my spice rack circles the globe. Herbs and spices marked with an asterisk are ones I consider fundamental, if you're just starting to build your pantry. To find more recipes using each ingredient, use the search box at the top of this page. [Note: to print this post without sidebars, hit "print" on your keyboard. To print just the list, cut and paste into a Word document.]

Adobo seasoning
Aleppo pepper
Allspice, whole and ground
Anise seed
Annatto
Arrowroot
*Bay leaves
Cardamom, ground and whole pods
*Cayenne pepper
Celery seed
Chile peppers, assorted ground and whole
*Chili powder
*Cinnamon, ground and whole sticks
Cloves, whole and ground
Colman's English dry mustard
Coriander
Cream of tartar
*Cumin, ground and whole seeds
*Curry powder
Dill weed and seed
Epazote
Fennel seed
Fenugreek
Filé powder
Five-spice powder
Garam masala
*Ginger, ground
Grains of paradise
Herbes de Provence
Hot sauce (Tabasco and many others)
Nutmeg, whole and ground
Old Bay Seasoning
Oregano, Mediterranean and Mexican
Paprika, Hungarian sweet and Pimentón (smoked paprika)
*Pepper, black and white, ground and whole peppercorns
Piment d'Espelette
Ras el hanout
Red pepper flakes
Saffron
*Salt, kosher and sea (several types)
Sambar powder
Seasoned salt
Sesame seeds, white and black
Spike seasoning
Star anise
Syrian spice
Szechuan peppercorns
Tarragon
*Thyme leaf
Turmeric
Urfa pepper
Za'atar

What's missing? What's on your spice rack that isn't on this list?

Comments

Aimee, you've stumped me on tonka bean. What is it? I'm intrigued.

Lori, I tend not to keep many spice blends in the pantry, but I do keep the components to make my own. And I grow (and dry) Greek oregano, and wouldn't be without it.

Neil, I absolutely have vanilla bean and vanilla extract. They're in the cupboards.

Congratulations on reaching year three of this incredible blog. One of your readers mentioned keeping lemon and lime zest. Should it be refrigerated?

wow happy 3!!

maybe I missed it but have you tried/blogged Bell's Seasoning? the little yellow box was a staple in my mother's and now my pantry - she used it to make stuffing. I use it as a light dry-rub along with fresh lemons for delicious roast chicken.
check it out at http://www.bellsseasonings.com/

Who sells big spice racks for the indian cooks out there? I've looked everywhere...!! I WANT 100 spice rack!!

Asafoetida
Mexican oregano
ghost chili powder
black mustard seeds
green chili pepper flakes
star anise
dulse
toasted sesame oil
onion granules
Bese Bese spice mix
smoked peppercorns
curry leaves (best fresh)

Great list! I also regularly use:
Mustard seeds
Hing (Asofetida)
Curry leaves
Dried oregano
Methi (dried fenugreek leaves)

you have no Sweet Basil and Lemon. McCormicks used to make a premixed version that was awesome on fish and seafood, but they discontinued it. So I just use fresh Lemon Grass and Fresh Sweet Basil when I can. Its better than dried basil and lemon juice. Otherwise, you really need some Tony Cachere's Cajun Spice . . . and some Cavender's Greek Seasoning.

Love your list. I'm always trying to broaden my cooking horizons. I didn't see Lemon Pepper Seasoning which I use a lot.

Great list! I LOVE Penzy's too! I buy their Bavarian spice rub for my pot roast. It reminds me of Sunday dinners at my Grandmother's!

mustard seeds... a must in all Indian pantries/ kitchens ;> they usually accompany cumin seeds for tempering :)) for more info and recipes using these tiny black seeds-

http://www.talimpu.com/about/

sumac

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/342102/sumac_spice_uses_in_middle_eastern.html

Ok, coming a little late to this game, but you know what they say...

Korean red pepper powder
Kelp
Mustard Seed
Curry leaves

...I think that's all I have right now that you don't, which isn't saying much! I've been looking for jimbu and methi and timur, daun salam, kemiri (candlenut) and some other spices but haven't found them yet. Anybody know a good online organic spice dealer?

Just stumbled onto your site while looking up something to do with a tube of Harissa and virtually NOTHING in my apartment (besides spices and condiments) since I am moving in 4 days. Excited to say that all I need is the fish for your Harissa and fish recipe.

That said, a couple of spices that I cannot do without (and only discovered in the past two years!).

* Shahi Jeera - "black cumin" or "royal cumin" - a subtler, smokier version of cumin.
* Black Cardamom - Another smokey savory alternative to the original

Both go amazingly with Fall/Winter meat dishes (a bit unseasonable, but that'll give you time to find them!)

Just found grains of paradise at my spice shop and picked some up. Excited to see what you do with them!

Keith, black cumin and black cardamom -- two completely new-to-me spices that I will now have to track down!

I'm late to the party, but I have to offer a massive THANK YOU!!!!

My dad has been talking for years about adobo powder nad fish he'd had cooked in it and how it was awesome. And while I've found scads of recipes for it, he wanted a commercial mix with the name on the bottle. (I came THIS close to mixing it myself and slapping an inkjet printer special label on it..) The Penzeys you show is going to make him a happy camper.

SAGE! :)