Herbs & Spices

This is the everyday shelf: the dried herbs and ground spices you reach for without thinking. Black pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder season almost anything savory. Oregano and thyme are the two dried herbs that hold up to long cooking, in tomato sauce, beans, roast chicken, and soup. Cumin, turmeric, and ground ginger do the heavy lifting in curry, chili, and tacos. Cinnamon and sumac sit at the edges, one warm and sweet, one sharp and sour.

Choosing between them comes down to what you cook most. If you make a lot of braises and roasted vegetables, start with pepper, garlic powder, thyme, and oregano. If you cook curry or tacos weekly, cumin and turmeric matter more. Sumac is the one to add when a finished dish tastes flat and you want acidity without adding liquid.

Every jar comes in three sizes, and the right one depends on how often the lid comes off.

• Small: a spice you use a few times a year, or one you want to try first.
• Medium: the weeknight staples, used once or twice a week.
• Large: pepper, garlic powder, and whatever you cook with daily.
• Ground spices fade with time, so buy the size you will finish in about a year.