Flavorings Category

Despite the name, crème liqueurs contain no cream. Instead, they're liqueurs that have been heavily sweetened and have a thick, syrupy consistency. Don't confuse them with Irish cream liqueurs, which really are made with cream.

This is fresh ginger that has been cooked in a sugar solution and then coated with sugar. It's similar to candied ginger, and the two are often used interchangeably.

This herb is popular throughout the Caribbean. It's similar to cilantro, but more bitter.

Cumin is a key ingredient in Southwestern chili recipes, but it's also widely used in Latin America, North Africa, and India. Freshly roasted and ground cumin seeds are far superior to packaged ground cumin.

This is used to cure meats and fish. It's usually dyed pink so that it won't be mistaken for ordinary salt. It consists of 93.75% table salt and 6.25% sodium nitrate.

This has less flavor than Italian parsley, but it makes a terrific garnish. Don't bother buying dried parsley--it has very little flavor.

To make your own: See the Currant Syrup recipe on RecipeSource.com.

These look like small bay leaves and smell like limes. Dried leaves are easier to find than fresh, but they aren't very good.

Bird's is a popular brand. Look for this in British specialty markets.

This refers to sweetened chocolate other than milk or white chocolate. It includes bittersweet, semi-sweet, and sweet chocolates, all of which can be used interchangeably in most recipes.

This corn syrup has a mild molasses flavor, and it's a common ingredient in barbecue sauce, pecan pie.

These aren't as flavorful as ordinary wine, but they're a good choice for people who want to drink wine without consuming alcohol. Sparkling wines are the most popular de-alcoholized wines, but other varieties are also available. Many brands contain small amounts of alcohol.

These are sweet wines that are served with (or instead of) dessert. Examples include fortified wines like port and sherry, and late harvest wines, which are made from grapes that have shriveled a bit, concentrating their sweetness. As a rule of thumb, a dessert wine should always be sweeter than the dessert it accompanies.

Grey Poupon and French's are well-regarded brands. See the Dijon Mustard recipe posting on Recipesource.com.

You can find soft, feathery sprigs of dill leaves in markets throughout the year. Chopped dill is often paired with fish, cucumbers, potatoes, or it's added to dips, salad dressings, or cream sauces. Dill loses flavor when it's heated, so always add it to cooked dishes at the last minute. Avoid dried dill; it has very little flavor. And don't confuse dill leaves with dill seeds--though they come from the same plant, they're not good substitutes for one another.

Dill seed tastes like dill leaves, but it's much stronger. It's a common ingredient in pickles, dips, and potato salad.

This is similar to powdered sugar, only it doesn't melt as easily. Commercial bakers use this on doughnuts and other pastries.

These comes in gold or silver.

Dry means "not sweet", and this popular style of vermouth is used to make many cocktails, including the martini.

This is a salty Korean bean paste.

West Africans grind these melon seeds into a meal, which they use to thicken and flavor stews.

Look for these in African markets.

This looks like an overgrown garlic, but it's more closely related to a leek. It's much milder than ordinary garlic, so it's a good choice if you want to impart the flavor of garlic to a delicately flavored dish. It's often sold in a mesh stocking to keep the cloves together.

This strongly-flavored herb is commonly used in Mexican bean dishes, partly because it's supposed to reduce flatulence. Fresh epazote has dark green leaves with serrated edges. If you can't find it, the dried version is an acceptable substitute.

Extracts are concentrated flavoring agents. Some, like beef extract or wine essence, are made by reducing a liquid until it's a syrup. Others, like vanilla and peppermint extract, are made by dissolving a spice or flavoring oil in alcohol. Store extracts in a cool, dark place, and keep the lids screwed on tight. Properly stored, they'll keep for a long time, though the flavor will gradually lose potency.

This is a Caribbean cane syrup that's delicately flavored and slightly alcoholic. It's sometimes used in rum-based cocktails.

Fennel pollen is similar in flavor to fennel seeds or fennel powder. It can be expensive because it is time consuming to collect.

This is similar to anise seed, but sweeter and milder. It pairs well with fish, but Italians also like to add it to sauces, meat balls, and sausages. Both the seeds and the stalks from the plant are sometimes called fennel. If a recipe calls for a large amount, it probably intends for you to use the stalks.

This adds an earthy flavor to curries, chutneys, and sauces. It's available as seeds or powder, and you can usually find it in Indian and Middle Eastern markets. If it's not available, just leave it out of the recipe.

This mildly bitter herb is believed to have medicinal properties. Dried leaves, either whole or ground, are called kasuri methi, and they're a good substitute for fresh. Look for fresh or dried leaves in Indian markets.

This powder is made from the same sassfras tree leaves that used to give root beer its distinctive flavor, back in the days before artificial flavorings. Southerners add filé to their gumbos to thicken and flavor them. The powder gets stringy when it's heated, so add it only after you've removed the gumbo from the heat source. Filé also doesn't reheat well, so add it only to the gumbo that you're planning to eat right away.

This is salt that's been ground into small grains. Most recipes calling for salt intend for you to use finely ground salt, though coarse salt is better for certain things, like making beds for oysters and salt crusts on meat or fish, or for lining baking dishes or the rims of margarita glasses. Table salt usually comes finely ground.

This ginger relative is popular in Thailand. It resembles long fingers jutting from a hand.

Fish sauce is typically made from anchovies or other small fish fermented in salt. It is used to flavor many dishes. It is very common in Asian cooking. The romans called it Garum and it was a widely used flavoring in Roman times. Filipino fish sauce that isn't as highly regarded as the Vietnamese or Thai versions, and shottsuru, a Japanese fish sauce. Red Boat, a Vietnamese fish sauce, is thought to be very similar to garum.

These are often used to flavor Italian sodas or coffee. They come in dozens of flavors, but some of the most popular are vanilla, almond, raspberry, Irish cream, and hazelnut. Popular brands include d'Arbo, Monin, and Torani. To make your own: Make a simple syrup with equal parts sugar and water, then add flavored extract to taste. Store in the refrigerator.

These are vinegars that have been flavored, usually with herbs, fruit, garlic, or peppercorns. They're handy if you want to whip up a flavorful salad dressing or sauce in a hurry.

These are highly concentrated essences of a wide variety of flavors, like cinnamon, anise, bitter almonds, and peppermint. They're often used to make hard candies and lip glosses, but they also make excellent substitutes for extracts--just use much less than the recipe calls for. Look for flavoring oils near the spices in large supermarkets or in candy supply stores or pharmacies. You can store them indefinitely in a cool, dark place.