Italian Spices

• Salt- Salt is abundant in Italian cooking. Italian food is known for the deliciously savory comfort foods it offers, and salt helps bring those flavors out. Coarse sea salt is the preferred type of salt in Italian cuisine.


• Garlic- is arguably one of the most common spices used. This savory flavor is a staple because it compliments cheese so well.


• Pepper- Fresh ground pepper is all over Italian food. Don't think you will ever find pre-ground pepper at your table, because Italians know the best pepper is the sort that is freshly ground.


• Red Pepper Flakes- these little guys are wonderful to add a spicy kick to food. In America they complement pizzas everywhere, with little shakers full of the spice at nearly every table in every pizza parlor across the states. In Italian cooking, you will find these paired with cheeses, in homemade sauces, and sometimes in soups.
  
• Coriander- this spice is used to season a lot of meat and fish in Italian cuisine.


• Saffron- while expensive, this spice is used frequently in fish stews and risottos, ususally just for color.


• Bay Leaves- these are used frequently to help flavor white sauces, as well as in marinades destined for meat.


• Parsley- If there is garlic in an Italian dish, you can almost guarantee that parsley is hanging out with it.


• Paprika- is popular in sauces made for seafood, as well as in red sauces.

What Are the Spices in Italian Seasoning?

• Rosemary- this herb grows abundantly all over the Italian countryside and is used in meat marinades and with grilling. Some people will even throw rosemary directly on the charcoals of the grill to give a better overall aroma to the food they are cooking. Rosemary has a particularly potent scent. This herb is also common in roasted vegetable dishes and it has the unique characteristic of keeping a lot of its flavor even after long cooking.


• Basil- is probably the most loved herb in the entire country of Italy. It pairs incredibly well with tomatoes, which means it is an herb that can be found in many of the red sauces available there. It is widely used in many pasta dishes, though it can also be found cozying up with vegetables like eggplant or zucchini.


• Oregano- this herb is a key ingredient in pasta dishes of Southern Italy. This is usually added at the end of cooking because it loses flavor quickly. Oregano gained popularity as an Italian herb in America after WWII after soldiers brought back home their love for the herb on pizza.


• Sage- this is so important to Italians that their salutation of "salve!" comes from the word for sage, which is salvia. This herb finds its way into a lot of dishes, usually savory in nature. Grilled dishes will almost always have sage in them.


• Marjoram- is popular in stews and with seafood based dishes. It is also popular in salad dressings.

What Are the Spices in Italian Sausage?

• Italian Seasoning- this is usually a base because of the different herbs in it. Ask anyone what an Italian sausage tastes like and they are sure to say "herby."


• Granulated Garlic- for that robust garlic flavor some have come to associate with specific brands of Italian sausage.


• Dried Red Pepper Flakes- this gives Italian sausage its signature heat without being overwhelming.


• Fennel- This is the licorice flavor you may find in some sausages. Ground fennel loses it's flavor quickly, so the whole fennel seeds can be added as is, or ground before you use them.

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