When it comes to giving the oomph factor to a dish, nothing does the job better than seasoning spices. In the passages below, we will specifically talk about seasoning spices from Asia that are also commonly referred to as Oriental seasoning spices.
Oriental seasoning spices are often referred to as exotic spices, but, the fact of the matter is that these seasoning spices are available in many specialty stores in the U.S. and UK. Even the small cities in Western countries will usually have an Oriental food store where such seasoning spices can be purchased.
Ginger – Oriental seasoning spices
Ginger is actually a root. When added to recipes, it can provide a slightly sweet and tangy taste that is very unique. Ginger is usually available in powder form although these seasoning spices can also be bought fresh, in the root form. Ginger is often mixed in with garlic and it is used to season or marinade meat like chicken and beef. These seasoning spices are extremely popular in countries such as India and China and there are very few meat recipes in these countries that will be devoid of ginger.
Laksa leaf – Oriental seasoning spices
The Laksa leaf is a very popular ingredient in countries such as Singapore and Vietnam. It is used to season soups. A couple of these very pungent and potent leaves are enough to provide a dish with a strong minty flavor. The minty taste is slightly offset by a hot, peppery taste that will balance out this seasoning spice quite nicely. These spices might be hard to find although they are very easy to grow when you do find them. Just plants some leaves in some fertile soil that is exposed to sunlight and you will have your own Laksa leaf plant in no time.
Lemongrass – Oriental seasoning spices
Lemongrass is one of those Oriental seasoning spices that has become very popular in the Western world. As the name “Lemongrass” suggests, this spice will lend a lemony or citrusy taste to a dish. These seasoning spices are usually available in a ready to use powder form. One will also be able to buy lemongrass in the fresh form although buying it in the original form will require some prep work before it can be used in a dish. For easy use of these Oriental seasoning spices, we would recommend that you stick to the powder form. These seasoning spices can be used to season soups, broths and they can also be used to season different kinds of meat, especially fish.
Thai chili pepper – Oriental seasoning spices
If you are a Thai food lover, you might already be aware of a very popular Thai hot sauce called Sriracha sauce. The Thai chili pepper is the main ingredient in this sauce. If you purchase these seasoning spices, you can make your own delicious Sriracha sauce at home by combining these spices with vinegar, salt, garlic, sugar and water.
If you are interested in more spices that you might have not used in the past, you can also look into other Asian spices such as turmeric, garlic, cumin, cardamom and others that are also discussed elsewhere on this website.