Venturing Into Fresh Herbs And Dried Herbs

Herbs and spices have been used to flavor food since the beginning of mankind. It is a practice that is as popular today as it was in ancient times. Even with one simple herb, either fresh or dried, makes all the difference in a dish. For this, nobody has to be a world renowned chef, or a cooking guru. All you need is to have your taste buds intact, and just about anybody can whip up a flavorful dish.

Most people however feel that they lack the necessary experience or knowledge to use herbs on a regular basis. The simple truth is that anybody can craft dishes that are delectable and unique. All it takes is a little experimentation.

Look, even the seasoned pros have failed through their cooking before a signature dish gave rise, so nobody has to feel intimidated in front of the stove. The easiest route to cooking is through experimenting with different recipes. For the timid, great cookbooks are out there that are pretty easy to follow. That is a great starting point. Once the timid fades away, then begin exploring different options with different herbs. A dish may not always taste as intended, but one can learn a lot through mishaps or even the odd culinary disaster.

Here’s the main key to using fresh herbs: fresh herbs are to compliment food and in doing so, increases your appreciation of the taste and aroma of the food. Really folks, it’s that simple.

Now let’s get into the gist of things and it is good for anybody to know when using either fresh or dried herbs. This actually should be one of top the golden rules of cooking:

An herb should never overwhelm a dish. As mentioned before, herbs are to compliment the food, and not overpower it. It is certain that you go somewhere and tasted good food and bad foods. If one eliminates the fresh factor of the food, your pallet is the best guide. It is not unusual if you eat at a restaurant and critique the food in deeming it too salty or too spicy, or tasteless all together.

Think of the salt rule: you can always add more, but if you have added too much to begin with, you cannot take some out again and is left with a salty tasting dish. Start with small quantities and add more if you so desire and as your cooking experience develop. In this case, less is more because if you break the balance it actually can ruin the dish.

Each herb, whether it be fresh or dried has its own unique flavor and aroma that compliments certain foods and combines well with certain other herbs. You may find that you are very fond of one herb and that you dislike another.

To familiarize you with each herb is to do a little reading about it. The best way to find out the flavor of an herb is to taste and smell it before using it. Take a few flakes of the herb and smell it and gently rub it between your fingers. Your natural body heat activates the aroma of the herb.

A lot of herbs have it own distinct taste. Some herbs such as parsley, cilantro has a mild smell and taste, but if you combine it with other complimentary herbs, it brings out its maximum potential. The only way to find out what works for you is to try it out. Start by adding one herb to a recipe that needs some distinction or livening up. As your experience grows, you can start adding combinations of herbs.

Fresh herbs are almost consistently preferable to dried herbs. During the drying process, the Herbs’ essential oils that give its strength evaporate when dried. With the more sensitive herbs like cilantro when it is dried, loses it natural taste to the point where the dried herb is tasteless and almost useless.

Another thing is that herbs also lose a lot of their volume when dried, so it is important to increase the quantities should you use fresh herbs when a recipe gives quantities for dried herbs.

Remember folks; don’t be timid if you are newer to the cooking world. It’s all about having fun with cooking and do not be afraid to explore the endless possibilities of cuisine. You do not have to be a studied chef but just be open for new ideas.