Joy of Cooking

by Irma S. Rombauer

We understand the convenience of buying preground spices, but we strongly recommend going to a little extra trouble by buying them whole and grinding them yourself.

One of the easiest ways to cook tastier food is by using better ingredients. Often, that means spending more money. However, when it comes to spices, this is not the case. Spices have such an intense flavor because they contain concentrated amounts of volatile flavor compounds. When spices are ground, these compounds are exposed to the air, which causes oxidation. Over time, the flavors of the spices deteriorate. Whole spices are less prone to degradation because a far smaller percentage of those volatile compounds are exposed to the air. We are always a little shocked at the price of ground spices at the average grocery store, especially since any ground spice, no matter how freshly ground, is on its way to becoming a nearly flavorless dust. This is especially true for spices you use in tiny amounts, like cloves—by the time you reach the bottom of that jar of ground cloves, the flavor will be a shadow of its former self. However, if you buy whole cloves and grind them as needed, the flavor is going to be rich, vibrant, and nuanced. Preground coriander and cardamom, in our experience, are dead-on-arrival when we have made the mistake of purchasing them. We often buy whole spices at international markets, but there are many incredible purveyors of high-quality whole spices. Some of our favorites are Penzey’s, Diaspora Co., and Burlap & Barrel.