We surveyed professional chefs to find out their single favorite spice.

  • Some said their favorites were basic staples like black peppercorn, ginger, and nutmeg.
  • Others named spices with more regional specificity, like sumac, Calabrian chili, or Perilla seeds.

Anyone who’s ever cooked can tell you that the right spices can make the difference between a bland dish and a stellar one. As Thomas Romero, chef at ACME in New York told INSIDER, “There’s an almost overwhelming variety of spices that are available to us in modern times and utilizing them effectively is a skill unto itself. Read More.