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Dishes ‘n’ DIYs: Herbs and Spices to Amp Up Your Food Game

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at UFL chapter.

Sometimes, you want to add that extra oomph to a dish you’re cooking. But most of the time you’re at a loss to figure out how to pair herbs with complementary foods. Maybe you often find yourself at the supermarket eyeing oregano, but you have no idea how to use it. I’ve done the research so you don’t have to! Below is a list of common herbs and what foods they pair well with. Or if you’re more of a visual person, feel free to check out this detailed chart from www.foodandnutrition.com.

Basil: Most fruits and vegetables

Bay Leaf: Used mainly in soups and stews, where the flavor can develop

Chives: Salads and cold plates

Cilantro: Salsas, Asian and Caribbean dishes

Dill: Fish, chicken, eggs, salads, beans, carrots, cucumbers, cabbage, potatoes, pickles, sour cream and yogurt dips

Mint: Lamb, eggplant, desserts, teas, salads, vegetables and fruits

Oregano: Beef, chicken, pasta and tomatoes

Parsley: Salads and garnish

Rosemary: Beef, chicken, fish, lamb, pork, potatoes and stews

Thyme: Beef, chicken, fish, lamb, pork, potatoes, eggs, stews and vegetables

*Herb Spotlight*: Thai Basil

This beautiful little plant is more than just basil. It has a subtle hint of mint mixed with basil, and it’s my favorite herb. It even looks like a mint-basil hybrid plant. I could seriously just pluck the leaves off the plant and eat it as a snack… or a full meal. You can use Thai basil as a replacement for your run-of-the-mill basil to add a little extra zest to your food. It will tickle your tongue and make your stomach happy. If you’ve ever tried cooking Thai food at home and found that something was missing, but you couldn’t place your finger on what it was, try adding Thai basil! You can use it raw, just like sweet basil. Thai basil, however, has the added bonus of having heartier leaves that will withstand the demands of being cooked.

Use the herbs you buy creatively. Think about using them in smoothies, sangrias or fancy cocktails. Mint doesn’t have to be just for tea, and basil doesn’t have to be just for tomato sauce. Your tastebuds also have a huge say in regards to which herbs pair with which foods, so trust your tongue. And, if you get it wrong, don’t worry — you’ll keep learning through trial and error.
Photo credits: 
www.bioterraherbs.com
www.seriouseats.com

Nicolle is a third-year Linguistics major at UF. This is her first semester with Her Campus UFL, and she is psyched to be a part of the editorial team. You can usually find her hanging out near the $5 movie bins of your local store. Nicolle enjoys eating burritos, cleaning her kitchen, surfing iwastesomuchtime.com, and complaining about the humidity.