Everything you Need to Grow Your Own Herbs
There are some really easy replacements and alternatives for rosemary in your cooking. Some aren’t perfect alternatives, some are just sort of better than nothing flavors. It is better to add something than have a bland meal!
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Good cinnamon substitutes include nutmeg, allspice, whole cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, pumpkin spice mix, mace, cloves or cinnamon sugar. Each of these substitutes has a different flavor and way to add value to the dish you are cooking.
Both basil and bay leaves are essential to many Mediterranean dishes and can grow with a little care quite happily in the UK and colder climates.
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Chinese five spice has an origin as being a bit of use all spice blend. One which hits all five of the areas for taste that we humans have. Bitter, Sweet, Sour, Savory (umami) and salty. There is no one specific blend and it has been adapted as it moves through Asia over the decades.
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The best replacement for fresh ginger is to use ground ginger in the ratio 1/4 teaspoon ground to 1 teaspoon of fresh. Alternatively you can replace fresh ginger with stem ginger that you rinse in cold water to reduce the sweetness from the sugar.
The temptation when faced with a new recipe and missing ingredients is to just mix them up a little. However with a bit more understanding of what each spice brings to a dish you can decide how to replace and substitute with a bit more expertise.