1. CHILI POWDER
Chili powder is an aromatic blend of ground chiles with granulated garlic, granulated onion, sweet paprika, salt, black pepper, smoked paprika, oregano, cumin and cayenne pepper. Combining these spices not only gives chili powder a balanced flavor, but also added convenience. It’s so much quicker to add chili powder to a recipe instead of opening several spice jars.
As a staple in most kitchens, chili powder ranges from mild to moderately spicy, depending on how much cayenne pepper has been added to the blend. Chili powder will vary from brand to brand and you can check the ingredient label to learn which spices are included in the blend. Chili powder is very versatile and therefore used in many common dishes, from big pots of chili to enchilada sauce, meat rubs to Tex Mex taco meat – you name it.
Note: Not to be confused with chili powder, chile powder is made of pure ground dried chile peppers. Because pure chile powder typically does not contain any other spices (like regular chili powder), it can be very hot and spicy, so use caution. When purchasing pure chile powder, it is almost always labeled with just the name of the chile variety it comes from, another indicator that it is pure chile powder with nothing added.
2. CUMIN
Ground cumin has a hearty aroma that’s a bit spicy; the flavors are warm and earthy, with just a touch of citrus. Essential to many ethnic cuisines, cumin lends itself well to meat dishes, beans and soups, giving added depth to any recipe. Cumin is also one of the spices and flavors you will find in many chili powder blends, as well as taco and enchilada seasonings.