Sometimes people ask me which spices are absolutely essential

And sometimes a young person – often the second generation of my spice customers – comes and asks me for the basic spices for their new household.

Well, it all depends on your own taste

For one person this is important, for another something else is.

Paprika: for all meat dishes, but also for vegetables and raclette
Pepper: black for everything. For those who like it a bit more playful, take a pepper mix with black, green, and baies rosé. This mixture is not so hot, but more aromatic.
Cinnamon: for cakes, cookies, and cinnamon sugar
Cumin: for all exotic dishes
Turmeric: for Asian dishes and for adding color to any other dish
Nutmeg: for mashed potatoes and soups, meat dishes and raclette
Cayenne or Peperoncino: for the necessary sharpness
Vanilla: for sweets or that certain something in salty dishes
Saffron: for risotto or cream sauces
Ginger: for Asian dishes, cookies and, and, and
Cardamom: for freshness in sweet and salty dishes

These are the absolutely indispensable ones for me. To make my life as a cook even easier, I also include some spice mixtures in my basic equipment.

Cajoun mixture: this is THE universal meat mixture! It is suitable for any kind of meat. You can also use it to make sauces. Just mix it with créme frêche and some salt and serve it with potatoes or vegetables.
Ras-el-hanout: for all vegetables, but also for couscous and rice
Garam Masala: for legumes, especially lentils and chickpeas
Curry: preferably mild to medium-hot. To add even more spiciness, you also have Cayenne

Further spices are then individually selected.

Most spices can be combined well with each other. So, you will always get a new taste.