Best Herbs and Spices for Vegan Food Products

As the desire for vegan options continues to grow, so does the opportunity to create exciting new products. Brands of all sizes, whether already established or in the start-up phase, can offer delicious plant-based products catered to meet this demand. By expanding to new flavours, you can produce a unique and tantalizing product that captures the attention and loyalty of the expanding vegan market.

Crafting the perfect flavour profile for your product is achieved through herbs and spices. In this article, let’s explore the best options for your vegan food product.

Fresh Is Best

At home, you grind your own spices before cooking to get the maximum flavour. When developing a new product, you rely on your food developer to use the best herbs and spices available. Fresh is always preferable. This is something to bear in mind whenever you set out to create a new food product.

All spices lose their potency with time, which is why it’s so crucial that your products incorporate the freshest options possible. At Hela Spice, we are committed to using fresh, high-quality ingredients because we know they deliver the finest flavours. They are the ideal foundation for a best-selling product!

Black Salt

While salt is technically neither a spice nor an herb, it is still a powerful ingredient in vegan cooking and, therefore, worth mentioning! Black salt is also called “kala namak” and originates in Ayurvedic cooking. It’s made from heating Himalayan pink salt to extreme temperatures. The salt is then mixed with Indian spices and herbs.

Black salt has a unique flavour profile and is incredible at bringing an “eggy” taste to vegan dishes. It is rich and savoury, and thanks to its sulphur content, smells a bit like eggs!

Chilli Powder

If you’re looking to add some warmth to your food product without overdoing the spice, chilli powder is a great option. Chilli peppers are mild peppers found in South America and are 8 times weaker than cayenne. In powdered form, these chillies bring a smoky flavour to dishes. Chilli powder lends itself well to Mexican and BBQ cuisine—think Tofu Sofritas and Pulled BBQ Jackfruit.

Cumin

Cumin is a staple in Indian, Asian, Mexican, and African cooking. Even though cumin can be used ground or in its whole seed form, ground is best for seed blends. All in all, it is a versatile ingredient that has a place in a wide variety of recipes.

Nutmeg

When cooking at home, we recommend buying nutmeg whole and grating it when you need it. Of course, it’s not realistic to use a micro-grater before sprinkling that dash of nutmeg into every single one of your products. However, you should still opt for the freshest nutmeg possible for the best flavour.

Nutmeg is slightly bittersweet and reminiscent of cloves. Due to being a key component of pumpkin spice seasoning, nutmeg is now associated with autumn flavours. That being said, it works wonderfully in sweet and creamy dishes and desserts.

Cinnamon

Ground cinnamon is warm, woody, and pungent. It is a common addition to sugary dishes because its bitterness balances out the sugar’s sweetness. Beyond the realm of desserts, cinnamon is an important ingredient in curry blends. It can even bring an interesting twist to squashes and other root vegetables.

Ground Ginger

Ginger is another example of a spice that’s best used fresh in your kitchen at home, but not in your new product. For spice blends and food products, ground ginger is the only way.

Ground ginger is dynamic. It’s warming, a little spicy, a bit sweet, and has a slightly peppery taste. It works with both sweet and savoury recipes, as well as baked goods. Sauces and soups are also elevated from ground ginger.

Garlic Powder and Onion Powder

Garlic and onion are the starting point for many recipes. The powdered versions are fantastic additions to a wide assortment of food products and spice blends. Since they’re ground, they’re easy to blend into new recipes.

Paprika

If you have visited Hungary, then you know there are many variations of the ground spice, paprika. There are sweet paprikas, spicy paprikas, smoky paprikas, and more. All are made from grinding dried mild peppers (like bell peppers), which means that the spice is not spicy. While the flavour profile does vary between different types of paprika, they are always rich and deep. The most common kind of paprika has that distinctive smoky taste.

Mustard Powder

In the pursuit of the perfect vegan cheese, you will often encounter mustard powder. This is because it brings an umami flavour to vegan cheese recipes. As you might expect, it can also be used to make the mustard condiment. Consider it with potato dishes, sauces, and salads.

The spice is a blend of white and brown mustard seeds that have been ground down to a fine powder. As far as flavour, it is earthy and pungent.

Dried Dill

Dill is a natural option for sauces and dressings, such as vegan ranch. Additionally, it’s a common component in Northern European recipes. Dried dill is a buttery and bright herb with hints of lemon, anise, and caraway.

Oregano

The herb oregano is a staple of Italian and Mediterranean cooking. It’s incredibly versatile with a sweet, yet spicy flavour.

Spice Up Your Vegan Food Product With Herbs and Spices

Finding the perfect signature flavour for your upcoming vegan food product will be key to its success. With herbs, spices, and Hela Spice’s expertise in custom blending, you can create a delicious product that will entice the growing plant-based market. Whether you’re craving a classic flavour or a never-before-tasted fusion experience, anything is possible with Hela Spice’s custom spice blending and manufacturing.

To learn more about our custom spice blending at Hela Spice, visit us at www.helaspice.com or contact us here.