10 Essential Spice Blends to Bring on the Heat This New Year

The new year is the perfect time to try new things, especially in the kitchen! Consumers are eager to experiment with bold flavours and adventurous ingredients while exploring higher levels of heat and spiciness. Enhancing tried and true recipes can be as simple as cooking with extra heat. 

Additionally, adding dynamic spice blends to your kitchen shelf opens the door to new international dishes. Heat is a component of many global cuisines (such as African and Mexican). 

These spice blends combine fiery ingredients, like chilli peppers and paprika, with various other elements. The result is a spice blend that is just as complex and enjoyable as spicy.

We explore ten essential spice blends from around the world. Not only do they bring on the heat, but they also add a depth of flavour to dishes. 

1. Cajun Blend

Origin: North America

Heat Level: Medium to High

Ingredients: Paprika, cumin, garlic powder, thyme, oregano, cayenne pepper, black pepper, salt

Cajun spice blend originated in the southern USA, particularly in Louisiana. This versatile blend combines Native American, Spanish, and French flavour profiles to create a delectably spicy experience. It gets a smoky heat from the cayenne pepper, paprika, and black pepper. 

A little Cajun pepper is a great way to add heat to meat, poultry, and fish marinades. You can sprinkle it over roasted, grilled, or stir-fried vegetables.

2. Berbéré

Origin: Ethiopia

Heat Level: Medium to High

Ingredients: Red chilli peppers, fenugreek, allspice, cumin, coriander, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, ajwain, ginger, garlic

Berbéré is an African cuisine delicacy that is iconic in Ethiopian cooking. Although the ingredients and heat level vary from place to place, berbéré is known for its smoky and spicy flavour. 

When added to meat dishes or stews, it brings an astounding complexity and heat. You can also turn berbéré into a marinade or paste. This seasoning blend does pack some heat, so use it mindfully.

3. Harissa

Origin: North Africa

Heat Level: Mild to High

Ingredients: Red chilli peppers, garlic, coriander, caraway seeds, cumin, oregano, salt

Like berbéré, people use harissa as a paste. In powdered form, it contains hot chilli peppers, smoked paprika, cumin, coriander, caraway seeds, peppercorns, garlic, and herbs. Sometimes, you can use smoked salt. The result is a spicy, earthy combination that adds a fiery kick and smokiness to dishes. 

It makes the perfect dry rub for meats, sprinkled over couscous, or added to vegetable stews.

4. Ras el Hanout

Origin: North Africa

Heat Level: Low to Medium

Ingredients: Black pepper, white pepper, cinnamon, allspice, anise cloves, ginger, cumin, coriander, cayenne, turmeric, mace

Ras el Hanout translates to “top of the shop.” Traditionally, it was assembled from the best spices that a merchant had to offer. There are no set spices in this fragrant Moroccan blend. It can contain anywhere from 8 to 100 spices (although 40 is very common). Consequently, its heat level varies significantly. 

Ras el Hanout is not primarily known for its heat. However, including black pepper or chilli peppers results in a spicy experience.

5. Peri-Peri

Origin: Portugal and Africa

Heat Level: Medium to High

Ingredients: Bird’s eye chilli peppers, garlic, paprika, oregano, lemon zest

Peri-peri spice blend possesses the vibrant flavours of Portuguese and African cuisines (particularly Mozambique and South Africa). The African bird’s eye chilli is the key ingredient. 

It’s also where the blend gets its name since the bird’s eye chilli is known as peri-peri. The spice blend delivers a bold and spicy profile with citrus undertones, making it the perfect choice to add a fiery and flavourful kick to dishes.

6. Chilli Powder

Origin: North America

Heat Level: Low to High

Ingredients: Chili peppers, cumin, paprika, oregano, garlic powder, onion powder

Chilli powder varies in its composition, making it easy to customize for different heat levels and flavour profiles. Generally, it contains ground chilli peppers and other complementary spices. 

It adds heat and flavour to several dishes like Mexican and Tex-Mex cuisine. Notably, chilli powder is a spice blend consisting of multiple ingredients, not chile powder, which is a singular spice.

7. Baharat

Origin: Middle East

Heat Level: Low to Medium

Ingredients: Dried chilli flakes, paprika, black pepper, coriander, cumin, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, cardamom

Baharat means “spice” in Arabic. It’s a popular Middle Eastern spice blend commonly found in Greek cuisine. This combination of warm and powerful spices like chilli flakes, paprika, and black pepper imparts moderate heat to dishes. 

This pairs with the sweetness of the cinnamon and nutmeg, resulting in a well-rounded and satisfying spice profile.

8. Jamaican Jerk Seasoning

Origin: Jamaica

Heat Level: Medium

Ingredients: Scotch bonnet peppers, allspice, thyme, cinnamon, nutmeg, garlic, ginger

Jamaican jerk seasoning is a bold and spicy blend foundational to Jamaican jerk cooking. It has a distinctive flavour profile with a harmonious blend of heat, sweetness, and aromatic spices. 

Although commonly used as a dry rub or wet marinade for meats, you can experiment with this mix by adding it to veggies. It brings a Caribbean flair that is savoury, fiery, and sweet to any dish.

9. Shichimi Togarashi

Origin: Japan

Heat Level: Medium 

Ingredients: Red chilli pepper, Sichuan peppercorns, citrus powder, black sesame seeds, nori, ginger, garlic

Shichimi Togarashi is also known as the Japanese Seven Spice Blend. As you may have guessed, it consists of seven essential spices. These create a complex and well-balanced flavour profile popular in Japanese cuisine. 

It offers heat and aromatic depth, so a little often goes a long way. You can sprinkle it over noodle dishes, rice bowls, soups, and grilled meats.

10. Szechuan Seasoning

Origin: China

Heat Level: High

Ingredients: Sichuan peppers, red chilli flakes, garlic powder, ginger powder, salt

Szechuan Seasoning is a unique pepper spice blend from the Sichuan province in China. It’s known for its bold flavours and heat, attributed to the Sichuan peppers and chilli flakes (and often chilli powder). 

In addition to bringing spiciness to noodle and meat dishes, Szechuan Seasoning adds a distinctive tingling feeling. It’s a unique and exciting sensory experience.

Hela Spice: Custom Spice Blends and Food Manufacturing in Canada

Hela Spice can help you introduce more heat into your 2024 product line. Whether you need a fiery custom spice blend to capture the taste buds of consumers or want to add some heat to your best-selling food product, contact the food experts at Hela Spice. 

We use consumer data to craft irresistible flavour profiles packed with heat and big on taste.

To discover our custom spice blends at Hela Spice, visit us at www.helaspice.com or contact us here.