6 Essential Spices for BBQ Grilling

Salt and pepper should never be the only summer spices found at your outdoor cookouts! These tips for using "6 Essential Spices for Your BBQ Grilling" will take your average grilled foods to new heights. Improve your regular meat rub and marinade repertoire by including Coriander, Cumin, Cinnamon, Smoked Paprika, Chile Flakes, or Garlic Powder to any grilled recipe . You will find an amazing result consisting of deeper flavor, richer taste, and more inviting aromas. The essential grilling spices here create outdoor dishes that transcend all other smoke flavored memories! You just can't beat the tasty BBQ flavors offered by the "6 Essential Spices for Your BBQ Grilling" this summer! Now go grab something fun to grill!

When you add coriander along with salt and pepper to fish, chicken, beef, pork, and even grilled vegetables, things begin to get interesting at the family cookout! It is even more interesting how useful the plant we derive coriander from really is. You see, the bright green plant Coriandrum sativum, has an unique story that begins with another very popular spice we call cilantro. Even as coriander and cilantro are entirely different spices with their own individual use and flavor profiles, cilantro is actually the vegetative stage of this plants life cycle. Once the cilantro plant matures enough to developed flowers and then seeds, it will become coriander. You will find cilantro used in everything savory including salsa and as a compliment to seafood. Coriander has a far more broad use that may begin at the savory seasoned table, yet extends all the way through the meal and finally ending-up in some very enticing desserts!

Surprisingly, one of the more versatile spices on our list of 6 essential spices is cumin. It offers exciting Latin flair when combined with oregano and cilantro, while showing-off its worldly charm when added to ginger and garlic bringing Indian flavored explosions to your backyard BBQ grill. This tiny unassuming seed also has a wonderful nutty and peppery flavor when used in American-style Latin cuisine, bringing the familiar earthy scent and flavor to Tex Mex style chili. Diverse in its offerings, cumin is a staple spice component in middle eastern curry powders. In the hot dry Middle East, cumin has the arduous duty of cooling the body. That's right, cumin is said to cool man from the inside out; who knew? Another great thing about cumin is that whether whole or ground it is available all year-round.

Cumin, caraway, and parsley all belong to the same Umbelliferae plant family

We all know cinnamon is great when added to the egg-wash for French toast, baked goods and tea. But this warm and invigorating spice is so much more than simply a companion to our sweet temptations. At your next backyard BBQ mix cumin and coriander with cinnamon and you will discover an exotic spice rub that goes beautifully with everything from red meat to white fish! If you need another good reason to use cinnamon at your next poolside BBQ, take into consideration the affect cinnamon has on the human spirit. Cinnamon was so prized in ancient history that wars were fought over the control of it. It has been used as currency, and even more fun was the discovery that it brings stimulating aphrodisiac powers!

One of The great things about smoked paprika is this; it can be a vegetarians best friend! This smokey delight can take those bland grilled vegetables and turn them into a meaty tasting treasure in the blink of a Grill Masters eye. For those who do eat meat, mix a generous amount of smoked paprika (pimenton) with regular table ketchup and spread the mixture liberally on those barbecued hamburger's. What you will get is a bonus "pop" to the grilled meat flavor. If you are not familiar with smoked paprika, think of the Spanish sausage chorizo, or paellas, where they depend on this fine spice for color and authentic Spanish flavor. Pimenton is offered in three varieties—sweet and mild (dulce), bittersweet/medium hot (agridulce), and hot (picante). So when deciding which type of paprika you want to use at the next grilling get together, be sure to consider the level of heat you and your guests are going to enjoy most.

These spicy little flakes of heat make the best companions to grilled (as well as sautéed) greens, shellfish, and even BBQ toasted nut mixes. But, if you have decided to put an Asian spin on your outdoor grilling experience, substitute Chile flakes for those dried Chile's. Adding chili flakes to your usual homemade (or store bought) BBQ sauce and marinades can be an exhilarating adventure for your taste buds. Generally derived from a combination of red, ancho, bell, cayenne and others, the peppers, seeds, and membranes are actually crushed (not ground) peppers. Chile's have become more popular recently, and because of this so has the variety of those Chile's used to make the spice flakes.

The seed and membranes hold the majority of the heat found in chili's, so you will find them to be a large component in any crushed Chile Flake blend.

What doesn't garlic go great with? Ice cream you say? Well, I've indulged in garlic ice cream and found it to be pretty darn good! When you spark-up the backyard grill this summer, don't forget the essential spice, garlic powder. This pungent and sometimes sweet food-friendly aggressor can turn ordinary meats, vegetables and fruit into uniquely flavored and spectacular BBQ. This may sound bazaar, but try adding just a dash of garlic powder to cinnamon, brown sugar, and just few chile flakes. Next, sprinkle the blend lightly over pineapple slices, lemon or orange halves, or even peach quarters. Now toss the newly seasoned fruit on the grill for a few minutes and allow a good caramelized layer to develop; avoid charring the fruit during the process. This unique seasoning combination will have your backyard cookout buddies dreaming of your gourmet BBQ dessert all year long!

Whether you find vegetables to be your favorite grilled food or if meat is the answer to the carnivorous BBQ craving inside you, the spices we encountered here are going to improve whatever you toss on the grill. So why not Inspire the grill master inside of you? You can wake-up any taste bud by inviting variety to your outdoor cookout platter. Nothing says, "I Love to Grill" more so than the home chef who's not afraid to branch out and discover a new culinary adventure!