While dishes like jerk pork can benefit from extreme levels of allspice, most cannot. Allspice is one of those spices that works best when combined with other strong flavors. If it is used in excess, it can easily outshine other flavors and make a dish one-dimensional or even bitter to …
Sage is a potent herb that has applications in a range of savory dishes. Most people know it as the Thanksgiving turkey herb as it is traditionally used as a part of poultry seasoning blends and in stuffing. It is very easy to go too far with this herb, and …
Oregano’s characteristic pungency makes it an easy herb to overdo. It is a versatile herb that can be used to enhance a range of savory dishes, including meats, pasta sauce, and soups; however, it becomes a drawback if used in excess. If you have accidentally added too much oregano, consider …
Dill works best as the background note in many popular dishes. When used judiciously, it can complement the flavors in many meat and vegetable dishes. Too much dill has the opposite effect and can make dishes bitter and downright unpalatable. As with most flavorful ingredients, there are fixes if you …
Sugar provides what is arguably the most popular flavor, but it will also ruin a dish if used in excess. While most people can tolerate dishes that are just a little too sweet, using too much sugar makes some dishes cloying to the point of being unpalatable. Too much sugar …
Cloves are pungent and versatile enough to be used in both savory and sweet dishes. This spice shows up in many spice blends including ras el hanout and pumpkin pie spice. Even a small amount of excess cloves can easily overwhelm all the other flavors in a dish, making that …
The floral, minty notes of cardamom quickly become unpleasantly medicinal if you use too much of it. Failing to exercise moderation with this spice can make your dish inedible. Cardamom works best when it is used as a background note for other flavors, not when it is the only thing …
Coriander is a versatile spice that shows up in curries and beer. And it can be used to add complexity to a dry rub. Coriander typically works best as a complement to other spices and stronger flavors; in other words, it works best as a background note. You have to …