The Most Important Spices in:

“Italian Seasoning”

A lot of Italian cooking has a really distinctive taste and it comes from certain spices that are used in most Italian recipes! We’ve all heard of Italian seasoning and I know I'm guilty of using it on too many dishes I make.  But what’s actually in the bottle of Italian seasoning you buy from the store? It’s a blend of herbs that are historically popular in Italian cooking, and what gives Italian food that signature taste! 

The first spice in Italian seasoning we wanted to talk about is basil. There are countless Italian recipes that use this herb so it’s not a surprise it’s one of the main ingredients in this seasoning. Basil is used in a lot of marinara recipes, usually with garlic, and is the prize ingredient of the classic caprese salad. Next we have oregano. Oregano is super popular in pizza sauces, and is usually used in a dried form. This spice can be slightly bitter if too much is used, but has an earthy green taste that will only add to your Italian dishes if used properly! The third spice used is thyme, which has a gentle flavor which makes it perfect for just about every Italian dish. It’s historically most popular for cooked meat and vegetables. Up next is rosemary, which pairs perfectly with thyme and has a little bit of a peppery taste. Next time you're cooking a chicken dinner for the family, you should go to the store and pick up some thyme and rosemary to season it with, they’ll love it! The last herb in most Italian seasonings is marjoram, which is similar to oregano, with a bitter taste but also adds a little bit of spice. This spice is also pretty popular on meat dishes. 

We hope that this blog gave you a little insight into the most important spices in Italian cooking, and adding these spices to your pantry will definitely bring your Italian cooking to the next level. Maybe you’ll even be inclined to try making your own Italian seasoning with these awesome ingredients! 

Bye for now!

Zeppoli’s Marketing Team