Hundreds of spices are used in Asian dishes, but some are much more common than others.
Asian countries use a wide variety of spices, herbs and peppers to add flavor to their food. Asian dishes are typically very spicy and flavorful, with large amounts of natural, potent ingredients. Add this to my Recipe Box.
Spices
Popular spices used in Asian foods include hot chili peppers (ground up into a powder or paste), ground black pepper and sriracha sauce (made from chili peppers and peppercorns). These are typically used in Szechuan dishes.
Herbs
Basil is one of the most popular herbs used in Asian dishes. It provides a sweet, yet strong flavor. Other popular herbs include ginger, fresh garlic and thyme.
Seeds
Popular seeds in Asian dishes include mustard seeds for a potent mustard taste, black sesame seeds and white sesame seeds, although they are considerably less potent or pungent than a black sesame seed. Chefs who substitute black sesame for white often toast the seeds beforehand in order to enhance the flavor.
Tags: Asian dishes, black sesame, used Asian, chili peppers, popular herbs, sesame seeds, spices used