Spices. They add flavour, a zing and a zest to your cooking. They pep up food and make it taste different. And exotic.

You don't need to be a culinary expert to experiment with spices. Indian women especially, have a great affinity with these little tastemakers. No Indian dish is quite complete without spices.

Here are some useful tips on how to bring out the best in spices.

• If stored well, spices can retain their flavour for a long time. Whole spices can last for about three years. Ground spices don't last that long. So, keep your spices whole for as long as possible.



• Spices are best when they are ground just before using. Experts recommend that you dry roast spices lightly before you grind them to bring out the best flavour.



• Don't store your spices anywhere near your stove. Ideally, spices are to be stored in a cool dry place. The humidity in a refrigerator may not make it the ideal place to store certain kinds of spices.



• Spices are meant to be used with a light hand. Just a dash or a sprinkle would suffice. Too much spice would rob the dish of its original flavour.



• Ideally spices are to be added to dishes just an hour before serving. The flavours blend to perfection during this time.



• Globally, people don't use more than three spices in any one dish. Indians, however, do things differently.



• Certain seasonings like black pepper, garlic powder etc. can be added by each individual right at the dining table.



• Spices like cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves can be used for desserts and sweet dishes.

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