Is there a difference in high-end, name brand dried herbs and spices and generic store brand herbs and spices?!


Question: For example, cinnamon, pure vanilla extracts, parsely, cumin, etc? If so, what's the difference? Thanks!


Answers: For example, cinnamon, pure vanilla extracts, parsely, cumin, etc? If so, what's the difference? Thanks!

I use both generic and name brands.

Generally, name brands are better quality with better flavor. However, let your taste buds be your guide.

Example: There'a a chicken rub I make frequently that uses a lot of paprika. The local grocery store didn't have what I wanted so I just grabbed the generic and hoped for the best. Darned if it wasn't the best. It's now my standard for this recipe.

Cinnamon is another example. I honestly can't taste the difference between the good stuff and the cheap stuff. But I've heard people tell me that they can.

Vanilla extract is interesting. I use the imitation when vanilla is not the dominant flavor in the recipe. (chocolate brownies). I use pure vanilla extract when the vanilla flavor matters such as in butter cookies or a pound cake.

Again, use what you think tastes good.

Sometimes there is a difference, others the only real difference is the brand name on the label. But the freshest and most flavorful - to say nothing of least expensive - herbs & spices that I have found are those you buy in bulk through your local co-op or natural food store. And this has been the case in my experience wherever I have lived in the US for more than 30 years. You provide your own jars so you save a bundle and the spices have a really high turnover, so they are very fresh.

For general home cooking, there is little difference. I used to buy brand-name everything, but once I started using dollar store spices, it really made no difference in either cooking or baking. I think the only thing I buy which is more expensive is ground black pepper, because the dollar store stuff is too coarse.

There certainly can be. But expensive name brands can sell old stock that has lost its savor, too.

I buy mine from a vendor who sells Ralph's brand spices, at a craft show on the square in a little Texas town. They are fresh and sold in 8 oz sz bottles, but of course vary in amounts in bottle as far as total weight goes. They are just 2.50 each no matter what you buy. Never had a bad batch...have bought about 30-40 different kinds.

I have become addicted to Mexican vanilla. It is a lg bottle, so well balanced, inexpensive too. Can get it at WalMart. Has a Rooster and a gaucho on it....La Vencedora brand.

So called real vanilla like Martha touts, somehow tastes artificial to me. I cater and get raves on how wonderful my products taste with the above vanilla.

Hi,
The generic store brand will be packed more recently and probably would be from nearby supplies. The big brand may be coming from farther places and packed earlier. But the apcking processes of big brand items maybe better than the local store's. Depending on the shelf life you want from the products you buy, you can decide which to pick based on the packed or expiry date shown in the packs. Generally the flavors will not change much because the big brands will have flavor locks or auch arrangements. Then, the big brand pricing may be different from the generci store brand, generally on the higher side. The best methods is to buy one or two items from both brands and compare. I am sure you will like the generic store brand for various reasons.
Cheers..

Sometimes there can be minor to significant differences in quality regarding the cheaper versus more expensive spices. This differs depending on the spice. Spices that can cost a lot of money are at a higher risk of being lower quality or adulterated with fillers.

There is also the question of labeling. Many cheaper versions do not have the kind of detailed, comprehensive labeling that many home cooks need. Paprika is a good example. Many lower-to-medium priced paprika bottles only say paprika, which is fine for some recipes. But what if the recipe calls for sweet or Hungarian paprika. Well, this is likely going to be the spice labeled simply "paprika" in the stores. Unfortunately, many home cooks do not know this and it can lead to some confusion.

However, most spices are perfectly fine when purchased from reputable suppliers. I usually look to purchase spices in the middle of the price range. If I would have to get something like saffron or a bourbon vanilla bean, I would splurge and go for something that is a little more expensive and from a brand that I have purchased from before. If you don't believe you are getting a quality product, you can proabably find something else at another supermarket or from another product line.

In addition to quality issues, spice blends and some spices at the cheaper end of the range are more likely to have non-active additives in them to increase freshness and prevent clumping. These substances don't hurt you but many cooks, including myself, tend to lean towards the purest ingredients that we can get. For example, you especially have to watch cheaper to moderately priced versions of so-called blackening spices. Many of these on the market contain MSG. Salt can also be a problem, as the lower cost of salt can lead manufacturers to use more for more flavor in place of other spices.

Yes and No :)
First you have to separate herbs and spices.
Spices: If they come whole (not already crush) normally a rule of thumb is that there will not be much difference. Whole seeds, etc. also last much longer, (taste, aroma) than crushed, processed ones. Of course there is always a difference as of the type of plant they were pick out from, time of picking, drying method.
But you can be more or less sure that you still get a pretty good product from a generic whole spice.

If you buy spices grounded e.g. nutmeg, cinnamon, pepper; watch out, as it is very common that these type of spices have been augmented by adding either other spices (cheaper ones) or other bulking product, that do not change the flavor but dilutes them a lot!!

Remember spice and herb prices is by weight, so some unscrupulous vendors do augment the bulk/weight with these or similar methods!

Also if they are grounded some spices should not have some parts added (husk, etc.) but in many instances, generally, cheaper types, this is done.
Not to say that they always do, or that the brand ones are 100% pure. Remember this is just a rule of thumb!

Sometimes it is not a question of the quality of the original spice or condiment, perhaps they start with the same product, but in some countries, e.g. Spain the 1st quality paprika is done with fresh, not bruised fruit, washed from any sand or dirt and only the "meaty" part, no stems or seeds is used. In other countries their paprika is not deemed as good just because of the process and not because of quality of the initial spice, herb, condiment.
So watch out not only for brand, but if possible from country of origin.

As for herbs: There it gets more tricky. Always first look at the colour. Freshly dried herbs tend to hold on to their colour more. If they look brown, not green like, generally they been picked and in store for a longer time and you would probably get little if no taste and aroma at all from them.

Most of the time, the brand herbs are fresher. e.g. compare DILL, it is a very fragile herb and looses color and taste very fast, if it does not look very green, forget it, similar with parsley, etc.

The tender the leaf in its fresh state the more delicate and rapidly deteriorating or aroma/ taste. For example whole Bay leaves, etc. even though it may look not so green, it still contains a lot of flavor and lasts much longer.

TIP 1:
Keep your herbs far away from light, in darken containers, not transparent glass as it commonly comes in, away from sources of heat and/or humidity, which I know is difficult because we all tend to have them in the kitchen.

TIP 2: So if you want to prolong the life of your herbs it is good to keep them in the freezer in a small zip bag, with as much of the air out of it as possible.

Hope this helps :)

I am a former chef and used all kind in my working days and really it not a big deal, except for things like black pepper, it has some better qualities in a better brand, but I to like alot of the other buy my spices at the dollar stores, but also here in Canada alot of the Grocery stores have a bulk section were you can buy spices, nuts, cereal, grains, candy, sugar and other ingredients by the pound or ounce. We also have a chain store called the Bulk Barn with the same options and more for all kind of things.

The cheaper spices are the same as the expensive McCormick, Shilling and Club House brands, they may be a bit more broken up when it comes to whole leave spices, but there quailty is basically the same, I buy chili flakes, ground black pepper and garlic granules from the Dollar Store as with most everything else I only buy small amounts and mix them like for my curry powders.





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