The timing of herbs and spices shapes a dish as much as the choice of them. A practical guide to what goes in at the start, what goes in during cooking, and what belongs only at the end.
The principle¶
Heat and time do two things to herbs and spices: they extract flavour and they destroy it. Robust, oil-rich aromas (whole seeds, woody herbs, bark) need time and heat to release their flavour and survive it well. Delicate, volatile aromas (soft green herbs, freshly ground spice blends, citrusy top notes) are driven off within minutes. So the more delicate the flavour, the later it goes in.
At the start¶
- Whole spices in fat: cumin, mustard seed, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, star-anise. See tempering-spices.
- Woody herbs: rosemary, thyme, bay, sage, savory, oregano sprigs. Add them to braises, stews, stocks and roasting tins at the start, and fish out stalks later.
- Aromatic roots and stalks: lemongrass, galangal, makrut lime leaves, ginger slices, coriander stalks and roots. These tolerate long simmering.
- Dried chillies for a steady, rounded heat.
During cooking¶
- Ground spices, bloomed in fat after the onions and before the liquid.
- Dried herbs, which need at least 10–15 minutes in a moist dish to rehydrate and release flavour.
- Pastes such as thai-green-curry-paste or harissa, fried until fragrant and the oil separates.
- saffron, steeped in warm liquid for 10–20 minutes and added with its liquid part-way through, so its colour spreads evenly.
At the end¶
- Soft herbs: basil, parsley, coriander leaf, mint, dill, chives, chervil, tarragon. Stir in during the last minute or scatter over. Basil blackens and dill fades quickly with heat.
- Finishing blends: garam-masala is traditionally added in the last few minutes or sprinkled on at the table; chaat-masala, zaatar, sumac, dukkah and shichimi-togarashi are all finishing seasonings.
- Freshly ground black pepper. Pepper added early gives a warm background; pepper at the end gives aroma and bite. Many cooks do both.
- Delicate spices: freshly grated nutmeg in sauces, kasuri methi crumbled into a curry just before serving.
- Tadka, the tempered fat poured over dal at the table.
Quick reference¶
| Ingredient | When | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Whole spices | Start | Need heat and time; low burn risk |
| Woody herbs, bay | Start | Tough leaves, robust aroma |
| Ground spices | After aromatics | Bloom in fat without burning |
| Dried herbs | Middle | Need moisture and time |
| Chilli powder, paprika | Middle, low heat | Burn easily |
| garam-masala | Last 2–5 min | Fragrance evaporates |
| Soft herbs | Last minute or off heat | Volatile, heat-sensitive |
| Garnishes, finishing salts | At the table | Maximum aroma and texture |
Special cases¶
- Slow cookers. Long, lidded cooking at low temperature mutes ground spices and turns soft herbs khaki. Add whole spices at the start, then taste at the end and refresh with a little more ground spice bloomed in oil and a handful of fresh herbs.
- Baking. Spices go into the dry ingredients so they are evenly distributed. Their flavour softens in the oven, so spice doughs and batters taste stronger raw than baked.
- Marinades. Spices and herbs in a marinade have hours to work, but only on the surface; see dry-rubs-and-marinades.
- Chilli heat. capsaicin does not cook away. Chillies added early spread their heat through the dish; chillies added late give sharper, more localised heat. Either way, remove whole chillies early if the dish is getting too hot. See cooling-a-dish-thats-too-hot.
🛟 The herbs have disappeared
If a long-cooked dish tastes flat despite a generous handful of herbs at the start, the herbs were the wrong kind for the job or went in too early. Keep the woody ones for the start and hold back half of any soft herbs to stir in at the end.