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Excerpted from American Spice Trade Association. 1966. A glossary of Spices. American Spice Trade Association. 76 Beaver Street, New York, NY 10005

Apple Pie SpiceA ground blend of the sweet baking spices, with a predominance of cinnamon. Cloves, nutmeg or mace, allspice, and ginger are typical inclusions also. Good for all fruit pies and pastries.

Barbecue Spice A ground blend of many spices such as chili peppers, cumin, garlic, cloves, paprika, salt and sugar. Designed to be the basic seasoning for a barbecue sauce, but good also in salad dressing, meat casserole, hash brown potatoes, eggs and cheese dishes.

Chili Powder Chili Powder, an American innovation was created in our own Southwest about a century ago as a convenient seasoning for "Tex-Mex" dishes. it is a blend of spices consisting of chili pepper as the basic ingredient, plus ground cumin seed, ground oregano, powdered garlic, and usually salt. other seasonings are sometimes added, such as ground cloves, ground allspice, and occasionally powdered onion. Besides being a basic seasoning for Americanized Mexican cooking, such as chili con carne, Chili Powder is good in shellfish and oyster cocktail sauces, hard-broiled and scrambled eggs, gravy and stew seasoning. Excellent, too, in ground meat or hamburgers.

Cinnamon sugar There are few if any times in cooking and baking when Cinnamon isn't accompanied by sugar and this skillful blend of the two thus becomes a very convenient product. It is especially useful for Cinnamon toast and as a quick topping for many other sweet goods.

Crab Boil or Shrimp Spice These products are similar or identical (depending on the manufacturer), both being mixtures of several whole spices that are to be added to the water when boiling seafood. Typically, they include whole peppercorns, bay leaves, red peppers, mustard seeds, ginger and other spices in whole form. Curry Powder A ground blend of as many as 16 to 20 spices, designed to give the characteristic flavor of indian curry cookery. Curry Powder is the oldest of all spice blends for it is mentioned in one cookbook pritned in 1792 in which a recipe for "Currey of Chicken" begins, "Get a bottle of Curry Powder." Ginger, turmeric, fenugreek seed, cloves, cinnamon, cumin seed, black pepper and red pepper are typical, with others being used according to themanufacturer's individual formula. used in curry sauces, for curry eggs, vegetables, fish, and meat. Try a diash in French dressing, scalloped tomatoes, clam and fish chowders and split pea soup.

Herb Seasoning This is a savory blend of herbs, particularly suited to salads and salad dressings. Actually, the blend varies somewhat according to the brand, but the end uses are essentially the same. Note that the term "herb" specifically refers to the milder-flavored leafy products (i.e. marjoram, oregano, basil, chervil, etc.)as opposed to the stronger-flavored tropical spices (i.e. pepper, cloves, cinnamon, etc.). This blend also contains salt.

Italian Seasoning Italian dishes have become so popular in this country that cooks asked for a simple way to achieve the characteristic flavoring of this cuisine. While no one blend coudl accomplish this completely, it is well known that such seasonings as oregano, basil, red pepper and rosemary are certainly typical of many Italian creations - particularly the popular pastas and pizza. Italian Seasoning characteristically contains these pices and herbs and possibly garlic powder.

Mixed Pickling Spice Another one of the older spice blends, a fragrant mixture known to homemakers at the turn of the century. Typically, it includes such whole spices as mustard seed, bay leaves, black and white peppercorns, dill seed, red peppers, ginger, cinnamon, mace, allspice, coriander seed, etc. Useful for pickling and preserving meats and to season vegetables, relishes, and sauces. Also good in stews and soups.

Poultry Seasoning A ground blend of sage, thyme, marjoram and savory, and sometimes rosemary and other spices. For poultry, veal, pork and fish stuffings. Good with paprika for meat loaf. for a delightful combination, add to biscuit batter to serve with poultry.

Pumpkin Pie Spice A ground blend of cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and ginger. Designed particularly for pumpkin pie, it is good also in spice cookies, gingerbread and breakfast buns. French fry slices of raw pumpkin and dust lightly with Pumpkin Pie Spice for a delicious "something new".

Seafood Seasoning A ground blend of approximately the same spices as used in Crab Boil and Shrimp Spice with the addition of salt. especially good in seafood sauces because the ground seasoning blends into the sauce completely.

Seasoned or Favlro Salt This product goes by different names, according to the brand, but the idea is essentially the same. It is a mixture of spices, herbs and slt which is designed to be an all-purpose seasoning. Many restaurants now place it next to the pepper on the table; others use it in preparation. It is especially suited to meats, vegetables, sauces and dairy foods.

Updated: Wednesday, December 5, 2007.