Baharat
of this sweet and smoky Middle Eastern spice blend and test the far-reaching bounds of how it can be used—from seasoning vegetables, mixing it with olive oil for a quick marinade for meat, to adding to soups, tomato sauces, lentil dishes and pilafs for depth of flavour. Baharat is the Arabic word for “spices”, and spices it is indeed: the essentials are black pepper, ground coriander, cumin, cinnamon and cloves, and may have additions like nutmeg, cloves, cardamom, allspice, paprika and saffron, depending on the region and household.
Turn a plain block of tofu into a fragrant, tender main dish by rubbing it in baharat then frying it olive oil until golden and crisp. If you think tofu is plain or boring, this baharat-spiced tofu will have you thinking again—call it "inspired" vegetarian eating.
Chermoula
Baharat spiced tofu with zucchini hummus and quinoa. Source: Sharyn Cairns
is a punchy Moroccan spice and herb blend used as the base of tagines, and as a marinade or dressing for chicken, lamb and fish. Ingredients vary, but are generally along the lines of garlic, ground cumin and coriander, turmeric, sweet paprika, fresh chillies, olive oil, and lemon juice.
Chicken gets the full Moroccan treatment in this flavourful dish—cooked in a tagine with a chermoula base, saffron, herbs, olives and preserved lemon, then served with cous cous. If you don't have a tagine dish, you can use a regular saucepan.
Chinese five spice
Chicken tagine.
This spice blend is thought to have been crafted to touch on the five flavour profiles of sweet, salty, bitter, sour and savoury. It's an aromatic and heady mix of star anise, fennel, cinnamon, clove and Sichuan peppercorns, which can be used in desserts as well as main meals. If you're ad-libbing it into a dish, remember that a little goes a long way. Try making your own with this (omit salt if you prefer it straight).
One of the easiest and best applications of five spice is adding it to flour and tossing seafood through mixture before frying it until golden. This squid is served with a creamy and nutty sesame mayo for a dream-team combination.
Dukkah
Chilli & five-spice squid.
Nuts (such as almonds or hazelnuts), sesame seeds, white peppercorns, cumin and coriander seeds are combined to make the Egyptian spice blend dukkah, which is hugely varied in uses. uses hazelnuts, plus a little salt and sugar to bring out the flavour of the spices.
This dazzler of a Turkish salad is set to the be the star of any spread—it's colourful and filled with flavour, thanks in part to the half a cup of dukkah added. It would be a great option for "bring a plate" scenarios to picnics and friend's places. 
Garam masala
Roast duck salad (ördek salatasi). Source: Sevtap Yuce
A common misperception is that is a spice, when it's actually a mix of spices. To be precise, a mix of fennel, cumin, caraway, cardamom, cinnamon, star anise, cloves, black peppercorns. It's warm, aromatic and extremely versatile blend that features prominently in Indian and South Asian dishes, especially curries, and is your best friend when it comes to one ingredient that can bring a lot of flavour.
Mix some garam masala with yoghurt, garlic, ginger and lemon zest, add chicken thighs and leave it to marinate overnight, then you're 20 stovetop-minutes away from a simple but sensational curry.
Harissa
Garam masala and coconut chicken.
Popular in Moroccan cooking, is a pungent paste made by chargrilling peppers and blending them with olive oil and caraway seeds. Slather it over meat or vegetables before roasting, mix it through labneh or hummous for a dip, add it to burger patties, whisk into a lemon vinaigrette for a zingy dressing, or just serve it as a condiment—there's so many ways to use this versatile paste.
Cooling, creamy labneh is the perfect finishing touch for this African-inspired fish dish enriched with spoonfuls of harissa paste. Serve with plenty of flatbread to mop up every last flavour-packed drop. 
Jerk seasoning
Harissa bream with flat bread and homemade labneh. Source: Surfing the Menu: Next Generation
In Caribbean cuisines, jerk can refer to both a rub or liquid marinade, and the end dish that gets the jerk treatment—most commonly, chicken or pork. It's a powerful blend dominated by allspice berries, cloves, garlic, ginger and spicy scotch bonnet chillies.
Try this jerk chicken at your next barbecue for a change from your go-to marinades. It works particularly well served with slaw.
Panch phoran
Jerk chicken. Source: Alan Benson
Make , also called Bengali "five spice" is an intense mixture of earthy cumin, brown mustard, bitter fenugreek, nigella and fennel that forms the base of chutneys, potato dishes and especially lentils, and differentiates Bengali cuisine from that of other regions of India. The spice blend is usually found with the seeds left whole, which is toasted in hot ghee or oil to release the aroma.
Everyone needs a new pumpkin recipe (especially for when autumn and winter set in), so you can consider this one yours. The yoghurt dressing for the spice-enhanced pumpkin is flavoured multi-dimensional, flavoured with deep-fried capers and panch phoran. 
Ras el hanout
Spice roasted butternut squash with capered yoghurt. Source: Anjum's Australian Spice Stories
Meaning “head of the shop”, reflecting its upmarket positioning, ras el hanout is a North African spice blend of around 20-27 different spices and herbs. Stores guard their recipes closely, but you can follow for a simple DIY blend.
The warm, pungent flavour of ras el hanout makes it the perfect base for tagines. But don't just take our word for it, try it for yourself in this rich, sweet and savoury lamb tagine.
Shichimi Togarashi
Lamb tagine with stewed apricots and prunes (mrouzia). Source: Tom Donald
Meaning "seven flavours" in Japanese, this spice is found on just about every table at a noodle shop or izakaya in Japan, where it's used as a seasoning. The seven spices include: red chilli pepper, ground sansho peppers, roasted orange peel, sesame seeds, ginger, poppy seeds and nori seaweed.
Negima is a mainstay of yakitori restaurants in Japan, which sell skewers of succulent chicken grilled over charcoal until it's touched with a smoky flavour and gets a blackened crust. Shichimi togarashi comes into the picture to balance out the rich, meaty flavours.
Za'atar
Yakitori negima. Source: John Laurie
Za'atar is a household staple in the Mediterranean and Middle Eastern countries. It's a fragrant and slightly nutty blend of ground dried herbs like thyme, marjoram and oregano, with toasted sesame seeds, sumac and salt. Exact recipes depend on the household. It's one of the most variable spice blends to have on hand, as you can sprinkle it on everything from salads to chicken to pizza—or just serve it up with a little dish of olive oil and a crusty loaf or some flatbread bread for an easy snack for guests.
To make this ridiculously pretty salad, za'atar is sprinkled over cauliflower before it's roasted, adding a herbal element to the diverse line up of sweet and savoury flavours.
Cauliflower, pomegranate and pine nut salad. Source: Ben Dearnley
