Penzey's spices... too many options! What's your favorite?

[Marceeruns]

I'm a newbie to Penzey's spices but want to order a few to try but the list is endless so I'm hoping to get some feedback on people's favorites and how they use them?

[nikki5577]

We have been using their spice mixes as grilled meat rubs for years. Favorites are Greek, Tuscan Sunset, Turkish, And Southwest. Make sure you read the ingredients, some mixes have sugar - like the Italian and breakfast sausage mixes. I also like their French grey sea salt.

Everything is high quality and reasonably priced.

[Nancy C]

I love Penzy's. Try Arizona Dreaming for Mexican. I use the Italian Herb Mix a lot. Foxpoint is good for an onion-y flavor. Forward is a bit unusual but really good. I have't found a bad one yet so I'm eager to try more.

[nikki5577]

I forgot to mention that the spice blends also make great salad dressing. The Greek, Italian and Tuscan sun set can be mixed with olive oil, red wine and/or balsamic vinegar and (for the Greek) lemon juice. I haven't experimented with making any creamy dressings using homemade mayo.

[0Angel0]

I love Penzy's and get almost all of my spices from them.  My favorite is the Ozark blend.  I love it on burgers but it's also great on chicken and pork, esp in a light almond or coconut flour breading.  Arizona is another fav, Sunny Paris, Northwoods, all of their cinnamon types, I've loved all their curry blends as well.  Their lemon pepper is amazing, not the Florida seasoning just the regular lemon pepper.  I buy their cumin and coriander whole and grind as needed.  The store bought ground versions of these spices smell "dirty" to me now.  Their coriander is just so lemony and earthy.  I love it!

[bookluvingbabe]

I love their Chinese 5 Spice and their smoked paprika.  The sweet paprika is also nice.

 

I used the Chinese 5 Spice today to make a faux pho.  I took beef broth (it jelled, it jelled!  Victory!) and warmed that up, added the 5 spice, cut up a bunch of tongue, added frozen rainbow chard, added a ton of cilantro and lime and called it a day.  I planned to add zoodles but I forgot.  

[Marceeruns]

Thank you so much for all the suggestions! That helps a lot

[Sarah T]

Oh how I love Penzey's.

 

First, if you ever get a chance to go to one of their stores, do it. Being able to smell things before buying is awesome (and now I want to go next weekend...)

 

I love Tsardust, Berbere (this is hot, keep in mind), Bangkok blend, Arizona Dreaming, Chesapeake Bay... all so good! 

 

Some of their blends (Rocky Mountain, I'm looking at you...) have cheese in them, so be careful with that. 

 

Also... once you find things you like, it's MUCH less expensive to reorder the bags and just refill your jars. Just an FYI.  

[Marceeruns]

Oh how I love Penzey's.

 

First, if you ever get a chance to go to one of their stores, do it. Being able to smell things before buying is awesome (and now I want to go next weekend...)

 

I love Tsardust, Berbere (this is hot, keep in mind), Bangkok blend, Arizona Dreaming, Chesapeake Bay... all so good! 

 

Some of their blends (Rocky Mountain, I'm looking at you...) have cheese in them, so be careful with that. 

 

Also... once you find things you like, it's MUCH less expensive to reorder the bags and just refill your jars. Just an FYI.

Great suggestions, thank you!!

[GLC1968]

I love me some Penzey's!   I buy Fox Point, Sunny Paris and BBQ 3000 in bulk quantities because we use them so much!  I get so excited when I run out of other single spices so that I have an excuse to buy them again in the Penzey's version.

 

I second the recommendation to shop the store if you have one near you.  Of course, if you do, budget accordingly and do NOT go in there hungry.  I just about passed out when I rang up my choices at my last visit...I went a little nuts.

[Sarah T]

  Of course, if you do, budget accordingly and do NOT go in there hungry.  I just about passed out when I rang up my choices at my last visit...I went a little nuts.

 

Wait... you mean we aren't supposed to spend $100 a shot in there? (it's insane! Too many yummies!)

[Mariala]

I love the Fajita Seasoning, Fox Point, Vindaloo, and Bay Leaf Seasoning while on a Whole 30.  Lemon Pepper seasoning is compliant too!

[springbound]

Their Shallot Pepper is my default seasoning, but I love Sunny Paris and Fox Point as well.  Their garlic salt is also a favorite as well as their garlic powder and toasted onion powder.  

 

If you haven't tried their cinnamon, definitely try it!  It's so different than supermarket cinnamon.

[gardengirl]

Favorites? It is so hard to choose! Sunny Paris, Rogan Josh (smothered on almost any meat and into the slow cooker) and Tzardust Memories (on sweet potato, mmmmmmmm). I wish the Sunny Paris came in the larger bags! They also introduced me to green cardamom pods- great with Indian dishes. 8'm finding lots of Indian recipes compliant and delicious!

[praxisproject]

Any Well Fed & Well Fed 2 fans?

 

What Penzeys do you get, to go with recipes from the cookbooks?

[littleg]

If you roast/grill chicken a lot Northwoods is our *favorite*.  I don't have a bag around now (I buy the bags and then transfer to glass at home) so I don't know if it is W30 compliant or not.  It is a paleo or else I wouldn't have bought it but it may have sugar.  

 

I also think their cinnamon is noticeably better than store bought cinnamon.  They usually have a few varieties so you can smell them and see which is more to your liking.  

 

I also keep their dried shallots and garlic (not powder - its like little chunks) around so that when I'm too lazy to cut up fresh for something that doesn't really need fresh (like a soup or stew) I just toss those in. 

 

If you subscribe to their catalog it usually comes with a coupon for a free spice.  Lately they have been for non W30 things but sometimes you luck out (that is how I got hooked on their cinnamon!).  

[EmayPA]

I heart Penzeys!  And am fortunate to have one nearby.  But!  even if you don't they free ship at $30 and always throw in a free spice or something.  (If they have a current coupon code and you use it, you'll get a second lovely.)  Coupons are only good one time per address.  I've tried.  They check. 

 

I've recently traded in my Foxpoint for Sunny Paris (same thing without the salt) since I like control and I find that the salt tends to clump in the bottom of the jar.  Great with eggs!

 

I like the Mural of Flavor as a general livener-upper - sprinkle it on cooked spinach and other leafy greens sometimes.   No heat, just tasty.

 

The Maharajah Style Curry Powder is to die for if you crave Indian food.  It's pricey, but fabulous, and you can't buy it in the bulk bags, because they don't want the saffron threads to get smashed.  I don't think you can "Mural" in bulk either - don't know why. 

 

I got a free "Forward" and like it as well.  I think I'd add it to my keeper list.

 

Picked up the aleppo (sp?) pepper to make Nomnom green chicken this week - really nice - spicy, but a nice flavor to the heat...

 

Got a free sample of their new "frozen pizza topping" (!) but will try it as an italian seasoning on chicken and see how that goes...

 

I really appreciate folks' recommendations on the blends and how they use them, since I tend not to buy many of them, just individual spices.  (Have a whole range of them - just so much better than supermarket varieties) - from herbs to spices...

 

oh - and you can check Penzeys website for specific ingredients in their blends - more comprehensive than the jar label, even.  Mural of Flavor label says:  spices, shallots, onion, garlic, lemon peel, citric acid, chives, orange peel.

 

Website says: "Hand mixed from shallots, onion, garlic, thyme, rosemary, basil, coriander, lemon peel, citric acid, black pepper, chives, green peppercorns, dill weed, and orange peel."

 

Mural Of Flavor
Mural of Flavor blends over a dozen spices and herbs, creating a wall (hence mural) of flavor so delicious, there's no need to add salt. Try it on chicken, fish, pork, and beef. Add it to soups, rice and potatoes. Shake it over tomatoes, corn, popcorn and scrambled eggs. Hand mixed from shallots, onion, garlic, thyme, rosemary, basil, coriander, lemon peel, citric acid, black pepper, chives, green peppercorns, dill weed, and orange peel."

[LadyM]

I adore Penzey's and my pantry is fully stocked with their spices. My all-time go-to favorites, though, are Turkish and Adobo. Marvelous on any kind of roast meat!

[peahen65]

Watch out on the sausage seasoning blends and the dressing blends!  The have sugar in them.  Check ingredients of any Penzey's blends to be sure.   

 

My go to favorite for general seasoning of anything is their Northwoods Seasoning!

 

I am branching out after reading my new Well Fed cookbook and trying some new things.  I was also out of some things so when I went to Penzey's yesterday, I spent $120

[sjosey77]

I love Penzey's!  Sunny Paris is my absolute favorite.  It is one of their most expensive blends, but it is so yummy!  I use it for dressings, a chicken topper etc etc. 

 

I buy a few spices at a time because I would spend too much. Make yourself a wish list and buy a few that really spark your interest.  If you buy $30 at a time, it's free shipping.  Arizona Dreaming is good too.  Greek seasoning is a classic.

[exploradora]

I also love Penzey's. 

Turkish blend
Southwest blend
Lemon Pepper
Aunt Ann's Muskego Ave Blend
Toasted onion powder
Granulated garlic
Ancho chili powder
Aleppo Pepper 

I recently tried the Trinidad blend (lemon, garlic, clove?...) and it was good on chicken. 

It's hard to name just a few - I have a cupboard full of them.

[Olivia88]

Since i used to work for them, I know a lot about this! For eggs I use Fox Point, for stir fry I use Bangkok, for tacos, I use Arizona Dreaming (salt-free), I love the prime-rib rub on steaks or salmon with coconut cream mixed with lemon-juice and dill, poultry seasoning for soups or roasted chickens, indian seasoning for chickens, the smoked paprika is great on ribs... You need sign up for the free catalog (which they will send with your order), it is chock full of recipes. The website also gives you usage suggestions. They are all amazing spices!

[Rebe_J]

My favorites include Mural of Flavor, Tuscan Sunset, Ozark, Sunny Paris, Arizona Dreaming. I also use their cocoa powder and other single spices.

 

One of my favorite salad dressings is made with Penzey's Green Goddess mix. It may be their only W30 compliant dressing mix. I blend it with vinegar and homemade mayo. So good.

[ATL_Jen]

 I put Mural of Flavor on EVERYTHING. Ok, not really, but it feels that way. Meats, steamed/sauteed veggies, salad . . . it's also my go-to mix (along with onion powder and garlic powder) when I'm turning homemade mayo into ranch dressing. I buy a big jar each time and wish it came in the plastic bags. 

 

I also love the Berbere spice (very spicy) in stir-fries and with chicken. Fox Point on salads (has salt but I don't really worry about that). The Greek seasoning - a couple of Tbs in a couple of pounds of meat - makes awesome turkey burgers/turkey meatballs. Just a nice, different flavor. 

 

And, oh yes, the cinnamon. The use the Vietnames (Saigon) cinnamon and it is the strongest, most amazing cinnamon I've ever had. I used to bake with it more, obviously, but now I use it in coffee grounds as well as on some meats and in the chocoloate chili recipes, as well as roasting winter squashes. 

 

LOVE Penzey's!

[Rebe_J]

I just got my Penzey's catalog in the mail yesterday. Time to place an order and try some of the blends mentioned here.