Mustard pairing:

Fruits and vegetables: avocado, cabbage (including sauerkraut), potatoes, leeks, carrots, cucumbers, bell pepper, tomato, radish, beetroot, asparagus, apple.

Protein product: lamb, beef (including charbroiled/grilled), wild game (rabbit), legumes (especially peas, beans, lentils, buckwheat, rice), sausages, smoked products (meat, fish), seafood (especially crab, mussels), nuts (walnuts), poultry (especially chicken), fish (especially salmon), pork, cheeses (especially blue cheese, cheddar, Gruy`ere), eggs.

Other foods: mushrooms, gingerbread, honey, beverages, vegetable oil (including olive oil), soy sauce, juice (lemon), vinegar, bread.

Seasonings and spices: anise, star anise, clove, cumin, ginger, cardamom, cilantro, coriander, cinnamon, turmeric, bay leaf, onion, nutmeg, mint, oregano, fenugreek, paprika, peppers (black pepper, allspice, chili), parsley, celery, sumac, dill, fennel, garlic, tarragon.

Cuisines and dishes: Indian cuisine, Irish cuisine, Italian cuisine, German cuisine, Scandinavian cuisine, steaks, French cuisine.

NUTMEG

Never buy ground nutmeg to replace the whole one. It is better to buy a special nutmeg grater and grate the nut with it as ground nutmeg loses its flavor in the shortest time and becomes flavourless. The whole nutmeg is rich in fresh warm aroma; its flavor has a bitter-sweet balance with clove and wood notes. Nutmeg is a part of most desserts and brings a special accent to many Indian and Middle Eastern mixes such as Kashmiri masala and baharat.

Nutmeg Pairing:

Fruits and vegetables: banana, broccoli, pear, green beans, zucchini, cabbage (including cauliflower), potatoes, corn, carrots, cucumbers, parsnip, peach, tomato, radish, beetroot, pumpkin, spinach, apple.

Protein product: lamb, beef and veal, legumes (peas, semolina, wheat, rice, beans, chickpeas), yoghurt, sausages, chicken, milk, seafood (especially oysters, shrimp), nuts (especially hazelnuts), fish, pork, cream, cheeses (especially creamy), eggs.

Other foods: broths and soups (especially fish based), pastries, mushrooms, custard and desserts, candies, lemon juice, pasta, honey, drinks, cookies, cakes, sugar, butter, cream and white sauces, dough, minced meat and meatballs, chocolate.

Seasonings and spices: vanilla, cloves, cumin, ginger, cardamom, coriander, cinnamon, onion, allspice, black pepper, thyme, caraway, garlic, sage.

Cuisines and dishes: Middle Eastern cuisine, Greek cuisine, Indian cuisine, Italian cuisine, Caribbean cuisine, Chinese cuisine, Latin American cuisine, German cuisine, Pan-Asian cuisine, Scandinavian cuisine.

OREGANO

Oregano has a pleasant, delicate aroma and a spicy peppery-bitter taste. This spice scatters incredible aromas, regardless of the Greek, Turkish or Mexican nature of origin. And such seasoning as za’atar is a proof of that. Oregano is very popular throughout the Mediterranean and in Latin America, and it's a obvious favorite in Italian spice blends. Oregano and marjoram have much stronger flavor in dried form rather than fresh. If you want grilled or charbroiled meat, fish or vegetables to have a fine spicy aroma, just put a couple of sprigs of fresh oregano/marjoram on the coals. Picture 1 – Turkish oregano, Picture 2 – Mexican oregano.

Oregano pairing:

Fruits and vegetables: artichoke, eggplant, broccoli, zucchini, potatoes, lettuce and greens (especially arugula), carrots, cucumbers, olives, bell pepper, tomato, citrus, chives.

Protein product: lamb, beef and veal, wild game (especially rabbit, partridge, quail), legumes (especially beans), sausages, seafood (especially oysters, shrimp, squid), nuts, poultry (chicken, duck), fish (in including fatty, baked, fried), pork, cheese (especially feta, mozzarella, parmesan), eggs.

Other foods: mushrooms, lemon juice, pasta, vegetable oil (olive), soups and broths (especially fish, chicken and vegetable), dough, tomato sauces, stews and roasted foods, vinegar, minced meat and meatballs.

Seasonings and spices: basil, mustard, cumin, cinnamon, bay leaf, onion, marjoram, mint, paprika, black pepper, chili, parsley, rosemary, celery, thyme, caraway, dill, garlic, sage, tarragon.

Cuisines and dishes: Greek cuisine, Spanish cuisine, Italian cuisine, Mexican cuisine, mole sauces, pizza, Mediterranean cuisine.