National Spice Blend Day Date in the current year: September 4, 2024

Spice blends, also known as spice mixes, are just what it says on the tin: blended spices and/or herbs. When a dish you cook often requires a certain combination of herbs or spices, it is convenient to blend them beforehand and use the blend as needed. Popular spice blends are often sold pre-mixed at grocery stores.

Most cuisines in the world have their signature spice mixes. In the Indian subcontinent, the generic term for a spice mix is masala. A typical blend of ground spices is called garam masala; its composition may vary depending on the region and recipe, but the most typical ingredients are black and green cardamom, black and white peppercorns, chili powder, cinnamon or cassia, cloves, coriander seeds, cumin, fennel, Indian bay leaf, and mace. Some recipes include asafoetida, garlic, onions, star anise, and other spices and herbs.

Almost all regional Chinese cuisines use five-spice powder, which most commonly consists of Chinese cassia, cloves, fennel, Sichuan pepper, and star anise. A common Japanese spice blend is called shichimi (short for shiti-mi togarashi, “seven-flavor chili pepper”). It consists of seven ingredients, the main one being red chili pepper. Other ingredients may include Japanese pepper, sun-dried or roasted mandarin orange peel, seeds (black and/or white sesame, hemp, poppy), dried seaweed, ground ginger, yuzu peel, and more.

Za’atar is a popular Middle Eastern spice blend. Its common ingredients include dried sumac, roasted sesame seeds, salt, thyme, oregano, marjoram, cumin, coriander, fennel seeds, and other herbs and spices. Adobo is a spice mix popular in the Iberian peninsula and Latin America. It usually includes garlic, oregano, paprika, salt, and vinegar.

And these are just a few examples of delicious spice mixes. Other popular spice blends include curry powder, Jamaican jerk spice, herbes de Provence, Italian seasoning, khmeli suneli, lemon pepper, mixed spice (pudding spice), Montreal steak seasoning, mulling spices, pumpkin pie spice, various seasoned salts, and many more.

National Spice Blend Day was founded in 2021 by Angel Gregorio, the owner and founder of the specialty spice shop The Spice Suite. She created the holiday to commemorate the 4th anniversary of her business and recognize the contribution of the world’s spice blends to a never-ending creative food experience.

There are many ways to celebrate National Spice Blend Day. You can read about the different spice blends from around the world and buy a couple (or half a dozen) to use in cooking, try making your own spice blends, take a cooking class, invite your friends over for a cook-off, drink some masala tea, pumpkin spice latte or mulled wine, and post about your favorite spice blends on social media with the hashtag #NationalSpiceBlendDay.

National Spice Blend Day is not the only holiday that celebrates the use of spices in cooking. For example, National Herbs and Spices Day is celebrated on June 10 to educate the general public about the difference between herbs and spices and encourage people to use spices and herbs in cooking. And National Pumpkin Spice Day, observed on October 1, honors everyone’s favorite autumn spice mix.