What Does It Mean to 'Bloom' Spices?

How often, when reading a recipe or watching a cooking video, have you noticed the phrase "..but first, bloom your spices"? What in the world does that mean? And how is this accomplished? And, most important of all, why should we bother?

Essentially, all spices are dry. And there are times when the herbs we use are dried as well.

Blooming is really nothing more than heating, and in some cases, toasting herbs (most often in oil) and spices ( in oil or in a dry pan) before adding them to your dish. Think of the dried herbs and spices as a locked box, filled with inaccessible flavor treasures, and the heat you apply as the key to unlocking the box, and bringing those flavors out into the open.

I'm sure you've heard the phrase "essential oils" before. Herbs and spices are filled with these essential oils, and the application of heat allows these oils to come out and play with your dish in a way, and with a potency, that wouldn't occur if you just tossed them into whatever dish you were making. I can hear you asking, "But if I'm cooking the dish anyway, won't the heat from the cooking process do the job without that extra step?" And the answer is yes… sorta… kinda… but not really. The application of direct heat causes the oils to come to the surface in a way that won't happen if you just "stew" the spices in your dish. Sure, you'll get some flavor. But, if your goal in using that specific herb or spice is the flavor it brings to the dish you're making, then why not extract as much of that flavor as you can?

Indian food, in all of its many guises, is my favorite food. And the blooming of all of the component spices is a given in any recipe. Because the change is enormous. Next time you want to just toss a spoonful of "curry powder" in a dish, try blooming it in oil first. You'll thank me.It really is only a matter of a minute or so with spices, and 30 seconds or so with herbs. Once you can really smell them — mission accomplished. Get them out of the pan and on to a plate (or into a bowl) to stop any further cooking. Then, it's just a matter of moving on with your recipe, secure in the knowledge that taking that little bit of extra time will result in a far superior flavor. And isn't that what we're all looking for anyway? Once you do this a few times, and taste the results, it will become second nature. And you won't even think about the extra few seconds.