Our Big-Ten Spices & Seasonings For Thanksgiving Cooking

1. Sage Leaf (Rubbed)

The scent of Thanksgiving in one jar. Soft, earthy and a little peppery, rubbed sage cuts through rich, buttery dishes and gives stuffing its unmistakable holiday aroma.

• Stuffing and dressing: bloom it in butter with onion and celery before adding the bread.
• Turkey: mix into softened butter and tuck it under the skin.
• Gravy and sausage: a pinch goes a long way.

Folklore: The name comes from the Latin salvere, "to save." A medieval proverb asks why anyone should die with sage growing in the garden.

2. Thyme Leaf

Sage's quieter partner. Thyme is gently floral and lemony, and it ties together everything from the brine to the last spoonful of gravy without ever shouting.

• Brines and roasting pans: add to the turkey brine or scatter under the bird.
• Roasted vegetables: toss with carrots, Brussels sprouts and potatoes before they hit the oven.
• Pan gravy: stir in at the end for a bright, herbal lift.

Folklore: Lore says medieval ladies stitched sprigs of thyme onto scarves for knights, as a charm for courage.

3. Poultry Seasoning

The one-jar shortcut for a perfectly seasoned bird. A classic herb blend built for turkey, chicken and everything that goes alongside them, so you can season with confidence on a very busy day.

Ingredients: Organic thyme, organic sage, organic marjoram, and organic rosemary. SALT FREE!

• Dry rub: mix with salt and a little oil, then massage over the whole turkey.
• Stuffing shortcut: a spoonful stands in for chopping five herbs.
• Leftovers: wonderful in turkey pot pie and next-day soup.

Folklore: Ready-made poultry seasoning is a New England tradition. Bell's, a Boston brand from the 1860s, is probably the most famous, and it is still a fixture on holiday tables.

4. Whole Nutmeg

Freshly grated nutmeg is warm, sweet and slightly resinous, and nothing from a pre-ground tin comes close. Buy whole, grate as needed, and you will taste the difference in every dish.

• Creamy sides: grate into mashed potatoes, creamed spinach and cheese sauces.
• Desserts: pumpkin pie, custards, eggnog and apple pie.
• Tip: a little goes a long way, so start with a few light passes over the grater.

Folklore: Nutmeg once came only from the tiny Banda Islands. In the 1667 Treaty of Breda, the English gave up their claim to nutmeg-rich Run island and kept New Amsterdam, which became New York. A New York spice shop owes a debt to nutmeg.

5. Pumpkin Pie Spice Blend

The cozy, warm-spice blend behind pumpkin pie, in a jar that works well beyond the pie. It is the fastest way to give any fall bake that "just like Grandma's" smell.

Ingredients: Organic Cinnamon, Organic Nutmeg, Organic Ginger, Organic Allspice, and Organic Cloves.

• Pie and bread: pumpkin pie, pumpkin bread, sweet potato casserole.
• Roasted squash: dust over butternut with a drizzle of maple.
• Morning after: stir into coffee, oatmeal or whipped cream.

Folklore: One of the earliest American pumpkin pie recipes appears in Amelia Simmons's 1796 cookbook American Cookery, long before it became the holiday's signature dessert.

6. Whole Allspice

Allspice tastes like cinnamon, clove and nutmeg had a very successful collaboration, and it is a single berry. Use whole berries to infuse flavor, or grind them fresh for a punchy, peppery warmth.

• Cranberry sauce: simmer a few berries with the fruit, then fish them out.
• Brine: add to a turkey or pork brine with bay and peppercorns.
• Sweet potatoes: grind a pinch over the roasted tubers with brown butter.

Folklore: Columbus reportedly mistook allspice for pepper in the Caribbean, which is why Spanish speakers call it pimienta. English cooks later gave it the name we use today.

7. Spanish Smoked Paprika

Deep red, sweetly smoky and gloriously easy to use. Smoked paprika gives roast turkey a mahogany skin and makes vegetarian dishes taste like they spent the afternoon over a fire.

• Turkey skin: blend with butter, garlic and a little salt for a bronzed finish.
• Potatoes: toss roasting potatoes in olive oil, paprika and flaky salt.
• Plant-based gravy and mac & cheese: adds savory, smoky depth.

Folklore: Peppers crossed the Atlantic with Spanish explorers, and in Spain's Extremadura region they were traditionally dried over smoldering oak. That smoke is the flavor you taste today.

8. Ground Sumac

Bright, tart and lemony with a gorgeous burgundy color. Sumac is the secret to a Thanksgiving table that does not feel heavy, adding acidity without any extra liquid.

• Cranberry relish: a teaspoon adds tang and complexity.
• Roasted carrots, squash and cauliflower: sprinkle on right out of the oven.
• Turkey and yogurt sauce: dust over the bird, or swirl into yogurt for a cool side.

Folklore: Roman cooks are said to have used sumac for sourness long before lemons were common in Europe. Wild relatives grow across North America too, where sumac berries have long been steeped into a tart, pink drink.

9. Fennel Pollen

Sweet, honeyed and softly anise-scented, with a citrus whisper at the end. Fennel pollen is a finishing spice: a few golden specks make roast turkey, pork and vegetables taste like they came from a Tuscan kitchen.

• Finishing touch: sprinkle over carved turkey, mashed potatoes or roasted squash just before serving.
• Compound butter: mix with softened butter, lemon zest and salt for the turkey or dinner rolls.
• Sweet side: try a pinch on roasted apples or pears, or in an apple pie crumble.

Folklore: Sometimes called "the spice of angels," fennel pollen is gathered from wild fennel flowers in the Italian countryside. Lore says wine sellers once had customers chew fennel so poor wine tasted better, which gave the Italian language a word for being swindled.

10. Wild Candy Cap Mushrooms

A mushroom that smells and tastes like maple syrup. Once dried, wild candy caps develop a sweet, caramel-and-maple aroma that makes them a pastry chef's secret and a Thanksgiving dessert show-stopper.

• Pie and custard: grind to a powder and fold into pumpkin pie filling or pecan pie.
• Whipped cream and ice cream: steep in warm cream, strain, then chill and whip.
• Sweet-savory sides: dust over roasted sweet potatoes or butternut squash.

Folklore: Foragers on the Pacific coast have long prized these small, rusty-orange mushrooms. Their maple scent only blooms as they dry, which is why they feel a bit like magic.