Explore the transportive power of spices — experience.usatoday.com

Spices spurred much of the exploration of the world, even Columbus was hunting for spices when he discovered the New World. And without leaving your kitchen, you can embark on a global journey, enhancing, deepening, heating up, or lending contrast or balance to your food by using spices. Some spices are trendy today. "Right now, sea salts are really, really big," says Ronit Madmone, co-owner of Whole Spice, a spice shop in downtown Napa's Oxbow Public Market selling over 1,000 spices, blends (from Afghan ribs to zahtar), herbs and salts. Tastes in cinnamon have also changed. "A few years ago, they'd grab a cinnamon off the shelf. But now there's knowledge about it – they realize it isn't just one type, it comes from different parts of the world and tastes different."

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