
10 Family Friendly Spice Blends
Hot Spicy or Spicy Spicy?
The most important thing to remember about spices is that they are not all hot. In fact, there are only a few really hot spices like chilli, pepper, mustard and horseradish.
So, the next time someone says to you, “I don’t like spicy food”, you can tell them “oh dear, that means no vanilla ice cream, cinnamon muffins or pizza seasoning for you!” These are all spices, but they are not hot.
Herbie and Liz have seven grandchildren, aged from 2 to 10 years old, and our daughters have used flavourful herbs and spices in healthy and nutritious meals ever since their kids first started on solids. With wholesome and flavoursome meals in mind, we have selected 10 of our favourite family friendly spice blends that everyone can enjoy.
Which of our spices are family friendly?
Each blend is a balanced combination of herbs and spices with no artificial additives. We always list 100 per cent of all ingredients on our labels as well as our website. This means you’ll never see generic “spices” listed in the ingredients – what you see is what you get!
In addition, you’ll find a recipe on the back of every pack of Herbie’s spices, and you can get many more recipe ideas by visiting the recipe section of our website.
Why Not Just Use Spice Pastes?
Have you ever wondered why Herbie’s don’t make any of those seemingly easy spice pastes in jars? We don’t see why you should carry home water, oil and preservatives in a glass jar from the shop when you have perfectly good spices at home.
If you want a curry or butter chicken paste, here’s what to do:
- Finely chop onion and garlic, or puree in a processor
- Add butter chicken spice mix or curry powder of your choice (we also have a mild curry powder for families)
- Add water in approximately equal quantity, and stir to make a dry, stiff paste.
- Add about half the amount of oil as you used water, and stir. Add tomato paste or powder if you wish. Voila!

Remember, if you have any spice-related questions, just contact us.
For more information about spices, their history and much more including recipes, refer to The Spice & Herb Bible 3rd Edition by Ian Hemphill with recipes by Kate Hemphill.