What's in supermarket spice mixes?
Have you recently read the ingredient list of a spice mix from the supermarket? Most people haven't. What you find there is surprising, and not always pleasant.
In this article, we honestly explain what's in supermarket spice mixes, why that is, and what it means for the taste of your meat.
The most common fillers
These are the ingredients you regularly encounter in ready-made spice mixes that contribute nothing to the flavor.
Maltodextrin
A carbohydrate derived from starch. Used as a filler and anti-caking agent. Has a slightly sweet taste and increases weight without adding flavor.
Rice flour or wheat flour
Cheap fillers used to increase volume. Contribution to flavor: zero.
Silicon dioxide (E551)
Anti-caking agent. A sign that there are few actual herbs in it.
Sugar in high percentages
A little sugar has a purpose in a rub. But commercial mixes contain 30 to 50% sugar as a cheap filler.
Read the ingredient list. If the first two ingredients are not spices, it's a bad mix. If maltodextrin, sugar, or rice flour are high on the list, you're paying for filler.
Why manufacturers use fillers
The reason is simple: real herbs and spices are expensive. Cumin, gochugaru, allspice, and smoked paprika of quality cost significantly more than maltodextrin or rice flour.
In addition, cheap herbs are stored for a long time before being sold. Herbs that have been in a warehouse for months or years have largely lost their essential oils.
Rub a pinch of paprika powder from a supermarket spice mix between your fingers. Do you smell almost nothing? Then the essential oils have evaporated. Try the same with fresh paprika from a specialty store. The difference is immediately clear.
What it means for your BBQ
Fillers don't taste bad, they taste like nothing. On the BBQ, maltodextrin and rice flour burn without adding flavor. Sugar in high concentrations gives a superficial sweetness without the complexity of real spices.
Supermarket spice mix
- ✗ First ingredient: maltodextrin
- ✗ 30-50% sugar as filler
- ✗ Spices months to years old
- ✗ Essential oils largely evaporated
- ✗ No transparency about origin
The Rub Kitchen
- ✓ Only herbs and spices
- ✓ No fillers or E-numbers
- ✓ Freshly mixed to order
- ✓ Spices freshly ground in India
- ✓ Fully transparent ingredient list
How to read an ingredient list correctly?
Ingredients are listed in order of weight, from most to least. The first ingredient has the highest percentage in the product.
A good BBQ rub will have cumin, paprika, or another spice listed first. Many supermarket products list salt, sugar, or maltodextrin first.
Can you pronounce all the ingredients on the list and do you know what they are? Then it's a good mix. Do you see E-numbers, maltodextrin, or rice flour? Then you're paying for filler.
- → Why freshly ground spices taste better Essential oils, oxidation, and the difference with supermarket spices
- → Product knowledge All the herbs and spices we use
- → Our ingredients Where our herbs come from and why
- → BBQ guide for beginners The complete overview for those just starting out
Pure stuff, no fillers
Only herbs and spices. Freshly mixed to order, delivered free via DHL.
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