The powerfully tart apricot is a great canvas for many recipes. It can contrast beautifully with both sweet and savory spices, making it an incredibly versatile fruit.
To give you some inspiration, we’ll be showing you some spices that go with apricot in this post. We hope you try them out and discover some new flavor profiles you’ll love.
1. Anise
Don’t like recipes that are too sweet? Adding apricot to a spice like anise is wonderful for balancing excessive sweetness. That’s because you’re taking the licorice-like taste of anise and using tartness from apricot to round it out.
Read more about anise in our post about what anise tastes like.
2. Basil
Basil is one hearty herb! Combine it with apricot, and you’ll be marrying two pungent and powerful tastes. Part of the reason it works, though, is that basil has the tiniest hint of anise that adds some sweetness to apricot’s slight sour tone.
3. Black Pepper
If you want to soften the tart impact of apricot, try using something with a zip like black pepper. Pepper is wonderful for taking something bland or one-note and giving it a spicy dimension.
4. Cardamom
Many fruits go well with sweeter spices like cardamom, and apricot is no exception. Like with pepper, you can use cardamom to blunt the tartness of your apricot. This would be a great combination in a dessert.
Read Also: What Does Cardamom Taste Like?
5. Cinnamon
We strongly recommend pairing your apricot with warm spices like cinnamon. You couldn’t really describe it as exceedingly sweet, but it does bring together heat and the barest hint of a woody sweetness that goes well with apricot.
6. Ginger
Want to give your apricot a whole new feel? Try using it to make a flavor-packed apricot and ginger jam or even apricot and ginger scones. Its heat is fantastic for either cleansing your palate or adding complexity to other flavors.
You can learn more about the taste of ginger root in our post about what ginger root tastes like.
7. Lavender
Lavender is popular for its aromatic and strong flavor. Its minty, citrusy notes balance the sour notes in an apricot.
8. Nutmeg
When you think of nutmeg, you probably think of desserts or decadent breakfasts. However, nutmeg’s sweet flavor with bitter undertones will help highlight the natural sweetness present in an apricot.
9. Rosemary
Rosemary works well in traditionally savory recipes. Use this combo to make a mouth-watering apricot and rosemary jam you’ll want to eat all the time.
10. Vanilla
If you want to bring out the sweetness in apricot, combine it with vanilla. Vanilla’s own soothing, powerful sweetness will accentuate the same qualities in your apricot.
Hey, I’m Joey. I’ve been cooking since I was a little kid and love everything about it. You can find my writing about food, kitchen appliances (such as blenders) and much more. Thanks for stopping by!
