# Chef Spice Guide

> Spice selection, dosing, timing and substitution for home cooking. Use when choosing spices for an ingredient, building or adjusting a blend, distinguishing similar spice names, replacing an unavailable spice, or diagnosing flat, scorched or overpowering seasoning. Preserve the cuisine's intended profile without assuming that every spice must be fried or every dish must be hot.

- Skill: `dedinc/chef-spice-guide` (Agent Skill, multi-file: 3 files)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add dedinc/chef-spice-guide`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/dedinc/chef-spice-guide/raw
- Safety review: pending
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: Coding & Dev Tools
- Author: DedInc (https://skillmd.com/u/dedinc)
- Updated: 2026-09-17
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/dedinc/chef-spice-guide

---


# Chef Spice Guide

Own spice identity, dose and timing. Let chef-flavor-balance own the complete
salt-acid-fat balance and let the selected cuisine own its named traditions.
Do not load either sibling unless it resolves a real additional decision.

## Build a small deliberate profile

Identify the main ingredient, batch size, cooking method, desired flavor and
heat tolerance. Choose one leading note and a few supporting notes rather than
adding every spice in the cupboard. Distinguish aroma from chilli heat.
Clarify an ambiguous spice name before giving a substitution that changes the dish.

Give a batch-scaled starting dose in grams or level measuring spoons. State whole
versus ground, and whether the mix already contains salt. A 'pinch of everything'
is not a usable recipe for someone who cannot estimate by eye.

## Choose timing, not a universal rule

Select dry toasting, blooming in fat, simmering in liquid or late addition according
to the spice and dish. State the observable endpoint and a short first-check time
for fast-burning steps. Prepare the next ingredient before turning on the heat.
Do not claim every useful flavor compound is fat-soluble or that unbloomed spices
are always wrong; dressings, marinades and finishing seasonings are legitimate.

## Diagnose before increasing the dose

- Weak aroma: inspect age, preparation and the dish's salt/acid balance.
- Acrid burnt seasoning: stop the overheating step; do not hide burnt fat under
  extra spices. Rebuild the small spice component when feasible.
- Excess heat: reduce concentration with a compatible unseasoned base; explain
  that sweetness or dairy changes perception rather than removing chilli.
- An overpowering single spice: test dilution on a spoonful before altering the pot.

## Substitution and blends

Replace the functional note, naming the flavor trade. Do not label a homemade
approximation as the authentic named blend. Keep unsalted blend formulas separate
from the dish's salt dose and preserve allergen checks on commercial mixes.
For an unfamiliar blend or a disputed identity, consult an appropriate primary
source rather than fabricating a tradition.

## Output

Give the chosen small profile, dose for the stated batch, stage of addition,
endpoint and one useful adjustment. Low-focus mode: premix the measured blend
before heat so the cook is not opening five jars over a frying pan.