How to get more flavor out of spices

One easy way to amp up the flavor of your dishes is by blooming your spices. Whether you’re using whole or ground spices, frying them in oil before you cook will help them become much more fragrant.

This works because the main flavor compounds of spices (and some herbs) are fat-soluble. So by heating them up in oil until just before the oil boils, it dissolves the flavors into the oil. Be careful not to heat the oil too much or the spices can burn.