Pepper
Is probably the most important one and the most commonly used in our gastronomy. And it is the one that causes the most arguments among chefs over how it should be used. There are three kinds of pepper accepted by so-called classical chefs.
- White pepper spends a bit of time in lime until it dries out. It has always been used to liven up the flavor of fish dishes and white or clear sauces. Thanks to its color it leaves no trace on the plate.

- Black pepper is the easiest to find. It comes in a pepper shaker or in pepper corns. It all depends on whether you want to use it to season a stew, a sauce or a sweet dish, or to extract all the power of its spicy flavor. These days many chefs use it regularly, sprinkling it on a dish right as they unveil it. The foods it goes best with are meat and thick sauces. It is also good with macerated meat, game or fish. In this case the corns should be ground with the base of a pot. But the best use of black pepper is salsa pevrada which is prepared to accompany dishes made with game and red meat. It is not to be confused with pepper sauce, which is always green.

- Green pepper�corns have the color they do because they do not dry out, nor do they roast. They are used whole. They are a semi-canned product so once you open the product you must finish the corns within a month. This is not the case with black pepper, which can last years. Green pepper is ideal for meat, although Pedro Subijana dared one day to use it on fish, namely a sea bass, and it was a hit.

Less well accepted, although not less frequently used, are pink pepper, the wild one, and other corns that are very spicy but have no aroma. But they do give a nice touch of color.

Clove�
A spice that is essential in all homes of people who like to make soups, pur�es, and meat or fish dishes. Its bitter flavor has led to it being used less in modern cooking, although it is still essential to stick cloves in an onion when making a Spanish stew.

In classical Spanish cooking, clove and black pepper have also been used in baking pastries. Especially when it comes to accentuating the flavor of something sweet with cinnamon. This is as important as adding grated lemon rind.

Cinnamon
Is one of the most highly regarded spices in Spanish baking pantries. It gives cream fillings, custard and homemade desserts a different flavor. The time-honored Spanish favorites called rosquillas and bu�uelos would not be the same were they not dipped in an odd mix of sugar and cinnamon.

A good example of the aromatic power of cinnamon is prepared milk, the first step for making leche merengada. It is made with a liter of milk, 200 grams of sugar, a clove, three green pepper corns, the rind of half a dry lemon or a fresh one and a stick of cinnamon. Boil it all, let it cool, strain the whole mix and put it in the refrigerator. It is a delicious blend.

Nutmeg
In the last century has replaced macis, which is the skin of this spice. The union of the spices mentioned earlier and nutmeg is what is known as cuatro especies and can only be found in specialized grocery stores.

Any pudding, pat�, sauce made from flour - such as bechamel - and any croquette should include nutmeg to enhance its flavor.

Except for cinnamon, which can be bought ground or in a stick, the rest of these spices are available in corns or whole. If you prefer them grated you will need a pepper-shaker or a grater. In the case of pepper this should be done at the last minute, neither before nor after, because the aromas dissipate when they come in contact with the air. So don�t buy them as powder.
��