A Multi-Spice Sprinkle for Everyday Foods
Sometimes adding more variety to the plant foods in your diet doesn’t require completely changing what you eat.
It can be as simple as changing what you sprinkle on it.
Cinnamon has long been a favorite on oatmeal, yogurt, apples, pancakes and other familiar foods. But cinnamon is only one spice—and different spices naturally contain different plant compounds.
That’s the idea behind a multi-spice sprinkle: combine several real culinary spices into one easy blend that can sit in the kitchen and be added to foods you already enjoy.
One sprinkle. Endless possibilities.
Why Use More Than One Spice?
Every spice comes from a plant, and different plants naturally contain different mixtures of compounds.
Cinnamon, ginger, cocoa, turmeric, cardamom and clove, for example, don’t contain identical phytochemicals. Culinary herbs and spices are recognized sources of polyphenols and other naturally occurring plant compounds, and the particular compounds vary from spice to spice.
Because different spices naturally contain different plant compounds, a multi-spice blend can provide greater plant-compound variety than relying on a single spice alone.
There is an important distinction, though:
Greater plant-compound diversity does not automatically mean greater or proven health benefits.
Laboratory measurements of antioxidant activity tell researchers about compounds present in foods, but they don’t establish that eating a particular spice or spice blend will prevent disease or produce a specific health outcome.
Fika Spice isn’t a supplement or a treatment.
It’s food.
And it’s a deliciously simple way to bring several real spices into foods you already eat.
Nine Real Spices. One Sprinkle.
Original Fika Spice™ combines nine carefully selected culinary ingredients:
Ceylon Cinnamon • Cocoa • Madagascar Vanilla Bean Powder • Ginger • Nutmeg • Turmeric • Cardamom • Cayenne • Clove
Each contributes something different to the blend.
Ceylon cinnamon provides the familiar warm, naturally sweet aroma that forms the foundation of Fika Spice.
Cocoa adds chocolatey depth and naturally occurring plant compounds including flavanols.
Madagascar vanilla bean powder brings a soft aromatic sweetness without adding sugar.
Ginger contributes brightness and warmth along with naturally occurring gingerols and related compounds.
Nutmeg adds the cozy flavor associated with baking and familiar breakfast foods.
Turmeric contributes its distinctive color, flavor and naturally occurring curcuminoids.
Cardamom adds a floral, citrus-like character closely associated with Scandinavian baking.
Cayenne is used carefully to provide gentle background warmth rather than hot-pepper heat.
Clove adds aromatic depth and naturally occurring plant compounds including eugenol.
Together, they create something different from any one spice on its own.
Not nine competing flavors.
Why Not Just Use Cinnamon?
You certainly can.
Cinnamon is delicious, versatile and naturally contains a variety of plant compounds of its own.
A multi-spice blend simply offers something different.
Instead of using one plant ingredient, you’re combining spices from several different plants, each with its own flavor, aroma and naturally occurring compounds.
That’s why we prefer to think about spices in terms of variety rather than searching for one “super spice.”
Cinnamon can be wonderful on oatmeal.
So can ginger.
So can cardamom, cocoa, vanilla and nutmeg.
A multi-spice blend makes enjoying several of them as easy as reaching for one jar.
An Easy Way to Add More Plant Variety to Foods You Already Love
You don’t have to redesign breakfast.
Try a sprinkle of Fika Spice on:
- Oatmeal or overnight oats
- Yogurt
- Pancakes or waffles
- Apples, bananas, pears and other fruit
- Unsweetened applesauce
- Smoothies
- Toast or nut-butter toast
- Cereal or granola
- Baked sweet potatoes
- Muffins, breads and other baked goods
And, of course, there’s the reason Fika Spice was created in the first place:
Coffee.
Fika Spice™ is The Spice for Coffee™.
But coffee is only the beginning.
One Jar Instead of Several
There’s nothing wrong with opening the cupboard and adding cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, cocoa, vanilla, nutmeg and other spices individually.
But most of us probably aren’t going to do that every morning.
That’s one of the simplest advantages of a multi-spice blend.
Instead of deciding which spices to use and opening several containers, you can reach for one jar.
Sprinkle. Stir. Enjoy.
That makes spice variety practical enough to become part of an everyday routine.
What About Antioxidants?
Many culinary spices naturally contain compounds with antioxidant activity, including different polyphenols, flavonoids and other phytochemicals.
That’s one reason spices are interesting from a nutrition-science perspective.
But the word antioxidant deserves some context.
The presence of compounds with antioxidant activity in a food does not mean that eating that food has been proven to prevent disease or provide a particular health benefit.
Spices are also typically consumed in relatively small culinary amounts.
That’s why we prefer a simple approach:
Enjoy spices because they’re real food, because they taste wonderful, and because using different spices is an easy way to add greater plant variety to everyday meals.
Anything beyond that deserves good science.
A Simple Idea for Families
One of the easiest ways to introduce more flavor and plant variety at breakfast is to start with foods your family already enjoys.
Instead of changing the entire meal, try adding something to it.
A sprinkle can go into oatmeal.
Onto yogurt.
Across sliced apples.
Into pancake batter.
Onto waffles.
Into a smoothie.
Or into something you’re baking.
That simplicity is part of what we love about Fika Spice.
It began with coffee, but we quickly discovered how many other possibilities there were around the kitchen.
Fika Spice™ — The Spice for Coffee™ …and So Much More
Fika Spice began with a simple family tradition: adding spices to coffee.
Over time, that tradition became a carefully balanced nine-spice blend inspired by the Swedish tradition of Fika.
Today, we still love it most in a warm cup of coffee.
But the same jar regularly finds its way into breakfast, snacks and recipes.
That’s why one of our favorite ways to describe Fika Spice is:
The Spice for Coffee™ …and so much more.
Oatmeal. Yogurt. Pancakes. Waffles. Fruit. Smoothies. Baking.
One sprinkle. Endless possibilities.
Simple • Healthy • Delicious • Fika
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a multi-spice sprinkle?
A multi-spice sprinkle is a culinary seasoning made from several ground spices that can be added directly to everyday foods. Unlike using cinnamon alone, a multi-spice blend combines the flavors, aromas and naturally occurring plant compounds of several different plant ingredients.
What spices can I put on oatmeal?
Cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cardamom, vanilla, cocoa and clove can all pair well with oatmeal. Original Fika Spice combines those ingredients with turmeric and a small amount of cayenne in one nine-spice blend.
What spices taste good in yogurt?
Warm spices such as cinnamon, vanilla, ginger, cardamom, cocoa and nutmeg pair especially well with yogurt. They can also be combined with berries, bananas, apples or other fruit for additional flavor.
Is using several spices different from using cinnamon alone?
Yes, in terms of variety. Different spices naturally contain different plant compounds, so combining several culinary spices can provide a greater variety of those compounds than using a single spice alone. That does not mean a multi-spice blend has been proven to provide greater health benefits.
Do spices contain antioxidants?
Many spices naturally contain polyphenols and other compounds that demonstrate antioxidant activity. However, antioxidant activity measured in foods or laboratory research should not be interpreted as proof that eating a particular spice will prevent disease or produce a specific health outcome.
Does Original Fika Spice contain added sugar?
No. Original Fika Spice™ contains no added sugar. It is made from nine culinary spices and plant ingredients. Maple Sugar Fika Spice™ is our sweeter version made with real Wisconsin maple sugar.
Is Fika Spice only for coffee?
No. Fika Spice was created as The Spice for Coffee™, but it can also be sprinkled on oatmeal, yogurt, pancakes, waffles, fruit, smoothies, applesauce and baked goods.
What’s the easiest way to use several spices regularly?
A ready-made multi-spice blend eliminates the need to choose and measure several individual spices each time. Simply add a small culinary sprinkle to a food or drink you already enjoy.
LEARN MORE ABOUT CULINARY SPICES
For readers interested in the science behind culinary spices and naturally occurring plant compounds, these scientific reviews provide useful background:
Culinary Herbs and Spices: Their Bioactive Properties, the Contribution of Polyphenols and the Challenges in Deducing Their True Health Benefits
Read the scientific review on PubMed
Culinary Herbs and Spices: Uses Across the World, Nutritional and Health Benefits.
Read the scientific review on Pub Med
Ready to Try One Sprinkle?
Original Fika Spice™ combines nine real spices into one simple blend for coffee, oatmeal, yogurt, pancakes, fruit, smoothies, baking and more.