The "Italian" seasoning I used for 3 years was just oregano and salt

Last week my sister came over to help cook dinner. She glanced at my spice rack and grabbed the jar labeled "Italian Seasoning." She read the back and started laughing. Turns out it was just dried oregano with salt mixed in. I've been putting that on everything since I moved to Phoenix in 2021. I thought the brand was just cheap. How do you not label something that specific? I asked my mom and she said she bought it at a dollar store when I first got my apartment. I never checked the ingredients because the label looked official. Has anyone else found out they were using something totally different than what they thought for years?

2 comments

2 Comments

dixon.spencer27d ago

Man, that's brutal. I did the same thing with "garlic powder" for like two years, turns out it was mostly cornstarch with a hint of garlic dust. My tip is to just buy the individual herbs now, basil, oregano, thyme, marjoram, and mix them yourself. It takes 30 seconds and tastes way better than any pre-made blend. Also, dollar store spices aren't always bad, but you gotta read the back before you commit to a 3 year relationship with a jar. I feel your pain though, that's a whole lot of bland pasta you've been eating.

cora_scott7726d ago

Wait, the "garlic powder" thing hits different though. I gotta say, if it was mostly cornstarch that means it was probably labeled as garlic powder but had filler in it, and that's actually illegal in most places if it's over a certain percentage. Not saying you're lying, but that might have been a seasoning blend with garlic flavor and not straight garlic powder. But hey, I feel you on the oregano thing, that's rough. I had a jar of "taco seasoning" once that was literally just chili powder and cumin, no salt or paprika or anything. Had to double up on everything to make it taste right. The mix your own herbs thing is solid advice though, I finally started doing that after my mom bought me a "mixed herb" jar that was basically just dried grass clippings.