Garam masala translates from Hindi to “hot spice blend.” It’s not creative, but it is accurate. (Though, if you don’t speak Hindi it can be rather exotic sounding.) This blend is particularly popular in North Indian cuisine. “Garam” is the “hot” in “hot spice blend,” though this refers to the pungency of the mixture as opposed to the heat from cayenne pepper. Bitter, hot spices such as black pepper, black cardamom, cloves, turmeric, cinnamon and cumin make up the bulk of the blend.The blend is often the sole seasoning in many recipes though it can be one ingredient amongst many, particularly ginger and garlic. If you’re more a lazy weekend cook or you have a football game coming up, add garam masala to bean dip or sour cream to make an interesting dip for chips.