Once you've stocked your cupboard with these versatile seasonings, you'll be convinced: Variety really is the spice of life.

The world's most popular spice is so ubiquitous that its health value is often overlooked. (Capsaicin, the alkaloid that gives pepper its bite, stimulates digestion, circulation, and perspiration.) It's also a cooling agent. For a refreshing drink, try an Indian-style glass of sweetened lime juice and soda garnished with pepper.

Put on the table in lieu of black pepper in Hungary, Turkey, and the Middle East, red pepper flakes add a welcome kick to almost any dish. They're also an excellent source of vitamins A and C, capable of preventing ulcers and treating diarrhea.

Most cinnamon on the market today is actually cassia, the dried bark of a tropical laurel tree. (The real stuff is lighter in color and sweeter in flavor.) Cinnamon oil is a powerful antiseptic, and the spice is believed to help regulate blood sugar and cholesterol. Toss a stick into beef stew, or use as a stirrer for coffee, chai tea, or hot cocoa.

Once used to fight the spread of bubonic plague, nutmeg improves digestion and, when applied topically, soothes joint and muscle pain. Its woodsy flavor is most familiar from holiday classics such as apple pie, but this delicate spice adds an intriguing note to savory comfort food too. Dust it over roast lamb, macaroni and cheese, or creamed spinach.

This venerable spice, a distant relative of cinnamon and avocado, is an unsung hero of the modern kitchen. Its aromatic, slightly astringent flavor is essential to countless stocks, soups, sauces, and marinades. For a sweet adventure, add a leaf to rice pudding, poached pears, or stewed apricots. (As with savory dishes, fish out leaves before serving.)

This spice blend contains nutritional heavy hitters like fenugreek, which relieves everything from bronchitis to menstrual cramps, and turmeric, whose potent antioxidants help prevent cell damage. Add a dash to potato soup, or whip together with mayonnaise for a tasty egg salad.

Ground from dried peppers, paprika can be smoky, fruity, or bitter. Applied topically, the capsaicin in peppers has been known to relieve headaches, psoriasis, and shingles. Pair smoked paprika with parsnips and butternut squash, or sprinkle Spanish pimenton dulce on your morning eggs.

Used as a medicine in ancient Egypt, cumin is still extolled for its health benefits: It's believed to stimulate the pancreatic enzymes responsible for digestion and the liver enzymes that handle detoxification. Incorporate cumin into black beans, or make a simple spice butter to serve with corn on the cob.

Choose small quantities of whole spices over big jars of powders, which lose their flavor quickly. Mark the month and year of purchase on the container; toss after two years.