What’s The Difference Between Seasoning and Rubs

When it comes to enhancing the taste of your meals and infusing them with the rich flavours and aromas of spices and herbs, seasonings and dry rubs will likely come to mind as your go-tos. These herbs, spices and other flavourings come together to add some magic to your meals by enhancing the flavours of each food.

While seasonings and rubs are kitchen essentials most people are familiar with, few people know the difference between the two or when to use each product.

If you’ve been wondering what the difference is between seasonings and dry rubs or whether using your favourite seasoning to create a sensational dry rub could work, we’ve got the answers. So read on as we explore these spice mixes so that you know what to use and when to use it to take your meals to mouth-watering heights.

Seasonings Vs Dry Rubs

What is Seasoning

When thinking of seasoning, the chances are that salt and pepper will cross your mind. But while salt and pepper are popular and an essential part of bringing out the flavours of your food, the wide world of seasonings has so much more to offer.

Seasoning refers to any mix of herbs, spices and other flavourings that are used to bring out the natural flavour of your ingredients and add exciting flavour to your food. The world of herbs and spices offers a wide variety of tasty and exotic flavours for you to choose from.

From onion powder and basil to cumin, cayenne and even lemon juice, each spice, herb and flavouring adds a unique flavour to your food, helping to create exciting flavour combinations that deliver the most delicious dishes.
As seasonings include any product that’s used to enhance the flavour of your food, sugar and other products like soy sauce and vinegar are also considered to be types of seasonings. Some of the most popular seasonings include salt, cayenne pepper, pepper, garlic powder, rosemary and thyme.

What are Dry Rubs?

A dry rub is essentially a type of dry seasoning blend that is applied to food before cooking to add flavour to the food. Dry rubs are most commonly used for flavouring different types of meat or vegetables before grilling.

When to Use Which

As both seasonings and dry rubs are used to infuse your food with flavour, knowing when to use which one can be confusing. Which is why many have asked, “can you use any seasoning as a dry rub?” or if a dry rub can be used as a seasoning too? As a dry rub is essentially a blend of seasonings, you can use any seasoning you like to create a flavourful dry rub for your meals. Similarly, because they are made up of a blend of seasonings, dry rubs can be considered a form of seasoning for your dishes.

Ideally though, you shouldn’t use a dry rub to season food as you cook. The quantity and concentration of the blend of herbs and spices in dry rubs are ideal for being applied as a dry rub to food before cooking. Whereas you would add seasoning to your food throughout the cooking process.

Bring Out the Flavour with Roberstons

When it comes to seasoning your food, there’s no one better to trust than Robertsons, The Spice People. The Robertsons range is no ordinary spice range, with a fine offering of herbs, spices, seasoning mixes and masterblends for you to choose from to make every meal a taste adventure. With Robertsons, say goodbye to stressing about getting the balance of flavours in your spice blend just right, because the experts at Robertsons have done the hard work for you.

So whether it’s fish, braai meat, vegetable soup, biscuits or fruity bakes, with the Robertsons range you’re sure to find the perfect seasoning or dry rub for a sensational dish. Need a tasty dry rub for your steak dinner but short on time? Then give the Robertsons Masterblends Spicy Shisanyama seasoning or Robertsons Braai & Grill Spicy BBQ spice a try to transform plain steaks to packed with flavour.

From superb seasonings to robust dry rubs and spice blends bursting with flavour, Robertsons has it all to ensure your meals are always infused with wonderful aromas and magnificent flavours. So make sure you always have Roberstons in your spice rack and you’ll never go wrong.