From cinnamon and cloves to garlic and dill, spices are an important part of all of our kitchens.

The scents from some spices have the power to bring back old memories of festive family dinners and special occasions.

But today there are exciting and more modern spices that are breaking into the food world like smoked paprika and even chai blends, according to Laurie Harrsen, director of consumer communications for the McCormick spice company.

"Over the past two decades, spice consumption has more than doubled (in the United States)," Harrsen said. "So consumers are really getting sophisticated palates and wanting more flavor and a range of flavor.

"We are familiar with the chai flavor in our beverages. But you can have that chai spice blend, which is great for baking. The blend of clove, cinnamon and cardamom is great for holiday spices, so you could replace the chai spice blend for cinnamon in one of your cookies."

Local restaurateur Jeff Heath of Bonefish Grill in Buford said the key to spicing up food at his eatery is freshness.

"Our philosophy at Bonefish is that we want sauces that aren't going to overpower the fish, and we like to use a lot of fresh product," said Heath, the joint venture partner at the restaurant. "We have the three signature sauces that we use. With our Virgin Mediterranean sauce we use fresh thyme, fresh parsley, fresh garlic, fresh lemon and lime juice that we hand squeeze to make it, and it gives us a really healthy and light balance.

"We do the same thing with our Warm Mango Salsa, where we use fresh cilantro and scallions and mango to make a light sauce."

The third fresh sauce is the Pan Asian which is made with soy sauce, oyster sauce, virgin olive oil and "fresh ginger that is actually the root that we peel and chop by hand," Heath said.

The Pan Asian sauce is great for adding an Asian taste at home to any fresh fish.

A good one-dish supper for the home cook, Harrsen said, is Smoky Sausage and Peppers with Apple, which allows you to experiment with the taste of smoked paprika.

Harrsen describes smoked paprika as a spice with "a wonderful aroma and flavor that is smoky ... and you can use it in so many other ways, too. Any time you want to get a little smoky, just rub it on the outside of your chicken or sprinkle it in potatoes."

The smoky flavor also works well with the apples, red bell pepper and garlic, she said.

"It has in it apple chicken sausage, sliced apples and apple cider," she said. "So it's really getting that apple flavor in there with white onion, red bell pepper and it has the smoked paprika with some garlic and thyme."

Any type of sausage can be substituted for the chicken sausage, like smoked sausage or kielbasa, according to www.mccormick.com.

Another spice that is a hot seller right now is chipotle, Harrsen said.

"It is ground chipotle chile pepper and that is a great way to add smoky heat," she said. "Again, it is giving a whole other flavor profile."

On the flip side, a sweet flavor is what baker Kristen Brousseau, owner of Memorable Creations Cake Shop in Gainesville, is going for with many of her cakes.

"(I use) cinnamon and nutmeg," she said. "I use more flavorings than spices, but cinnamon is probably the No. 1 as far as the spice and then there is a pumpkin pie spice and I do use that in my cakes."

Brousseau uses the woody flavor of nutmeg at times, along with pure vanilla extract.

With the holidays quickly approaching, it is important to begin filling your cabinet with some of the essentials - allspice, cinnamon, clove, ginger, nutmeg, sage, vanilla and poultry seasoning, according to Harrsen.

These eight spices, which arrive from all over the planet to your local market, should also be checked for freshness in your cupboard before you begin holiday baking.

"We recommend that ground spices have a shelf life of two to three years," Harrsen said. "So you don't have to buy them every year - that is good news - but a good thing to do is look at how long you have had them. It's best to have them fresh so your dishes taste the best that they can."