What people consider “essential” depends on their personal tastes. Although you could prepare most cuisines with the below 9 spices, I suggest you experiment to find your preferred tastes. * Fine Sea Salt; * Whole peppercorns (freshly cracked ; * Cinnamon (ground or sticks); * Ground coriander; * Ground cumin; * Ground cayenne pepper (omit if you use fresh chilli); * Dried chilli flakes; * Paprika; and * Dried oregano. I've written a free 80+ Kitchen Pantry Essentials Checklist that covers other staple items like essential baking ingredients, essential oils and vinegars, freezer staples etc. You can download it below.