i cant choose three. most frequently i cook with cumin, coriander, smoked paprika and cinnamon for spices. i use a lot of spice blends from north africa and the middle east like harissa, garam masala and baharat. grains of paradise are used a lot around here, and tellicherry pepper.

in the non-spice world i use a lot of garlic, various salts, preserved lemon peel, dill, thyme, rosemary, basil... my favorite flavor is from chile peppers though. i ALWAYS have (get this) aleppo pepper, urfa biber, chipotle mecco, de arbol, cascabel, ancho, chimayo, gujillo and new mexico green chiles. its a sickness i have. this is why i couldnt stop laughing when someone suggested i give up nightshades and capsicum for my MS- NOT. GONNA. HAPPEN.

I can't just pick three...but here are my top choices: Garlic, onion, paprika, cayenne, black pepper, cinnamon, and sea salt are the ones I can't live without.

I make homemade baked sweet potato fries: sweet potato chopped into fry like slices, tossed in olive oil, garlic, onion, cayenne or paprika and cinnamon. After they come out of the oven a light dusting of sea salt. They are AMAZING.

also most of my meats are cooked with garlic, onion, and black pepper.

I'm excited to hear what others say as I want to mix it up more.

onion and garlic pretty much go in everything.

Freshly ground Black Pepper!!! (I think I would die without this)

A good Cajun spice mix (I make my own - http://www.food.com/recipe/the-best-creole-cajun-seasoning-mix-186029)

Ahhh, so many :D erm, today I would say ginger, cumin and cayenne pepper, ask me another day and you'll probably get a different answer :D oooh, cinnamon's a good one for pork...... I also love the spice blends like chinese 5 spice or allspice.

Your top 3 have been mine as well, for most of my cooking life - I think they're the staples in any Indian household. Onion and garlic as well, if we're considering those spices.

Cumin can be mildly estrogenic - this is traditionally countered by the indoles and sulfur compounds in mustard seeds. Their taste contribution is subtle, and an acquired taste for some people, but they're indispensable to me now.

Lately I've been trying for more variety, shifting towards European herbs/spices. Black pepper, thyme, rosemary, oregano, basil are my new favorites.

Fennel and poppy seeds are also interesting, if you've never tried them.

• Seat salt
• nutmeg
• thyme

I would NEVER willingly limit myself to 3 spices, but if I was stranded on the mythical desert island with only three, they would be ginger, garlic and cayenne. Herbs would be extra right? For those, fresh basil, rosemary and some mint for tea. I'll use the citrus rinds from the trees over next to the coconut palm for the rest of my seasoning needs.

The holy trinity of onions, garlic, and ginger.

Garlic, garlic, and garlic.

Oh, and curry.

One more? Trader Joe's 21 Seasoning Salute. And if that doesn't count, Dill.

Cardamom powder, nutmeg, mace.. add a little to any way you cook meat and the difference is Mmmmm..!

I use fresh ginger quite a bit, and I'm also big on garlic and cumin. I really go through a lot of cumin. I like white pepper for certain things over black pepper (especially mashed potatoes). Lately I've been using tarragon more often, too (it seems to be the missing ingredient from homemade salad dressings for me) but sparingly. When I do an Asian style soup stock, I use hints of cinnamon stick, star anise and nutmeg, the kinds of flavors I used to only think of in terms of sweets. If I had to pick a Top Three, I suppose I'd have to say garlic, cumin and ginger, but my tastes are so varied, I couldn't live with just those alone!

Paprika, chili powder, pepper.

I love me some... Cumin... Fire Salt... and Curry Powder.

MySpiceSage.com is a fantastic (and very inexpensive) site I use for spices. You should check them out -- amazing selection and quality.

My staples are turmeric, cinnamon and tarragon. Tarragon is my go-to herb, especially with eggs and chicken. I also use garlic and onion powder too. Nothing beats freshly sauteed onions and garlic, but I rarely have time for that. Oregano and coriander get a lot of use too.

Aside from good sea salt and black pepper- ginger (both dried and fresh), garlic (both dried and fresh) and cinnamon (dried). Ginger and garlic work in almost any savory dish, and I've been using cinnamon in my paleo pancakes (which I've had a lot of lately, otherwise cayenne would be spice #3).

Lately I make stews with different meats, using the same basics. See below. I sear the meat and then throw it in the crock pot with the spices for 8 hours while I'm at work. Here are the basics:

red palm oil

whole dried chiles

bay leaf

cinnamon stick

curry powder

sea salt

chardonnay

coconut pieces

I put garlic powder, sea salt, white pepper and dehydrated onion on everything.

I love smoked paprika and caraway seeds as a combination.

And tarragon is my absolute favourite with chicken, fish etc. Sometimes fresh, sometimes dried - they are subtly different but both good.

I absolutely love cinnamon. I use it in sweet things, but a subtle hint in a savory dish is my favorite way to use it. I use it almost every day. I also like it with scrambled eggs, which sounds odd, but is delicious.

Bonus: It helps regulate blood sugar!

Pepper and salt deserve a mention too, they go on everything pretty much regardless of what it is.

nettles, african fair trade salt n herbs mix, gingerbread herb mix

1. Tumeric because of its effects on NF kappa beta and transcriptions factors on the MTor pathway like stopping telomere shortening. Black pepper does this too but 1000 fold less.

2. Cayenne Pepper because of its effects on UCP1 and thermogenesis.

3. sliced astragalus.....Astragalus saponins induce growth inhibition and apoptosis (cell death) in human colon cancer cells and tumor xenografts.....it does this but inhibiting telomere shortening as well. I make tea drinks with it and asian sauces for my sashimi

The holy triumvirate of onion powder, garlic powder, and paprika belongs on every kind of beef.

Garlic, ginger and salt.

(Oh nooooo! Salt isn't paleo!!! Oh well.)

I may be cheating here because I like blends:

Poultry Seasoning (a blend of sage, thyme, rosemary, marjoram, nutmeg, and black pepper). I like it in stew, in giblet gravy, on potatoes (sweet or regular), and for rubbing meat, plus it makes the house smell like Thanksgiving.

Curry powder added to pretty much any veggie or meat dish with coconut milk.

Cumin. I think the musky smell makes it kind of like catnip for humans, or at least this human.

• salt
• pepper
• cumin (in stews and chili)

Like many it changes over time, currently:

Coriander

Szechuan/Sichuan Peppercorns

Cayenne Pepper

Chili, got to have lots of chili. Chili and ground ginger, and some garlic thrown in. Oh, did I mention the chili?

Garlic, Cumin, and Basil. Not necessarily all of them together, but usually in combo. Those are my limited 3. My list could go forever!

These are my Top3:

• nutmeg
• clove
• Summer savory