[anandrm]

"A lot of spices are to cover the taste of bad ingredients" - Thats a very pretentious statement , i hear this from lot of stake guys. The use of spice is totally cultural, few do have medicinal value - the best example would be (Curcuma,Cinnamon etc) ..Some spices that are native to Asia/Africa make big difference in food flavors.You appreciate it when you grow up with it. I also understand why people appreciate meat without spices , it also involves which region the meat is from . From what i have experienced , the meat ( lamb) in Asia and Europe is totally different in texture. Its like fish , there is big difference between a lake fish, river fish and sea fish .

[collyw]

Interesting take. Steak is one of the things that I do prefer without extra sauces or spices. Tuna steak I add a bit of salt pepper and chilli powder. Chicken by itself is fairly bland, I find it like a blank canvas for adding other flavours to.