The Dollar Tree Spice You Might Be Tempted To Buy, But Shouldn't

Herbs and spices are a vital part of crafting delicious dishes, but anyone who's been shopping in recent years knows how expensive those little canisters can be. Increasingly, savvy shoppers are skipping the supermarket for these items and heading to discount retailers like Dollar Tree, instead. While there is a wide variety of spice blends available, not all are worth your hard-earned dollars. In particular, it's worth skipping the tempting-sounding, but ultimately disappointing, Colonna Garlic Herb Seasoning.

That's the conclusion from a Mashed taste test of 14 Dollar Tree spices, where our reviewer found it hard to believe that such a simple concept could have such a lackluster execution. To start, the aroma was described as "a bit plastic," while the flavor was "so bland [they] had to read the label to make sure there were actual garlic and herbs in the formula." For such a typically pungent spice, it's a damning review.

Instead of a vibrant mix of robust garlic and zesty herbs, the taste was described as closer to celery seed. That's despite an attractive ingredient list that features black pepper, onion, crushed red pepper, parsley, and lemon oil. With that kind of base, it's easy to see why adventurous cooks would want to add it to their spice rack — and also why they'd be let down by the results.

In fairness, there are two notable positives for this otherwise underwhelming seasoning. Colonna Garlic Herb is salt-free, an important factor for those who need to cut back or eliminate salt from their diet. It's also true that the $1.25 price point for the seasoning can be tempting. However, one of the things that makes Dollar Tree so successful is that its items aren't as large as comparable versions at other stores. Although the cost of an individual product is lower, it's often more expensive on a per-ounce basis since it's sold in smaller packages.

In addition, other Dollar Tree spice offerings are priced similarly yet offer far superior flavor. These include Kingsford Cajun-Style All-Purpose Seasoning or an alternative Colonna offerings, such as Cilantro Lime Seasoning or Texas BBQ Seasoning. Dollar Tree also sells garlic powder from the Supreme Tradition brand, which earned a "worth it" rating from our taste test.

So, don't let one underwhelming spice turn you off Dollar Tree shopping. After all, there are plenty of unexpectedly fancy foods you can buy there. Just save your money and steer clear of Colonna Garlic Herb Seasoning.