seasoning
n.salt, herbs, or spices that you add to food to make it taste better. You usually add it while cooking or just before eating.
n.substances such as salt, herbs, or spices added to food to enhance or alter its flavour. Often used in the singular to refer to the overall balance of these additives in a dish.
“Check the seasoning before you serve the soup.”
“The chef adjusted the seasoning with a pinch of sea salt and some freshly cracked black pepper.”
“While the recipe provides specific measurements, the final seasoning should always be adjusted according to the chef's palate and the quality of the fresh ingredients.”
Uncountable when referring to the general concept of flavouring; countable when referring to specific types of spice blends.
From season + -ing.
From Middle English seasonyng, present participle of Middle English sesounen (“to season”), equivalent to season + -ing.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.