Spices A-Z

Allspice is the dried, unripe berry of Pimenta dioica, an evergreen tree in the myrtle family native to the Caribbean regions of the Greater Antilles, Mexico, and Central America. The dried berries are slightly larger than peppercorns and impart a combination flavour of cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and pepper – hence the name allspice.

Popular in spice blends, allspice is used in both sweet and savoury dishes. A staple in Jamaican and German cuisines, it’s widely used in curries, jerk seasonings, sausages, soups, and stews and it’s equally at home in cakes, cookies, pies, and other baked goods.

It’s also used to flavour condiments, mulled drinks, pickling spices, and spiced tea blends.

Anise is the dried seed of an aromatic flowering plant, Pimpinella anisum, in the Apiaceae family that is native to the Levant, or the eastern Mediterranean region, and Southwest Asia. Its sweet flavour has a hint of heat and is similar to other licorice-like seasonings such as fennel, tarragon, and star anise.

Anise seeds can be used whole or ground and are often used in breads, candies, and desserts as well as savoury dishes such as curries, meat dishes, pickles, sausages, seafood, stews, and some vegetables like beets and cabbage.

It also adds flavour to serval potent liquors such as absinth, arak, ouzo, Pernod, and sambuca.

Caraway seeds are the dried fruit of the herbaceous biennial Carum carvi, in the Apiaceae family, and are indigenous to Western Asia, Europe, and North Africa.

Their flavour is reminiscent of anise seed, with a sweet, licorice taste.

Popular in Northern European cooking, caraway seeds are used to flavour breads and cakes, cabbage, cheeses, liquor, potato salad, and sauerkraut.

Cardamom is the seeds (or seed pods) of two main species in the genera Elettaria and Amomum in the Zingiberaceae (ginger) family. Native to the Indian subcontinent, E. cardamomum is true, or green cardamom, white cardamom is the result of bleaching, and black is from the species A. subulatum.

Flavours are deep and earthy, with a hint of citrus and mint and smoky notes in black cardamom. Suitable in both sweet and savoury recipes, cardamom marries well with other spices like cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg.

Widely used in Indian and Middle Eastern cuisine, it’s added to curries, meatloaf, rice, sausages, and vegetarian dishes. It’s also used extensively in Scandinavian countries, primarily in baked goods like breads, pies, and fruit tarts. And it flavours beverages from coffee and tea to eggnog and mulled spirits.

Cayenne pepper is the dried and ground fruit of Capsicum annuum, a frost-tender herbaceous perennial in the Solanaceae family native to the Caribbean Islands, Mexico, Central America, and northern regions of South America.

Spicy and hot, it has a medium intensity of 30,000-50,000 Scoville units.

Liberally used in Asian, Cajun, Indian, Mexican, and Southern cooking, it’s excellent added to beans, casseroles, cheese or egg dishes, curries, meats, salsa, sauces, and stews.

But use a gentle touch and taste before adding more – cayenne packs a lot of heat in a small amount.

Celery Seeds and Celery salt

Another member of the Apiaceae family, wild celery (Apium graveolens) is a marshland plant with a global habitat that has been cultivated as a food for millennia.

The small seeds are dried and have a strong, concentrated flavour of celery – loamy and grassy with a slightly bitter afternote.

The seed is used either whole or ground to add warm flavour to meatloaf, salad dressings, sausages, soups, sandwich spreads, and steaming liquid for shellfish, stock, and vegetables.

It’s also an essential spice in many preserves like chutney, mustard, and pickles and to flavour homemade breads.

Celery salt is made by mixing salt with the ground seeds, leaves, and/or roots.

Cinnamon is the dried inner bark of a few species from the genus Cinnamomum, a tropical evergreen tree in the laurel (Lauraceae) family. C. verum is native to Sri Lanka (Ceylon) and is known as true cinnamon, with a delicate, sweetly spicy flavour and fragrance.

Cinnamon is beloved in both sweet and savoury dishes and can be used whole as sticks or ground. 

Common in Middle Eastern and North African cuisines, cinnamon often flavours curries and lamb dishes and is also a popular ingredient in spice blends like pumpkin pie spice and garam masala, and is used in other beverages like mulled wine and cider as well as spicy teas.

Cloves are the dried flower buds of an aromatic tree in the myrtle (Myrtaceae) family, Syzygium aromaticum.

Native to the Indonesian Maluku Islands, their flavour is strong and pungent – sweet, almost hot, yet fruity and cooling.

Another spice well-suited to both sweet and savoury cooking, cloves are used extensively in Asian, African, and Near and Middle Eastern countries in curries, fruit desserts, marinades, and meat dishes.

It also flavours baked goods and hot drinks and is a central ingredient in spice blends such as Baharat, pumpkin pie spice, quatre espices (four spices), and speculoos spices.

Coriander, Coriandrum sativum, also known as cilantro or Chinese parsley, is an annual herb native to Iran that also belongs to the Apiaceae family.

In cooking, the fresh leaves are commonly used as cilantro while the dried seeds are traditionally referred to as coriander.

Seeds have a warm, nutty flavour with citrus notes.

Popular around the globe, coriander is extensively used in Asian, European, Indian, and South African cuisines to flavour breads, meat dishes, pickling spices, sausages, stir fries, and vegetables as well as lending its flavour to beer and spiced tea.

Cumin, Cuminum cyminum, is another annual flowering plant in the family Apiaceae, native to the Middle East and India.

The dried seeds have a loamy, nutty taste with a hint of bitterness and citrus.

Whole or ground, cumin is used in the cooking of numerous cultures.

Popular in Mexican, TexMex, and Indian cooking, cumin flavours achiote blends, adobo sauces, baharat, chili powder, curry powder, garam masala, soups, and stews as well as some cheeses and breads.

Dill seed is the dried fruit of the dill plant, Anethum graveolens, an annual, flowering herb in the family Apiaceae.

Native throughout Eurasia, dill seed is used for its distinctive taste, a combination of caraway and fresh dill.

Dill seeds are used throughout Europe, the Middle East, North America, and Southeast Asia to season bread, chutney, pickles, salad dressings, salmon, soups, vegetables, vinegar and pickles.

Fennel seeds are the dried fruit of a flowering species, Foeniculum vulgare, in the Apiaceae family.

A hardy, perennial herb native to the Mediterranean basin, seeds are aromatic with a distinctive, sweet licorice flavour similar to anise.

Fennel seeds are used in savoury dishes and sweet desserts alike and are highly featured in Asian, European, Indian, and Middle Eastern cooking.

They’re a natural with chowder, couscous, curries, fish and seafood dishes, fish soup and chowder, lentils, pickling spice mixes, pork, sausages, and baked goods like biscuits, rye breads, and sweet pastries. They’re also essential in several spice blends such as Chinese five-spice powder.

Garlic powder is made from dehydrated garlic bulbs, Allium sativum, which are ground into fine particles and has a lightly sweet flavour that’s milder than fresh garlic.

A common seasoning in barbecue sauces, dry rubs for meats, garlic bread, pasta sauces, pizza toppings, popcorn, ranch dressing, roasted nuts, seasoned salt blends, and spice mixes.

Garlic is also found in a granular form which is just a courser version of the flour-like powder.

Ginger powder is the dried and ground root of the flowering tropical plant Zingiber officinale, and has a milder and slightly sweeter taste than that of fresh ginger root.

Ginger powder is used in Asian and Indian cuisines, curries, salad dressing, marinades for chicken and salmon, stir-fries, and vegetables.

And it’s a popular ingredient in baked goods, beverages, and desserts like applesauce, breads, candies, cakes, cookies, fruit tarts, ginger beer, and tea.

Mace is derived from the dried and ground seed cover, or aril, of the nutmeg tree, Myristica fragrans, which is native to the Moluccas Islands.

Its flavour is like that of nutmeg, a blend of cinnamon and pepper, but with a more nuanced and sweeter flavour than nutmeg.

Mace is widely employed in Asian, British, Caribbean, Dutch, French, and Moroccan cuisines.

A star in savoury dishes it suits curries, fish, meat, pickles and preserves, sausages, stews, and vegetables as well as cheese dishes, cream sauces and soups, custards, and soufflés.

It can be used in baked goods as well, like cakes, doughnuts, and pastries or to brighten up hot chocolate or tropical-fruit punches.

Makrut lime leaves come from the makrut lime tree, Citrus hystrix, a citrus fruit indigenous to the tropical regions of the Indian subcontinent, Southeast Asia, and the Philippines.

Both the rind and leaves are highly aromatic and impart a deep citrusy fragrance and flavour, but the leaves are most often used for cooking either dried, fresh, or frozen.

Makrut lime leaves are used extensively in the cuisines of southern India and Southeast Asia.

The leaves are rarely eaten but are added to dishes to imbue them with their distinct lime flavour – much like bay leaves are used. They add a bright, sweetly tart flavour to curries, fish cakes, pilafs, seafood, soups, stir-fries, and vegetables.

As the second most commonly used spice in sauces and condiments such as “mustard,” these seeds are hugely important to culinary pursuits worldwide.

The mustard plant belongs to the genius Barssica in the mustard family (Brassicaceae) and is related to cabbage, broccoli and Brussels sprouts.  The common yellow seed-producing variety grows to 6 feet tall and bears yellow flowers that produce pods that contain up to 20 seeds.

Although there are over 40 varieties, the most common source of mustard seeds are black mustard (Brassica nigra) native to the Middle East and Asia Minor, brown mustard (Brassica juncea) originally from the Himalyas and used in Chinese cooking, and the most common, yellow mustard (Brassica alba), often used in European and American cuisine.

This yellow type is often used in canning and pickling recipes and is the source of the yellow colour and flavouring in the condiment of the same name.

Fragrant, or true nutmeg is the dried seed of a tropical evergreen tree, Myristica fragrans, native to the Moluccas Islands – the same tree that produces mace.

The ground spice has a deep fragrance and warm, slightly sweet taste that makes it a suitable ingredient for both sweet and savoury foods.

A popular ingredient in Greek, German, and Middle Eastern cuisines, nutmeg is best enjoyed when fresh-grated.

Use with cheese sauces, meats, sausages, savoury sauces, stews, and vegetables like dark leafy greens, potatoes, and winter squash.

It’s also an essential ingredient in autumn and winter baking blends for cakes, cookies, pies, and puddings and in beverages such as coffee, eggnog, mulled cider and wine, and spicy teas.

Paprika is a ground spice made from the dried fruits of the species Capsicum annuum – usually bell, sweet, or tomato peppers that can also include some of the more intense chilli or cayenne peppers.

Flavours can range from mild and sweet to pungent and hot.

Heavily used in Hungarian cuisine, paprika is also found in Eastern European, Latin American, Mexican, and Thai cooking.

It flavours savoury dishes such as goulash, meat dishes, poultry, rice pilafs, sausages, soups, and stews.

Peppercorns are the dried fruit of the flowering vine Piper nigrum in the family Piperaceae and are native to the tropical regions of south India.

The most popular globally traded spice, pepper has a mild, spicy heat with sweet, earthy notes.

Used to flavour any savoury dish, pepper is a staple in many spice blends and when used with eggs, fish, grains, legumes, meat, poultry, soups, stock, and vegetables.

Saffron is a spice from the dried stigmas of the saffron crocus, Crocus sativus, and is native to the Mediterranean basin.

Stigmas are used whole as “threads” or ground for their mild, slightly bitter floral flavour and the bright yellow hue they impart to foods.

The most expensive spice by weight, saffron is used in Asian, Indian, and Mediterranean cuisines to flavour curries, fish, poultry, rice, risotto, and seafood.

Salt is a naturally occurring mineral comprised mainly of sodium chloride and is obtained by mining, evaporation of seawater, or evaporation of shallow, mineral-rich springs.

One of the five basic human tastes, salt is used to add flavour and enhance the taste of other foods.

An essential ingredient for human life, salt is used as a condiment for eggs, fish, grains, legumes, meat, poultry, and vegetables.

It’s also used as a preservative in curing fish and meats, in pickles and preserves, and to flavour savoury dishes, sweets, and baked goods.

Star anise is the dried, star-shaped fruit pod of an evergreen tree, llicium verum, native to Northeast Vietnam and southwest China. And like the unrelated anise, its flavour is sweet, peppery, and licorice-like.

More economical than anise, star anise is widely used in the cuisines of China, India, Indonesia, and Southeast Asia to season meat, root veggies, soups, stews, and baked goods like cakes, cookies, and pastries.

It’s also a main ingredient in the traditional Chinese five-spice powder and is used to flavour coffee, liqueurs, mulled wine, and spiced tea.

Turmeric, Curcuma longa, is the dried and powdered rhizome of an herbaceous perennial in the Zingiberaceae family. Native to the wet, tropical regions of the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia, turmeric is a close cousin of ginger and is used fresh or dried.

It has a warm, earthy flavour with hints of ginger and pepper and imparts a bright, yellow hue to other foods.

Used extensively in Asian, Indian, and Middle Eastern cooking, turmeric is used primarily in savoury dishes and is a staple ingredient with curries, lentils, meats, mixed with nuts and raisins, rice, salad dressings, and vegetables.

It also flavours mustard and pickles, spicy teas, and is a main ingredient in the spice blend ras el hanout.

Vanilla comes from a species of orchid, Vanilla planifolia, indigenous to Mexico and Central America.

With a sweet, woodsy, and lightly spiced flavour, the dehydrated whole bean (seeds plus pod) can be used for flavouring. Vanilla extract, paste, and powder are also available for convenience.

Vanilla pods can be used whole in recipes, or the pods can be split, and the seeds scraped out and added into liquids or batters for baked goods.

Vanilla powder is pure, dried, and ground vanilla bean that gives more flavour than vanilla extract and doesn’t have the alcohol content. Vanilla power should be used as a dry ingredient in baked goods like cakes, cookies, and pancakes, and can be substituted for extract using a ratio of 1/2 teaspoon powder for 1 teaspoon extract.