Spice Overview

This table provides an overview of all of the spices in my archives.

Spice	Family	Taste And Smell	Heat*	Main Culinary Uses	Summary
Ajwain	apiaceae	Thyme-like, astringent	M	Arab/Indian vegetable and fish dishes	Indian version of thyme
Allspice	myrtaceae	Pungent, aromatic, mixed	M	Sauces, marinades, sausages, pickles	Cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg and pepper in one
Almond	rosaceae	Nutty, sweet or bitter	L	Desserts, Indian biryanis	A bitter nut for savoury and sweet dishes
Angelica	apiaceae	Musky, fragrant, juniper-like	L	Desserts, cheese dips	Aromatic member of the parsley family
Anise	apiaceae	Liquorice-like, sweet	L	Salads, stews, pastries, confectionery	The classical flavour for sweets
Annatto	bixaceae	Weak, perfumed, peppery	L	Food dye, marinades, stews	An orange dye from Southern America
Asafoetida	apiaceae	Pungent, rotten, repugnant	L	Dhals, curries	An Indian spice called “devil's dung”
Barberry	berberidaceae	Sour, tart, acid	L	Jam, rice flavouring and colouring	A sour berry for jams and rice
Basil	lamiaceae	Pungent, sweet, citrus	M	Salads, sauces, stir-fries, garnish	The defining herb of Mediterranean cuisine
Bay leaf	lauraceae	Aromatic, bitter, pungent	L	Stews, pickles, sausages, bouquet garni	A classic bitter spice in Europe and elsewhere
Bay leaf, Indian	lauraceae	Aromatic, cinnamon-like	L	Curries	Aromatic leaves from North India
Bay leaf, Indonesian	myrtaceae	Aromatic, sour and astringent	L	Indonesian meat and vegetable dishes	The flavour of Bali
Bergamot	lamiaceae	Orange perfume, citrus	L	Savoury and sweet dishes, meatloaf, tea	An orange perfumed flower
Boldo leaf	monimiaceae	Aromatic, bitter, camphor-like	M	Fish, sauces, gravies, pickling	The South American version of bay leaf
Borage	boraginaceae	Weak, cucumber-like	L	Salads, soups, sauces	The herb with cucumber scent
Bush tomato	solanaceae	Pungent, earthy, acidic	M-H	Stews, marinades, chutneys, sauces	Increasingly popular Aboriginal spice
Camomile	asteracaea	Strongly aromatic, apple-like	L	Salads, tea	The apple scented herb
Capers	capparaceae	Pungent, sour, astringent	M	Sauces, fish and meat dishes, pickles	Mediterranean spicy buds
Caraway	apiaceae	Strongly aromatic and warm	M	Meat and vegetable dishes, bread	The defining spice of the Alps
Cardamom, black	zingiberaceae	Aromatic, pungent, camphor-like	L	Kormas, stews	Smoky capsules from the Himalaya
Cardamom, green	zingiberaceae	Sweet and aromatic	L	Coffee, meat and rice flavouring, curries	The spice behind the Bedouins' coffee
Celery	apiaceae	Strongly aromatic, bitter-sweet	L	Soups, sauces, salads	The herb that scared the Romans
Chameleon plant	saururaceae	Aromatic, astringent, citrus	L	Salads, garnishes	A strange mixture of lemon, orange and ginger
Chaste tree	verbenaceae	Weakly aromatic, pungent, bitter	L-M	Pepper substitute, marinade	The aromatic spice of chastity
Chervil	apiaceae	Sweet, aromatic, anise-like	L	Garnish, sauces, bouquet garni	A symbol of good French and German cookery
Chicory	asteracaea	Crisp (leaf); nutty, bitter (root)	L	Salad (leaf), coffee substitute (root)	Versatile salad, vegetable and coffee additive
Chilli	solanaceae	Pungent, fiery	M-H	Savoury dishes, pickles, some desserts	The world’s fiery pungency
Chives	alliaceae	Weakly alliaceous	L	Soups, stews, sauces, garnish, cheeses	A decoration with a delicate flavour
Cicely	apiaceae	Sweet, aromatic, anise-like	L	Anise substitute, stewed fruit	A sweet flavour from Northern Europe
Cinnamon, Chinese	lauraceae	Aromatic, pungent, sweet	L	Stews, Chinese sauces	The first cinnamon variety in the West
Cinnamon, Indonesian	lauraceae	Aromatic, pungent, sweet	L	Stews, confectionery	Cinnamon grown and exported, but rarely used
Cinnamon, Sri Lankan	lauraceae	Aromatic, pungent, sweet	L	Biryanis, stews, rice and tea flavouring	The world’s most popular culinary bark
Cloves	myrtaceae	Sweet, pungent, astringent	M	Stews, rice dishes, desserts, pickles	Dutch trophy from the spice islands
Coconut	arecaceae	Sweet, nutty with sour liquid	L	Curries, stews, gravies, desserts, liqueurs	The most versatile of all tropical ingredients
Coriander, Bolivian	asteracaea	Aromatic, green, citrus	L	Soups, stews, sauces, garnish	Bolivia’s version of coriander
Coriander, common	apiaceae	Aromatic, nutty, citrus	L	Curries, soups, salads, garnish	The world’s favourite spicy leaves
Coriander, long	apiaceae	Aromatic, nutty, citrus	L	Curries, soups, salads, garnish	The herbal taste of the Caribbean sun
Coriander, Vietnamese	polygonaceae	Aromatic, nutty, citrus	L	Soups, stews, sauces, garnish	The defining flavour of Southern Vietnam
Costmary	asteracaea	Aromatic, balsamic	None	Soups, salads, garnish, cakes, tea	Britain’s forgotten balsamic herb
Cress, garden	brassicaceae	Aromatic and pungent (transitory)	L-M	Salads, garnish, egg dishes, sauces	A refreshingly pungent decoration
Cress, water	brassicaceae	Aromatic and pungent (transitory)	L-M	Salads, garnish, cheese dishes, sauces	Like garden cress but even better
Cumin	apiaceae	Aromatic, pungent	M	Curries, stews, breads	The heart and soul of Indian cookery
Cumin, black	apiaceae	Earthy, pungent, nutty	M	Curries	An exclusive taste for the Emperor of India
Curry leaf	rutaceae	Fragrant, citrus	L	Curries	Well-known name for little-known Indian spice
Damask rose	rosaceae	Sweet, perfumed, delicate	None	Asian desserts and drink flavouring	A flower with sweet fragrance
Dill	apiaceae	Aromatic, bitter-sweet, anise-like	L	Soups, sauces, stews, pickles, fish, bread	The herb for pickling and stews
Epazote	amaranthaceae	Citrus, savoury, minty, petrol-like	L	Soups, salads, meat dishes	The defining spice of the Mayans
Fennel	apiaceae	Sweet, aromatic, anise-like	L	Fish, breads, sausages, curries	A sweet flavour for spicy dishes
Fenugreek	fabaceae	Aromatic, bitter, caramel	L	Pickles, curries, breads	A bitter classic everywhere except the West
Fenugreek, blue	fabaceae	Aromatic, bitter, caramel	L	Cheese flavouring, stuffings, breads	The fenugreek of the Alps
Fingerroot	zingiberaceae	Gingery, camphor-like	M	Thai curries	Thai cuisine's secret spice
Galangale, greater	zingiberaceae	Warm, sweet, gingery, pine-like	M	Thai and Indonesian curries	A taste as exotic as the Far East
Galangale, lesser	zingiberaceae	Aromatic, gingery, camphor-like	M	Malaysian/Indonesian/Sichuan curries	The mysterious flavouring of Indonesia
Gale	myricaceae	Aromatic, bitter, camphor-like	L	Soups, sauces, vegetable stews, beers	The beer spice of the Middle Ages
Garlic	alliaceae	Hot, alliaceous	L-M	Wide savoury use from salads to curries	Best friend of the onion but not of the vampire
Garlic, bear's	aliaceae	Warm, alliaceous, chive-like	L-M	Cheese flavouring, soups, sauces, salads	A culinary tip for gourmets
Ginger	zingiberaceae	Warm, pungent, citrus	M-H	Savoury and sweet dishes worldwide	A spice loved for pungency and fragrance
Grains of paradise	zingiberaceae	Spicy, warm and bitter	M	Stews, sausages, vegetable dishes	Peppery grains from Africa's West Coast
Horseradish	brassicaceae	Aromatic and pungent, transitory	M-H	Relish for meat dishes	Nature's lachrymatory agent
Hyssop	lamiaceae	Aromatic and slightly bitter	None	Soups, bouquet garni	Fragrant flowers with bitter taste
Juniper	cupressaceae	Aromatic, sweet, pungent	L	Pickles, salads, stuffing, venison dishes	Used in gin and fermented cabbage
Kaffir lime	rutaceae	Aromatic, citrus	L	Soups, curries, fish and poultry dishes	Harsh lemon fragrance from Thai kitchens
Kewra	pandanaceae	Sweet, perfumed, fruity	None	Confectionery, rice dishes, desserts	The rose fragrance of North Indian cuisine
Kokum	clusiaceae	Sweet and sour, tamarind-like	L	Tamarind substitute, curries, syrups	The sweet acidic taste of South India
Lavender	lamiaceae	Aromatic, perfumed, bitter-sweet	L	Meat and vegetable dishes, desserts, teas	The summer flower fragrance of Provence
Lemon	rutaceae	Aromatic, refreshing, sour, citrus	L	Desserts, sauces, fish dishes, pickles	Cooking’s most important souring agent
Lemon balm	lamiaceae	Lemon-like	L	Lemongrass substitute, sauces, desserts	Bees' food with a lemon aroma
Lemon grass	poaceae	Lemon-like with rose hint	L	South/SE Asian savoury cooking	Refreshing citrus odour from South-East Asia
Lemon myrtle	myrtaceae	Intensively lemon-like, warm	L-M	Australian savoury dishes	A fragrance more like lemon than lemon
Lemon verbena	verbenaceae	Intense, pure, lemon-like	L	Confectionery, desserts, garnish	Leaves with lemon fragrance from S. America
Lime	rutaceae	Aromatic, lemon-like	L	Asian sauces, fish dishes, rice flavouring	The tropical relative of lemon
Liquorice	fabaceae	Sweet, warm, anise-like	L	Confectionery, Chinese sauce	A medical plant with culinary applications
Lovage	apiaceae	Aromatic, celery-like	L	Pickles, sauces, stocks, potato dishes	The Mediterranean celery herb
Lovage, black	apiaceae	Aromatic, pungent, celery-like	M	Salads, soups, stews, celeriac substitute	Alexander the Great’s favourite herb
Mace	myristicaceae	Warm, sharp, sweet	L	Desserts, curries	The second spice of the nutmeg fruit
Mahaleb cherry	rosaceae	Aromatic, bitter	L	Confectionery, pastries, cheese dishes	An exotic spice from Turkey
Mango	anacardiaceae	Sour, astringent, resinous	L	Indian marinade, desserts, sauces	One of the world's best fruits and more
Marjoram	lamiaceae	Aromatic, slightly bitter	L	Sausages, vegetable/fish dishes, stews	Roman aphrodisiac that flavours sausages
Mastic	anacardiaceae	Mild, resinous, anise-like	L	Sausages, desserts, confectionery	The Greek chewing gum spice
Mexican pepperleaf	piperaceae	Pungent, aromatic, nutmeg-like	M	Mexican meat and fish dishes, sauces	The anise flavouring for Mexico's sauces
Mugwort	asteracaea	Aromatic and bitter	L	Goose stuffing, fish/meat dishes, salads	A bitter flavour for special occasions
Mustard, black	brassicaceae	Sharp, pungent, nutty	L-H	Indian vegetable/meat dishes and pickles	The subtle mustard used from Dijon to Goa
Mustard, white	brassicaceae	Sharp, pungent	M-H	Mustard paste, pickles, stews	The Western mustard favourite
Myrtle	myrtaceae	Aromatic, camphor-like, bitter	L	Smoking meat and fish, stuffings	An aromatic firewood
Nasturtium	tropeolaceae	Volatile aromatic and pungent	L	Cheese spreads, salads, garnish, pickles	A refreshing pungency long forgotten
Nigella	ranunculaceae	Aromatic, bitter, oregano-like	L	Vegetable dishes, breads	The taste of Turkish bread
Nutmeg	myristicaceae	Sweet, warm, nutty	L	Desserts, curries, cheese/vegetable dishes	Versatile fruit spice for both savoury and sweet
Olive	oleaceae	Floral, fruity, bitter	L	Cooking oil, pickles, sauces, vegetable dishes	The definition of Mediterranean cuisine
Onion and shallot	alliaceae	Pungent, mellow, sweet	L-M	Pickles, curries, meat/vegetable dishes, sauces	The world’s most used flavouring
Orange	rutaceae	Aromatic, bitter-sweet-sour	L	Stews, salads, desserts, confectionery, tea	A sweet-sour juice and a bitter aromatic peel
Oregano	lamiaceae	Aromatic, warm and slightly bitter	L	Pizza, sauces, cheese/fish dishes, pickles	The defining flavour of pizza
Oregano, Mexican	verbenaceae	Aromatic, warm and slightly bitter	L	"Tex-Mex" dishes	The oregano of chilli con carne
Pandanus leaf	pandanaceae	Slightly nutty and hay-like	L	Indian curries, SE Asian rice and desserts	Mouth-watering and nutty leaves
Paprika	solanaceae	Sweet, aromatic, pungent	L-M	Goulash, stews, sausages, salads	Red, variably sweet/hot temper of Hungary
Paracress	asteracaea	Salty to pungent and anaesthetic	M	Brazilian soups, meat and fish dishes	Pretty flowers that tickle the palate
Parsley	apiaceae	Aromatic, green	None	Sauces, soups, fish/vegetable dishes, garnish	The world’s most popular green decoration
Pepper, black, white, green, red	piperaceae	Aromatic and pungent	L-H	Global savoury dishes and some desserts	Without doubt, the king of spices
Pepper, cubeb	piperaceae	Pungent, bitter, camphor-like	L-M	North African meat dishes	Bitter and pungent grains nearly forgotten
Pepper, long	piperaceae	Aromatic, pungent, sweet tones	L-M	Cheese dishes, sauces, pickles, stews	The first pepper that made its way to Europe
Pepper, negro	annonaceae	Pungent, aromatic, bitter, smoky	L-M	Tropical African stews and other dishes	An African pepper surrogate almost forgotten
Pepper, pink	anacardiaceae	Aromatic, sweet, juniper-like	L	Fish and vegetable dishes	A pepper that is growing in popularity
Pepper, Sichuan	rutaceae	Aromatic, pungent, anaesthetic	L-M	Various Asian savoury dishes and pickles	Aromatic pungency from China's highlands
Pepper, Tasmanian	winteraceae	Sweet, pungent, anaesthetic	M	Australian savoury dishes	Pungency from down under
Pepper, water	polygonaceae	Bitter, pungent, anaesthetic	M	Soups, salads, fish dishes, garnish	A pungent herb for Japanese cookery
Perilla	lamiaceae	Aromatic, astringent, anise-like	L	Soups, garnish, pickles, fish dishes	A fragrant herb in Japan
Pomegranate	punicaceae	Fresh, sweet-sour	None	Vegetable dishes, marinades, cakes	The sour raisins of North India
Poppy seed	papaveraceae	Nutty, aromatic	L	Confectionery, desserts, curries, salads	Secret of opium and yeast dumplings
Pumpkin oilseed	cucurbitaceae	Intense, nutty, aromatic	None	Sauces, oil, spreads, soups, breads	The nutty seed oil from Mexico to Styria
Purslane	portulacaceae	Salty, green, fresh	None	Soups, stews, cold vegetable dishes, garnish	The little known herb of Western Asia
Rice paddy herb	scrophulariaceae	Aromatic, citrus, cumin-like	None	Fish dishes, soups, Vietnamese curries	The lemon-scented herb of the rice fields
Rocket	brassicaceae	Pungent, nutty, petrol-like	L	Salads, garnish, pasta, risotto	Europe’s trendy salad green
Rosemary	lamiaceae	Aromatic, bitter, camphor-like	None	Fish, lamb, poultry and vegetable dishes	The Mediterranean partner for roast lamb
Rue	rutaceae	Aromatic, bitter, pungent	L-M	Meat/egg/cheese dishes, coffee flavouring	Ancient Rome’s favourite herb
Safflower	asteracaea	Weak and herbaceous	None	Food dye, stews, garnish	A cheap and inferior substitute for saffron
Saffron	iridaceae	Fragrant and bitter	None	Desserts, confectionery, seafood, curries	The most expensive spice in the world
Sage	lamiaceae	Aromatic and bitter	None	Italian meat, poultry and noodle dishes	The key herb of contemporary Italian cookery
Salad burnet	rosaceae	Crisp, fresh, cucumber-like	None	Salads, garnish, fish/vegetable dishes, soups	A ubiquitous salad herb
Sassafras	lauraceae	Weak, fresh, citrus	None	Creole and Cajun dishes, drink flavouring	The heart of Creole cuisine
Savory	lamiaceae	Aromatic, summery, pungent	L-M	Legume/vegetable dishes, sausages, garnish	A perfect partner for beans
Sesame	pedaliaceae	Nutty, earthy	None	Margarine, oil, soups, sauces, garnish	As incredibly versatile grain
Southernwood	asteracaea	Aromatic, bitter, camphor-like	None	Meat dishes, bouquet garni	A flavour almost forgotten
Spearmint	lamiaceae	Aromatic, pungent, cooling	L	Lamb/vegetable dishes, desserts, pastries	The original chewing gum flavour
Star anise	illiciaceae	Sweet, aromatic, anise-like	L	Meat/vegetable dishes, stews, desserts	Decorative spice of Chinese and Thai cuisine
Sumac	anacardiaceae	Sour, fruity, astringent	L	Kebabs, rice and vegetable dishes	Turkey’s purple powder with a sour flavour
Sweet clover	fabaceae	Aromatic, sweet, hay-like	L	Cheeses, soups, stews marinades, teas	The herbal secret of Swiss cheese
Tamarind	fabaceae	Sour, astringent, fruity	L	Meat /legume dishes, soups and sauces	A sour and fruity spice of Asian cuisines
Tansy	asteracaea	Bitter, citrus, camphor-like	None	Garnish, desserts, egg dishes, cakes	One of Britain’s oldest herbs
Tarragon, French/ Russian	asteracaea	Anise-like, aromatic or bitter	None	Poultry/vegetable dishes, sauce, salad dressing	Used in mustard, but waiting to be discovered
Tarragon, Mexican	asteracaea	Intense, aromatic, anise-like	None	Poultry dishes, sauces, bouquet garni	The yellow flower with anise scent
Thyme	lamiaceae	Strongly aromatic, pungent, minty	L	Fish/meat/vegetable/ egg dishes, soups	A dream of Southern France
Tonka bean	fabaceae	Aromatic, sweet, hay-like	None	Cakes, desserts, sauces	The beans with the fragrance of woodruff
Turmeric	zingiberaceae	Warm, acrid, bitter	L	Curries, food dye	The holy herbal dye of Ancient India
Vanilla	orchidaceae	Fragrant, sweet, delicate	L	Desserts, chocolate, milk drinks, ice cream	Ice cream’s Aztec heritage
Wasabi	brassicaceae	Aromatic, pungent, bitter	M	Japanese fish and vegetable dishes	Japan's spice for raw fish
Wattleseed	fabaceae	Aromatic, bitter-sweet, nutty	L	Coffee substitute, barbecue seasoning	The chicory of Aboriginal Australia
Zedoary	zingiberaceae	Aromatic, bitter, camphor-like	M	Thai curries, pickles	The spice that shows the merits of bitterness