Days of spice
128 days across the year and the world when a spice is harvested, offered, cooked or given, grouped by kind. See the calendar for this year's dates.
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Festivals
Diwali, the festival of sweetsFive days of lamps and sweets, when cardamom, saffron and nutmeg are the scents of every kitchen in India.
DhanterasThe day for buying new vessels, when coriander seed and jaggery are offered to Lakshmi in many homes.
Holi and thandaiThe spring colour festival, with cooling thandai made from fennel, black pepper, cardamom and rose.
Dussehra feastThe victory day that ends Navratri, marked with saffron jalebi, fafda and a ritual of the new rice.
Ganesh Chaturthi and modakTen days honouring Ganesha, with steamed modak filled with coconut, jaggery and cardamom.
Janmashtami and panjiriKrishna's birthday, with panjiri and sweets of cardamom and nutmeg offered at midnight.
Raksha Bandhan sweetsSisters tie a thread on brothers' wrists and sweets perfumed with cardamom and saffron change hands.
Vasant Panchami and yellow riceThe first day of spring, when saffron or turmeric turns rice and sweets yellow for Saraswati.
Onam sadyaKerala's harvest feast of a dozen or more dishes on a banana leaf, built on black pepper, coconut oil and ginger.
VishuThe Malayalam New Year, begun by viewing the kani and eaten with a bitter, sweet and sour dish of neem flower, jaggery and raw mango.
Puthandu and mango pachadiThe Tamil New Year, when six tastes are blended in a pachadi of neem flower, jaggery, tamarind, chilli and salt.
Ugadi pachadiTelugu and Kannada new year, begun with a relish of neem flower, jaggery, raw mango, tamarind and green chilli.
Gudi PadwaThe Marathi New Year, with shrikhand scented with saffron and cardamom and a neem and jaggery mouthful.
Poila BoishakhThe Bengali New Year, when shops open new account books and homes cook with panch phoron and mustard.
Karthigai DeepamThe festival of lamps in Tamil Nadu, with sweet appam, pori and adai flavoured with cardamom and dried ginger.
Durga Puja bhogBengal's great autumn festival, with khichuri bhog, labra and chutney cooked for the goddess and shared by all.
Aadi PerukkuA river-side picnic in Tamil Nadu with seasoned rice varieties: tamarind, lemon, coconut, curd and sesame rice.
Eid in HyderabadSheer khurma, haleem and biryani: Eid in the Deccan is a feast of saffron, mace and slow-cooked meat.
Hari Raya AidilfitriThe end of Ramadan in the Malay world, with rendang, lemang and ketupat made from lemongrass, galangal and turmeric leaf.
Tihar in NepalNepal's five days of lights, with sel roti and a meal of lentils flavoured with jimbu and timur.
DashainNepal's biggest festival: tika, family reunions and goat curry thick with ginger, garlic and timur.
Sinhala and Tamil New Year (Avurudu)Kiribath, kavum and kokis, with the first meal cooked at an auspicious hour and the sweetness of cinnamon and cardamom.
ThingyanThe Burmese water festival, with thingyan rice served in cold, scented water and eaten with fried fish and salads.
Khmer New YearCambodia's new year, with amok in banana leaf and kroeung, the fresh spice paste of lemongrass, galangal and turmeric.
SongkranThailand's water festival, with khao chae, rice in jasmine-scented iced water, served with sweet fried sides.
Loy KrathongThe November full moon, when floating baskets are set on the water and street stalls sell hot, sweet and sour snacks.
Tet Nguyen DanVietnam's lunar new year, with banh chung, braised pork with eggs and a sweet pickled shallot, spiced with star anise and cinnamon.
Lunar New YearThe great spring festival, with five-spice braised dishes, ginger and scallion fish and tangerine peel soups.
Lantern Festival and tangyuanThe end of the new year season, with glutinous rice balls in sweet ginger syrup or osmanthus broth.
Dragon Boat Festival and zongziZongzi wrapped in bamboo leaf, with fillings seasoned with soy, five-spice and white pepper, and realgar wine for health.
Mid-Autumn Festival and chuseokThe harvest moon, with mooncakes of lotus paste, osmanthus tea and in Korea songpyeon scented with pine and sesame.
SeollalKorean New Year, with tteokguk, rice cake soup, and japchae with sesame oil, black pepper and soy.
Oshogatsu and osechiJapanese New Year, with osechi boxes and toso, a spiced sake of sansho, cinnamon and other herbs drunk to start the year.
NauryzThe Central Asian spring new year, with nauryz kozhe of seven ingredients and plov seasoned with cumin and barberry.
NowruzThe Persian new year at the spring equinox, with sabzi polo mahi, herbed rice and fish, and saffron in every sweet.
Sizdah BedarThe thirteenth day of Nowruz, spent outdoors with picnic dishes: ash reshteh, kebabs and sour tamarind-flavoured treats.
Yalda NightThe longest night, kept with pomegranate, watermelon, nuts and Hafez, with spiced fruit and saffron sweets on the table.
MehreganThe autumn festival of friendship and harvest, with saffron rice, barberry and pomegranate.
Eid al-FitrThe feast that ends Ramadan, with sweet dishes in every country: ma'amoul, sheer khurma, baklava and kolak.
Eid al-AdhaThe festival of sacrifice, with lamb and goat dishes: biryani, korma, mandi and tagine, rich in whole spices.
EnkutatashThe Ethiopian New Year, the day of the "gift of jewels", with doro wat, injera and coffee roasted and served in the ceremony.
Mwaka KogwaThe Shirazi new year in Makunduchi, Zanzibar, with a mock fight and a feast of rice, coconut and spiced dishes.
SpicemasGrenada's carnival in August, with a J'Ouvert dawn of paint and oil, and festive foods rich in nutmeg and cinnamon.
Festa JuninaBrazil's midwinter harvest party, with quentao of cachaca, ginger and cloves, canjica and pe-de-moleque with cinnamon.
Carnival in Rio and BahiaThe four days before Ash Wednesday, with street food in Bahia: acaraje fried in dende oil and served with malagueta pepper.
Mardi GrasFat Tuesday in New Orleans, with gumbo, red beans and rice, king cake with cinnamon sugar and Creole seasoning.
HogmanayThe Scottish new year, with black bun, a spiced fruit pie, shortbread and a first foot who brings whisky and coal.
Burns NightThe supper for the poet Robert Burns, with haggis, neeps and tatties and a haggis spiced with black pepper, coriander and nutmeg.
Bonfire Night and parkinBritain's fireworks night, with treacle toffee and parkin, a sticky ginger cake of Yorkshire.
ThanksgivingThe American harvest feast, with turkey stuffing seasoned with sage and thyme, pumpkin pie and cranberries.
OktoberfestMunich's beer festival, with roast chicken, pretzels and spiced pork, and caraway, juniper and mustard on the tables.
Terlingua chili cookoffThe first Saturday of November, when cooks in a Texas ghost town compete with chilli seasoned with cumin, ancho and cayenne.
Harvest
PongalThe Tamil harvest festival, with rice boiled over in a new pot and flavoured with cardamom, pepper and cashews.
Makar Sankranti and sesame sweetsThe winter-sun festival, shared with til ladoo, with the saying to speak sweetly as sesame and jaggery are sweet.
LohriThe Punjabi winter bonfire night, with sesame, peanuts and gajak, and sarson da saag seasoned with ginger and garlic.
Baisakhi and VaisakhiThe wheat harvest and the founding of the Khalsa, with langar of dal and kadah prashad scented with cardamom.
Bohag BihuAssam's new year, with pitha, laru and a dish of herbs and greens, including bhut jolokia cooks use sparingly.
Bhogali BihuThe Assamese feast of the winter harvest, held in field huts around fires with sesame sweets and spiced meat.
Kerala pepper harvestFrom December to February, the Malabar coast picks green pepper berries and dries them in the sun to black.
Sri Lanka cinnamon harvestIn the rains, cinnamon peelers scrape and roll the inner bark of cut stems into the quills of Ceylon cinnamon.
Saffron harvest in KashmirIn late October, the purple crocus fields of Pampore are picked at dawn and the red stigmas are plucked by hand.
Taliouine saffron festivalIn the Anti-Atlas, the crocus harvest and its three-day festival, with crocus picked at dawn and saffron tea.
Fiesta de la Rosa del AzafranIn La Mancha, the saffron rose festival of Consuegra, with contests of peeling the flower and windmills as the backdrop.
Zanzibar clove harvestFrom July to December, Pemba and Unguja pick the flower buds of the clove tree, climbing tall trees by hand.
Madagascar vanilla harvestIn the SAVA region, orchids are pollinated by hand and the pods picked after nine months, then cured for weeks.
Hatch Chile FestivalThe Labor Day weekend harvest festival of New Mexico, with chilli roasting in drums and green chile on everything.
Espelette pepper festivalThe Basque village's late October fete, with strings of red peppers on house walls and the AOP chilli on every plate.
Hungarian paprika harvest daysIn Kalocsa and Szeged, September brings the paprika harvest, with strings of red pods and goulash cooked in kettles.
Sarawak pepper harvestIn Sarawak, pepper is picked in the dry months and dried or soaked to white pepper for the world's kitchens.
Religious days
Navratri fasting foodNine nights of fasting, when rock salt, cumin, green chilli and black pepper replace the usual spice box.
Akshaya TritiyaAn auspicious day for new beginnings, when kitchens prepare sweets and raw mango dishes with fresh spices.
Chhath PujaThe four-day sun worship of Bihar, with thekua, fried in ghee and perfumed with fennel and cardamom, as the key offering.
Guru Nanak GurpurabThe birthday of the first Sikh Guru, with langar for thousands: dal, rice, kheer and sweet halwa.
Parsi New Year (Navroze)The Parsi new year, with sev, ravo, patra ni machhi and dhansak, in a cuisine that blends Persian and Gujarati spice.
Christmas in Kerala and GoaPlum cake soaked in rum with cloves and cinnamon, and a Goan bebinca layered with nutmeg and cardamom.
ThaipusamThe Tamil festival of Murugan, with milk pots, vegetarian fasting and sweets scented with cardamom and rosewater.
VesakThe Buddhist full moon of birth, enlightenment and death, with free refreshment stalls (dansal) serving spiced drinks and rice.
Laba and laba congeeThe eighth day of the twelfth month, with a congee of grains, beans and dates and Laba garlic pickled green in vinegar.
Ramadan and iftarA month of fasting from dawn to sunset, broken each evening with dates, spiced soups, samosas and sweet drinks.
Laylat al-QadrThe Night of Power, spent in prayer, with a light meal of dates, sweet milk and rose or cardamom tea before dawn.
Mawlid an-NabiThe Prophet's birthday, marked with sweets and processions, including Egypt's sesame and nut halawet el-mouled.
Ashura and noah's puddingThe tenth of Muharram: in Turkey, aşure, a pudding of grains, beans and dried fruit scented with cinnamon and clove.
Rosh HashanahThe Jewish new year, with apples and honey, honey cake spiced with cinnamon and clove, and Sephardic seven-symbol seder.
Yom Kippur break-fastAfter a day-long fast, a gentle meal of bagels, kugel, cake and coffee with cardamom in Israeli homes.
SukkotThe harvest festival of booths, with the four species including the fragrant myrtle and etrog, and stuffed vegetables.
HanukkahEight nights of lights and oil, with latkes, sufganiyot and spiced treats such as cinnamon doughnuts.
PurimThe carnival of Esther, with filled three-cornered hamantaschen and, in Yemenite homes, a spiced meat soup.
Passover sederThe festival of freedom, with a seder plate of bitter herbs and charoset, a paste of fruit, nuts, cinnamon and wine.
ShavuotThe harvest and Torah festival, with dairy foods: cheesecake, blintzes and Yemenite jachnun, served with grated tomato and zhug.
MeskelEthiopia's festival of the finding of the True Cross, with a bonfire (demera) and feasts of doro wat and tej, flavoured with berbere.
GennaEthiopian Christmas, after a 43-day fast, with a feast of doro wat, injera and tej.
TimkatThe Ethiopian Epiphany, with processions of the tabot and a festive meal of wat and bread.
Orthodox Easter and FasikaAfter Lent, tsiga, magiritsa, kulich and paska, with mahleb and mastic in Greek tsoureki and Ethiopian doro wat.
Christmas in the CaribbeanBlack cake soaked in rum, sorrel drink with ginger and clove, pastelles, ham glazed with allspice and a pot of pepperpot.
Day of the DeadMexico's days of remembrance, with ofrendas of pan de muerto, mole and hot chocolate scented with cinnamon.
Las PosadasNine nights of processions before Christmas, ending in warm ponche de frutas with cinnamon, tamarind and cane.
Senor de los MilagrosLima's purple month, when turron de Dona Pepa, with anise and clove syrup, and anticuchos with aji panca are sold in the streets.
Shrove TuesdayPancake day in Britain and Fat Tuesday in Sweden, with lemon and sugar and cardamom-scented semlor in whipped cream.
Good Friday hot cross bunsThe spiced buns marked with a cross, with cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice and currants, baked on Good Friday.
Mothering Sunday and simnel cakeThe fourth Sunday of Lent, once a break in the fast, with a spiced simnel cake topped with eleven marzipan balls.
EasterThe Western Easter, with lamb studded with garlic and rosemary, spiced breads and cakes in every country.
Epiphany and Three KingsThe twelfth day of Christmas, with roscon de reyes, galette des rois and the gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.
Vasilopita and St Basil's DayThe Greek New Year's cake with a coin baked inside, scented with mastic and mahleb.
St Nicholas Day and speculaasThe Dutch and Belgian gift day, with speculaas biscuits spiced with cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, ginger, white pepper and cardamom.
St Lucia DayThe Swedish festival of light, with lussekatter, golden saffron buns, and gingerbread and mulled wine.
Christmas Eve feastsWigilia in Poland, Weihnachtsplatzchen in Germany and the Feast of the Seven Fishes in Italian-American homes.
Christmas Day bakingPlum pudding, mince pies, gingerbread, eggnog and pumpkin pie: the Christmas table is built on the warm spices.
Christmas in Australia and New ZealandA summer Christmas, with spiced fruit mince, ham glazed with clove and a pavlova perfumed with vanilla.
Seasonal
QingmingThe tomb-sweeping day, with green rice dumplings and cold dishes kept plain and lightly seasoned.
Dongzhi, the winter solsticeThe solstice, with dumplings, tangyuan and warming ginger soups, and in Korea red bean porridge.
KimjangThe communal making of winter kimchi, with mountains of cabbage packed with gochugaru, garlic, ginger and fish sauce.
SetsubunThe bean-throwing day marking the start of spring, with sardine and holly sprigs and a lucky sushi roll.
Nanakusa no sekkuThe seventh of January, when a porridge of seven spring herbs is eaten to rest the stomach after the New Year feasting.
Tu BiShvatThe new year of the trees, with a seder of fruit and nuts and carob, almonds, dates and figs.
Stir-up SundayThe Sunday before Advent, when families stir the Christmas pudding mix and make a wish.
Advent and Christmas marketsWeeks of markets in German-speaking cities, where gluhwein, spiced almonds and lebkuchen perfume the cold air.
Trade and markets
Vasco da Gama reaches CalicutOn 20 May 1498, the Portuguese fleet anchored off Calicut, opening a direct sea route to the pepper coast of India.
Founding of the Dutch East India CompanyOn 20 March 1602, the VOC was chartered, becoming the world's first major joint-stock company and a master of the clove and nutmeg trade.
Treaty of Breda and the island of RunOn 31 July 1667, England and the Dutch settled their war, leaving the nutmeg island of Run to the Dutch and New Amsterdam to England.
National days
Heritage Day and braaiSouth Africa's heritage day, known as National Braai Day, with Cape Malay curries, boerewors with coriander and bobotie.
Zanzibar Revolution DayThe anniversary of the 1964 revolution, a public holiday in the archipelago whose economy depended on cloves.
Madagascar Independence DayThe national day, kept with parades and family meals of romazava, zebu and rice, with ginger, vanilla and clove.
Grenada Independence DayThe Spice Isle's national day, with the nutmeg on the flag and oil down, a one-pot dish of breadfruit, coconut milk and turmeric.
Cinco de Mayo and mole poblanoPuebla's victory day, remembered with mole poblano, a sauce of more than twenty ingredients.
Independence Day and chiles en nogadaThe national day, with chiles en nogada in the colours of the flag: green poblano, white sauce and red pomegranate.
Cinnamon Bun DaySweden's Kanelbullens dag on 4 October, when bakeries sell kanelbullar scented with cinnamon and cardamom.
National Mustard DayThe first Saturday of August, an American day for the seed, with a museum in Wisconsin devoted to mustard.
Indonesian Independence DayThe national day of the former Spice Islands, with tumpeng, a rice cone coloured with turmeric, and kerupuk-eating contests.