Floral and perfumed spices

Floral spices have a perfumed, petal-like aroma. Saffron, rose, cardamom, lavender, fennel flower, orange blossom and coriander seed are among them.

What makes them floral

Linalool, geraniol and related compounds carry the scent of flowers. Saffron has an unusual honey and hay perfume from safranal, and cardamom has eucalyptus and floral notes.

How cooks use them

They appear in sweets, milk dishes, rice and drinks. Persian and Indian cooks use rose and saffron in rice and puddings, Moroccan cooks use rose in ras el hanout, and French cooks put lavender in herb blends.

Tips

Floral spices can taste soapy when overdone, so measure carefully. Heat dulls them, so add near the end or steep in warm liquid.

Floral and perfumed on EveryMasala

The spices written up so far, best known first.

PartSeed Bark Root Flower Fruit Chilli Leaf Resin Bulb Stigma Blend Paste Seasoning

MealBreakfast Lunch Dinner Supper Snacks and tea time Drinks Desserts and sweets Street food Pickles and preserves Feasts and banquets

🇮🇳 IndiaKewraकेवड़ा A fragrant essential oil distilled from the male flowers of the screwpine plant.Resin · Sweet and mellow · Floral and perfumed

🇲🇽 Mexico and 4 moreVanilla The cured seed pods of a climbing orchid, the world's second-most expensive spice by weight.Fruit · Sweet and mellow · Floral and perfumed

🇲🇽 Mexico and 5 moreHabanero A very hot chili cultivar with a floral aroma, native to the Amazon and grown in Mexico.Fruit · Hot and fiery · Floral and perfumed

🇵🇪 Peru and 3 morePink peppercornbaie rose The dried fruit of Schinus trees, offering a sweet, piney heat distinct from black pepper.Fruit · Sharp and pungent · Citrus and bright 🇮🇷 IranAdviehادویه A fragrant blend of spices used to season rice and stews in Iranian cooking.Warm and sweet-spiced · Sweet and mellow 🇺🇸 United StatesMrs. Burns' Lemon Basil An heirloom sweet basil cultivar from New Mexico with intense lemon flavor and large leaves.Leaf · Citrus and bright · Floral and perfumed 🇨🇳 China and 4 moreLesser galangal高良薑 An aromatic Asian rhizome with orange flesh and a sweet, gentle spiceRoot · Sweet and mellow · Warm and sweet-spiced

🇮🇩 Indonesia and 5 morePandan The fragrant leaf of a sterile screwpine, used to scent rice and desserts across Asia.Leaf · Sweet and mellow · Floral and perfumed

🇩🇪 Germany and 4 moreHops The green female flower cones of a climbing vine, used to bitter and flavour beer.Flower · Bitter · Sharp and pungent

Floral and perfumed