Spice news
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EveryMasala

Herbal and green

Thyme, oregano, basil, curry leaf and bay: green, resinous and fresh.

Herbal spices smell of green leaves and grass. Thyme, oregano, bay, sage, rosemary, curry leaf, basil and mint are used in cooking everywhere.

What makes them herbal

Compounds such as thymol, carvacrol, rosmarinic acid and menthol give the green, resinous and minty notes. Many herbs from dry Mediterranean hills hold more oil when dried, so dried oregano is often stronger than fresh.

How cooks use them

Herbs go into sauces, roasts, stews, marinades, soups and teas. Blends such as herbes de Provence, za'atar and bouquet garni are built around them. Fresh herbs are often added at the end, and woody herbs early.

Tips

Rub dried herbs between the fingers to release oils. Store them away from light, and replace after a year.

Herbal and green on EveryMasala

The spices written up so far, best known first.

PartSeedBarkRootFlowerFruitChilliLeafResinBulbStigmaBlendPasteSeasoning
MealBreakfastLunchDinnerSupperSnacks and tea timeDrinksDesserts and sweetsStreet foodPickles and preservesFeasts and banquets
🇮🇳 India and 4 moreBasil A tender culinary herb with glossy leaves and a licorice-like aroma, native to tropical Asia.Leaf · Anise and liquorice · Warm and sweet-spiced 🇬🇷 Greece and 4 moreParsley A bright green herb from the celery family, used fresh across Europe and the Middle East.Leaf · Bitter · Herbal and green 🇷🇺 Russia and 4 moreTarragon A slender perennial herb with anise-scented leaves, prized in French and Middle Eastern cooking.Leaf · Anise and liquorice · Sweet and mellow 🇮🇳 India and 4 moreEast Indian arrowrootകൂവ A wild South Asian ginger valued for its turmeric-scented foliage and starchy rhizome.Root · Earthy and deep · Herbal and green 🇰🇭 CambodiaKroeungគ្រឿង The pounded herb paste that gives Khmer dishes their base flavourPaste · Herbal and green · Hot and fiery 🇵🇸 Palestine and 4 moreGreek sage A hairy Mediterranean shrub with pink flowers and edible fruit galls.Leaf · Herbal and green · Sweet and mellow 🇺🇸 United States and 1 moreCalifornian white sage An aromatic desert shrub whose seeds flavour maize foods and roots make tonic teaSeed · Herbal and green · Sharp and pungent 🇭🇹 HaitiEpis A blended flavor base of peppers, garlic, and herbs essential to Haitian cookingHot and fiery · Sharp and pungent 🇵🇪 Peru and 1 moreMuña An Andean aromatic herb brewed into tea across Peru and BoliviaLeaf · Herbal and green 🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 4 moreRock samphire A coastal succulent with peppery leaves and carrot-scented roots, used fresh or pickled.Leaf · Hot and fiery · Sharp and pungent 🇬🇷 Greece and 1 moreMasticΜαστίχα A bitter-sweet resin from the mastic tree, used in desserts and traditional medicine.Bitter · Sharp and pungent 🇺🇸 United States and 5 moreGingermint A sterile mint hybrid grown for essential oil and chewing gum flavour.Herbal and green · Sweet and mellow 🇦🇫 Afghanistan and 5 moreLovageлюбисток A tall European herb with celery-like leaves and spicy seeds used in soups and broths.Leaf · Sharp and pungent · Herbal and green 🇮🇳 India and 2 moreBay leaf The dried or fresh leaves of the laurel tree, used to infuse depth into slow-cooked dishes.Leaf · Herbal and green · Sharp and pungent 🇫🇷 France and 3 moreHerbes de Provenceèrbas de Provença A dried herb blend from southwestern France, now a global kitchen staple.Warm and sweet-spiced · Herbal and green 🇬🇷 Greece and 4 moreThyme The dried leaves of a Mediterranean mint-family herb, used to perfume stews and baths alike.Leaf · Earthy and deep · Warm and sweet-spiced 🇬🇪 GeorgiaKhmeli suneliხმელი სუნელი A flexible Georgian blend of dried herbs and seeds for stews and meats.Blend · Warm and sweet-spiced · Earthy and deep 🇨🇦 CanadaMontreal steak seasoning A dry rub of garlic, pepper, and dill for grilling meat, born in Montreal delis.Sharp and pungent · Warm and sweet-spiced 🇳🇵 Nepal and 1 moreJimbu A dried wild onion herb from the Himalayas, used to season lentils and meat.Leaf · Sharp and pungent · Herbal and green 🇯🇵 Japan and 4 moreMugwort艾草 (ài cǎo) Aromatic leaves from the Artemisia genus used in Asian cuisine and traditional medicine.Leaf · Bitter · Herbal and green 🇹🇷 Turkey and 5 moreBay Laurelδάφνη The dried leaf of a Mediterranean evergreen, used to infuse slow-cooked dishes with herbal depth.Sharp and pungent · Bitter 🇲🇽 Mexico and 2 morePápalo A pungent herb from central Mexico to the Andes, used fresh in salsas and tacos.Leaf · Citrus and bright · Sharp and pungent 🇳🇬 Nigeria and 3 moreAshanti pepper The dried fruit of a climbing vine, used for its fresh, herbaceous heat in West African stews.Fruit · Sharp and pungent · Bitter 🇹🇷 Turkey and 5 moreBlack cumin The tiny black seed of a wild annual flower, used across the Middle East and South Asia.Seed · Sharp and pungent · Herbal and green 🇲🇽 Mexico and 5 moreCulantroជីរបន្លា A tropical herb with serrated leaves, offering a deep and pungent coriander flavour.Leaf · Herbal and green · Sharp and pungent 🇲🇽 Mexico and 1 moreHoja santa The large, heart-shaped leaf of a Mexican pepper plant, used to wrap and flavor food.Anise and liquorice · Warm and sweet-spiced 🇨🇳 China and 5 moreShiso紫蘇 A mint-family herb with serrated leaves, used fresh or pickled across East Asia.Leaf · Herbal and green · Sharp and pungent 🇮🇹 ItalyCommon thyme A woody Mediterranean herb with small grey-green leaves and a sharp, spicy-sweet flavour.Leaf · Sharp and pungent · 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 🇵🇪 Peru and 3 moreBlack mintHuacatay A South American marigold herb used as a paste or dried seasoning in Andean cookingLeaf · Herbal and green · Sharp and pungent 🇲🇽 Mexico and 2 moreMexican oreganoorégano cimarrón A fragrant shrub from the Americas, its leaves provide a thyme-like herbal note distinct from Mediterranean oregano.Warm and sweet-spiced · Sharp and pungent 🇱🇦 Laos and 5 moreLemon basil A hybrid herb with a bright citrus scent, used across Southeast Asia and Africa.Leaf · Citrus and bright · Herbal and green 🇰🇷 South Korea and 5 moreKorean mint배초향 An anise-scented Asian mint leaf used in Korean stews and herbal traditionsLeaf · Anise and liquorice · Herbal and green 🇲🇾 Malaysia and 3 moreKesum An aromatic herb from Southeast Asia, used fresh in salads and soups.Leaf · Sharp and pungent · Herbal and green 🇱🇾 Libya and 5 moreWhorled savoryza'atar rumi; za'atar franji A pungent Mediterranean shrub with dark leaves and pink flowers, used in ancient cooking and modern herbal teas.Sharp and pungent · Herbal and green 🇲🇽 Mexico and 2 moreEpazoteepazōtl A pungent leafy herb from the Americas, traditionally used to flavor beans and stews.Sharp and pungent · Citrus and bright 🇮🇩 Indonesia and 5 moreAndaliman A citrus-scented, tongue-numbing seed husk related to Sichuan pepperFruit · Numbing and tingling · Citrus and bright 🇲🇽 MexicoChile de árbol A small, fiery Mexican chili pepper known for its grassy heat and bright red dried pods.Chilli · Hot and fiery · Smoky 🇻🇳 Vietnam and 4 moreLolot pepperlá lốt The heart-shaped leaf of a creeping vine, used to wrap and flavor grilled meats in Southeast Asia.Smoky · Herbal and green 🇵🇹 Portugal and 4 moreRosemary A fragrant Mediterranean shrub with needle-like leaves used for seasoning and remembranceHerbal and green 🇮🇹 Italy and 2 moreCommon sage The gray-green leaves of a Mediterranean perennial used in European roasts and traditional remedies.Leaf · Herbal and green 🇰🇭 Cambodia and 5 moreVietnamese corianderrau răm The fresh leaves of a tropical herb used in Southeast Asian soups and saladsLeaf · Citrus and bright · Sharp and pungent 🇵🇸 Palestine and 4 moreSyrian oreganoزَعْتَر The aromatic herb native to the Levant, essential for making za'atar.Warm and sweet-spiced · Herbal and green 🇮🇩 Indonesia and 5 moreKencur沙姜 A stemless ginger-family rhizome with a peppery, camphorous biteRoot · Sharp and pungent · Herbal and green 🇻🇳 Vietnam and 4 moreHouttuynia折耳根 A heart-shaped herb with a sharp fishy taste used in salads and teas across Asia.Leaf · Sharp and pungent · Citrus and bright 🇺🇸 United States and 4 moreSassafras An aromatic tree of North America and East Asia, famed for filé powder and root teaLeaf · Citrus and bright · Anise and liquorice 🇨🇳 ChinaSolo garlic独子蒜 A single-clove bulb grown without cold treatment, milder than standard garlic.Bulb · Sharp and pungent · Herbal and green

Photo credits on this page

The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.

The weekly digest

Every Monday: seven spices you may not know, what is cooking this week, and one blend explained step by step.