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.
馃嚞馃嚙 United Kingdom and 4 moreRock samphire
A coastal succulent with peppery leaves and carrot-scented roots, used fresh or pickled.Leaf 路 Hot and fiery 路 Sharp and pungent
馃嚭馃嚫 United States and 1 moreCalifornian white sage
An aromatic desert shrub whose seeds flavour maize foods and roots make tonic teaSeed 路 Herbal and green 路 Sharp and pungent
馃嚘馃嚝 Afghanistan and 5 moreLovage谢褞斜懈褋褌芯泻
A tall European herb with celery-like leaves and spicy seeds used in soups and broths.Leaf 路 Sharp and pungent 路 Herbal and green
馃嚠馃嚛 Indonesia and 5 moreAndaliman
A citrus-scented, tongue-numbing seed husk related to Sichuan pepperFruit 路 Numbing and tingling 路 Citrus and bright
馃嚬馃嚪 Turkey and 5 moreBlack cumin
The tiny black seed of a wild annual flower, used across the Middle East and South Asia.Seed 路 Sharp and pungent 路 Herbal and green
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Rock samphire: User:Jymm, Public domain, source
- Californian white sage: Stan Shebs, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Andaliman: Daderot, Public domain, source
- Lovage: 4028mdk09, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Black cumin: AndreHolz at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, source