Sharp and pungent
Mustard, horseradish, wasabi and black pepper: the bite that reaches the nose.
Pungent spices have a sharp, penetrating bite that reaches the nose and sinuses. Mustard, horseradish, wasabi, black pepper, ginger and garlic belong here.
What makes them pungent
Mustard, horseradish and wasabi make isothiocyanates when the plant is crushed, which creates a quick nose-clearing sting. Black pepper's piperine gives a more lasting bite. Ginger's gingerols and garlic's allicin give their own sharp edge.
How cooks use them
Mustard is used in Indian, German, French and English food, wasabi with Japanese raw fish, horseradish with roast beef, and pepper nearly everywhere. Pungency fades with heat or time, so many are added at the end.
Sensation
Pungent bite is different from chilli burn. It comes quickly, then fades, and does not linger on the tongue.
Sharp and pungent on EveryMasala
The spices written up so far, best known first.
🇬🇷 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
🇺🇸 United StatesSpicebush
The dried fruit of a North American shrub, used as an allspice substitute.Fruit · Citrus and bright · Sharp and pungent
🇦🇫 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
🇳🇵 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
🇰🇭 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
🇵🇪 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
🇯🇵 Japan and 1 moreSansho山椒
The dried berries and young leaves of a spiny Japanese shrub, prized for their numbing citrus heat.Seed · Citrus and bright · Numbing and tingling
🇲🇾 Malaysia and 3 moreKesum
An aromatic herb from Southeast Asia, used fresh in salads and soups.Leaf · Sharp and pungent · Herbal and green
🇲🇽 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
🇲🇽 Mexico and 5 moreCulantroជីរបន្លា
A tropical herb with serrated leaves, offering a deep and pungent coriander flavour.Leaf · Herbal and green · Sharp and pungent
🇨🇳 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
🇹🇭 Thailand and 5 moreKaffir limeมะกรูด
The bumpy-skinned citrus fruit and double-leafed shrub of Southeast AsiaFruit · Citrus and bright · 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
🇻🇳 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
🇮🇩 Indonesia and 5 moreKencur沙姜
A stemless ginger-family rhizome with a peppery, camphorous biteRoot · 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.
- Houttuynia: Agnieszka Kwiecień, Nova, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Pápalo: Wibowo Djatmiko ( Wie146 ), CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Culantro: Maxintaft, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Jimbu: CJoshi0, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Kencur: Hariadhi, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Shiso: Dalgial, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Kaffir lime: David Monniaux, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Vietnamese coriander: Joditran, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Bay leaf: Χρήστης:Andrikkos / The original uploader was Andrikkos at Greek Wikip, Public domain, source
- Black mint: Arthur Chapman, CC BY 2.0, source
- Spicebush: Jomegat, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Sansho: Didier Descouens, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Lovage: 4028mdk09, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Parsley: H. Zell, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Common thyme: Isidre blanc, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Kesum: Fornax, CC BY-SA 3.0, source