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.
馃嚤馃嚢 Sri Lanka and 5 moreCinnamon
The dried inner bark of Cinnamomum trees, prized for its sweet warmth and essential oil.Bark 路 Warm and sweet-spiced 路 Sweet and mellow
馃嚘馃嚬 Austria and 5 moreCaraway
The crescent-shaped fruit of a carrot-family herb, used to flavour breads and spirits.Seed 路 Anise and liquorice 路 Sharp and pungent
馃嚠馃嚛 Indonesia and 4 moreNutmeg
The dried seed of a tropical tree, prized for its warm, pungent spice.Seed 路 Warm and sweet-spiced 路 Sweet and mellow
馃嚠馃嚦 India and 2 moreCardamom
Aromatic seeds from spindle-shaped pods used in sweet and savory dishes across Asia and the Middle East.Seed 路 Sharp and pungent 路 Warm and sweet-spiced
馃嚞馃嚟 Ghana and 5 moreGrains of Selimdiarr
The dried fruit of a West African shrub, used as a peppery spice and coffee flavouring.Fruit 路 Sharp and pungent 路 Bitter
馃嚞馃嚪 Greece and 1 moreMastic螠伪蟽蟿委蠂伪
A bitter-sweet resin from the mastic tree, used in desserts and traditional medicine.Bitter 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
馃嚭馃嚫 United States and 1 moreCommon prickly ash
An aromatic North American tree whose bark and berries give a sharp, numbing biteBark 路 Bitter 路 Numbing and tingling
馃嚦馃嚤 Netherlands and 5 moreJuniper berry
The fleshy seed cone of the juniper tree, a piney spice for game and gin.Sharp and pungent 路 Citrus and bright
馃嚲馃嚜 Yemen and 1 moreHawaij丨賵丕賷噩
A ground Yemeni spice blend used for soups, coffee, and everyday cooking.Warm and sweet-spiced 路 Earthy and deep
馃嚠馃嚦 India and 5 moreIndian bay leaf啶む啶溹お啶む啶むぞ
The large, veined leaf of a Himalayan tree, used for its warm cassia scent in South Asian cooking.Warm and sweet-spiced 路 Sharp and pungent
馃嚝馃嚪 France and 2 moreCorsican mint
A tiny creeping mint from the Mediterranean islands, known for its strong peppermint scent and low-growing habit.Leaf 路 Sharp and pungent
馃嚞馃嚦 Guinea and 5 moreGrains of paradise
The pungent, citrus-tinged seeds of a West African ginger relative.Seed 路 Sharp and pungent 路 Hot and fiery
馃嚠馃嚛 Indonesia and 5 moreGinger
The pungent rhizome of a flowering perennial, one of the world's most traded spices.Root 路 Hot and fiery 路 Sharp and pungent
馃嚤馃嚲 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 路 Herbal and green
馃嚠馃嚛 Indonesia and 4 moreClove
The dried flower bud of a tropical tree, prized for its intense warmth and numbing bite.Flower 路 Sharp and pungent 路 Warm and sweet-spiced
馃嚨馃嚜 Peru and 3 morePink peppercornmulli
The dried pink drupes of the Schinus molle tree, sold as a peppery alternative to black pepper.Fruit 路 Sharp and pungent 路 Citrus and bright
馃嚠馃嚛 Indonesia and 5 moreKencur娌欏
A stemless ginger-family rhizome with a peppery, camphorous biteRoot 路 Sharp and pungent 路 Herbal and green
馃嚚馃嚦 China and 1 moreChenpi闄崇毊
Sun-dried mandarin orange peel aged for use in Chinese cooking and medicineFruit 路 Sweet and mellow 路 Sharp and pungent
馃嚠馃嚦 India and 5 moreGinger
The pungent rhizome of a flowering plant, widely used as a spice and folk medicine.Root 路 Hot and fiery 路 Sharp and pungent
馃嚘馃嚬 Austria and 5 moreCaraway
The crescent-shaped fruit of a carrot-family plant, used to flavour rye bread and spirits.Seed 路 Sharp and pungent 路 Anise and liquorice
馃嚛馃嚜 Germany and 4 moreHops
The green female flower cones of a climbing vine, used to bitter and flavour beer.Flower 路 Bitter 路 Sharp and pungent
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Grains of Selim: Unknown author, CC BY 2.0, source
- Nutmeg: Herusutimbul, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Clove: Bayu Nugroho, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Juniper berry: Unknown author, CC BY-SA 1.0, source
- Mastic: Unknown author, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Indian bay leaf: Sonja Pauen, Public domain, source
- Caraway: Slick, CC0, source
- Ginger: Forest & Kim Starr, CC BY 3.0, source
- Hops: LuckyStarr, CC BY 2.5, source
- Hawaij: Mx. Granger, CC0, source
- Kencur: Hariadhi, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Pink peppercorn: Charles Gadbois, CC BY 3.0, source
- Corsican mint: SB Johnny, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Chenpi: Dboxes, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Californian white sage: Stan Shebs, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Ginger: Venkatx5, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Whorled savory: Marco Barberini, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Cardamom: Didier Descouens, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Common prickly ash: A. Barra, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Grains of paradise: Lemmikkipuu, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Cinnamon: Luc Viatour, CC BY-SA 3.0, source