Sweet and mellow
Vanilla, liquorice, paprika and fennel: soft, round and gentle.
Sweet spices carry a natural sweetness and are used in desserts and drinks. Vanilla, cinnamon, cardamom, star anise, liquorice and fennel seed are among them.
What makes them sweet
Vanilla owes its character to vanillin, cinnamon to cinnamaldehyde, and anise and fennel to anethole. These compounds smell sweet, and the brain reads sweetness from the smell, so a vanilla scent can make a dish taste sweeter without more sugar.
How cooks use them
They flavour custards, ice creams, biscuits, milk puddings, sweet rice and drinks. In South Asia, cardamom perfumes kheer and tea, in the Middle East rose water and mastic flavour sweets, and in the Americas vanilla and cinnamon appear in chocolate and cakes.
Pairings
Sweet spices also work in savoury food, such as cinnamon in a meat stew or fennel in sausages. They pair well with citrus, nuts and dairy.
Sweet and mellow on EveryMasala
The spices written up so far, best known first.
馃嚠馃嚦 India and 4 moreFennel
The anise-scented seeds and crisp bulb of a Mediterranean perennial herbSeed 路 Anise and liquorice 路 Sweet and mellow
馃嚨馃嚫 Palestine and 4 moreGreek sage
A hairy Mediterranean shrub with pink flowers and edible fruit galls.Leaf 路 Herbal and green 路 Sweet and mellow
馃嚘馃嚭 AustraliaBush tomatokutjera
The dried fruit of a native Australian nightshade shrub, traditionally eaten by Aboriginal peoples.Fruit 路 Sweet and mellow 路 Earthy and deep
馃嚥馃嚱 Mexico and 4 moreVanilla
The cured seed pods of a climbing orchid, the world's second-most expensive spice by weight.Fruit 路 Sweet and mellow 路 Floral and perfumed
馃嚨馃嚜 Peru and 3 morePink peppercornbaie rose
The dried fruit of Schinus trees, offering a sweet, piney heat distinct from black pepper.Fruit 路 Sharp and pungent 路 Citrus and bright
馃嚡馃嚥 Jamaica and 2 moreAllspice
The dried green berry of a tropical tree, named for its blend of cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove notes.Fruit 路 Warm and sweet-spiced 路 Sweet and mellow
馃嚚馃嚦 China and 3 moreStar anise鍏 (b膩ji菐o)
The reddish-brown star-shaped fruit of a Chinese evergreen tree, used for its licorice-like flavor.Fruit 路 Sweet and mellow 路 Anise and liquorice
馃嚥馃嚱 Mexico and 5 moreCapsicum annuum
A flowering plant producing berries of many colors and heat levels, from sweet bell peppers to fiery chilies.Fruit 路 Hot and fiery 路 Sweet and mellow
馃嚞馃嚪 GreeceFlorina pepper蟺喂蟺蔚蟻喂维 桅位蠅蟻委谓畏蟼
A sweet, horn-shaped red pepper from northern Greece with Protected Designation of Origin status.Fruit 路 Sweet and mellow
馃嚫馃嚛 Sudan and 5 moreTamarind
The sweet and sour pulp of a tropical tree pod used in sauces and drinks.Fruit 路 Sweet and mellow 路 Sour and tart
馃嚠馃嚦 India and 3 moreLong pepperpippali
The dried fruit spike of a climbing vine, once the world's most prized spice.Fruit 路 Hot and fiery 路 Sweet and mellow
馃嚘馃嚭 Australia and 1 moreMountain pepper
The dried berry of an Australian shrub, used as a peppery condiment and wasabi substitute.Fruit 路 Hot and fiery 路 Sweet and mellow
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
馃嚞馃嚟 Ghana and 5 morePrekesepr蓻k蓻s蓻
The scented pod of a West African tree, used to perfume soups.Fruit 路 Sweet and mellow
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Allspice: Unknown author, CC BY 2.5, source
- Long pepper: Unknown author, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Mountain pepper: Melburnian, CC BY 3.0, source
- Prekese: NMNH, CC0, source
- Fennel: Elekes Andor, CC BY 4.0, source
- Chenpi: Dboxes, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Star anise: Photo by David J. Stang, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Capsicum annuum: Franz Eugen K枚hler, K枚hler's Medizinal-Pflanzen, Public domain, source
- Florina pepper: https://www.aglaiakremezi.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Peppers-pan-S, CC0, source
- Greek sage: This file is a work by Ester Inbar ( user:ST or he:user:ST ). More of, Attribution, source
- Vanilla: Malcolm Manners, CC BY 2.0, source
- Pink peppercorn: Milvus, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Tamarind: B.navez, CC BY 2.5, source
- Bush tomato: Mark Marathon, CC BY-SA 3.0, source