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.

PartSeed Bark Root Flower Fruit Chilli Leaf Resin Bulb Stigma Blend Paste Seasoning

MealBreakfast Lunch Dinner Supper Snacks and tea time Drinks Desserts and sweets Street food Pickles and preserves Feasts and banquets

🇮🇳 India and 4 moreFennel The anise-scented seeds and crisp bulb of a Mediterranean perennial herbSeed · Anise and liquorice · Sweet and mellow

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka and 5 moreCinnamon The dried inner bark of Cinnamomum trees, prized for its sweet warmth and essential oil.Bark · Warm and sweet-spiced · Sweet and mellow

🇮🇩 Indonesia and 3 moreNutmeg The dried seed of a tropical evergreen tree, prized for its warm, pungent flavor.Seed · Warm and sweet-spiced · Sweet and mellow

🇹🇭 Thailand and 4 moreBenzoin resin A sweet balsamic tree resin used in incense, perfumes, and traditional medicine.Resin · Sweet and mellow

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka and 3 moreCeylon cinnamon The inner bark of a Sri Lankan evergreen, prized for its delicate, sweet spice.Bark · Sweet and mellow · Warm and sweet-spiced

🇲🇽 MexicoPineapple sage A Mexican shrub with leaves that smell of pineapple and flowers that feed hummingbirdsLeaf · Citrus and bright · Sweet and mellow

🇮🇳 IndiaKewraकेवड़ा A fragrant essential oil distilled from the male flowers of the screwpine plant.Resin · Sweet and mellow · Floral and perfumed

🇲🇽 Mexico and 2 moreVanilla The cured fruit of a climbing orchid, the world's primary source of vanilla flavouringSweet and mellow · Warm and sweet-spiced

🇲🇽 Mexico and 4 moreVanilla The cured seed pods of a climbing orchid, the world's second-most expensive spice by weight.Fruit · Sweet and mellow · Floral and perfumed

🇺🇸 United StatesPumpkin pie spice A blend of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves used in American autumn baking.Warm and sweet-spiced · Sweet and mellow

🇮🇩 Indonesia and 4 moreClove The dried flower bud of a tropical tree, prized for its intense warmth and numbing bite.Flower · Sharp and pungent · Warm and sweet-spiced

🇮🇳 India and 1 moreChar magazचार मगज A blend of four melon seeds used to thicken and enrich dishes in South AsiaSweet and mellow · Earthy and deep

🇮🇩 Indonesia and 5 morePandan The fragrant leaf of a sterile screwpine, used to scent rice and desserts across Asia.Leaf · Sweet and mellow · Floral and perfumed

🇸🇩 Sudan and 5 moreTamarind The sweet and sour pulp of a tropical tree pod used in sauces and drinks.Fruit · Sweet and mellow · Sour and tart

🇮🇳 India and 5 moreFenugreekحلبة (hilba) The cuboid seed of an annual legume, prized for its bitter warmth and maple aroma.Seed · Bitter · Warm and sweet-spiced

🇮🇳 India and 5 moreLemongrasssereh; tanglad; takhrai; sera A tropical grass with citrus-scented stalks used in Asian soups and herbal teasLeaf · Citrus and bright · Sweet and mellow

🇨🇳 China and 3 moreStar anise八角 (bājiǎo) The reddish-brown star-shaped fruit of a Chinese evergreen tree, used for its licorice-like flavor.Fruit · Sweet and mellow · Anise and liquorice

🇪🇬 Egypt and 3 moreAnise The sweet, licorice-flavored seed of an annual herb from the Mediterranean basin.Seed · Sweet and mellow · Anise and liquorice 🇨🇳 China and 4 moreLesser galangal高良薑 An aromatic Asian rhizome with orange flesh and a sweet, gentle spiceRoot · Sweet and mellow · Warm and sweet-spiced

🇨🇳 China and 1 moreChenpi陳皮 Sun-dried mandarin orange peel aged for use in Chinese cooking and medicineFruit · Sweet and mellow · Sharp and pungent

🇦🇺 Australia and 1 moreMountain pepper The dried berry of an Australian shrub, used as a peppery condiment and wasabi substitute.Fruit · Hot and fiery · Sweet and mellow

🇸🇻 El Salvador and 1 moreBalsam of Peru A dark, sweet resin from a Central American tree, used for flavoring and fragrance.Resin · Sweet and mellow

Photo credits on this page

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

Clove: Bayu Nugroho, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Cinnamon: Luc Viatour, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Pandan: Zuhairali, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Mountain pepper: Melburnian, CC BY 3.0, source
Balsam of Peru: Maša Sinreih in Valentina Vivod, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Fennel: Elekes Andor, CC BY 4.0, source
Anise: David Monniaux, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Chenpi: Dboxes, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Star anise: Photo by David J. Stang, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Pumpkin pie spice: Stephen Witherden, CC BY 2.0, source
Benzoin resin: Wibowo Djatmiko ( Wie146 ), CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Char magaz: Miansari66, Public domain, source
Ceylon cinnamon: NickCT, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Pineapple sage: Eric Hunt, CC BY 2.5, source
Kewra: Miansari66, Public domain, source
Vanilla: Everglades National Park, Public domain, source
Vanilla: Malcolm Manners, CC BY 2.0, source
Tamarind: B.navez, CC BY 2.5, source
Fenugreek: Yak, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Lemongrass: Unknown author, CC BY 2.0, source
Nutmeg: Herusutimbul, CC BY-SA 4.0, source