Warm and sweet-spiced
Cinnamon, clove, nutmeg and allspice: the warmth of baking and mulled drinks.
Warm spices, such as cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, allspice and ginger, give a sweet, deep, comforting aroma that is more about scent than heat.
What makes them warm
The flavour comes from compounds such as cinnamaldehyde in cinnamon, eugenol in clove and allspice, and myristicin in nutmeg. They are not hot like chilli, but they give a feeling of warmth to the nose and mouth.
How cooks use them
They go into baked goods, mulled wine and cider, chai, garam masala, Moroccan tagines and Middle Eastern rice dishes. Sweet and savoury cooking both use them, often together with a little salt.
Seasons and customs
Many cultures link warm spices with winter and festivals, from Christmas gingerbread and mince pies to Indian chai and Persian winter stews. They are used in small amounts, as nutmeg and clove can overpower.
Warm and sweet-spiced on EveryMasala
The spices written up so far, best known first.
🇻🇳 Vietnam and 1 moreSaigon cinnamonquế Trà My, quế Thanh, quế Quỳ, quế Trà Bồng
A potent bark from central Vietnam with a complex aroma and high coumarin content.Bark · Warm and sweet-spiced · Sharp and pungent
🇮🇩 Indonesia and 5 moreGinger
The pungent rhizome of a flowering perennial, one of the world's most traded spices.Root · Hot and fiery · Sharp and pungent
🇪🇹 Ethiopia and 4 moreKorarima
The dried seeds of a wild ginger relative, essential to Ethiopian and Eritrean cooking.Seed · Warm and sweet-spiced · Citrus and bright
🇬🇪 GeorgiaSvan saltსვანური მარილი
A moist, aromatic spice blend from the Georgian mountains, combining herbs with salt.Sharp and pungent · Earthy and deep
🇻🇳 Vietnam and 1 moreRice paddy herbngò ôm
A tropical aquatic herb with lemon-cumin notes, native to Southeast Asian rice fields.Leaf · Citrus and bright · Warm and sweet-spiced
🇮🇳 IndiaBlack turmeric
A blue-skinned rhizome from northeast India, boiled and dried for its camphor scent.Root · Warm and sweet-spiced
🇮🇳 India and 5 moreIndian bay leafतेजपत्ता
The large, veined leaf of a Himalayan tree, used for its warm cassia scent in South Asian cooking.Warm and sweet-spiced · Sharp and pungent
🇮🇳 India and 5 moreSesame
The drought-hardy seed of a flowering plant, prized for its oil and nutty taste.Seed · Warm and sweet-spiced
🇹🇷 Turkey and 5 moreBay Laurelδάφνη
The dried leaf of a Mediterranean evergreen, used to infuse slow-cooked dishes with herbal depth.Sharp and pungent · Bitter
🇺🇸 United StatesMrs. Burns' Lemon Basil
An heirloom sweet basil cultivar from New Mexico with intense lemon flavor and large leaves.Leaf · Citrus and bright · Floral and perfumed
🇬🇼 Guinea-Bissau and 5 moreCalabash nutmeg
The dried seed of a West African tree, used as a local substitute for nutmeg.Warm and sweet-spiced · Sweet and mellow
🇪🇸 SpainPiquillo pepperpimientos del piquillo
A sweet, mild red chili cultivar from Northern Spain, prized for its thick flesh and gentle heat.Chilli · Sweet and mellow · Warm and sweet-spiced
🇮🇳 India and 5 moreTurmericहल्दी
The dried rhizome of a tropical ginger relative, prized for its golden color and earthy bite.Root · Warm and sweet-spiced · Bitter
🇲🇽 Mexico and 1 moreHoja santa
The large, heart-shaped leaf of a Mexican pepper plant, used to wrap and flavor food.Anise and liquorice · Warm and sweet-spiced
🇨🇳 China and 2 moreChinese cassia
The thick-barked spice tree of southern China, yielding a bold and sweet bark used in cooking and medicine.Bark · Sweet and mellow · Warm and sweet-spiced
🇻🇳 VietnamHúng lìu
A Vietnamese spice blend of cinnamon, star anise, and clove for roasted meatsWarm and sweet-spiced · Sweet and mellow
🇮🇳 IndiaBafat
A coastal Indian spice blend for pork stews and meat dishesBlend · Hot and fiery · Earthy and deep
🇮🇳 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
🇮🇩 Indonesia and 3 moreCubeb
The dried fruit of a climbing vine, known for its long tail and sharp taste.Fruit · Sharp and pungent · Warm and sweet-spiced
🇨🇴 Colombia and 2 moreTolu balsam
A South American tree resin prized for its warm scent and historical medicinal role.Resin · Warm and sweet-spiced
🇦🇺 AustraliaDorrigo pepper
The wild-harvested berry and leaf of an Australian shrub, known for its peppery heat.Fruit · Hot and fiery · Warm and sweet-spiced
🇵🇸 Palestine and 4 moreSyrian oreganoزَعْتَر
The aromatic herb native to the Levant, essential for making za'atar.Warm and sweet-spiced · Herbal and green
🇦🇺 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
🇮🇳 India and 5 moreGinger
The pungent rhizome of a flowering plant, widely used as a spice and folk medicine.Root · Hot and fiery · Sharp and pungent
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Chinese cassia: Itineranttrader, Public domain, source
- Hoja santa: Forest & Kim Starr, CC BY 3.0, source
- Turmeric: J.M.Garg, CC BY 3.0, source
- Indian bay leaf: Sonja Pauen, Public domain, source
- Dorrigo pepper: Poyt448, Peter Woodard, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Syrian oregano: Kippi70, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Saigon cinnamon: Sykes, Bill, CC BY 4.0, source
- Ginger: Venkatx5, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Korarima: Joe Castleman ( Gyrofrog ), CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Svan salt: Jelger Groeneveld, CC BY 2.0, source
- Rice paddy herb: Emilia Murray, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Black turmeric: Ramesh Raju, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Sesame: Anna Frodesiak, CC0, source
- Bay Laurel: Forest and Kim Starr, CC BY 3.0 us, source
- Calabash nutmeg: Samuel Curtis and William Jackson Hooker, Public domain, source
- Piquillo pepper: sindändùne -, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Fenugreek: Yak, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Cubeb: Kembangraps, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Tolu balsam: Maša Sinreih in Valentina Vivod, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Mountain pepper: Melburnian, CC BY 3.0, source
- Ginger: Forest & Kim Starr, CC BY 3.0, source