Leaves and herbs
Curry leaf, bay, basil, oregano, kaffir lime and fenugreek: aromatic leaves, fresh and dried.
Leaf spices and aromatic herbs include bay, curry leaf, kaffir lime leaf, pandan, mint, oregano and thyme. They are used fresh or dried for scent more than for heat.
What they are
Leaf spices come from woody shrubs and herbs. Bay laurel, curry leaf and kaffir lime leaf are tough leaves that give flavour and are usually not eaten. Others, such as mint and oregano, are tender and are eaten whole. Many grow in warm climates and are used fresh in the places where they grow.
How they are used
Curry leaves are fried in oil at the start of a South Indian dish, bay is simmered in stews, and kaffir lime leaves go into Thai curries and soups. Dried oregano and thyme are rubbed into meat and sauces, and mint tea is a drink across North Africa and the Middle East.
Buying and keeping
Fresh leaves keep a few days in the fridge and curry leaves freeze well. Dried leaves should still be green and fragrant. Replace dried herbs after a year.
Leaf 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 Kingdom and 4 moreRock samphire
A coastal succulent with peppery leaves and carrot-scented roots, used fresh or pickled.Leaf · Hot and fiery · Sharp and pungent
🇺🇸 United States and 1 moreCalifornian white sage
An aromatic desert shrub whose seeds flavour maize foods and roots make tonic teaSeed · Herbal and green · Sharp and pungent
🇺🇸 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
🇯🇵 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
🇰🇭 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
🇲🇾 Malaysia and 3 moreKesum
An aromatic herb from Southeast Asia, used fresh in salads and soups.Leaf · Sharp and pungent · Herbal and green
🇮🇱 Israel and 5 moreCoriander
The leaves and dried seeds of an annual Mediterranean herb used in cuisines worldwide.Leaf · Citrus and bright · Warm and sweet-spiced
🇨🇳 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
🇫🇷 France and 2 moreCorsican mint
A tiny creeping mint from the Mediterranean islands, known for its strong peppermint scent and low-growing habit.Leaf · 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
🇨🇳 China and 2 moreAilanthus-like prickly ash椿叶花椒
A wild Asian prickly ash with piquant berries and edible young leavesFruit · 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
🇲🇽 Mexico and 5 moreCulantroជីរបន្លា
A tropical herb with serrated leaves, offering a deep and pungent coriander flavour.Leaf · Herbal and green · Sharp and pungent
🇲🇽 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
🇹🇭 Thailand and 5 moreKaffir limeมะกรูด
The bumpy-skinned citrus fruit and double-leafed shrub of Southeast AsiaFruit · Citrus and bright · Sharp and pungent
🇮🇳 India and 1 moreGarden cress
A fast-growing edible herb with peppery leaves and seeds used in salads and traditional medicine.Leaf · Sharp and pungent · Sour and tart
🇮🇩 Indonesia and 5 moreKencur沙姜
A stemless ginger-family rhizome with a peppery, camphorous biteRoot · Sharp and pungent · Herbal and green
🇦🇺 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
🇻🇳 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
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Parsley: H. Zell, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Bay leaf: Χρήστης:Andrikkos / The original uploader was Andrikkos at Greek Wikip, Public domain, source
- Pápalo: Wibowo Djatmiko ( Wie146 ), CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Culantro: Maxintaft, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Dorrigo pepper: Poyt448, Peter Woodard, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Jimbu: CJoshi0, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Houttuynia: Agnieszka Kwiecień, Nova, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Sansho: Didier Descouens, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Kencur: Hariadhi, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Shiso: Dalgial, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Corsican mint: SB Johnny, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Common thyme: Isidre blanc, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Ailanthus-like prickly ash: Shih-Shiuan Kao, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Rock samphire: User:Jymm, Public domain, source
- Black mint: Arthur Chapman, CC BY 2.0, source
- Spicebush: Jomegat, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Californian white sage: Stan Shebs, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Kaffir lime: David Monniaux, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Garden cress: Unknown author, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Vietnamese coriander: Joditran, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Kesum: Fornax, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Coriander: Thamizhpparithi Maari, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Lovage: 4028mdk09, CC BY-SA 3.0, source