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.
🇮🇳 India and 4 moreFennel
The anise-scented seeds and crisp bulb of a Mediterranean perennial herbSeed · Anise and liquorice · Sweet and mellow
🇮🇳 India and 4 moreBasil
A tender culinary herb with glossy leaves and a licorice-like aroma, native to tropical Asia.Leaf · Anise and liquorice · Warm and sweet-spiced
🇵🇪 Peru and 1 moreMuña
An Andean aromatic herb brewed into tea across Peru and BoliviaLeaf · Herbal and green
🇨🇳 China and 4 moreSpearmint
The square-stemmed herb with pointed leaves used for tea and flavouring oil.Leaf
🇺🇸 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
🇲🇽 MexicoPineapple sage
A Mexican shrub with leaves that smell of pineapple and flowers that feed hummingbirdsLeaf · Citrus and bright · Sweet and mellow
🇮🇳 India and 4 moreEast Indian arrowrootകൂവ
A wild South Asian ginger valued for its turmeric-scented foliage and starchy rhizome.Root · Earthy and deep · Herbal and green
🇨🇳 China and 5 moreRoselle
The deep red calyx of a hibiscus plant, steeped into a tart drink or cooked as a leafy green.Fruit · Sour and tart · Citrus and bright
🇫🇷 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
🇺🇸 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
🇮🇳 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
🇲🇦 Morocco and 2 morePeppermint
A hybrid mint with a sharp cooling taste, used in teas, oils, and flavourings.Leaf
🇮🇳 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
🇮🇩 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
🇺🇸 United States and 4 moreSassafras
An aromatic tree of North America and East Asia, famed for filé powder and root teaLeaf · Citrus and bright · Anise and liquorice
🇮🇩 Indonesia and 5 moreKencur沙姜
A stemless ginger-family rhizome with a peppery, camphorous biteRoot · Sharp and pungent · Herbal and green
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Pandan: Zuhairali, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Sassafras: Randy Everette, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Kencur: Hariadhi, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Corsican mint: SB Johnny, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Pineapple sage: Eric Hunt, CC BY 2.5, source
- East Indian arrowroot: Jeevan Jose, Kerala, India, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Californian white sage: Stan Shebs, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Spearmint: Simon Eugster -- Simon 13:07, 2 July 2006 (UTC), CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Fenugreek: Yak, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Peppermint: Unknown author, CC BY 3.0, source
- Lemongrass: Unknown author, CC BY 2.0, source
- Basil: Castielli, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Fennel: Elekes Andor, CC BY 4.0, source
- Roselle: Bamouzou, CC BY-SA 4.0, source