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
🇬🇷 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
🇷🇺 Russia and 4 moreTarragon
A slender perennial herb with anise-scented leaves, prized in French and Middle Eastern cooking.Leaf · Anise and liquorice · 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
🇵🇪 Peru and 1 moreMuña
An Andean aromatic herb brewed into tea across Peru and BoliviaLeaf · Herbal and green
🇺🇸 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 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 StatesSpicebush
The dried fruit of a North American shrub, used as an allspice substitute.Fruit · Citrus and bright · Sharp and pungent
🇮🇱 IsraelNufar basil
A sweet basil variety bred in Israel to resist a deadly fungal wilt disease.Leaf · Sweet and mellow
🇵🇸 Palestine and 4 moreGreek sage
A perennial Mediterranean herb with silvery leaves and pinkish-lavender flowers.Leaf · Herbal and green
🇲🇽 MexicoPineapple sage
A Mexican shrub with leaves that smell of pineapple and flowers that feed hummingbirdsLeaf · Citrus and bright · Sweet and mellow
🇮🇩 Indonesia and 2 moreIndonesian bay leafdaun salam
The aromatic leaves of a Myrtaceae tree used to flavour soups and stews across Indonesia and Suriname.Leaf · Bitter
🇨🇳 China and 4 moreSpearmint
The square-stemmed herb with pointed leaves used for tea and flavouring oil.Leaf
🇦🇫 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
🇬🇷 Greece and 4 moreThyme
The dried leaves of a Mediterranean mint-family herb, used to perfume stews and baths alike.Leaf · Earthy and deep · Warm and sweet-spiced
🇹🇭 Thailand and 3 moreThai basilโหระพา
A Southeast Asian herb with purple stems and anise notes, used in curries and soups.Leaf · Anise and liquorice · Hot and fiery
🇳🇵 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 4 moreMugwort艾草 (ài cǎo)
Aromatic leaves from the Artemisia genus used in Asian cuisine and traditional medicine.Leaf · Bitter · 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
🇲🇽 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
🇮🇩 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 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
🇰🇭 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
🇫🇷 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
🇷🇺 Russia and 5 moreChives
The hollow leaves and purple flowers of a widespread perennial herb in the onion family.Leaf
🇨🇳 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
🇨🇳 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
🇮🇳 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
🇲🇦 Morocco and 2 morePeppermint
A hybrid mint with a sharp cooling taste, used in teas, oils, and flavourings.Leaf
🇻🇳 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
🇰🇷 South Korea and 5 moreKorean mint배초향
An anise-scented Asian mint leaf used in Korean stews and herbal traditionsLeaf · Anise and liquorice · Herbal and green
🇨🇳 China and 5 moreGarlic chives韭菜
A flat-leaved Allium with a garlic scent, used across Asia as a herb and vegetable.Leaf · Sweet and mellow
🇨🇳 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
🇬🇪 Georgia and 1 moreBlue fenugreekუცხო სუნელი
The blue-flowered annual herb that seasons Georgian stews and Swiss cheeseSeed · Earthy and deep · Bitter
🇮🇹 Italy and 2 moreCommon sage
The gray-green leaves of a Mediterranean perennial used in European roasts and traditional remedies.Leaf · Herbal and green
🇲🇽 Mexico and 5 moreCulantroជីរបន្លា
A tropical herb with serrated leaves, offering a deep and pungent coriander flavour.Leaf · Herbal and green · 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
🇮🇱 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
🇲🇾 Malaysia and 3 moreKesum
An aromatic herb from Southeast Asia, used fresh in salads and soups.Leaf · Sharp and pungent · Herbal and green
🇮🇳 IndiaWild cinnamon
The aromatic leaves and bark of a Western Ghats tree, once known as malabathrum.Leaf · Warm and sweet-spiced
🇵🇪 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
🇮🇳 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
🇮🇹 ItalyCommon thyme
A woody Mediterranean herb with small grey-green leaves and a sharp, spicy-sweet flavour.Leaf · Sharp and pungent · Sweet and mellow
🇱🇦 Laos and 5 moreLemon basil
A hybrid herb with a bright citrus scent, used across Southeast Asia and Africa.Leaf · Citrus and bright · Herbal and green
🇹🇭 Thailand and 5 moreKaffir limeมะกรูด
The bumpy-skinned citrus fruit and double-leafed shrub of Southeast AsiaFruit · Citrus and bright · Sharp and pungent
🇮🇩 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.
- Rock samphire: User:Jymm, Public domain, source
- Pápalo: Wibowo Djatmiko ( Wie146 ), CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Pandan: Zuhairali, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Fennel: Elekes Andor, CC BY 4.0, source
- Jimbu: CJoshi0, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Parsley: H. Zell, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Vietnamese coriander: Joditran, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Kencur: Hariadhi, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Corsican mint: SB Johnny, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Chives: Jamain, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Shiso: Dalgial, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Ailanthus-like prickly ash: Shih-Shiuan Kao, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Pineapple sage: Eric Hunt, CC BY 2.5, source
- Indonesian bay leaf: W.A. Djatmiko ( Wie146 ), CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- East Indian arrowroot: Jeevan Jose, Kerala, India, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Thai basil: Unknown author, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Californian white sage: Stan Shebs, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Lemongrass: Unknown author, CC BY 2.0, source
- Peppermint: Unknown author, CC BY 3.0, source
- Rice paddy herb: Emilia Murray, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Korean mint: Dalgial, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Spearmint: Simon Eugster -- Simon 13:07, 2 July 2006 (UTC), CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Garlic chives: Kurt Stüber [1], CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Bay leaf: Χρήστης:Andrikkos / The original uploader was Andrikkos at Greek Wikip, Public domain, source
- Sansho: Didier Descouens, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Spicebush: Jomegat, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Roselle: Bamouzou, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Blue fenugreek: Flyout, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Common sage: Kurt Stüber [1], CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Culantro: Maxintaft, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Garden cress: Unknown author, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Lovage: 4028mdk09, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Thyme: Evan-Amos, CC0, source
- Fenugreek: Yak, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Common thyme: Isidre blanc, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Lemon basil: Kembangraps, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Tarragon: KENPEI, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Greek sage: This file is a work by Ester Inbar ( user:ST or he:user:ST ). More of, Attribution, source
- Kaffir lime: David Monniaux, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Coriander: Thamizhpparithi Maari, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Kesum: Fornax, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Wild cinnamon: Dinesh Valke, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Basil: Castielli, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Black mint: Arthur Chapman, CC BY 2.0, source