Spices for breakfast
Spiced porridges, eggs, chai, upma and the first meal of the day.
Breakfast is often thought of as a plain meal, yet spices appear in the first meal of the day in many countries, from cardamom in Nordic buns to turmeric in Indian poha and cumin in Egyptian ful.
Sweet breakfasts
Cinnamon is the great breakfast spice of the West, in porridge, buns, French toast and cereal. Nordic bakers use cardamom in their morning breads and buns. Vanilla flavours pancakes, and nutmeg is grated over milk and oatmeal.
Savoury breakfasts
In India, poha and upma are tempered with mustard seed, curry leaf and turmeric, and parathas are served with pickle. In Egypt, ful medames is seasoned with cumin. In Mexico, chilaquiles and huevos rancheros carry chilli, and in Israel and the Middle East shakshuka is built on paprika, cumin and chilli.
Hot drinks
Tea and coffee are often spiced at breakfast, with cardamom in Arabic coffee, ginger and clove in masala chai, and cinnamon in Mexican coffee.
Breakfast on EveryMasala
The spices written up so far, best known first.
🇱🇰 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
🇦🇹 Austria and 5 moreCaraway
The crescent-shaped fruit of a carrot-family herb, used to flavour breads and spirits.Seed · Anise and liquorice · Sharp and pungent
🇮🇩 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
🇮🇳 India and 2 moreCardamom
Aromatic seeds from spindle-shaped pods used in sweet and savory dishes across Asia and the Middle East.Seed · Sharp and pungent · Warm and sweet-spiced
🇹🇷 Turkey and 5 morePoppy seed
The tiny kidney-shaped oilseed of the opium poppy, used in baking and cooking across Europe and South Asia.Seed · Earthy and deep
🇦🇺 AustraliaWattleseed
The edible seed of Australian Acacia trees, traditionally ground into flour by Aboriginal Australians.Seed · Sweet and mellow · Earthy and deep
🇱🇰 Sri LankaLunumirisලුණු මිරිස්
A traditional Sri Lankan condiment of ground chillies and saltHot and fiery · Sour and tart
🇮🇳 IndiaChammanthi podi
A dry coconut and spice condiment from Kerala that preserves fresh chutney for months.Hot and fiery · Earthy and deep
🇮🇳 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
🇲🇽 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
🇱🇧 Lebanon and 5 moreZa'atarزَعْتَر
A Levantine blend of dried herbs, sumac, sesame seeds, and salt used in breads and dips.Blend · Earthy and deep · Citrus and bright
🇾🇪 Yemen and 1 moreHawaijحوايج
A ground Yemeni spice blend used for soups, coffee, and everyday cooking.Warm and sweet-spiced · Earthy and deep
🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 2 moreMixed spice
A British blend of cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice for sweet bakingBlend · Warm and sweet-spiced · Sweet and mellow
🇺🇸 United States and 3 moreCinnamon sugar
A simple blend of ground cinnamon and granulated sugar used to sweeten and spice desserts.Sweet and mellow · Warm and sweet-spiced
🇨🇳 China and 1 moreGarlic powder
A dry, savory spice made from dehydrated and ground garlic cloves.Seed · Sharp and pungent · Earthy and deep
🇬🇭 GhanaShitoshitor din
A dark, spicy sauce made from fried fish and peppers, central to Ghanaian cooking.Hot and fiery · Sharp and pungent
🇮🇳 IndiaIdli podiஇட்லிப் பொடி
A coarse South Indian spice mix of roasted lentils and chillies, served with oil or ghee.Hot and fiery · Earthy and deep
🇮🇩 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
🇮🇳 India and 5 moreBlack pepper
The dried fruit of a climbing vine, the world's most traded spice.Fruit · Sharp and pungent · Hot and fiery
🇷🇺 Russia and 5 moreChives
The hollow leaves and purple flowers of a widespread perennial herb in the onion family.Leaf
🇮🇳 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
🇹🇷 Turkey and 5 moreBlack cumin
The tiny black seed of a wild annual flower, used across the Middle East and South Asia.Seed · Sharp and pungent · Herbal and green
🇮🇳 India and 5 moreSesame
The drought-hardy seed of a flowering plant, prized for its oil and nutty taste.Seed · 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
🇫🇷 FranceSel gris
A coarse, moist sea salt harvested from the bottom of French salt pans.Sharp and pungent · Earthy and deep
🇵🇸 Palestine and 4 moreSyrian oreganoزَعْتَر
The aromatic herb native to the Levant, essential for making za'atar.Warm and sweet-spiced · Herbal and green
🇮🇳 India and 5 moreBlack pepper
The dried fruit of a climbing vine, the world's most traded spice.Sharp and pungent · Hot and fiery
🇮🇳 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
🇦🇹 Austria and 5 moreCaraway
The crescent-shaped fruit of a carrot-family plant, used to flavour rye bread and spirits.Seed · Sharp and pungent · Anise and liquorice
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Idli podi: Booradleyp1, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Garlic powder: John Phelan, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Cinnamon: Luc Viatour, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Black cumin: AndreHolz at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Mixed spice: Unknown author, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Caraway: Slick, CC0, source
- Char magaz: Miansari66, Public domain, source
- Black pepper: Rainer Zenz, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Ginger: Forest & Kim Starr, CC BY 3.0, source
- Syrian oregano: Kippi70, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Hawaij: Mx. Granger, CC0, source
- Chives: Jamain, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Wattleseed: division, CSIRO, CC BY 3.0, source
- Poppy seed: Odedr, Public domain, source
- Lunumiris: Yasith Silva, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Chammanthi podi: Ranjithsiji, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- East Indian arrowroot: Jeevan Jose, Kerala, India, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Vanilla: Everglades National Park, Public domain, source
- Za'atar: Sjschen, CC BY 3.0, source
- Cinnamon sugar: Ed! ( Photography Gallery ), CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Sel gris: Stéphane Gourichon, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Shito: Flixtey, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Ginger: Venkatx5, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Fenugreek: Yak, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Cardamom: Didier Descouens, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Sesame: Anna Frodesiak, CC0, source
- Black pepper: David Monniaux, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Nutmeg: Herusutimbul, CC BY-SA 4.0, source