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.
🇦🇺 AustraliaWattleseed
The edible seed of Australian Acacia trees, traditionally ground into flour by Aboriginal Australians.Seed · Sweet and mellow · 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
🇮🇳 IndiaChammanthi podi
A dry coconut and spice condiment from Kerala that preserves fresh chutney for months.Hot and fiery · Earthy and deep
🇹🇷 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
🇱🇧 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
🇬🇭 GhanaShitoshitor din
A dark, spicy sauce made from fried fish and peppers, central to Ghanaian cooking.Hot and fiery · Sharp and pungent
🇨🇳 China and 1 moreGarlic powder
A dry, savory spice made from dehydrated and ground garlic cloves.Seed · Sharp and pungent · Earthy and deep
🇮🇳 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
🇫🇷 FranceSel gris
A coarse, moist sea salt harvested from the bottom of French salt pans.Sharp and pungent · Earthy and deep
🇮🇳 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
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
- Hawaij: Mx. Granger, CC0, source
- Char magaz: Miansari66, Public domain, source
- Mixed spice: Unknown author, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Wattleseed: division, CSIRO, CC BY 3.0, source
- Chammanthi podi: Ranjithsiji, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Poppy seed: Odedr, Public domain, source
- East Indian arrowroot: Jeevan Jose, Kerala, India, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Sel gris: Stéphane Gourichon, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Za'atar: Sjschen, CC BY 3.0, source
- Shito: Flixtey, CC BY-SA 4.0, source