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.
馃嚤馃嚢 Sri Lanka and 5 moreCinnamon
The dried inner bark of Cinnamomum trees, prized for its sweet warmth and essential oil.Bark 路 Warm and sweet-spiced 路 Sweet and mellow
馃嚘馃嚬 Austria and 5 moreCaraway
The crescent-shaped fruit of a carrot-family herb, used to flavour breads and spirits.Seed 路 Anise and liquorice 路 Sharp and pungent
馃嚠馃嚛 Indonesia and 3 moreNutmeg
The dried seed of a tropical evergreen tree, prized for its warm, pungent flavor.Seed 路 Warm and sweet-spiced 路 Sweet and mellow
馃嚠馃嚦 India and 2 moreCardamom
Aromatic seeds from spindle-shaped pods used in sweet and savory dishes across Asia and the Middle East.Seed 路 Sharp and pungent 路 Warm and sweet-spiced
馃嚲馃嚜 Yemen and 1 moreHawaij丨賵丕賷噩
A ground Yemeni spice blend used for soups, coffee, and everyday cooking.Warm and sweet-spiced 路 Earthy and deep
馃嚞馃嚙 United Kingdom and 2 moreMixed spice
A British blend of cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice for sweet bakingBlend 路 Warm and sweet-spiced 路 Sweet and mellow
馃嚚馃嚦 China and 1 moreGarlic powder
A dry, savory spice made from dehydrated and ground garlic cloves.Seed 路 Sharp and pungent 路 Earthy and deep
馃嚞馃嚟 GhanaShitoshitor din
A dark, spicy sauce made from fried fish and peppers, central to Ghanaian cooking.Hot and fiery 路 Sharp and pungent
馃嚝馃嚪 FranceSel gris
A coarse, moist sea salt harvested from the bottom of French salt pans.Sharp and pungent 路 Earthy and deep
馃嚠馃嚦 India and 5 moreBlack pepper
The dried fruit of a climbing vine, the world's most traded spice.Fruit 路 Sharp and pungent 路 Hot and fiery
馃嚠馃嚛 Indonesia and 5 moreGinger
The pungent rhizome of a flowering perennial, one of the world's most traded spices.Root 路 Hot and fiery 路 Sharp and pungent
馃嚬馃嚪 Turkey and 5 moreBlack cumin
The tiny black seed of a wild annual flower, used across the Middle East and South Asia.Seed 路 Sharp and pungent 路 Herbal and green
馃嚠馃嚦 India and 5 moreBlack pepper
The dried fruit of a climbing vine, the world's most traded spice.Sharp and pungent 路 Hot and fiery
馃嚠馃嚦 India and 5 moreGinger
The pungent rhizome of a flowering plant, widely used as a spice and folk medicine.Root 路 Hot and fiery 路 Sharp and pungent
馃嚘馃嚬 Austria and 5 moreCaraway
The crescent-shaped fruit of a carrot-family plant, used to flavour rye bread and spirits.Seed 路 Sharp and pungent 路 Anise and liquorice
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Garlic powder: John Phelan, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Mixed spice: Unknown author, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Caraway: Slick, CC0, source
- Black pepper: Rainer Zenz, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Ginger: Forest & Kim Starr, CC BY 3.0, source
- Sel gris: St茅phane Gourichon, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Shito: Flixtey, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Ginger: Venkatx5, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Cardamom: Didier Descouens, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Black pepper: David Monniaux, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Nutmeg: Herusutimbul, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Hawaij: Mx. Granger, CC0, source
- Cinnamon: Luc Viatour, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Black cumin: AndreHolz at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, source