Spice news
ChilliChicago-Area Brand The Spice Drops Launches a Concentrated Chili Oil That Makes Food Spicy Without Changing the FlavorHarvestSaffron In The Cold Desert? Ladakh Is Putting 90,000 Iranian Corms To The TestMarketsUttar Pradesh Gears Up To Become Global Hub For Spice Processing & ExportsHarvestWhy 100 UP Farmers Are Growing Turmeric to Reduce Elephant Crop RaidsHarvestKashmir Squanders SaffronChilliChesapeake Chili Crisp? A DC-Area Chef Is Putting Unexpected Spins on the Condiment.HarvestRed Gold In Cold Desert: Iranian Corms Take Root As Ladakh Begins Saffron Farming Under 'Him Sarovar'TradeSpice market update: cumin continues its upward trendHarvestOyster Mushroom Cultivation Using Large Cardamom Residue: A Waste to Wealth Innovation by KVK AnjawFoodde' tandoor: Chinese ex-property agent turned hawker now serves masala rendang mutton & Indian mee siamChilliChicago-Area Brand The Spice Drops Launches a Concentrated Chili Oil That Makes Food Spicy Without Changing the FlavorHarvestSaffron In The Cold Desert? Ladakh Is Putting 90,000 Iranian Corms To The TestMarketsUttar Pradesh Gears Up To Become Global Hub For Spice Processing & ExportsHarvestWhy 100 UP Farmers Are Growing Turmeric to Reduce Elephant Crop RaidsHarvestKashmir Squanders SaffronChilliChesapeake Chili Crisp? A DC-Area Chef Is Putting Unexpected Spins on the Condiment.HarvestRed Gold In Cold Desert: Iranian Corms Take Root As Ladakh Begins Saffron Farming Under 'Him Sarovar'TradeSpice market update: cumin continues its upward trendHarvestOyster Mushroom Cultivation Using Large Cardamom Residue: A Waste to Wealth Innovation by KVK AnjawFoodde' tandoor: Chinese ex-property agent turned hawker now serves masala rendang mutton & Indian mee siam
EveryMasala

Spices for desserts and sweets

Gingerbread, kheer, halwa, spiced cakes and the sweets of festival tables.

Dessert is where sweet spices are at home. Cardamom, cinnamon, vanilla, nutmeg, ginger, saffron and rose flavour puddings, cakes, biscuits and confectionery in nearly every cuisine.

Milk and rice puddings

Kheer in India, firni in Iran, muhallebi in Turkey and rice pudding in Europe are all gently spiced, with cardamom, saffron, rose, cinnamon or nutmeg.

Baking

Gingerbread, speculaas, Lebkuchen, mince pies, apple pie and cinnamon buns use warm spices. Baklava and other Ottoman sweets use cinnamon and clove, and Latin American sweets use vanilla and cinnamon.

Confectionery

Halwa in the Middle East and South Asia, gaz in Iran and Turkish delight take cardamom, rose, saffron and mastic.

Desserts and sweets on EveryMasala

The spices written up so far, best known first.

PartSeedBarkRootFlowerFruitChilliLeafResinBulbStigmaBlendPasteSeasoning
FlavourHot and fieryWarm and sweet-spicedSweet and mellowEarthy and deepCitrus and brightSharp and pungentSmokyFloral and perfumedBitterAnise and liquoriceSour and tartSavoury and umamiNumbing and tinglingHerbal and green
🇮🇳 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 🇱🇰 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 🇮🇩 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 🇲🇽 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 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka and 3 moreCeylon cinnamon The inner bark of a Sri Lankan evergreen, prized for its delicate, sweet spice.Bark · Sweet and mellow · Warm and sweet-spiced 🇾🇪 Yemen and 1 moreHawaijحوايج A ground Yemeni spice blend used for soups, coffee, and everyday cooking.Warm and sweet-spiced · Earthy and deep 🇯🇲 Jamaica and 2 moreAllspice The dried green berry of a tropical tree, named for its blend of cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove notes.Fruit · Warm and sweet-spiced · Sweet and mellow 🇬🇧 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 🇺🇸 United StatesPumpkin pie spice A blend of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves used in American autumn baking.Warm and sweet-spiced · Sweet and mellow 🇹🇳 TunisiaQâlat daqqaقلات دقة A Tunisian blend of five warm spices used to season meats and vegetablesWarm and sweet-spiced · Sweet and mellow 🇮🇩 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 🇨🇳 China and 2 moreChinese cassia The thick-barked spice tree of southern China, yielding a bold and sweet bark used in cooking and medicine.Bark · Sweet and mellow · Warm and sweet-spiced 🇺🇸 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 🇮🇳 IndiaWild cinnamon The aromatic leaves and bark of a Western Ghats tree, once known as malabathrum.Leaf · Warm and sweet-spiced 🇨🇳 China and 4 moreLesser galangal高良薑 An aromatic Asian rhizome with orange flesh and a sweet, gentle spiceRoot · Sweet and mellow · Warm and sweet-spiced 🇬🇼 Guinea-Bissau and 5 moreCalabash nutmeg The dried seed of a West African tree, used as a local substitute for nutmeg.Warm and sweet-spiced · Sweet and mellow 🇮🇳 India and 5 moreIndian bay leafतेजपत्ता The large, veined leaf of a Himalayan tree, used for its warm cassia scent in South Asian cooking.Warm and sweet-spiced · Sharp and pungent

Photo credits on this page

The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.

The weekly digest

Every Monday: seven spices you may not know, what is cooking this week, and one blend explained step by step.