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EveryMasala

Spices for dinner

The main meal of the evening: curries, roasts, braises and grills.

Dinner is the main gathering meal in much of the world, and often where the full range of a cuisine's spices is shown, from slow-cooked stews to roasts and curries.

Slow-cooked dishes

Stews and braises use whole and ground spices cooked for hours. Moroccan tagines, Indian curries, Mexican moles, Persian khoresh and Hungarian goulash each use a different spice set, giving each its character.

Roasts and grills

Spice rubs and marinades, such as jerk, tandoori, suya, shawarma and barbecue rubs, flavour meat before cooking over fire. Pepper, paprika, cumin, coriander and garlic are common across them.

Table spices

Beyond the cooking, many tables carry their own seasonings, such as pepper mills in Europe, pepper sauce in the Caribbean, chilli oil in China and shichimi in Japan.

Dinner 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
🇺🇸 United States and 1 moreNew Mexico chilechile de Nuevo México A cultivar group of Capsicum annuum from New Mexico, valued for its smoky flavor and range of heat levels.Sharp and pungent · Sweet and mellow 🇮🇳 IndiaVadouvan A French-Indian spice blend combining dried aromatics with ground seedsWarm and sweet-spiced · Earthy and deep 🇵🇭 PhilippinesSiling haba A long, bright green chili from the Philippines, prized for moderate heat in sour and savory stews.Chilli · Hot and fiery · Sharp and pungent 🇳🇬 Nigeria and 1 moreAlligator pepper The seed pods of West African ginger plants, named for the bumpy texture of their inner kernels.Fruit · Sharp and pungent · Hot and fiery 🇹🇷 TurkeyUrfa biber A sun-dried and night-wrapped chili from Turkey with a smoky, raisin-like taste.Chilli · Smoky · Sweet and mellow 🇨🇳 ChinaEr jing tiao二荆条 A fragrant Chinese chili cultivar prized for its deep hue and medium heatChilli · Hot and fiery · Sharp and pungent 🇮🇹 ItalyRed Sulmona GarlicAglio rosso di Sulmona A traditional garlic cultivar from the Abruzzo region of Italy, grown on the Sulmona plateau.Bulb · Sharp and pungent · Earthy and deep 🇳🇵 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 🇨🇦 CanadaMontreal steak seasoning A dry rub of garlic, pepper, and dill for grilling meat, born in Montreal delis.Sharp and pungent · Warm and sweet-spiced 🇮🇳 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 🇺🇸 United States and 1 moreSandia pepper A New Mexico-developed Capsicum annuum cultivar used for green and red dishes.Hot and fiery · Sharp and pungent 🇮🇳 India and 3 moreLong pepperpippali The dried fruit spike of a climbing vine, once the world's most prized spice.Fruit · Hot and fiery · Sweet and mellow 🇪🇸 Spain and 4 moreCaper The pickled flower buds of a drought-tolerant Mediterranean shrub.Flower · Sharp and pungent · Sour and tart 🇮🇳 IndiaBafat A coastal Indian spice blend for pork stews and meat dishesBlend · 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 🇯🇵 Japan and 3 moreWasabiわさび The pungent rhizome of a stream-side plant, grated fresh for sushi.Paste · Sharp and pungent · Hot and fiery 🇺🇸 United StatesCreole mustard A grainy paste of brown mustard seeds, vinegar, and horseradish from Louisiana.Paste · Sharp and pungent · Sour and tart 🇻🇳 Vietnam and 1 moreSaigon cinnamonquế Trà My, quế Thanh, quế Quỳ, quế Trà Bồng A potent bark from central Vietnam with a complex aroma and high coumarin content.Bark · Warm and sweet-spiced · Sharp and pungent 🇧🇩 Bangladesh and 2 morePiper chaba A creeping vine from South and Southeast Asia whose stems and roots are used as a pungent spice.Root · Sharp and pungent · Hot and fiery 🇮🇩 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 🇬🇪 GeorgiaSvan saltსვანური მარილი A moist, aromatic spice blend from the Georgian mountains, combining herbs with salt.Sharp and pungent · Earthy and deep 🇺🇸 United States and 1 moreDatil pepper A very hot, sweet-sour cultivar of Capsicum chinense grown mainly in FloridaChilli · Hot and fiery · Sweet and mellow 🇱🇾 Libya and 5 moreWhorled savoryza'atar rumi; za'atar franji A pungent Mediterranean shrub with dark leaves and pink flowers, used in ancient cooking and modern herbal teas.Sharp and pungent · Herbal and green 🇮🇳 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 🇹🇷 Turkey and 5 moreBay Laurelδάφνη The dried leaf of a Mediterranean evergreen, used to infuse slow-cooked dishes with herbal depth.Sharp and pungent · Bitter 🇩🇿 Algeria and 5 moreBlack mustard The dark seeds of an annual plant, used whole in oil or ground into a sharp paste.Sharp and pungent · Hot and fiery 🇯🇵 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 🇮🇩 Indonesia and 4 moreClove The dried flower bud of a tropical tree, prized for its intense warmth and numbing bite.Flower · Sharp and pungent · Warm and sweet-spiced 🇮🇳 IndiaHarmal chilliHarmal mirsang A smooth red cultivar from Goa, known for its intense heat and role in traditional Goan cooking.Hot and fiery · Sharp and pungent 🇲🇽 Mexico and 5 moreCapsicum annuum A flowering plant producing berries of many colors and heat levels, from sweet bell peppers to fiery chilies.Fruit · Hot and fiery · Sweet and mellow 🇳🇬 Nigeria and 3 moreAshanti pepper The dried fruit of a climbing vine, used for its fresh, herbaceous heat in West African stews.Fruit · Sharp and pungent · Bitter 🇨🇳 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 🇲🇽 Mexico and 2 moreMexican oreganoorégano cimarrón A fragrant shrub from the Americas, its leaves provide a thyme-like herbal note distinct from Mediterranean oregano.Warm and sweet-spiced · Sharp and pungent 🇲🇽 MexicoSerrano pepper A hot Mexican chili from mountain regions, used fresh in salsas and sauces.Chilli · Hot and fiery · Sharp and pungent 🇮🇳 India and 5 moreCumin The dried seed of a small parsley-family herb, used whole or ground in many world cuisines.Seed · Warm and sweet-spiced · Earthy and deep 🇨🇳 ChinaXiao Mi La Pepper小米辣 A wild Capsicum frutescens cultivar from southern China, prized for intense heat in spicy regional dishes.Chilli · Hot and fiery · Sharp and pungent 🇮🇩 Indonesia and 3 moreGalangal The pungent rhizome of the ginger family, essential to Southeast Asian soups and pastes.Root · Sharp and pungent · Warm and sweet-spiced 🇳🇵 Nepal and 4 moreBlack cardamom The dried pod of a Zingiberaceae herb, prized for its smoky, camphor-like flavour in savoury cooking.Fruit · Smoky · Sharp and pungent 🇭🇺 Hungary and 5 moreHorseradish A pungent root vegetable from Southeastern Europe used as a spicy condiment.Root · Hot and fiery · Sharp and pungent 🇰🇭 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 🇻🇳 VietnamHúng lìu A Vietnamese spice blend of cinnamon, star anise, and clove for roasted meatsWarm and sweet-spiced · Sweet and mellow 🇮🇹 ItalyCommon thyme A woody Mediterranean herb with small grey-green leaves and a sharp, spicy-sweet flavour.Leaf · Sharp and pungent · Sweet and mellow 🇮🇩 Indonesia and 3 moreCubeb The dried fruit of a climbing vine, known for its long tail and sharp taste.Fruit · Sharp and pungent · Warm and sweet-spiced 🇹🇭 Thailand and 5 moreKaffir limeมะกรูด The bumpy-skinned citrus fruit and double-leafed shrub of Southeast AsiaFruit · Citrus and bright · Sharp and pungent 🇲🇽 Mexico and 2 moreEpazoteepazōtl A pungent leafy herb from the Americas, traditionally used to flavor beans and stews.Sharp and pungent · Citrus and bright 🇲🇾 Malaysia and 3 moreKesum An aromatic herb from Southeast Asia, used fresh in salads and soups.Leaf · Sharp and pungent · Herbal and green 🇲🇽 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 🇵🇪 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
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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.