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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
🇵🇪 Peru and 5 moreChili pepperchīlli The pungent berry of the Capsicum plant, used to add heat to dishes worldwide.Fruit · Hot and fiery · Earthy and deep 🇮🇳 India and 4 moreFennel The anise-scented seeds and crisp bulb of a Mediterranean perennial herbSeed · Anise and liquorice · Sweet and mellow 🇮🇳 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 🇬🇷 Greece and 4 moreParsley A bright green herb from the celery family, used fresh across Europe and the Middle East.Leaf · Bitter · Herbal and green 🇦🇹 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 🇮🇷 Iran and 4 moreSaffronزعفران The dried crimson stigmas of the autumn-blooming saffron crocus.Stigma · Sharp and pungent · Bitter 🇮🇩 Indonesia and 4 moreNutmeg The dried seed of a tropical tree, prized for its warm, pungent spice.Seed · Warm and sweet-spiced · Sweet and mellow 🇷🇺 Russia and 4 moreTarragon A slender perennial herb with anise-scented leaves, prized in French and Middle Eastern cooking.Leaf · Anise and liquorice · Sweet and mellow 🇱🇰 Sri LankaLunumirisලුණු මිරිස් A traditional Sri Lankan condiment of ground chillies and saltHot and fiery · Sour and tart 🇲🇽 Mexico and 5 moreAnnatto The orange-red pigment from achiote seeds used as a natural food coloring and mild spice.Seed · Earthy and deep · Sweet and mellow 🇹🇷 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 🇱🇦 Laos and 2 moreKhao khuaເຂົ້າຂົ້ວ Dry-toasted sticky rice, ground rough, the nutty backbone of Lao laabSeed · Smoky 🇮🇳 IndiaErode TurmericErodu Manjal A Geographical Indication turmeric from Tamil Nadu with high curcumin content.Root · Earthy and deep · Bitter 🇴🇲 Oman and 3 moreDried lime Sun-dried limes from the Persian Gulf, used whole or ground to add sour depth to Middle Eastern dishes.Fruit · Sour and tart · Earthy and deep 🇮🇳 IndiaKairकैर The spicy pink berry and flower bud of a drought-hardy desert bushFruit · Sharp and pungent 🇮🇹 ItalyMostardamostarda di frutta A northern Italian condiment of candied fruit in a sharp mustard syrupBlend · Sweet and mellow · Sharp and pungent 🇳🇬 Nigeria and 1 moreOgiriÒgìrì A fermented West African seasoning made from oil-bearing seeds.Paste · Savoury and umami 🇰🇭 CambodiaKroeungគ្រឿង The pounded herb paste that gives Khmer dishes their base flavourPaste · Herbal and green · Hot and fiery 🇮🇳 IndiaKala masala A dark roasted spice blend from Maharashtra used for everyday home cooking.Blend · Hot and fiery · Warm and sweet-spiced 🇮🇩 Indonesia and 2 moreIndonesian bay leafdaun salam The aromatic leaves of a Myrtaceae tree used to flavour soups and stews across Indonesia and Suriname.Leaf · Bitter 🇮🇳 India and 2 moreWild turmericKasthuri Manjal A South Asian rhizome with a musky scent, used for colouring and skin care.Root · Warm and sweet-spiced 🇲🇽 Mexico and 1 moreChipotle Smoke-dried ripe jalapeño peppers used in Mexican and Tex-Mex cookingChilli · Hot and fiery · Smoky 🇱🇰 Sri LankaThuna pahaතුන පහ A Sri Lankan unroasted curry powder made from cumin, fennel, and coriander seeds.Warm and sweet-spiced · Sharp and pungent 🇾🇪 Yemen and 1 moreZhugسحوق A Yemeni hot sauce of crushed chilies, garlic, and corianderHot and fiery · Sharp and pungent 🇮🇳 India and 3 moreIndian prickly ash A pungent fruit from a thorny shrub, used for its tingling spice in coastal India and Vietnam.Fruit · Sharp and pungent · Numbing and tingling 🇯🇵 JapanKarashiからし A potent Japanese mustard made from brown mustard seeds, served as a sharp condiment.Seed · Hot and fiery · Sharp and pungent 🇯🇵 JapanYuzu koshō柚子胡椒 A fermented Japanese paste of chili peppers and yuzu citrus peel.Paste · Hot and fiery · Citrus and bright 🇳🇬 NigeriaYaji A spicy rub from Nigeria made with chili, ginger, and ground peanuts.Blend · Hot and fiery · Earthy and deep 🇫🇷 France and 1 moreDijon mustardMoutarde de Dijon A sharp condiment made from brown mustard seeds and white wine or verjuice, originating in Burgundy.Sharp and pungent · Sour and tart 🇧🇷 Brazil and 5 moreMalagueta peppermalagueta A small, fiery chili from Capsicum frutescens used across Portuguese-speaking regions.Chilli · Hot and fiery · Sharp and pungent 🇬🇪 GeorgiaUtskho suneliუცხო სუნელი A Georgian spice blend centered on blue fenugreek, with roots in Persian and Mughal traditions.Earthy and deep · Herbal and green 🇨🇲 Cameroon and 1 morePenja white pepper A Cameroonian black pepper variety grown in the volcanic Penja Valley, protected by geographical indication.Seed · Sharp and pungent · Earthy and deep 🇺🇸 United StatesSpicebush The dried fruit of a North American shrub, used as an allspice substitute.Fruit · Citrus and bright · Sharp and pungent 🇮🇳 IndiaChammanthi podi A dry coconut and spice condiment from Kerala that preserves fresh chutney for months.Hot and fiery · Earthy and deep 🇳🇵 Nepal and 2 moreDalle Khursaniडल्ले खुर्सानी A round, fiery chilli from the Himalayas, known for its intense heat and vitamin content.Chilli · Hot and fiery 🇮🇳 India and 4 moreCurry paste A blended mixture of spices and aromatics used as the base for curries in Asia.Warm and sweet-spiced · Earthy and deep 🇮🇳 IndiaMalabar pepper A geographically protected black pepper from India's western spice coast.Seed · Sharp and pungent 🇨🇳 ChinaYongfeng chili sauce永丰辣酱 A fermented paste of peppers, rice and wheat from Hunan province, one of the region's three treasures.Paste · Hot and fiery · Sweet and mellow 🇪🇸 SpainChoricero pepperspimiento choricero A dried red pepper from Spain used to make rich stews and sauces.Chilli · Sweet and mellow · Smoky 🇺🇸 United States and 5 moreGingermint A sterile mint hybrid grown for essential oil and chewing gum flavour.Herbal and green · Sweet and mellow 🇭🇹 HaitiEpis A blended flavor base of peppers, garlic, and herbs essential to Haitian cookingHot and fiery · Sharp and pungent 🇲🇽 Mexico and 5 morePaprika A red powder made from dried Capsicum annuum peppers, used to colour and flavour dishes across Europe and the Middle EasSeed · Sweet and mellow · Hot and fiery 🇮🇳 India and 3 moreGaram masalaगरम मसाला A ground blend of warm spices from the Indian subcontinent used to finish curries and stews.Blend · Warm and sweet-spiced · Sharp and pungent 🇦🇫 Afghanistan and 5 moreLovageлюбисток A tall European herb with celery-like leaves and spicy seeds used in soups and broths.Leaf · Sharp and pungent · Herbal and green 🇮🇩 Indonesia and 5 moreGreater galangalข่า The pungent rhizome of a ginger relative, essential in Southeast Asian soups and curries.Root · Sharp and pungent · Citrus and bright 🇮🇳 India and 4 moreCurry powder A Western adaptation of Indian spice blends for cooking sauces and stews.Blend · Warm and sweet-spiced · Earthy and deep 🇮🇳 India and 2 moreBay leaf The dried or fresh leaves of the laurel tree, used to infuse depth into slow-cooked dishes.Leaf · Herbal and green · Sharp and pungent 🇨🇳 China and 5 moreSichuan pepper花椒 (huājiāo) The dried husk of Zanthoxylum fruit, prized for its citrus scent and electric numbness.Fruit · Citrus and bright · Sharp and pungent
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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.