Spices for drinks
Chai, mulled wine, spiced coffee, golden milk and the cordials of the world.
Spiced drinks are among the oldest uses of spice, from mulled wine and masala chai to Mexican hot chocolate, Arabic coffee and Caribbean sorrel.
Hot drinks
Masala chai combines black tea with ginger, cardamom, clove, cinnamon and pepper. Arabic coffee is flavoured with cardamom, sometimes saffron. Mulled wine and wassail use cinnamon, clove and orange, and Mexican hot chocolate takes cinnamon and sometimes chilli.
Cold drinks
Sorrel, a hibiscus drink with ginger and clove, is served at Christmas in the Caribbean. Jamu in Indonesia uses turmeric and ginger, and tamarind drinks are sold across Asia, Africa and Latin America.
Spirits and bitters
Spices flavour spirits and liqueurs, such as anise in ouzo, pastis and arak, juniper in gin, and clove, quinine and gentian in bitters.
Drinks on EveryMasala
The spices written up so far, best known first.
馃嚠馃嚦 India and 4 moreFennel
The anise-scented seeds and crisp bulb of a Mediterranean perennial herbSeed 路 Anise and liquorice 路 Sweet and mellow
馃嚠馃嚦 India and 4 moreBasil
A tender culinary herb with glossy leaves and a licorice-like aroma, native to tropical Asia.Leaf 路 Anise and liquorice 路 Warm and sweet-spiced
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
馃嚥馃嚱 Mexico and 1 moreHoja santa
The large, heart-shaped leaf of a Mexican pepper plant, used to wrap and flavor food.Anise and liquorice 路 Warm and sweet-spiced
馃嚚馃嚦 China and 3 moreStar anise鍏 (b膩ji菐o)
The reddish-brown star-shaped fruit of a Chinese evergreen tree, used for its licorice-like flavor.Fruit 路 Sweet and mellow 路 Anise and liquorice
馃嚜馃嚞 Egypt and 3 moreAnise
The sweet, licorice-flavored seed of an annual herb from the Mediterranean basin.Seed 路 Sweet and mellow 路 Anise and liquorice
馃嚭馃嚫 United States and 4 moreSassafras
An aromatic tree of North America and East Asia, famed for fil茅 powder and root teaLeaf 路 Citrus and bright 路 Anise and liquorice
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.
- Caraway: Slick, CC0, source
- Anise: David Monniaux, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Hoja santa: Forest & Kim Starr, CC BY 3.0, source
- Star anise: Photo by David J. Stang, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Sassafras: Randy Everette, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Hawaij: Mx. Granger, CC0, source
- Basil: Castielli, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Fennel: Elekes Andor, CC BY 4.0, source