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.
🇮🇳 India and 4 moreFennel
The anise-scented seeds and crisp bulb of a Mediterranean perennial herbSeed · Anise and liquorice · Sweet and mellow
🇱🇰 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
🇹🇭 Thailand and 4 moreBenzoin resin
A sweet balsamic tree resin used in incense, perfumes, and traditional medicine.Resin · Sweet and mellow
🇱🇰 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
🇲🇽 MexicoPineapple sage
A Mexican shrub with leaves that smell of pineapple and flowers that feed hummingbirdsLeaf · Citrus and bright · Sweet and mellow
🇮🇳 IndiaKewraकेवड़ा
A fragrant essential oil distilled from the male flowers of the screwpine plant.Resin · Sweet and mellow · Floral and perfumed
🇲🇽 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
🇲🇽 Mexico and 4 moreVanilla
The cured seed pods of a climbing orchid, the world's second-most expensive spice by weight.Fruit · Sweet and mellow · Floral and perfumed
🇺🇸 United StatesPumpkin pie spice
A blend of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves used in American autumn baking.Warm and sweet-spiced · Sweet and mellow
🇮🇩 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
🇮🇳 India and 1 moreChar magazचार मगज
A blend of four melon seeds used to thicken and enrich dishes in South AsiaSweet and mellow · Earthy and deep
🇮🇩 Indonesia and 5 morePandan
The fragrant leaf of a sterile screwpine, used to scent rice and desserts across Asia.Leaf · Sweet and mellow · Floral and perfumed
🇸🇩 Sudan and 5 moreTamarind
The sweet and sour pulp of a tropical tree pod used in sauces and drinks.Fruit · Sweet and mellow · Sour and tart
🇮🇳 India and 5 moreFenugreekحلبة (hilba)
The cuboid seed of an annual legume, prized for its bitter warmth and maple aroma.Seed · Bitter · Warm and sweet-spiced
🇮🇳 India and 5 moreLemongrasssereh; tanglad; takhrai; sera
A tropical grass with citrus-scented stalks used in Asian soups and herbal teasLeaf · Citrus and bright · Sweet and mellow
🇨🇳 China and 3 moreStar anise八角 (bājiǎo)
The reddish-brown star-shaped fruit of a Chinese evergreen tree, used for its licorice-like flavor.Fruit · Sweet and mellow · Anise and liquorice
🇪🇬 Egypt and 3 moreAnise
The sweet, licorice-flavored seed of an annual herb from the Mediterranean basin.Seed · Sweet and mellow · Anise and liquorice
🇨🇳 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
🇨🇳 China and 1 moreChenpi陳皮
Sun-dried mandarin orange peel aged for use in Chinese cooking and medicineFruit · Sweet and mellow · Sharp and pungent
🇦🇺 Australia and 1 moreMountain pepper
The dried berry of an Australian shrub, used as a peppery condiment and wasabi substitute.Fruit · Hot and fiery · Sweet and mellow
🇸🇻 El Salvador and 1 moreBalsam of Peru
A dark, sweet resin from a Central American tree, used for flavoring and fragrance.Resin · Sweet and mellow
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Clove: Bayu Nugroho, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Cinnamon: Luc Viatour, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Pandan: Zuhairali, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Mountain pepper: Melburnian, CC BY 3.0, source
- Balsam of Peru: Maša Sinreih in Valentina Vivod, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Fennel: Elekes Andor, CC BY 4.0, source
- Anise: David Monniaux, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Chenpi: Dboxes, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Star anise: Photo by David J. Stang, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Pumpkin pie spice: Stephen Witherden, CC BY 2.0, source
- Benzoin resin: Wibowo Djatmiko ( Wie146 ), CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Char magaz: Miansari66, Public domain, source
- Ceylon cinnamon: NickCT, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Pineapple sage: Eric Hunt, CC BY 2.5, source
- Kewra: Miansari66, Public domain, source
- Vanilla: Everglades National Park, Public domain, source
- Vanilla: Malcolm Manners, CC BY 2.0, source
- Tamarind: B.navez, CC BY 2.5, source
- Fenugreek: Yak, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Lemongrass: Unknown author, CC BY 2.0, source
- Nutmeg: Herusutimbul, CC BY-SA 4.0, source