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
馃嚠馃嚛 Indonesia and 3 moreNutmeg
The dried seed of a tropical evergreen tree, prized for its warm, pungent flavor.Seed 路 Warm and sweet-spiced 路 Sweet and mellow
馃嚠馃嚦 India and 2 moreCardamom
Aromatic seeds from spindle-shaped pods used in sweet and savory dishes across Asia and the Middle East.Seed 路 Sharp and pungent 路 Warm and sweet-spiced
馃嚭馃嚫 United States and 1 moreCalifornian white sage
An aromatic desert shrub whose seeds flavour maize foods and roots make tonic teaSeed 路 Herbal and green 路 Sharp and pungent
馃嚜馃嚬 Ethiopia and 4 moreKorarima
The dried seeds of a wild ginger relative, essential to Ethiopian and Eritrean cooking.Seed 路 Warm and sweet-spiced 路 Citrus and bright
馃嚠馃嚦 India and 5 moreFenugreek丨賱亘丞 (hilba)
The cuboid seed of an annual legume, prized for its bitter warmth and maple aroma.Seed 路 Bitter 路 Warm and sweet-spiced
馃嚞馃嚦 Guinea and 5 moreGrains of paradise
The pungent, citrus-tinged seeds of a West African ginger relative.Seed 路 Sharp and pungent 路 Hot and fiery
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
- Californian white sage: Stan Shebs, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Fenugreek: Yak, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Korarima: Joe Castleman ( Gyrofrog ), CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Cardamom: Didier Descouens, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Nutmeg: Herusutimbul, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Fennel: Elekes Andor, CC BY 4.0, source
- Grains of paradise: Lemmikkipuu, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Anise: David Monniaux, CC BY-SA 3.0, source