Spices for lunch

Lunch is the main meal of the day in many parts of the world, and spice is central to it, from the Indian thali and the Ethiopian injera platter to the Mexican comida.

The midday meal

In South Asia and parts of Africa and Latin America lunch is the largest meal. A thali brings together dal, vegetables, rice, bread, pickles and chutneys, each with its own spice. In Ethiopia a shared plate of wats and injera is built on berbere.

Lighter lunches

In the Middle East lunch may be mezze, falafel and salads dusted with sumac and za'atar. In Southeast Asia, noodle soups and rice plates use pastes, chilli and fresh herbs. Sandwiches and salads in Europe carry pepper, mustard and herbs.

Packed lunches

Dabbas in India, bento in Japan and tiffins in Singapore keep spiced food portable. Foods that taste good cold, such as pickles, chutneys and spiced rice, travel well.

Lunch on EveryMasala

The spices written up so far, best known first.

🇮🇳 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

🇨🇳 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 🇺🇸 United StatesMrs. Burns' Lemon Basil An heirloom sweet basil cultivar from New Mexico with intense lemon flavor and large leaves.Leaf · Citrus and bright · Floral and perfumed

🇰🇭 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

🇱🇦 Laos and 5 moreLemon basil A hybrid herb with a bright citrus scent, used across Southeast Asia and Africa.Leaf · Citrus and bright · Herbal and green

🇻🇳 Vietnam and 1 moreRice paddy herbngò ôm A tropical aquatic herb with lemon-cumin notes, native to Southeast Asian rice fields.Leaf · Citrus and bright · Warm and sweet-spiced

🇰🇷 South Korea and 5 moreKorean mint배초향 An anise-scented Asian mint leaf used in Korean stews and herbal traditionsLeaf · Anise and liquorice · Herbal and green

🇨🇳 China and 5 moreRoselle The deep red calyx of a hibiscus plant, steeped into a tart drink or cooked as a leafy green.Fruit · Sour and tart · Citrus and bright

🇲🇽 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

🇯🇵 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

🇺🇸 United States and 4 moreSassafras An aromatic tree of North America and East Asia, famed for filé powder and root teaLeaf · Citrus and bright · Anise and liquorice