Spices for lunch
Thalis, rice plates, stews and sandwiches: the midday meal.
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 moreFennel
The anise-scented seeds and crisp bulb of a Mediterranean perennial herbSeed · Anise and liquorice · 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
🇮🇳 IndiaChammanthi podi
A dry coconut and spice condiment from Kerala that preserves fresh chutney for months.Hot and fiery · Earthy and deep
🇪🇸 SpainChoricero pepperspimiento choricero
A dried red pepper from Spain used to make rich stews and sauces.Chilli · Sweet and mellow · Smoky
🇲🇽 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
🇲🇽 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
🇯🇵 JapanGariガリ
Thinly sliced young ginger pickled in sweet vinegar, served with sushi.Sweet and mellow · Sour and tart
🇯🇴 Jordan and 5 moreBaharatبهارات
A versatile Middle Eastern spice blend used to season meats and soups.Warm and sweet-spiced · Sharp and pungent
🇮🇷 IranAdviehادویه
A fragrant blend of spices used to season rice and stews in Iranian cooking.Warm and sweet-spiced · Sweet and mellow
🇮🇳 IndiaAmchoorआमचूर
A sour powder made from dried unripe green mangoes, used to add tang to Indian dishes.Seed · Sour and tart · Citrus and bright
🇺🇸 United States and 1 moreFresno chile
A medium-sized Capsicum annuum cultivar with a conical shape and bright red skin.Chilli · Hot and fiery · Sweet and mellow
🇺🇸 United States and 1 moreDatil pepper
A very hot, sweet-sour cultivar of Capsicum chinense grown mainly in FloridaChilli · Hot and fiery · Sweet and mellow
🇲🇽 MexicoGuajillo chilichile guajillo
A dried Mexican pepper with a sweet, fruity flavor and mild heat.Sweet and mellow · Hot and fiery
🇸🇷 SurinameMadame Jeanette
A fruity, very hot chili cultivar from Suriname with a reddish-yellow skin.Chilli · Hot and fiery · Sweet and mellow
🇨🇳 China and 5 moreGarlic chives韭菜
A flat-leaved Allium with a garlic scent, used across Asia as a herb and vegetable.Leaf · Sweet and mellow
🇰🇷 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
🇮🇹 Italy and 1 moreFriggitello
A mild sweet Italian chilli often pickled, known for its complex flavour and slight heat.Sweet and mellow · Hot and fiery
🇺🇸 United States and 2 moreBig Jim pepper
A large, mild New Mexico chile cultivar developed in the United States for green roasting.Chilli · Sweet and mellow · Hot and fiery
🇻🇳 Vietnam and 1 moreSaigon cinnamonquế Trà My, quế Thanh, quế Quỳ, quế Trà Bồng
A potent bark from central Vietnam with a complex aroma and high coumarin content.Bark · Warm and sweet-spiced · Sharp and pungent
🇨🇳 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
🇮🇳 IndiaByadagi chilliಬ್ಯಾಡಗಿ ಮೆಣಸಿನಕಾಯಿ
A deep red, mild cultivar from Karnataka prized for its colour and oleoresin.Chilli · Hot and fiery · Sweet and mellow
🇲🇽 Mexico and 5 moreCapsicum annuum
A flowering plant producing berries of many colors and heat levels, from sweet bell peppers to fiery chilies.Fruit · Hot and fiery · Sweet and mellow
🇵🇪 Peru and 5 moreCapsicum baccatumají
A domesticated Andean chili with fruit that hangs down, known for its bright orange skin and warm heat.Hot and fiery · Citrus and bright
🇮🇹 ItalyCommon thyme
A woody Mediterranean herb with small grey-green leaves and a sharp, spicy-sweet flavour.Leaf · Sharp and pungent · Sweet and mellow
🇬🇼 Guinea-Bissau and 5 moreCalabash nutmeg
The dried seed of a West African tree, used as a local substitute for nutmeg.Warm and sweet-spiced · Sweet and mellow
🇮🇳 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
🇯🇲 JamaicaPimiento
A sweet, heart-shaped red chili pepper used for stuffing olives and making cheese spreads.Chilli · Sweet and mellow · Hot and fiery
🇬🇭 Ghana and 5 morePrekeseprɛkɛsɛ
The scented pod of a West African tree, used to perfume soups.Fruit · Sweet and mellow
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Amchoor: Miansari66, Public domain, source
- Paprika: Takkk, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Gari: DoWhile, Public domain, source
- Fresno chile: Nadiatalent, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Prekese: NMNH, CC0, source
- Big Jim pepper: User:Carstor, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Fennel: Elekes Andor, CC BY 4.0, source
- Saigon cinnamon: Sykes, Bill, CC BY 4.0, source
- Byadagi chilli: Msclrfl22, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Capsicum annuum: Franz Eugen Köhler, Köhler's Medizinal-Pflanzen, Public domain, source
- Capsicum baccatum: Retama, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Common thyme: Isidre blanc, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Tarragon: KENPEI, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Calabash nutmeg: Samuel Curtis and William Jackson Hooker, Public domain, source
- Annatto: Porto Neto, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Chammanthi podi: Ranjithsiji, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Choricero peppers: Tamorlan, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Fenugreek: Yak, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Pimiento: Challiyan, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Datil pepper: Paullassiter, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Guajillo chili: Badagnani, CC BY 3.0, source
- Madame Jeanette: Takeaway, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Garlic chives: Kurt Stüber [1], CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Korean mint: Dalgial, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Friggitello: User:CFang, Public domain, source