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

🇮🇳 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

🇮🇳 India and 4 moreCurry paste A blended mixture of spices and aromatics used as the base for curries in Asia.Warm and sweet-spiced · Earthy and deep 🇮🇳 IndiaKala masala A dark roasted spice blend from Maharashtra used for everyday home cooking.Blend · Hot and fiery · Warm and sweet-spiced

🇮🇳 IndiaErode TurmericErodu Manjal A Geographical Indication turmeric from Tamil Nadu with high curcumin content.Root · Earthy and deep · Bitter

🇦🇫 Afghanistan and 5 moreLovageлюбисток A tall European herb with celery-like leaves and spicy seeds used in soups and broths.Leaf · Sharp and pungent · Herbal and green

🇮🇳 India and 4 moreCurry powder A Western adaptation of Indian spice blends for cooking sauces and stews.Blend · Warm and sweet-spiced · Earthy and deep

🇪🇹 Ethiopia and 1 moreBerbereበርበሬ (bärbäre) A complex Ethiopian spice blend built on chili peppers, coriander, and ginger.Hot and fiery · Warm and sweet-spiced

🇫🇷 France and 3 moreHerbes de Provenceèrbas de Provença A dried herb blend from southwestern France, now a global kitchen staple.Warm and sweet-spiced · Herbal and green 🇯🇴 Jordan and 5 moreBaharatبهارات A versatile Middle Eastern spice blend used to season meats and soups.Warm and sweet-spiced · Sharp and pungent

🇬🇪 GeorgiaKhmeli suneliხმელი სუნელი A flexible Georgian blend of dried herbs and seeds for stews and meats.Blend · Warm and sweet-spiced · Earthy and deep

🇧🇩 Bangladesh and 2 morePanch phoronপাঁচ ফোড়ন A Bengali blend of five whole seeds used to temper dishesBlend · Bitter · Warm and sweet-spiced

🇪🇹 EthiopiaMitmitaሚጥሚጣ A fiery Ethiopian spice blend of bird's eye chilies, cardamom, and cloves.Blend · Hot and fiery · Warm and sweet-spiced 🇮🇷 IranAdviehادویه A fragrant blend of spices used to season rice and stews in Iranian cooking.Warm and sweet-spiced · Sweet and mellow

🇾🇪 Yemen and 1 moreHawaijحوايج A ground Yemeni spice blend used for soups, coffee, and everyday cooking.Warm and sweet-spiced · Earthy and deep 🇺🇸 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

🇮🇩 Indonesia and 5 moreGinger The pungent rhizome of a flowering perennial, one of the world's most traded spices.Root · Hot and fiery · Sharp and pungent

🇮🇳 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

🇬🇪 GeorgiaSvan saltსვანური მარილი A moist, aromatic spice blend from the Georgian mountains, combining herbs with salt.Sharp and pungent · Earthy and deep

🇻🇳 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

🇮🇳 India and 5 moreSesame The drought-hardy seed of a flowering plant, prized for its oil and nutty taste.Seed · Warm and sweet-spiced

🇮🇳 India and 5 moreTurmericहल्दी The dried rhizome of a tropical ginger relative, prized for its golden color and earthy bite.Root · Warm and sweet-spiced · Bitter

🇮🇳 India and 5 moreCumin The dried seed of a small parsley-family herb, used whole or ground in many world cuisines.Seed · Warm and sweet-spiced · Earthy and deep 🇮🇩 Indonesia and 3 moreGalangal The pungent rhizome of the ginger family, essential to Southeast Asian soups and pastes.Root · Sharp and pungent · Warm and sweet-spiced 🇨🇳 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

🇬🇼 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

🇻🇳 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

🇮🇳 India and 5 moreGinger The pungent rhizome of a flowering plant, widely used as a spice and folk medicine.Root · Hot and fiery · Sharp and pungent

Photo credits on this page

The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.

Panch phoron: Wiki-uk, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Curry powder: Slick, CC0, source
Berbere: Badagnani, CC BY 3.0, source
Khmeli suneli: А. Кабанов, CC0, source
Turmeric: J.M.Garg, CC BY 3.0, source
Saigon cinnamon: Sykes, Bill, CC BY 4.0, source
Cumin: Sanjay Acharya, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Ginger: Forest & Kim Starr, CC BY 3.0, source
Curry paste: Ryan Snyder, CC BY 2.0, source
Erode Turmeric: Sivaranjani, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Herbes de Provence: Unknown author, CC BY 2.0, source
Ginger: Venkatx5, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Fenugreek: Yak, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Svan salt: Jelger Groeneveld, CC BY 2.0, source
Rice paddy herb: Emilia Murray, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
Sesame: Anna Frodesiak, CC0, source
Basil: Castielli, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Fennel: Elekes Andor, CC BY 4.0, source
Hawaij: Mx. Granger, CC0, source
Calabash nutmeg: Samuel Curtis and William Jackson Hooker, Public domain, source
Mitmita: Caffe Vita, CC BY 2.0, source
Lovage: 4028mdk09, CC BY-SA 3.0, source