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EveryMasala

Spices for pickles and preserves

Achaar, kimchi, chutney and cured meats: spice as a way to keep food.

Preserves use spice as a flavour and as a help against spoilage. Pickles, chutneys, chilli pastes, spiced jams and cured meats rely on salt, acid, oil and spice.

Pickles and chutneys

Indian achar uses mustard seed, fenugreek, chilli and turmeric in oil. Korean kimchi is seasoned with gochugaru and garlic. British chutneys use mustard seed, ginger and vinegar, and German and Eastern European pickles use dill and mustard seed.

Cured meats and fish

Pimenton gives Spanish chorizo its colour, black pepper and juniper season salami and pastrami, and Scandinavian cures use allspice and dill.

Why spice helps

Many spice oils have a mild antimicrobial effect in the lab, but safe preserving depends on salt, acid, correct heating and clean jars. Follow tested recipes.

Pickles and preserves on EveryMasala

The spices written up so far, best known first.

PartSeedBarkRootFlowerFruitChilliLeafResinBulbStigmaBlendPasteSeasoning
FlavourHot and fieryWarm and sweet-spicedSweet and mellowEarthy and deepCitrus and brightSharp and pungentSmokyFloral and perfumedBitterAnise and liquoriceSour and tartSavoury and umamiNumbing and tinglingHerbal and green
🇮🇳 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 🇺🇸 United States and 5 moreGingermint A sterile mint hybrid grown for essential oil and chewing gum flavour.Herbal and green · Sweet and mellow 🇮🇳 India and 4 moreEast Indian arrowrootകൂവ A wild South Asian ginger valued for its turmeric-scented foliage and starchy rhizome.Root · Earthy and deep · Herbal and green 🇮🇳 IndiaKairकैर The spicy pink berry and flower bud of a drought-hardy desert bushFruit · Sharp and pungent 🇮🇳 India and 3 moreGaram masalaगरम मसाला A ground blend of warm spices from the Indian subcontinent used to finish curries and stews.Blend · Warm and sweet-spiced · Sharp and pungent 🇦🇫 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 2 moreGhost pepperbhut jolokia A superhot chili from Northeast India with over one million Scoville units of heat.Chilli · Hot and fiery 🇮🇳 India and 3 moreBlack saltकाला नमक A kiln-fired rock salt with a sulphurous aroma used in South Asian cooking and Ayurveda.Sharp and pungent · Sour and tart 🇮🇳 India and 5 moreMustard seed Tiny seeds from Brassica plants that become a sharp condiment or cooking oil.Seed · Sharp and pungent · Hot and fiery 🇮🇳 IndiaAmchoorआमचूर A sour powder made from dried unripe green mangoes, used to add tang to Indian dishes.Seed · Sour and tart · Citrus and bright 🇯🇲 Jamaica and 2 moreAllspice The dried green berry of a tropical tree, named for its blend of cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove notes.Fruit · Warm and sweet-spiced · Sweet and mellow 🇨🇳 China and 2 moreCrushed red pepper Dried and crushed chilli peppers, often with seeds, used as a spicy condiment.Chilli · Hot and fiery · Earthy and deep 🇨🇳 China and 1 moreGarlic powder A dry, savory spice made from dehydrated and ground garlic cloves.Seed · Sharp and pungent · Earthy and deep 🇰🇷 South KoreaKorean brining salt왕소금 A coarse, minimally processed salt used for fermenting kimchi in Korea.Seasoning · Sour and tart 🇳🇵 Nepal and 1 moreJimbu A dried wild onion herb from the Himalayas, used to season lentils and meat.Leaf · Sharp and pungent · Herbal and green 🇪🇸 SpainPaprika Tap de CortíPimentón de Mallorca A sweet, sun-dried ground pepper from the Balearic Islands, prized for its deep red colour and antioxidant properties.Seed · Sweet and mellow · Earthy and deep 🇮🇳 India and 3 moreLong pepperpippali The dried fruit spike of a climbing vine, once the world's most prized spice.Fruit · Hot and fiery · Sweet and mellow 🇮🇳 India and 3 moreZedoarytemu putih A bitter rhizome from the ginger family, once common in Austronesian kitchens.Root · Bitter · Sharp and pungent 🇮🇩 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 🇹🇭 Thailand and 5 moreKaffir limeมะกรูด The bumpy-skinned citrus fruit and double-leafed shrub of Southeast AsiaFruit · Citrus and bright · Sharp and pungent 🇭🇺 HungaryAlmapaprika A thick-fleshed Hungarian sweet pepper variety used for pickling and traditional dishes.Fruit · Hot and fiery 🇮🇳 India and 5 moreSesame The drought-hardy seed of a flowering plant, prized for its oil and nutty taste.Seed · Warm and sweet-spiced 🇹🇷 Turkey and 5 moreBay Laurelδάφνη The dried leaf of a Mediterranean evergreen, used to infuse slow-cooked dishes with herbal depth.Sharp and pungent · Bitter 🇯🇵 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 🇨🇳 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 🇺🇸 United States and 2 morePeter pepper A rare heirloom chili with a distinctive wrinkled shape and moderate heat.Hot and fiery · Sharp and pungent 🇨🇳 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 🇸🇩 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 🇮🇩 Indonesia and 5 moreIndonesian cinnamon A strong, affordable bark from Sumatra used as a common spice and oil source.Bark · Warm and sweet-spiced · Sharp and pungent 🇮🇳 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 🇬🇷 GreeceFlorina pepperπιπεριά Φλωρίνης A sweet, horn-shaped red pepper from northern Greece with Protected Designation of Origin status.Fruit · Sweet and mellow 🇮🇳 India and 4 moreMizo chilliHmarchte A pungent Capsicum frutescens cultivar from Mizoram, India, holding a Geographical Indication tag.Chilli · Hot and fiery 🇭🇺 HungaryCherry peppercseresznyepaprika A small Capsicum annuum cultivar from Hungary, used for paprika and preserves.Chilli · Hot and fiery · Sweet and mellow 🇸🇾 Syria and 5 moreSumac A tart, crimson spice made from ground berries of the Rhus coriaria shrub.Seed · Sour and tart · Citrus and bright 🇭🇺 Hungary and 5 moreHorseradish A pungent root vegetable from Southeastern Europe used as a spicy condiment.Root · Hot and fiery · Sharp and pungent 🇮🇳 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 🇬🇷 Greece and 3 moreWhite mustard The beige seeds of a Mediterranean annual, ground into mild yellow condiments.Seed · Sharp and pungent 🇲🇽 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 🇮🇩 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 🇮🇹 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 🇳🇵 Nepal and 5 moreTimurटिमुर The dried fruit of a Himalayan shrub, prized for its citrus aroma and numbing tingle.Citrus and bright · Numbing and tingling 🇮🇳 IndiaBanaras Lal Bharwamirchबनारसी लाल भरवा मिर्च A thick-skinned chilli from Uttar Pradesh, prized for making traditional stuffed pickles.Chilli · Hot and fiery · Bitter 🇮🇳 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 🇱🇦 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 🇮🇳 IndiaKashmiri red chilliकश्मीरी लाल मिर्च A mild Capsicum annuum cultivar prized for its deep red colour and low heat.Chilli · Earthy and deep 🇮🇳 India and 5 moreBlack pepper The dried fruit of a climbing vine, the world's most traded spice.Sharp and pungent · Hot and fiery 🇮🇳 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
More spices

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

The weekly digest

Every Monday: seven spices you may not know, what is cooking this week, and one blend explained step by step.