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ChilliFour Bucks County Sauce Makers Bring Smoke, Fruit, and Heat to Local ShelvesHarvestEssex town whose origins can be traced back to a very lucrative spice tradeMarketsUS traders bat for tariff exemptions on spicesMarketsUS traders bat for tariff exemptions on spicesMarketsUS spice traders seek tariff exemptions for Indian spices under potential trade dealMarketsUS Traders Seek Tariff Exemptions for Indian SpicesMarketsUS Traders Seek Tariff Exemptions for Indian SpicesFoodPizzafy your food with this new spice blendFoodMasala Chai Ice Cream, Nadur Kebab, Dharti Ke Phool: What PM Modi, President Murmu Served Swiss President PHarvestTurmeric Rallies As Karnataka Drought Hits Crop And Raises Fresh Supply Concerns By Kedia AdvisoryChilliFour Bucks County Sauce Makers Bring Smoke, Fruit, and Heat to Local ShelvesHarvestEssex town whose origins can be traced back to a very lucrative spice tradeMarketsUS traders bat for tariff exemptions on spicesMarketsUS traders bat for tariff exemptions on spicesMarketsUS spice traders seek tariff exemptions for Indian spices under potential trade dealMarketsUS Traders Seek Tariff Exemptions for Indian SpicesMarketsUS Traders Seek Tariff Exemptions for Indian SpicesFoodPizzafy your food with this new spice blendFoodMasala Chai Ice Cream, Nadur Kebab, Dharti Ke Phool: What PM Modi, President Murmu Served Swiss President PHarvestTurmeric Rallies As Karnataka Drought Hits Crop And Raises Fresh Supply Concerns By Kedia Advisory
EveryMasala

Spices for snacks and tea time

Spiced nuts, crisps, fritters, chaat and everything eaten between meals.

Snacks are where spice is often most playful, with crisp, salty, sour and hot flavours coated in seasoning mixes made to eat between meals.

Savoury snacks

Indian chaat uses chaat masala, with black salt, amchur and cumin. Mexican snacks use chilli and lime, as with tajin on fruit. Japanese rice crackers use shichimi and nori, and North American popcorn and chips use paprika, onion, garlic and cheese powder.

Nuts and seeds

Roasted nuts and seeds are coated in spice mixes from many places, such as dukkah in Egypt, masala peanuts in India and chilli-lime peanuts in Mexico.

Tea time

Tea-time snacks, such as samosas, pakoras, scones and biscuits, bring spice to the afternoon. Cardamom biscuits, ginger cake and spiced fritters are typical.

Snacks and tea time 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 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka and 5 moreCinnamon The dried inner bark of Cinnamomum trees, prized for its sweet warmth and essential oil.Bark · Warm and sweet-spiced · Sweet and mellow 🇮🇩 Indonesia and 4 moreNutmeg The dried seed of a tropical tree, prized for its warm, pungent spice.Seed · Warm and sweet-spiced · 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 🇲🇽 MexicoPineapple sage A Mexican shrub with leaves that smell of pineapple and flowers that feed hummingbirdsLeaf · Citrus and bright · Sweet and mellow 🇦🇺 AustraliaBush tomatokutjera The dried fruit of a native Australian nightshade shrub, traditionally eaten by Aboriginal peoples.Fruit · Sweet and mellow · Earthy and deep 🇲🇽 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 🇯🇵 Japan and 1 moreShishito pepper獅子唐辛子 A slender East Asian chili that is mostly mild with occasional heat burstsChilli · Hot and fiery · Sweet and mellow 🇮🇱 IsraelNufar basil A sweet basil variety bred in Israel to resist a deadly fungal wilt disease.Leaf · Sweet and mellow 🇮🇹 ItalyMostardamostarda di frutta A northern Italian condiment of candied fruit in a sharp mustard syrupBlend · Sweet and mellow · Sharp and pungent 🇮🇳 IndiaChammanthi podi A dry coconut and spice condiment from Kerala that preserves fresh chutney for months.Hot and fiery · Earthy and deep 🇦🇺 AustraliaWattleseed The edible seed of Australian Acacia trees, traditionally ground into flour by Aboriginal Australians.Seed · Sweet and mellow · Earthy and deep 🇺🇸 United States and 5 moreGingermint A sterile mint hybrid grown for essential oil and chewing gum flavour.Herbal and green · 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 🇮🇳 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 🇺🇸 United StatesCarolina Reaper A gnarled red cultivar of Capsicum chinense bred in South Carolina for extreme heat.Chilli · Hot and fiery · Sweet and mellow 🇹🇷 Turkey and 2 moreMahleb A ground cherry seed used to sweeten Middle Eastern baked goods with an almond-cherry note.Seed · Sweet and mellow · Bitter 🇵🇪 Peru and 3 morePink peppercornbaie rose The dried fruit of Schinus trees, offering a sweet, piney heat distinct from black pepper.Fruit · Sharp and pungent · Citrus and bright 🇸🇾 Syria and 1 moreAleppo pepperفلفل حلبي A moderately spicy, fruity flake from Syria and Turkey, named for the city of Aleppo.Chilli · Hot and fiery · Sweet and mellow 🇫🇷 France and 1 moreEspelette pepperpiment d'Espelette A mild Basque chili with sweet, fruity notes and protected origin status.Chilli · Sweet and mellow · 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 🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 2 moreMixed spice A British blend of cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice for sweet bakingBlend · Warm and sweet-spiced · Sweet and mellow 🇺🇸 United States and 3 moreCinnamon sugar A simple blend of ground cinnamon and granulated sugar used to sweeten and spice desserts.Sweet and mellow · Warm and sweet-spiced 🇺🇸 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 moreNew Mexico chilechile de Nuevo México A cultivar group of Capsicum annuum from New Mexico, valued for its smoky flavor and range of heat levels.Sharp and pungent · Sweet and mellow 🇹🇷 TurkeyUrfa biber A sun-dried and night-wrapped chili from Turkey with a smoky, raisin-like taste.Chilli · Smoky · Sweet and mellow 🇧🇷 Brazil and 2 moreBishop's crown A wrinkled, three-sided Capsicum baccatum cultivar with mild heat and a sweet flavor.Chilli · Sweet and mellow 🇯🇲 JamaicaPimiento A sweet, heart-shaped red chili pepper used for stuffing olives and making cheese spreads.Chilli · Sweet and mellow · Hot and fiery 🇮🇩 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 🇬🇷 GreeceFlorina pepperπιπεριά Φλωρίνης A sweet, horn-shaped red pepper from northern Greece with Protected Designation of Origin status.Fruit · Sweet and mellow 🇨🇳 China and 2 moreChinese cassia The thick-barked spice tree of southern China, yielding a bold and sweet bark used in cooking and medicine.Bark · Sweet and mellow · Warm and sweet-spiced 🇺🇸 United States and 1 moreChimayó pepper A prized New Mexico chile cultivar known for its sweet, smoky flavor and twisted dried pods.Chilli · Sweet and mellow · Smoky 🇮🇩 Indonesia and 5 morePandan The fragrant leaf of a sterile screwpine, used to scent rice and desserts across Asia.Leaf · Sweet and mellow · Floral and perfumed 🇺🇸 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 🇲🇽 MexicoGuajillo chilichile guajillo A dried Mexican pepper with a sweet, fruity flavor and mild heat.Sweet and mellow · Hot and fiery 🇸🇩 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 🇮🇳 India and 1 moreChar magazचार मगज A blend of four melon seeds used to thicken and enrich dishes in South AsiaSweet and mellow · Earthy and deep 🇲🇽 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 🇮🇹 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 🇪🇸 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 🇮🇳 IndiaByadagi chilliಬ್ಯಾಡಗಿ ಮೆಣಸಿನಕಾಯಿ A deep red, mild cultivar from Karnataka prized for its colour and oleoresin.Chilli · Hot and fiery · 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 🇬🇼 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 🇪🇸 SpainPiquillo pepperpimientos del piquillo A sweet, mild red chili cultivar from Northern Spain, prized for its thick flesh and gentle heat.Chilli · Sweet and mellow · Warm and sweet-spiced 🇪🇬 Egypt and 3 moreAnise The sweet, licorice-flavored seed of an annual herb from the Mediterranean basin.Seed · Sweet and mellow · Anise and liquorice 🇻🇳 VietnamHúng lìu A Vietnamese spice blend of cinnamon, star anise, and clove for roasted meatsWarm 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
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Photo credits on this page

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.