Spice news
HarvestTurmeric Rallies As Karnataka Drought Hits Crop And Raises Fresh Supply Concerns By Kedia AdvisoryTradePatel Retail launches 23-product whole spices range under Indian ChaskaChilliChili Prices Hit Rp100,000 per Kg: What's Happening?ChilliChicago-Area Brand The Spice Drops Launches a Concentrated Chili Oil That Makes Food Spicy Without Changing the FlavorHarvestSaffron In The Cold Desert? Ladakh Is Putting 90,000 Iranian Corms To The TestMarketsUttar Pradesh Gears Up To Become Global Hub For Spice Processing & ExportsHarvestWhy 100 UP Farmers Are Growing Turmeric to Reduce Elephant Crop RaidsHarvestKashmir Squanders SaffronChilliChesapeake Chili Crisp? A DC-Area Chef Is Putting Unexpected Spins on the Condiment.HarvestRed Gold In Cold Desert: Iranian Corms Take Root As Ladakh Begins Saffron Farming Under 'Him Sarovar'HarvestTurmeric Rallies As Karnataka Drought Hits Crop And Raises Fresh Supply Concerns By Kedia AdvisoryTradePatel Retail launches 23-product whole spices range under Indian ChaskaChilliChili Prices Hit Rp100,000 per Kg: What's Happening?ChilliChicago-Area Brand The Spice Drops Launches a Concentrated Chili Oil That Makes Food Spicy Without Changing the FlavorHarvestSaffron In The Cold Desert? Ladakh Is Putting 90,000 Iranian Corms To The TestMarketsUttar Pradesh Gears Up To Become Global Hub For Spice Processing & ExportsHarvestWhy 100 UP Farmers Are Growing Turmeric to Reduce Elephant Crop RaidsHarvestKashmir Squanders SaffronChilliChesapeake Chili Crisp? A DC-Area Chef Is Putting Unexpected Spins on the Condiment.HarvestRed Gold In Cold Desert: Iranian Corms Take Root As Ladakh Begins Saffron Farming Under 'Him Sarovar'
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 🇮🇳 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 2 moreCardamom Aromatic seeds from spindle-shaped pods used in sweet and savory dishes across Asia and the Middle East.Seed · Sharp and pungent · Warm and sweet-spiced 🇮🇳 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 🇫🇷 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 🇬🇷 Greece and 4 moreThyme The dried leaves of a Mediterranean mint-family herb, used to perfume stews and baths alike.Leaf · Earthy and deep · Warm and sweet-spiced 🇮🇳 IndiaChaat masala A tangy Indian spice blend for savory snacks and fruit saladsBlend · Sour and tart · Sharp and pungent 🇮🇩 Indonesia and 2 moreLong pepper The dried fruit spike of a climbing vine native to Java, once the world's standard heat.Fruit · Hot and fiery · Sharp and pungent 🇪🇹 EthiopiaMitmitaሚጥሚጣ A fiery Ethiopian spice blend of bird's eye chilies, cardamom, and cloves.Blend · Hot and fiery · Warm and sweet-spiced 🇾🇪 Yemen and 1 moreHawaijحوايج A ground Yemeni spice blend used for soups, coffee, and everyday cooking.Warm and sweet-spiced · Earthy and deep 🇯🇲 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 🇮🇳 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 🇮🇩 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 moreSesame The drought-hardy seed of a flowering plant, prized for its oil and nutty taste.Seed · Warm and sweet-spiced 🇻🇳 VietnamHúng lìu A Vietnamese spice blend of cinnamon, star anise, and clove for roasted meatsWarm and sweet-spiced · Sweet and mellow 🇮🇩 Indonesia and 3 moreCubeb The dried fruit of a climbing vine, known for its long tail and sharp taste.Fruit · Sharp and pungent · Warm and sweet-spiced 🇺🇸 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 🇹🇷 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 🇮🇩 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 🇵🇪 Peru and 3 morePink peppercornmulli The dried pink drupes of the Schinus molle tree, sold as a peppery alternative to black pepper.Fruit · Sharp and pungent · Citrus and bright 🇪🇸 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 🇨🇳 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 🇮🇳 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 🇮🇩 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 🇮🇱 Israel and 5 moreCoriander The leaves and dried seeds of an annual Mediterranean herb used in cuisines worldwide.Leaf · Citrus and bright · Warm and sweet-spiced 🇮🇳 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 🇬🇼 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 🇵🇸 Palestine and 4 moreSyrian oreganoزَعْتَر The aromatic herb native to the Levant, essential for making za'atar.Warm and sweet-spiced · Herbal and green 🇮🇳 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.

The weekly digest

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