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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 🇮🇳 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 🇱🇰 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 🇬🇷 Greece and 4 moreParsley A bright green herb from the celery family, used fresh across Europe and the Middle East.Leaf · Bitter · Herbal and green 🇦🇹 Austria and 5 moreCaraway The crescent-shaped fruit of a carrot-family herb, used to flavour breads and spirits.Seed · Anise and liquorice · Sharp and pungent 🇮🇩 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 🇮🇳 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 🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 4 moreRock samphire A coastal succulent with peppery leaves and carrot-scented roots, used fresh or pickled.Leaf · Hot and fiery · Sharp and pungent 🇱🇾 Libya and 1 morePilpelchumaפלפלצ'ומה A steamed chili and garlic paste from Libyan Jewish cuisine, now common in Israel.Hot and fiery · Sharp and pungent 🇪🇬 EgyptShattaشطة A fermented Levantine paste of fresh chillies, garlic, and saltHot and fiery · Sharp and pungent 🇺🇸 United States and 1 moreCalifornian white sage An aromatic desert shrub whose seeds flavour maize foods and roots make tonic teaSeed · Herbal and green · 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 🇬🇭 Ghana and 5 moreGrains of Selimdiarr The dried fruit of a West African shrub, used as a peppery spice and coffee flavouring.Fruit · Sharp and pungent · Bitter 🇭🇹 HaitiEpis A blended flavor base of peppers, garlic, and herbs essential to Haitian cookingHot and fiery · Sharp and pungent 🇧🇷 Brazil and 5 moreMalagueta peppermalagueta A small, fiery chili from Capsicum frutescens used across Portuguese-speaking regions.Chilli · Hot and fiery · Sharp and pungent 🇲🇽 Mexico and 1 moreChipotle Smoke-dried ripe jalapeño peppers used in Mexican and Tex-Mex cookingChilli · Hot and fiery · Smoky 🇯🇵 JapanKarashiからし A potent Japanese mustard made from brown mustard seeds, served as a sharp condiment.Seed · Hot and fiery · Sharp and pungent 🇯🇵 JapanYuzu koshō柚子胡椒 A fermented Japanese paste of chili peppers and yuzu citrus peel.Paste · Hot and fiery · Citrus and bright 🇯🇵 Japan and 1 moreShishito pepper獅子唐辛子 (Shishitōgarashi) A slender East Asian chili that is mostly mild with occasional spicy surprises.Sweet and mellow · Hot and fiery 🇳🇵 Nepal and 2 moreDalle Khursaniडल्ले खुर्सानी A round, fiery chilli from the Himalayas, known for its intense heat and vitamin content.Chilli · Hot and fiery 🇨🇱 ChileMerkénmezkeñ A traditional Mapuche smoked chili condiment from Chile, often mixed with coriander.Blend · Smoky · Hot and fiery 🇺🇸 United States and 5 moreGingermint A sterile mint hybrid grown for essential oil and chewing gum flavour.Herbal and green · Sweet and mellow 🇮🇱 IsraelNufar basil A sweet basil variety bred in Israel to resist a deadly fungal wilt disease.Leaf · 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 🇨🇳 China and 4 moreSpearmint The square-stemmed herb with pointed leaves used for tea and flavouring oil.Leaf 🇦🇺 AustraliaBush tomatokutjera The dried fruit of a native Australian nightshade shrub, traditionally eaten by Aboriginal peoples.Fruit · Sweet and mellow · Earthy and deep 🇮🇹 Italy and 5 moreMustard A pungent paste made from ground mustard seeds mixed with liquid and spices.Paste · Sharp and pungent · Hot and fiery 🇦🇺 AustraliaWattleseed The edible seed of Australian Acacia trees, traditionally ground into flour by Aboriginal Australians.Seed · Sweet and mellow · Earthy and deep 🇱🇰 Sri LankaLunumirisලුණු මිරිස් A traditional Sri Lankan condiment of ground chillies and saltHot and fiery · Sour and tart 🇮🇹 ItalyMostardamostarda di frutta A northern Italian condiment of candied fruit in a sharp mustard syrupBlend · Sweet and mellow · Sharp and pungent 🇲🇽 MexicoSalsa macha A Mexican condiment of dried chilies and oil, crushed to a coarse texture.Paste · Hot and fiery · Sharp and pungent 🇲🇽 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 🇮🇳 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 🇲🇽 Mexico and 5 moreJalapeño A medium-sized Capsicum annuum cultivar from Mexico known for its green pods and moderate heat.Chilli · Hot and fiery · Earthy and deep 🇮🇳 India and 2 moreBay leaf The dried or fresh leaves of the laurel tree, used to infuse depth into slow-cooked dishes.Leaf · Herbal and green · Sharp and pungent 🇱🇧 Lebanon and 5 moreZa'atarزَعْتَر A Levantine blend of dried herbs, sumac, sesame seeds, and salt used in breads and dips.Blend · Earthy and deep · Citrus and bright 🇺🇸 United StatesCarolina Reaper A gnarled red cultivar of Capsicum chinense bred in South Carolina for extreme heat.Chilli · Hot and fiery · Sweet and mellow 🇲🇽 Mexico and 5 moreHabanero A very hot chili cultivar with a floral aroma, native to the Amazon and grown in Mexico.Fruit · Hot and fiery · Floral and perfumed 🇵🇹 Portugal and 5 morePiri piri A very hot African cultivar of Capsicum frutescens used for spicy sauces and marinadesChilli · Hot and fiery 🇫🇷 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 🇨🇳 China and 4 moreFingerrootกระชาย The finger-shaped rhizome of a tropical ginger relative, used fresh or pickled in Southeast Asian cooking.Sharp and pungent · Citrus and bright 🇬🇷 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 🇲🇽 Mexico and 3 moreBird's eye chiliพริกขี้หนู A small, intensely hot cultivar of Capsicum annuum native to Mexico and widely grown in Southeast Asia.Chilli · Hot and fiery 🇯🇵 JapanShichimi七味唐辛子 A Japanese seven-ingredient spice blend for finishing soups and noodlesBlend · Hot and fiery · Citrus and bright 🇮🇳 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 🇮🇳 IndiaChaat masala A tangy Indian spice blend for savory snacks and fruit saladsBlend · Sour and tart · Sharp and pungent
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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.