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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
🇮🇳 IndiaRamanathapuram Mundu chilli A round, mild red chilli from Tamil Nadu with a GI tag.Chilli · Hot and fiery · Earthy and deep 🇷🇺 Russia and 5 moreChives The hollow leaves and purple flowers of a widespread perennial herb in the onion family.Leaf 🇪🇸 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 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 🇺🇸 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 🇮🇹 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 🇮🇳 IndiaEdayur chilliഎടയൂർ മുളക് A local Kerala cultivar with a GI tag, used for sun-dried curd chillies.Chilli · Hot and fiery 🇫🇷 FranceRomenay pepperpiment de Romenay A compact, mild French chili cultivated in the historical province of Bresse.Chilli · Hot and fiery 🇲🇽 MexicoSerrano pepper A hot Mexican chili from mountain regions, used fresh in salsas and sauces.Chilli · Hot and fiery · Sharp and pungent 🇸🇷 SurinameMadame Jeanette A fruity, very hot chili cultivar from Suriname with a reddish-yellow skin.Chilli · Hot and fiery · Sweet and mellow 🇳🇵 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 🇮🇩 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 🇮🇳 IndiaAlmora Lakhori Mirchiलखोरी मिर्च A wrinkled yellow chilli from the Kumaon hills of India, known for intense heat and GI protection.Hot and fiery 🇺🇸 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 🇮🇳 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 moreIndonesian cinnamon A strong, affordable bark from Sumatra used as a common spice and oil source.Bark · Warm and sweet-spiced · Sharp and pungent 🇵🇭 PhilippinesSiling labuyo The tiny, erect-fruited wild chili of the Philippines, known for intense heat.Chilli · Hot and fiery · Sharp and pungent 🇪🇸 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 🇻🇳 VietnamHúng lìu A Vietnamese spice blend of cinnamon, star anise, and clove for roasted meatsWarm and sweet-spiced · Sweet and mellow 🇲🇽 Mexico and 5 moreCapsicum frutescens A small, wild chili species with erect berries, native to the Americas and widely grown in tropical regions.Chilli · Hot and fiery 🇮🇳 India and 1 moreGarden cress A fast-growing edible herb with peppery leaves and seeds used in salads and traditional medicine.Leaf · Sharp and pungent · Sour and tart 🇯🇵 Japan and 3 moreWasabiわさび The pungent rhizome of a stream-side plant, grated fresh for sushi.Paste · Sharp and pungent · Hot and fiery 🇫🇷 FranceSel gris A coarse, moist sea salt harvested from the bottom of French salt pans.Sharp and pungent · Earthy and deep 🇮🇳 India and 3 moreZedoarytemu putih A bitter rhizome from the ginger family, once common in Austronesian kitchens.Root · Bitter · Sharp and pungent 🇺🇸 United StatesCreole mustard A grainy paste of brown mustard seeds, vinegar, and horseradish from Louisiana.Paste · Sharp and pungent · Sour and tart 🇮🇩 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 🇬🇳 Guinea and 5 moreGrains of paradise The pungent, citrus-tinged seeds of a West African ginger relative.Seed · Sharp and pungent · Hot and fiery 🇯🇵 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 🇬🇼 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 🇮🇱 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 🇺🇸 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 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 🇱🇦 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 🇪🇬 Egypt and 3 moreAnise The sweet, licorice-flavored seed of an annual herb from the Mediterranean basin.Seed · Sweet and mellow · Anise and liquorice 🇮🇩 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 🇨🇳 ChinaXiao Mi La Pepper小米辣 A wild Capsicum frutescens cultivar from southern China, prized for intense heat in spicy regional dishes.Chilli · Hot and fiery · 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 🇹🇷 Turkey and 5 moreBlack cumin The tiny black seed of a wild annual flower, used across the Middle East and South Asia.Seed · Sharp and pungent · Herbal and green 🇮🇳 India and 5 moreBlack pepper The dried fruit of a climbing vine, the world's most traded spice.Fruit · Sharp and pungent · Hot and fiery 🇺🇸 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 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 🇸🇩 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 🇹🇷 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 🇵🇪 PeruLemon Drop pepperají limón A bright yellow, citrus-flavored chilli from Peru's highlands.Hot and fiery · Citrus and bright 🇵🇪 Peru and 3 moreBlack mintHuacatay A South American marigold herb used as a paste or dried seasoning in Andean cookingLeaf · Herbal and green · Sharp and pungent 🇮🇳 IndiaKashmiri red chilliकश्मीरी लाल मिर्च A mild Capsicum annuum cultivar prized for its deep red colour and low heat.Chilli · Earthy and deep 🇻🇳 Vietnam and 4 moreHouttuynia折耳根 A heart-shaped herb with a sharp fishy taste used in salads and teas across Asia.Leaf · Sharp and pungent · Citrus and bright 🇯🇵 Japan and 1 moreMyoga茗荷 The edible flower buds and shoots of a woodland ginger native to East Asia.Flower · Sharp and pungent · Citrus and bright
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The weekly digest

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